Kayak as tender

[Hedgehog2]

Tricky one...
I'm thinking of getting a kayak type thing as tender to my boat - about half a mile from the dinghy pontoon (strong tides).
Reason is - a traditional dinghy kept on the pontoon fills within splash/rain water and sinks (been there!).
I'm hoping some of shallower simple kayak designs won't sink yet will keep me dry enough whilst paddling.

Was wondering if anyone knows of a suitable model (for one person) ?
Ideal would be ability to attach an electric outboard too !!

 

[Sandy]

Any kayak will do.

Watched a chap with an 'electric' sculling oar take his tender out to his boat yesterday, perhaps something like that could be used?

 

[PhillM]

Ive used a blow up kayak in places like Fowey and on the Hamble. Not sure I would want to go 1/2 mile in open seas but in a harbour they are fine.

 

[wully1]

Kayaks are pretty seaworthy - if you know what your doing but make rubbish yacht tenders in my view.

Proper expedition sea kayaks are great load carriers but become difficult to launch when loaded. Try boarding your boat at the best of times from one, then unloading your kit from the kayak hatches..then where will you stow it?
Blow up kayaks aren’t sea worthy , harder to paddle in a breeze and will still have the boarding problems. Rubbish load carriers. You’ll get wet as will anything you put in it unless it’s flat calm.

Canoes might be slightly better but still rubbish option compared to an inflatable dinghy with outboard motor. There is a reason they are ubiquitous .....

 

[Barton Seagoon]

Kayaks are really cold in winter and there is no way of keeping them warm.

Everyone knows you can't have your kayak and heat it.

 

[Neeves]

Kayaks - appalling load carrying ability. You will get wet, more so in any chop. Very difficult to use to ferry crew They are outlandishly long (difficult to store on deck). More difficult to 'enter' than a dinghy if there is any chop. etc etc - as a tender replacement a poor choice. You can use wet bags - but spare space in a kayak is parsimonious.

Great for exercise, but then so is rowing. great if you are anchored up an interesting river or sea loch and want to explore.

Where are you going to keep a kayak on shore - most places cater for dinghies

We carry 2 kayaks. . we keep them on the bow, note we have a cat(amaran) but we use a tender (hung on davits, O/B removed). For offshore sailing we can store the kayaks on the top of the davits with the dinghy slung underneath. We would not recommend kayaks stored on the bow in seas. If its a blow up kayak - you will soon tire of the foot pump and you need big batteries if you want to electric inflate.

Buy a rubber ducky! or a Foldabote

Jonathan

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We’re considering a drop stitch high pressure kayak, in the manner of a more robust paddleboard. We have all the power we need for an electric pump, we already use it for the paddleboard and tender, both of which we’d leave behind with any suitable destination in summer. Clearly, it’s like Heineken lager, * close to water, and unsuitable for cold conditions as our funny friend has said. Nonetheless, it might be good for us as it's so light.

 

[Uricanejack]

The chap who lives on his boat on the mooring next to mine uses a pedal kayak with outrigger east his tender.
I have a nice expedition kayak,I wouldn’t consider it as a tender. The big problem is getting in and out of it at the boat, might be just me but I find it far to unstable to board from the boat or board the boat from.

 

[wully1]

The chap who lives on his boat on the mooring next to mine uses a pedal kayak with outrigger east his tender.
I have a nice expedition kayak,I wouldn’t consider it as a tender. The big problem is getting in and out of it at the boat, might be just me but I find it far to unstable to board from the boat or board the boat from.

boarding from a kayak is a pain..where do you mount the painter? Where do you stow the painter when paddling? Once you succeed in getting out the kayak while not dropping your paddle or tripping over your deck how do you stop your kayak capsizing? Then when it does how do you empty it before pulling a muscle or three getting back into the kayak without capsizing again? The kayak is going to be broadside on the and waves and the stern of the boat pitching up and down..

 

[mjcoon]

Everyone knows you can't have your kayak and heat it.

Especially those who enjoyed Denis Norden and Frank Muir's stories in Radio 4's "My Word" which illustrated well known phrases and sayings...
(This one was by Denis Norden and on page 58 of their book "Take My Word for It".

 

[Keith 66]

Try to stand up in a kayak to board your boat or step down into it. You will be swimming before you know it.

 

[penfold]

Inflatable dinghies with transoms(which is most of them these days) mostly come with one-way drain valves, left with the plug out they will drain most rainwater leaving only a small amount to sponge out or they can be tipped. If you need a hard dinghy get a fitted cover.