Mirror Dinghy as Tender

Stemar

Stemar

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 Sep 2001
Messages
25,584
Location
Home - Southampton, Boat - Gosport
Visit site
SWMBO & I just spent a few days in Poole Harbour - a lovely place for those who don't mind having a couple of inches of water under their keels, a bit heart in mouth for a coward like me!

We did a lot of exploring with our inflatable tender and outboard. As a result I have SWMBO's permission to try and find a reasonably priced sailing dinghy to use as a tender, and a Mirror springs to mind as being about the right size.

Now the questions:

Am I on the right lines, barking up the wrong tree or just plain barking?

Could I fit an OB? I have a Tohatsu 3.5, which I suspect would be a bit OTT, but I don't thrash it even with our current rubber duck. Any necessary wood butchery such as transom reinforcement isn't a problem.

Is the Mirror sufficiently seaworthy? My swing is the best part of a mile from the club pontoon, and I've unpleasant memories of getting back in an easterly 7 last year. This is where the OB becomes essential, IMHO.

It'll get dragged on and off pontoons, up beaches, etc. Would a few sacrificial trips of wood on the bottom - maybe four bits 2cm wide by 1cm thick - have a noticable effect on sailing performance? I'm not interested in racing.

How Would the mirror's drag when towed behind my 24 ft snapdragon compare with that of the 2.3m slatted floor inflatable we usually tow?

Any other advice/suggestions?

Thanks in advance.
 
[ QUOTE ]


Could I fit an OB? I have a Tohatsu 3.5, which I suspect would be a bit OTT, but I don't thrash it even with our current rubber duck. Any necessary wood butchery such as transom reinforcement isn't a problem.

I have seen many Mirrors with an outboard on the transom and I don't believe your 3.5 Tohatsu would be overpowering.

Is the Mirror sufficiently seaworthy? My swing is the best part of a mile from the club pontoon, and I've unpleasant memories of getting back in an easterly 7 last year. This is where the OB becomes essential, IMHO.

I'd rather be in a Mirror than a slatted floor inflatable if there is a bit of a chop. She'll track better than a flat bottomed inflatable also.

It'll get dragged on and off pontoons, up beaches, etc. Would a few sacrificial trips of wood on the bottom - maybe four bits 2cm wide by 1cm thick - have a noticable effect on sailing performance? I'm not interested in racing.

The Mirror dinghy was designed with thin bilge runners and a metal keel band. Why not fit dinghy wheels on the transom to make life easier?

How Would the mirror's drag when towed behind my 24 ft snapdragon compare with that of the 2.3m slatted floor inflatable we usually tow?

There will obviously be more drag due to the keel, and also because she will weigh more than the inflatable.

One wish. Please use the Mirror to sail as well. She deserves more than just being a tender!
 
Hi

Yes they will take a small outboard, we had a Seagul on one. A bit of extra ply would not go amiss if using anything too big.

I fear a Mirror may fell a little unstable when climbing in and out, especially with kit. Good fun a under sail though!

Dean
 
The Mirror is a great little sailing dinghy it also rows well, is easily fitted with a small outboard and all the spars will stow inside it but:-

At 10' 10" it might be a bit large to tow behind a 24ft yacht, but I doubt if the drag will be much more than an 8ft inflatable. It might even be less.

The bare hull weighs 100lbs minimum so you won't want to drag it around very much. There used to be a wheely thing that could be fitted to the skeg as and when required though.

The bottom won't stand much rough handling but the normal bilge runners could be replaced with heavier ones. (the originals are 1/2" wide by 3/8" high minimum and are screwed into the glue blocks between the bottom and the side-tank sides) The bottom could be fibre glass sheathed but that will increase the weight. Additional floor battens can be fitted internally if not already there.

The normal eye on the fore transom is no where near man enough for towing. You would have to reinforce it near the bottom from inside and fit a though bolted eye bolt with a ring. That will mean making access to the bow tank if there is not already an inspection hatch.

It's little skeg will make it tow sweetly but not if you put the centre board in. To prevent water coming up the center board case you will need a blanking piece to close the top off.

It is designed to accept a small outboard. I dont know the weight of the Tohatsu but I guess it is less than a Seagull 40+ which is OK.

As a tender the internal space is limited by the buoyancy tanks and the floor is far from flat excect towards the back.

The Mirror is probably as seaworthy as your Snapdragon.

I would look for a small fibre glass sailing dinghy but I can't name any suitable ones. There are of course fibre glass Mirrors.

The Mirror is a great little boat though. Two alternative mast positions were provided originally, together with a second set of shroud attachments so that it could be rigged with just the mainsail but still be properly balanced. These bits are usually omitted if the boat is built for racing though.
 
Never sailed a mirror though always admired them.

I bought an 8' dinghy for £200 to get to our mooring that just happened to come with a rig and sails. Performance under sail is a reasonable compromise. Not too good 4 up though! Rows brilliantly. A steel rail under the keel is essential dragging it up a pebbly beach. Also you need to block up the centre board slot when towing or it will slowly fill up.

A lot of tenders seem to have a step for a mast. Might be a better bet than something designed just for sailing.

Rob.

DSCN0573.JPG
 
Absolutely agree. I have a little 9ft grp dinghy which I got for £50 and it beats all the Bics and inflatable into cocked hat. Rows well, pretty stable (I wouldn't carry 4 I don't think) and I put my Heron rig on it to see how it went. Like a rocket!

tendersails01.jpg


tendersail05.jpg
 
Thanks everyone. That's a little more data to feed into the computer that will eventually regurgitate the anwer! It does sound as though we're on the right track though. Carrying ability isn't the top priority because we usually use the tender to go to fetch Jissel and bring her to the club pontoon to load our clutter[ QUOTE ]
One wish. Please use the Mirror to sail as well. She deserves more than just being a tender!

[/ QUOTE ]Absolutely! The idea is to sail when we can and drive when we can't. It's just that we would have to be able to do both. It's good news that the mirror rows well; my zodiac rows like a spastic pig and the rollocks are absolute (rhyming word)!

[ QUOTE ]

The Mirror is probably as seaworthy as your Snapdragon.

[/ QUOTE ]I'm not sure if this is a big compliment to the mirror or a grievous insult to the the Snappy! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I don't expect to make much progress to windward under sail alone above the top end of F4, but off the wind or under power, I don't think she'll frighten until long after I'm terrified!
 
Mirror would be fine however if you need a sailing tender then you add weight to the boat which can be dispensed with if you just row or motor. I used a Sabot 8 ft dinghy for many years as a tender and it rows really well. I only tried it a few times with O/B. The problem with O/B that you will find with Mirror is that the stern digs in and the bow goes up with any power so there is not much concern about transom strength (it will tip over backwards before you damage the transom). This Sabot was built as a tender so no CB case or rudder so a lot lighter. Yes they are not so stable as an inflatable when stepping from tender to boat. (and of course it will need fenders)
The trick would be to stow the inflatable below decks deflated and only inflate when needed at a remote anchorage. Use the mirror or similar for a tender but always leave attached to the swing mooring when sailing. So no towing needed. regards olewill
 
[ QUOTE ]
The normal eye on the fore transom is no where near man enough for towing. You would have to reinforce it near the bottom from inside and fit a though bolted eye bolt with a ring. That will mean making access to the bow tank if there is not already an inspection hatch.

It's little skeg will make it tow sweetly but not if you put the centre board in. To prevent water coming up the center board case you will need a blanking piece to close the top off.


[/ QUOTE ]


This "mirrors" my experience of using one as a tender - I used a yam 2hp on mine, but the 3.5 throttled down should be fine, although I would reinforce the transom to spread the load completely. I pulled out the towing eye on moine and ended up reinforcing the whole front end, then through bolting the towing eye to the strongpoint for the forestay!. I reckoned if that pulled out again the boat would be finished anyway so didnt matter.

The only other recommendeation I would add, is to install an opened up hose all the way around the edge of the boat, to provide protection when mirror is bumping against hull.
 
Re: Though I\'m not a fan of ridgid tenders

I do like Mirrors Dinghies and have owned a few. They sail and row much better than you'd think if you just go by looks. None of the spars is particularly long so stowage is OK. They motor well with 2.5hp and are fairly dry I knocked about Salcombe in one for some years under power and sail.

If I was to use one as a tender I would reinforce the floor area adjacent to the CB casing. It's prone to splitting when subjected to point loads. I'd beef up the rubbing strip on the keel and I'd make a T-section plug for the CB case to prevent wet botty when you row.

My concerns about ridgid tenders are to do with tippiness, the difficulty of beaching, cetain towing issues and the amount of fendering required to moor it alongside the yacht and to get it onboard.

I'd buy a better dinghy myself.
 
Agree with the comment on towing eyes. I epoxied a quarter inch alloy plate inside the bow of mine and drilled it to take a U bolt.

Also agree you need to block the centre board when towing - no fun hanging off the transom bailing a bucking tender. I also block mine when using the outboard otherwise passengers get a squirt of seawater up their bum!

Rob.
 
Just bought a second hand Walker Bay 8 with 'performance' sail kit. So far I am very impressed, excellent build quality works well as a rowing boat, with our Honda 2.3 and sailing dinghy ... infact there are some simularities with my Laser - really! (Fits together the same and will sail by the lee no problem) Poyprop so tough, light and doesn't take chunks out of your big boat
 
There is a bpat out there called the Kontender I think, which is basically a Mirror dinghy that can fold up for stoward aboard/roof rack eyc. They do some smaller ons too -- read a review of teh Kontender sailed at Exmouth and reviewer said it was superb.

Moneywise I think it was about £1200 new.
 
Try a scow! we use one in Keyhaven and it has much more space (and, I think, much more character) than a Mirror. Some people have added a jib to create more to do. It motors well with our Honda 2 and I am sure would take a 3.5, although our other o/b, a Suzuki 5, is too much.
There are always plenty for sale around Keyhaven/Lymington/Yarmouth area - try Keyhaven yacht club classified board if you are ever around.
Builders's website for new builds and brokerage is http://www.westsolentboatbuilders.co.uk/scow.htm
 
I once towed a topper as a tender behind a Seal22 and vowed never ever to tow a hard dinghy on a cruise because it was forever catching us up and thumping the transom. Over a weekend it did significant damage to the rudder stock and gelcoat!

Maybe a Mirror has more drag and wouldn't catch up but that in itself might be a reason not to!

Geoff
 
Can't comment on the Mirror but we tow a Bobbin GRP dinghy. It does everything you are asking and is a little bit prettier. Agree with the centreboard case cap for towing and outboarding. One thing, it can be difficult to get the fore and aft trim right when rowing a hard dinghy with 2 people. The person in the stern is usually too heavy!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top