Allan
Well-known member
Has anyone else thought of using an Optimist dinghy as a tender? What would happen if you put two adults in one? Would it sink?
Comments are welcome.
Allan
Comments are welcome.
Allan
Rowing an Optimist dinghy.
- Thread starter Allan
- Start date
B27
Well-known member
Small and relatively expensive?
Would not take much weight to put the transoms in the water, then it would have the proverbial drag factor of a bingo hall?
OTOH, If you've got a free one which nobody will buy to teach their child, then anything will do at a pinch if you don't need to go far.
Would not take much weight to put the transoms in the water, then it would have the proverbial drag factor of a bingo hall?
OTOH, If you've got a free one which nobody will buy to teach their child, then anything will do at a pinch if you don't need to go far.
Mark-1
Well-known member
It's not big enough for two substantial adults. I tried to get in one with my son when he was 6 and even that was enough to nearly have the gunwhales under. We gave up sailing it and in the end I flooded it climbing out. Perhaps without the rig it might be easier to distribute weight but it's still a non starter for two adults IMHO.
I'm sure one adult could row one but the only thwart is right at the bow - an adult couldn't sit on it to row. So you'd need something to sit on. (Or kneel.)
Personally, I think it's a total nonstarter, but if the two adults you have in mind are 8 stone 5 footers then maybe try one and see.
EDIT: For a mere £250 notes you can have a branded seat! Optimist Polyester Rowing Seat
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billyfish
Active member
I must admit to thinking about it as I have a 8.5 foot pram that takes 2 adults and a opy looks more stable with its flat bottom, how long are they?
oldharry
Well-known member
Defnitiely not two my size adults!
Mark-1
Well-known member
7'9.
It's odd because I been in some small pram dinghies (and a coracle) and they can't have been much bigger than the Optimist. I don't recall them being a problem. But the Optimist two up was a nightmare. I guess in most pram dinghies you have thwarts and no rig inhibiting movement. Whereas in the oppy you're kind of lying across it under the rig. Maybe that makes it harder.
William_H
Well-known member
I have used in the past a Sabot 8ft sailing dinghy as tender. Very successful. With one person in rows beautifully. With 4 people the drag becomes huge so hard working rowing but still usable. I don't have to row far 40 to 50 metres in mostly shallow water. So saferty not such a concern. However Optimus does have quite low free board and would need a decent seat for rowing and rowlock holes. ol'will
dunedin
Well-known member
Racing Optimists have very thin GRP hull shells. Unlikely to cope with usage as a tender.
A poly constructed Oppie might be a better option
A poly constructed Oppie might be a better option
LittleSister
Well-known member
A flat-bottomed boat is only 'more stable' in flat water. A flat bottom becomes a liability once you start getting any significant waves. (You don't want to be perpendicular to the face of a wave!) It's also harder to row than a boat with a curved bottom.
The other potential issue with an Optimist is whether the sides are high enough, with adult(s) in it, to get the oars above both the water and your legs?
johnalison
Well-known member
The only oppies I have handled weighed a ton and wouldn’t suit me as a tender. Quite why the sailing world has accepted a supposed sailing boat from the man who designed the first house brick I don’t know, but they seem to keep a lot of youngsters happy. On our visit to Leba in 2004 they were having a massive open Oppy championship and the next day was far too windy for us cruisers to go out, so they towed over 100 Oppies five miles out to sea and let them race.
Mark-1
Well-known member
I'm historically a bit anti oppy but since kids came along I sort of get them. You can stick a 5yo who can't sail at all in one and they can sit in the bottom and only have to think about the rudder and sail, there's no need to consider balance. Takes one whole factor out. They can reach up and down even if they don't understand what they're doing. Also means they can go out in strong winds which the young ones find easier IME.
What is incomprehensible to me is 14yo lads sailing them. Swearing and bullying their way through a fleet of much youngers kids in Picos and Teras to try to win on handicap at an age when in sailing terms they're essentially an adult.
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johnalison
Well-known member
I grew up in the heyday of the YW Cadet and am out of date with today's training craft. The point of the Cadet was that it was unstable but carried a suit of sails and a spinnaker and was an effective trainer for racers. If I have a complaint about the Oppy it is that it is for single-handed use only. I can see that this is an effective and safe way of getting children into sailing, but it would seem only to take them so far. I agree that there comes an age when they seem unsuitable, though it is the older ones who will dominate the championships I assume. The last junior boat I sailed was a Topper, briefly, and enjoyed it a lot, and I see newer junior boats that look much better than Oppies, though none of them much use as a tender perhaps. I would be surprised if there were a better boat for that use than the Mirror.I'm historically a bit anti oppy but since kids came along I sort of get them. You can stick a 5yo who can't sail at all in one and they can sit in the bottom and only have to think about the rudder and sail, there's no need to consider balance. Takes one whole factor out. They can reach up and down even if they don't understand what they're doing. Also means they can go out in strong winds which the young ones find easier IME.
What is incomprehensible to me is 14yo lads sailing them. Swearing and bullying their way through a fleet of much youngers kids in Picos and Teras to try to win on handicap at an age when in sailing terms they're essentially an adult.
dunedin
Well-known member
I suspect the only 14 year olds racing Optimists are not doing it for handicap racing but because of the incredibly high standard of IOCA class racing worldwide. And they are rarely swearing and often in fleets segregated by age.…….
What is incomprehensible to me is 14yo lads sailing them. Swearing and bullying their way through a fleet of much youngers kids in Picos and Teras to try to win on handicap at an age when in sailing terms they're essentially an adult.
I was not a huge fan of some pushy Optimist parents, but there is no arguing for their track record - most of the Olympic sailing medallists of all countries came through the IOCA fleet. Indeed the old Optimist we have for the grand children was first owned by a UK Olympic medalist.
Mark-1
Well-known member
I suspect that is all happening in spite of the Optimist, not because of it. I also suspect it's used becaise of inertia rather than becaise someone recently sat down and decided it's an appropriate boat for teenagers. It's certainly a great boat if you're 5 and literally can't sail (or even concentrate on trying to sail for more than 5 minutes).
It was designed in 1947.
bergie
Active member
One of our sister boats uses an Optimist as the dinghy, and reputedly it works somewhat OK with two adults. That said, when we built our 9ft nesting dinghy, they also expressed strong interest in upgrading.
With our dinghy we can row and sail with two adults, or row with three as long as the sea state isn't too bad. And it takes less space on deck than an Optimist would.
The sailing club next to ours in Berlin does a Christmas regatta where the adults compete sailing Optimists. Looks hilarious, and so far I've never seen one sunk.
And for whatever value you give to fiction, they used an Optimist as the tender in the sailing thriller Celtic Ring, including sailing back to Loch Drumbuie from Tobermory two-up, drunk. In winter.
With our dinghy we can row and sail with two adults, or row with three as long as the sea state isn't too bad. And it takes less space on deck than an Optimist would.
The sailing club next to ours in Berlin does a Christmas regatta where the adults compete sailing Optimists. Looks hilarious, and so far I've never seen one sunk.
And for whatever value you give to fiction, they used an Optimist as the tender in the sailing thriller Celtic Ring, including sailing back to Loch Drumbuie from Tobermory two-up, drunk. In winter.
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Mark-1
Well-known member
Are you anywhere near Chichester, Allan? I can offer you a solo test drive of an oppy with a canoe paddle which will be enough to gauge its suitability for you.
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bergie
Active member
Bonus item: two adults in an Optimist. The pulpit fell off our neighbour boat upon launching, and they were trawling it out of the marina.
Not sure I'd trust that for any longer distances or any waves.
Not sure I'd trust that for any longer distances or any waves.SvenH
Active member
If you think you may ever want to tow your dinghy, forget the optimist. It may fill up unless the centerboard is in.
Mark-1
Well-known member
Back in the day my Dad made a short centreboard stub out of plywood to block the centre board off on our pram dinghy. Suspect the OP could manufacture something.
