Sea Kayak as a Tender?

[Little Rascal]

Just musing over this at the moment and would welcome opinions.

I have a small yacht (Hunter Europa) which necessitates a very small dinghy for storage reasons. I have an XM180 round dinghy which works well but I has it's limitations when it comes to rough water or long trips ashore.

So I've been thinking of trying to use my 15' plastic sea kayak as a tender when singlehanded. This solves the issue of boat handling: I can and have taken the kayak to places I would never take the Hunter and 20 miles in a long afternoon is quite doable. So it would also open up the possibilities for exploring.

Obviously with a 19ft boat a 15' tender would have to be towed (!) I have a decent cockpit cover for it and it has large buouancy compartments so it would be safe enough. I reckon it would outrun the boat down a wave so I might have to tow a bit of warp to stop it nuzzling.

So has anyone tried similar or see any pitfalls? (Apart from looking a bit odd )

 

[Zagato]

I used a 15' Sea Kayak to get to my mooring on Itchenor Reach last year (26' boat) - saved messing about with my tender and engine! It was ideal and was able to load it up with all my stuff, think it could take about 80KG on top of my weight...

I left the Kayak on the mooring when sailing but asked the same question to others and yes they are fine to tow

 

[oldvarnish]

I'm interested in sea kayaks.

Aren't they very unstable, especially when alongside and trying to get from kayak to boat? Perhaps there's a knack to it.

 

[wklein]

Have you thought about and inflatable canoe? much smaller than an inflatable dinghy and with similar characteristics to solid one. Must be a better compromise than towing.

I am currently mulling over using one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003TF1I86/ref=asc_df_B003TF1I867852229?smid=A1I01LWCHWAATO&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22218&creativeASIN=B003TF1I86

Just two of us cruising and this seems like a good compromise. Also it self bails (and i absolutely hate bailing out our redcrest).

 

[Kelpie]

Have towed a long skinny dinghy, moral of the story was that I should have used a much longer painter, the longer the better I have since been advised.

I would be surprised if it were practical to climb from a kayak onto a yacht, but then the Europa must have very low freeboard.

 

[njsail]

I was a ocean kayak instructor for many years so I've actually tried this many times. There are many types of kayaks. the following refers to fiberglass and plastic hollow kayaks. If you have a kayak that is narrow/long with a very tight english style cockpit then boarding is more difficult. If you have a kayak that resembles somethink like a bathtub with a wide open cockpit then you have more stability to board/egress. The problem you might encounter with the bathtub style is if the chop kicks up you have a lot of ability to take on water especially when towing. I've towed multiple ocean kayaks behind our boat with a bit of a rig successfully. I also have neoprene cockpit covers that keep water out. If you don't have floatation and can't keep the water out you might loose your boat or even in a better scenario will have something called a cleopatra's needle where the boat is floating upright with only the bow sticking out of the water where a little air is trapped. It's a pain to refloat a kayak in that situation.

As I'm writing this I realize some folks call sit on top type boats kayaks...none of this applies to that type of boat. They are more ideal for warm weather boating..but you are going to get wet. that's the tradeoff. If you have a kayak give it a try in nice weatherr - just make sure you have enough flotation in the kayak you can't fully swamp it and loose it. The more robust inflatable kayaks (not cheap plastic) are also attractive as potential tenders and they usually hold two people - or one person and some cargo.

 

[blackbeard]

the question of inflatable canoes/kayaks as tenders crops up from time to time on these boards. Of interest to me as my inflatable dinghy is, in the manner of inflatable dingies, a right PITA to stow/inflate/pack away/row; and an inflatable kayak would be a delight for exploring shallower parts of harbours. The consensus, as I recall, is that the inflatable kayak is indeed great fun but not really up to the job as a proper tender; though I suppose it would depend on just what sort of job you need the tender to do.

My memory of inflatable kayaks suggests that they are not happy being paddled into a stiff breeze; not that inflatable dinghies under oars are a lot better. If you just need to get on board when the boat is on its home mooring, a (reasonably seaworthy) rigid dinghy is best. Also, a towed anything is a pain.

 

[Little Rascal]

Thanks chaps. As I said I have a tender and a sea kayak, so this was really about the practicalities of what I already have, for use when single handing and trailer-sailing. I would like to think if I had a safe means of making longer ship-shore trips I'd be more likely to explore out of the way anchorages.

The kayak is a Pyranha Orca (not the newer lower spec P&H version). Its on the wider side (23" IIRC) with a full playboat sized cockpit, but its a fully specified sea kayak of largeish volume with bow and stern compartments. I also have a decent cockpit cover so I don't anticipate it taking on water. Thanks for the long painter tip Rob. I think it will tow well enough (very little drag) but I might consider a bit of ballast for it.

The Hunters freeboard is pretty low and because its under armpit level it should be fairly secure getting in and out, although I've yet to try it out.

I did consider inflatables but I wouldn't spend the money on one specially as a tender. I think I'd get ... a tender! Inflatable kayaks really are a different type of boat and not half as capable as a 'proper' sea kayak, unless you're prepared to spend real money. I might consider one of these for the forepeak when I get to do my dreamed of Greenland expedition!

 

[PabloPicasso]

don't knock sit-on-top kayaks. They offer many advantages such as, robust (certainly copmpared to their inflatable cousins, unsinkable - so if they invert while being towed they don't present a problem although mine has never flipped over, easier to get up from and onto your boat than those with closed cockpits.

It seems to me that sit-on-tops can make ideal tenders. I strap mine to the roofrack - its light enough to be easily handled by me alone, stable enough to stand up while holding the life lines of my boat and step aboard (highish freeboard), and no wasting time inflating/deflating/folding packing.

But of course my mooring is in a protected harbour so if you expect lively conditions a lot it may not suit.

Its the usual story, choose what suits but I find my sit-on top is just the job!!
And it just fits in my ford focus state if the seats (including front passenger seat are folded down. Handy if I'm going to work before going to the boat as the kayak is more secure inside than tiede to the roofbars

 

[Zagato]

I also had a low freeboard so getting in and off the Ocean kayak was OK. Can't remember how long it was but the longest available and it took some weight. Bought it new and sold it at the end of the season Very stable but heavy to paddle, OK though

Very low to the water so quite simple to step on and off the Ocean Kayak

 

[agurney]

Thanks chaps. As I said I have a tender and a sea kayak, so this was really about the practicalities of what I already have, for use when single handing and trailer-sailing. I would like to think if I had a safe means of making longer ship-shore trips I'd be more likely to explore out of the way anchorages.

The kayak is a Pyranha Orca (not the newer lower spec P&H version). Its on the wider side (23" IIRC) with a full playboat sized cockpit, but its a fully specified sea kayak of largeish volume with bow and stern compartments. I also have a decent cockpit cover so I don't anticipate it taking on water. Thanks for the long painter tip Rob. I think it will tow well enough (very little drag) but I might consider a bit of ballast for it.

The Hunters freeboard is pretty low and because its under armpit level it should be fairly secure getting in and out, although I've yet to try it out.

I did consider inflatables but I wouldn't spend the money on one specially as a tender. I think I'd get ... a tender! Inflatable kayaks really are a different type of boat and not half as capable as a 'proper' sea kayak, unless you're prepared to spend real money. I might consider one of these for the forepeak when I get to do my dreamed of Greenland expedition!

I regularly tow a Pyranha or two alongside my inflatable dinghy. The kayaks have very little drag, the only nuisance is that sometimes they sway from side to side a bit, but I suspect a foot or so of rope trailed from the stern may sort that out. For any length of passage the kayaks are on deck, but that's not an option for you. Getting in and out a kayak from the dinghy's a dawdle.

 

[Little Rascal]

I regularly tow a Pyranha or two ....

Awesome. I think mine would skate about less cause it has less rocker - it tracks well. Here's a vid of the same boat - not me though, I don't need use a rudder and I can roll but you get the idea...

 

[Iliade]

In much the same vein I am considering dragging a Topper to the Scillies this summer so that the kids have something to do while we enjoy the odd chota peg under the blazing Sun. Any experience of small dinghies & kids there? (Tides etc)

 

[davydog]

I have one of the sevylor inflatable canoes which I use for a tender. My boat has a low freeboard and the canoe is pretty stable so transfers no problem so far. The canoe has a plastic skeg so it tows nicely and tracks pretty well when paddling. Paddling it even two up is a lot easier than rowing an inflatable.
Hope this helps

 

[DogWatch]

A total pain in rear if you leave it in a small compound. They just get in the way, the one in our compound which never appears to move is like a 4x4 double parking and taking up 2 bays. Can't stack it so it takes up the whole back wall where you could store up to 4 normal sized dinghies.

Unless you are taking it home I would suggest a bit selfish if your harbour storage facility is small and already full.

 

[Addison222]

I would like to say you here tha you can use your Kayak as your Tend because this is officialy made for this need also but mostly 15ft Kayak is better for use as Tend i also use this when i have in trouble and need for this in my boat otherwise i am only a Kayak Rider anyways you can easily use this as your tend no any problem occured during to use it feel free of all worries...