Solo dinghy converted for camp, row, sail, expeditions

[Greenheart]

I cooked some bacon on a mirror dinghy once. Of course I just sat the meths stove directly on the side deck which left a nice scorch mark.. does it add character to the boat?

Sounds nicely eccentric. Scorched ply...hmm, makes me think again about teak veneer on my GRP decks...maybe a small square of polished granite with in-built chopping board?

I'm interested in hearing your (Dylan's) opinion!

Yes, me too! Dylan, don't hold back, hold forth. Your thread, so you must have many a view on minimalist cruising. And...when did risking offending other contributors ever stop any of us saying what we thought?

I don't recall what you sailed before Katie L...did you ever spend a night in the duck punt? That'd be dinghy cruising, of a sort.

I guess the smallest cruisers have more in common with dinghies than open keelboats do. I'm always fascinated and attracted by the cheapness of elderly Flying Fifteens...

...but that's idiotic folly, I reckon. It may recover easily from capsize, but the 5ft beam means a cramped cockpit (with a wretched mainsheet tower in the middle)...not to mention the royal awkwardness of dry-sailing a keelboat unless it's to be keenly raced...and that fixed keel makes no sense at all for versatility & exploration of drying creeks & beaches.

Interesting to me that 30-40 year-old cruisers of 17/18ft LOA, are typically much more expensive than newer, bigger, well-kept open racing keelboats. I suppose just like the Wayfarer, a small centreboard cabin boat has broad and lasting appeal, while an aging specialised racing keelboat is much less useful and a pain in the wallet. Very pretty, though...

View attachment 37453

 

[doch]

Bruce's Solo

Anybody got a link or more photo's of Bruce's setup? I'd love to try something similar. I understand this is far from ideal, but if you've got a free boat vs one you would need to buy....?

 

[lenten]

if you are looking for dinghy camping/cruising try---------- dinghy cruising association

 

[Tom Sonoro]

Like Dan Crane, I explored the Osprey-as-single-hander option for a while. Lovely boat: nice big bows for dealing with chop, plenty of stowage aft and forward. But inescapably designed for racing: not exactly tippy; not hugely stable either. In a force 3, with the trapeze, a bit like an old man's Contender. But far too much canvas for cruising on my own once the wind got up.
I have a GP14 now and it is much better suited to this kind of use. There are plenty of old ones out there and they are cheap as chips.

 

[Greenheart]

"An old man's Contender" ?

Should have seen me singlehanding the Osprey from Ashlett to the Itchen, one Hallowe'en afternoon, years ago. My mate in his pristine new Contender went nearly mad, trying and failing to keep up, while I lit a cigar and enjoyed the end-of-season sun.

It's hard work upwind in a breeze, no mistake, but it's a luxurious express in the right conditions.

My mate sold the Contender after one season.

What you say about the GP14 is fair (and applies to lots of other designs too). It probably is better suited to cruising, though it's still a challenge to the singlehander while afloat unless reefing has been given due thought and preparation; and ashore, because I doubt the Osprey is any heavier.

EDIT: GP14 is 133kg, Osprey is 138.
Although mine is probably 150+ with all the attachments added in the eight years since this thread began.

Did you try singlehanding an Osprey, or judge its suitability from the written specification and a glance at one ashore?

I didn't know there were any Ospreys set up for solo-sailing out there, except mine.

 

[steve yates]

Just get a wee 16/17/18/19 foot cruiser with a cabin lads, and you can sail, and sleep, and cook, in comfort

 

[Greenheart]

It's true.

Although, 'comfort' may be pushing it!

 

[Daydream believer]

Just get a wee 16/17/18/19 foot cruiser with a cabin lads, and you can sail, and sleep, and cook, in comfort

I suggest that one looks at these vidoes. Charles Stock built this 16 ft "Shoal Waters" years ago (50s I think) & travelled over 90,000 miles this gaff mini cruiser. He has written books about his exploits, including those to continental shores.
A friend of mine -Tony Smith- bought it & continues the journeys. he has appeared in PBO mag a few times. One story about his trip down the Lea canal & round to Goldhanger is a classic. He wrote a story about his trip with me to Camaret comparing his creek cruiser with my 31 ft boat.
You can see his videos here- Creeksailor -& he has an excellent website about all his creek crawling on the east coast.
Give him a trickle of water & a load of mud & he is a happy bunny.
He refers to his Thigh waders as his tender. He does have posts about how he lives aboard & it is all very cleverly done. Certainly minimalistic, but not exactly as uncomfortable as one might think.

 

[ghostlymoron]

The most common dinghy used for camping and sailing is a Wayfarer, high freeboard and stable, as talked about in another thread. I loved it when I did a dinghy course with my son, we could have taught him on our yacht but dinghies are the way to learn.

The guy that bought my Leisure 17 previously used to camp in a wayfarer, he told me later that the L17 had transformed his sailing life - shelter from wind and rain, comfortable bed and cooker.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

In Antarctica, the usual field unit is two people sharing a pyramid tent, possibly for months on end. A pyramid tent is not much more than 2m square, with headroom only in the very centre. As you'd imagine, a great deal of expertise has built up over the years, with a standard layout to make best use of the space. A common saying amongst people in the field is "Any fool can be uncomfortable in a tent". Field crews even bake sourdough bread on the single primus! Admittedly, the climate doesn't generally permit bathing or showering, but there are ways of maintaining personal hygiene without.

I've only done an overnight stay in a pyramid tent, but it was fairly civilized!

 

[ianat182]

I believe Charles Stock was an advocate of the Fairey Falcon but he fitted a small cuddy to it for his camping/cruising, it is similar construction to the Albacores, Firefly hulls but greater freeboard and beam. I've sailed one and think that it would be ideal for a small cruising dinghy, but then the weight comparison to a Wayfarer is virtually the same ,but a very stable boat and a surprising turn of speed if Club racing.
Retrieval ashore up a ramp is less than folk believe when a proper balanced launching trolley, is used up our Club's steepish ramp at low tides. The Wayfarer dinghy was designed not as a pure racer but a family boat or trainer, a well thought out design by Ian Proctor; other ones like the Wanderers , and others similar, like the Leader, seem to have followed his lead Jack Holt and his GP14 etc.

Referring to earlier mention of the Swallows and Amazons reminds me of sailing with my grandfather on a 14foot clinker, partly decked and gaff rigged dinghy as my first ever sailing experience, Heavy , Yes, were built in solid timber , not ply or GRP, with ribs and stringers and canvas sails..... and a heavy galvanised centreboard with pulleys.

ianat182