Tender for sportsboat.

[jon_bailey]

Anyone use a tender with a sportsboat?

I want to be able to anchor in a nice bay and then get the kids (3 boys eldest 8) to the beach without getting too wet. Swimming is not an option or at least not for me!

How practical is it to use a small inflatable with oars or small outboard? What size is practical, what type and what is best inflation method. (Some say I produce a lot of hot air but not that much!)

Typing this in New Orleans waiting for our exhibition equipment to arrive - it is a tough life, but someone has to do it. I hope to go to the Louisiana Superdome tomorrow for a fishing and outdoor exhibition. This beats Bourbon Street although I rather be on the Solent anytime.

Your correspondent in America.


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[DepSol]

My freinds use a Wetline 180 from their Maxum 1900SCR and another freind of mine uses a Bomabrd AX1 from his Maxum 2300 SCR so yes in the CI we use dinghys all the time to go to the beach.

<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

2003 is going to be a good year for me

 

[hlb]

Depends how big your sports boat is. But something small and manageable I wood think. Dont get kids play thingies though.

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Haydn

 

[Alistairr]

Why buy a tender, if you want to get to the beach, why not just beach it.
Thats what i did all last season, take your time, lift your leg, look out for rocks and theres not a problem. Most of the time we went with a croud of boats, what we did was have one person on a jet ski go onto the beach first and direct the boats in one at a time at a clear part of the beach, cut the engine when in a few feet of water and let them pull you in.
Simple.

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

Help needed to name new boat, PLEASE.

 

[jon_bailey]

What about the tides? Beaching at high tide could could leave you high and dry for 12 hrs? Am I missing something?

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[BrendanS]

There are some parts of the world where beaching sportsboats is fine. I've done it in West Wales in perfect conditions many years ago. Sandy beaches, sheltered from waves is the ideal. You need a fairly steeply shelving beach, it's no good if you go aground half a mile off the shore.

Can't think of too many places on central south coast I'd like to try it though.

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[BILLABONG]

I am using a tender for a 7 mtrs RIB also to take the kids out on the beach and ferry all the equipment i.e. tents, BBQs, charcoal, towels, masks, fins etc. Don't like beaching the boat as I hate seeing scraches on the hull.
The first dingy I bought it (for 100 quid 2nd hand in good condition) of a guy from this site but it was quite heavy and combersome (3 mtrs long with wooden floor-boards and 30+ kgs in weight etc). It didn't fit properly on the boat so now is used for puddling about.
Now I opted for one of those little inflatables (not the Red ones) advertised in the COMPASS CATALOGUE for 45-175 quid. This one is BRILL, stores well, is VERY LIGHT, has no floor boards and is good to carry 4 people and gear. The larger version although it doesn't look like it, you can fit a small outboard on it too.
If you feeling flush there is also a more expenssive one at 239 pounds.
Try this link http://www.compass24.com/
Good luck



<hr width=100% size=1>Playing on the beach again

 

[Guest]

As long as it's a steep enough beach, and you stay close, no problems. We did it for years. But manhandling a sportsboat up and down a beach is only practical up to about 18-20' or so, otherwise you need an army of people.

A small tender is practical on anything from about 21-22' and up, as others have said. Any smaller, and you won't have the room, but if you're less than 20', you're in the 'beachable' category.

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[Alistairr]

Well its obivious i only sail in Loch Lomond so i don't need to think about tides,
But would the sencible thing not be to watch the tides and time it with a low tide?

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

Help needed to name new boat, PLEASE.

 

[hlb]

Well thats a bit daft. With a low tide once every twelve hours and a sunny Sunday afternoon arriving about once every three months and just about the same day that mother in law needs visiting, the odds on achieving this seem to be about zero.

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Haydn

 

[Geoffs]

Yep, I use a little inflatable on my 19 footer. I bought a Compass 100, Ok for two adults or one adult and two kids.

The Compass 100 stows into a reasonably small bag and weighs about 12 kg. Comes with a pump, which inflates it in about 5 mins, and similar deflation. Used mine a lot last year, but one of the rowlocks failed. However the importers, Konnexion of Windsor, are sorting this.

<hr width=100% size=1>Old Chinese proverb 'Man who sail boat into rice field, soon get into paddy'

 

[BrendanS]

Billabong,

Which size or model number is the one you have? I've a similar sized boat, and this looks like a good solution. As you say, the bigger ones take a small outboard. Have you tried this or seen it in action... seems there's no hard transom, but a stainless rig slots in to take the outboard?

Now, where could I store an outboard on a 21'er? Don't want to mount in on my transom (don't like the idea of drilling holes where I can't put strengthening supports inside the fibreglass)

Can you lay down small outboards, or will they leak fuel everywhere?

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[jon_bailey]

Brendan

I've been looking at the Marine Super Store catalogue (free with MBM in airport) and they do Plastimo inflatables with L designaters that look as though they could be lightweight. The 220L weighs 16.5kg has a transom and takes up to 260 kg payload so I'll be able to get me and the wife in. Also notice that they do a pump that they claim inflates a typical 4 man dinghy in 1-2 minutes so inflation/deflation could be the order of the day. It is not as though we are going to need them on every trip and for me trailering (don't mention that word to happy) it will be an extra complication.

What do you think?

Jon



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[BrendanS]

Jon,

You must be jet lagged to be up at this time. Either that or you catching bad habits from me and Byron!

I'll have to have a look at the MSS catalogue, but I do quite like the idea of a purely inflatable dinghy if that inflatable transom and stainless steel frame really works. I guess what I'd like is something that packs really small when deflated. Then a high speed 12v inflator to do the hard work. I'm really lazy, and would never use is if I had to use a foot pump, I can remember how much hard work it was to pump up a double mattress last time I had a party here. Sounds like you'd have to top it off with a foot pump from some of the post here and in other posts.

I'd make do with rowing for most of the times I'd use it, but if I could find a decent small outboard I could stow away somewhere that would be even better. Don't want to carry the o/b on the transom though, as I think it would spoil the boat, but I do have some quite large spaces (where the covers currently are, for instance) where I could carry one, if I was sure I could find a way for it not to leak fuel.

It would be nice to have an o/b powered dinghy for the times when you want to tow the boat into places like Christchurch when the water is too shallow, without having to get someone towing in chestwaders! <g>

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[BILLABONG]

BrendanS
Currently I am not at home (I am away on business) and cannot tell you which model it is. I had ordered the biggest they had in that range. Is a 4-man dingy. When I'll get back (by the end of this week) will let you know. There is no hard transom and it takes a short like a metal U shaped bracket at the back to mount the engine on. Mine is brand new and have not put in the water yet. However, I have seen others having the same (or similar) dingy and it looks like is good for the purpose I intend of using it.
Re the engine arrangement, I have mounted the small outboard on the transom of the main boat (screwed additional bracket). Is inevitable as you cannot store it on the deck of the boat unless of course you make holes and put reversible screws etc etc to hold the engine FIRMLY down, which I do not like and do not recommend.
So it seems that is you go for this little dingy you will have to screw an additional bracket on the transom to store your engine. By the way the engine is 4 bhp and is VERY light.

<hr width=100% size=1>Playing on the beach again

 

[Alistairr]

I'm telling you man, just beach it. its a lot less hassle.. when you are on the beach just push the boat out!!!!!!

<hr width=100% size=1>CHEERS.

Help needed to name new boat, PLEASE.