Swg
Well-Known Member
Looking to replace inflatable with something solid to take 3 persons/ row/ simple sail and put on the car roof for day trips. Good looks and 'first boat' for number 1 son. Any advice ?
Tender to row/sail and car top ?
- Thread starter Swg
- Start date
FullCircle
Well-Known Member
I declare my bias.
A Walker Bay 8 with tubes.
A Walker Bay 8 with tubes.
rob2
Well-Known Member
I can't recommend a particular boat - I'm still looking for the perfect tender myself. But I have rejected a few for less than obvious reasons. For car topping, most think only in terms of weight, but my car is a Honda CR-V so I can put the inflatable in the boot with the outboard, etc, so quite tall and the 6 ft tender I found, whilst otherwise perfect for 1 or 2 people actually needs two people to lift it onto the roof. My canoe is easier as I can prop it up on the back of the car with a piece of carpet to protect the roof and slides onto the roof bars with little effort. Perhaps a 14 ft open sailing canoe is the answer...
I remember seeing a home-made loading system of bars which slid along the roof bars and then hinged down so the boat could be leant against the bars, strapped onto them and then slid into position sideways. Does anyone make such a system?
Rob.
I remember seeing a home-made loading system of bars which slid along the roof bars and then hinged down so the boat could be leant against the bars, strapped onto them and then slid into position sideways. Does anyone make such a system?
Rob.
G12
Well-Known Member
How about a Tinker Tramp or Traveller. Inflatable still but can be sailed. There is a posh sailing kit for them with an extra spar for stopping the bow from lifting......
jwilson
Well-Known Member
Mirror dinghy: for a while I carried one on top of a small car (Ford Anglia, then old-style Mini Traveller) whenever working away from home for a few days, so I could go for a sail in the evenings or at weekends in new waters. I could get it on and off the car quite easily on my own, but I was possibly a bit fitter then, though not big. Sails better than most "sailing tenders", big enough for three easily with oars or a small outboard if you want.
When I sold the Mirror I missed it so much I bought another, even though by then I had two other boats, an Enterprise and a small cruiser.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Another vote for the Mirror.. as least as a dinghy for sailing and rowing that is car toppable.
Not quite so good IMHO as a tender because the large volume of built in buoyancy rather reduces the space available for carrying cargo.
I agree that the "Easi-loader" system is a good idea as not every husband and wife team can lift a 100lb dinghy onto a car roof. Very few people will do it single handed although I have done it...... just the once!
Watch this space mine might be for sale in the near future.... I dont really know why I have kept it as long as I have ... not sailed it for the best part of 20 years .
EASI-LOADER
.
Not quite so good IMHO as a tender because the large volume of built in buoyancy rather reduces the space available for carrying cargo.
I agree that the "Easi-loader" system is a good idea as not every husband and wife team can lift a 100lb dinghy onto a car roof. Very few people will do it single handed although I have done it...... just the once!
Watch this space mine might be for sale in the near future.... I dont really know why I have kept it as long as I have ... not sailed it for the best part of 20 years .
EASI-LOADER
.
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londonpiper
Active Member
I too am biased but in all fairness you'd be pushed to do better than a SeaHopper Kondor click here for their website. Not only will it sail as well as a Mirror, fold flat to go on your roof rack, carry 4 adults wih ease and row like a dream but also it's light enough to pull onboard your boat and then fold down to a mere 6 inches wide to stow either on deck or below. If you don' feel the need to buy new, they do come up on ebay from time to time and hold their price pretty well.
p.s. I don't make them, I just happen tp think their the mutts nutts.
p.s. I don't make them, I just happen tp think their the mutts nutts.
rob2
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the link to the Easyloader - but I wasn't thinking of spending that kind of money on the tender, let alone to laod my freebie dinghy!
Rob.
Rob.
aquaplane
Well-Known Member
I'm using a Mirror as a tender at the moment. OK it wasn't young when I bought it but it's now on it's last legs after 2 seasons use. Humping it onto the car roof would only speed up the decline I think.
If you can find a GRP one it may work.
As a tender to get all the clobber for a W/E to the boat a Mirror is good. After that it needs to be left on the mooring, they get in the way when manouvering and seem massive compared to an inflatable.
If you can find a GRP one it may work.
As a tender to get all the clobber for a W/E to the boat a Mirror is good. After that it needs to be left on the mooring, they get in the way when manouvering and seem massive compared to an inflatable.
Seajet
...
I'd vote for a Mirror too, but strongly suggest a simple trailer; any boat which can sensibly take 3 people and sail even half well will be too much to get onto a roof rack.
Just lift it to the water rather than dunking the trailer.
For interest, though I'd prefer the real wooden thing in reasonable condition, the GRP Mirror rip-off was called the West Eleven, made I think by Shephards of Windermere.
Another boat to consider - with small trailer - would be an Otter, really great little boats, I think the masts could be 2 part.
Tinker Tramps are horrendously over-priced, with a silly low freeboard bow, and vulnerable like all inflatables...
There are various small stem dinghies which didn't sell well and may crop up on E-Bay or similar, Blue peter, Ferranti Boat ( I think from memory ) etc...
Just lift it to the water rather than dunking the trailer.
For interest, though I'd prefer the real wooden thing in reasonable condition, the GRP Mirror rip-off was called the West Eleven, made I think by Shephards of Windermere.
Another boat to consider - with small trailer - would be an Otter, really great little boats, I think the masts could be 2 part.
Tinker Tramps are horrendously over-priced, with a silly low freeboard bow, and vulnerable like all inflatables...
There are various small stem dinghies which didn't sell well and may crop up on E-Bay or similar, Blue peter, Ferranti Boat ( I think from memory ) etc...
Georgio
Well-Known Member
I would think seriously about a tow hitch and trailer. Car-topping is fine every once in a while but soon becomes a chore.
Also if it is just you and son will you be able to get it off the roof between the two of you. I couldn't with my 4-5 yr old son.
As others have said a Mirror is a good choice, I built a PBO Pup that is kinda half-way between an Oppie and a Mirror in size. Good stable platform for learning, can be rowed, sailed and motored. Car toppable but as above, much easier on a trailer.
p.s. I'm shortly going to put a trailer on the for sail section....
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londonpiper
Active Member
By the way, SWG, you don't say where you are in the world but if you are anywhere near Oxford and would like to see a Seahopper in action and maybe have a wee try, drop me a PM.
Swg
Well-Known Member
Many thanks all. I'd original thought of asking simply if a Mirror would do the job, but thought asking a more general question would broaden my horizons. Some of you have mentioned more exotic craft but it looks like a Mirror for me. Thanks all Mark (nr Edinburgh if anyone has a Mirror for sale)
Csail
N/A
I love our tinker traveller, sails well and easy to chuck in the boot.
