Towing an inflatable

[Scomber]

Each to their own. We don’t sail in the land of water taxis, and have sometimes launched, used and retrieved our dinghy 3 or more times a day. Not going to deflate and stow each day. Hence why towed a lot before fitting davits.
Leave bung out and it never fills with water on the davits, and not many boats have overtaken us under sail this year whereas we have passed many, so don’t think windage on davits is material compared to say a sprayhood.
I did see another bigger and faster boat going upwind at nearly 8 knots towing a dinghy (close to stern), but that is getting extreme ;-)

+1 davits fitted last winter , massive success , 0.5 knt faster than when towing not slower , no windage it's behind sprayhood and a hell of a lot easier than 'inflating' 'deflating' for each wee anchorage etc oh and liferaft still at home now (only coastal anyway)

 

[thinwater]

We are talking "inflatable" designed to be inflated for use deflated to stow them, not hung in davits to fill with water & add windage

What windage? Look closely at the avitar. There is a dinghy on the davits. On many boats, the dinghy is in the wind shadow of the cabin or bimini. Leaving the drain open solves the water problem.

Thus, the problem with generalizing. Can't imagine cruising with a dinghy I had to lift, inflate , or tow. Just not worth it. That's a job I'd have to be paid to do. I'd use a kayak.

 

[Neeves]

What windage? Look closely at the avitar. There is a dinghy on the davits. On many boats, the dinghy is in the wind shadow of the cabin or bimini. Leaving the drain open solves the water problem.

Thus, the problem with generalizing. Can't imagine cruising with a dinghy I had to lift, inflate , or tow. Just not worth it. That's a job I'd have to be paid to do. I'd use a kayak.

We use a Portabote, now 20 years old. For short passages, its hung on davits (outboard off) in the wind shadow of the cabin. On long passages its folded up and is strapped under the davits.

Thin - and talking of generalising - how does one carry 40l of water, or 40l of diesel or even the stores (supermarket, gas cylinder) - in a kayak.

We do carry a kayak and something that looks like a canoe - but they are for exercise and exploration. They can both sit on top of the davits, with the Portabote underneath.

If you sail as a couple you need 2 or a double kayak, which might be a bit to much on some yachts.

There are specific right answers.

We very seldom tow the dinghy, even short trips - always try to hoist on the davits (it ensures when you reverse, power setting anchor, it is not driven under the bridge deck (note catamaran).

Jonathan

 

[ShinyShoe]

I have often wondered why"inflatable dinghies" were invented

That's obvious really!

They were invented to give the manufacturers of inflatable boat patches a market to sell to... Without the boats the patch manufacturers would have gone under.

 

[thinwater]

We use a Portabote, now 20 years old. For short passages, its hung on davits (outboard off) in the wind shadow of the cabin. On long passages its folded up and is strapped under the davits.

Thin - and talking of generalising - how does one carry 40l of water, or 40l of diesel or even the stores (supermarket, gas cylinder) - in a kayak.

We do carry a kayak and something that looks like a canoe - but they are for exercise and exploration. They can both sit on top of the davits, with the Portabote underneath.

If you sail as a couple you need 2 or a double kayak, which might be a bit to much on some yachts.

There are specific right answers.

We very seldom tow the dinghy, even short trips - always try to hoist on the davits (it ensures when you reverse, power setting anchor, it is not driven under the bridge deck (note catamaran).

Jonathan

The need is always situational.

In 35 years, I've never had to carry fuel in the dinghy, and never more than a few stores. Where cruise there is always a dock where there are stores, even if only a free town dock where you can tie up for a few hours for free. The dinghy is for ferrying people.

I understand what you are saying, I just have not been in that position.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Last time I did it the damn thing got inverted by a combination of wind and a passing MOBO. Never again!

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

I rarely tow the dinghy but have tired hauling the bow up onto the sugar scoop and that seems to be OK. However, it only takes a minute to flip ours across the stern and towing isn't really considered. It's only worthwhile for me when moving a few hundred metres and outboard already padlocked on the dinghy.

I found that they only flip if they're on the windward side (and hoiked up the transom). Obvious really when you think about it - so we just 'tacked' the dinghy as necessary.

 

[pagoda]

Last time I did it the damn thing got inverted by a combination of wind and a passing MOBO. Never again!

We used to stow the dinghy inverted bow forwards on the foredeck. Well lashed down. The genoa sheets were prone to getting caught when tacking so we have more recently lashed the dinghy at the stern - sideways on the stern step. That seems to be OK, no additional windage and nothing in the water.

With our previous boat we towed a dinghy a short distance and had it flip over in some gusts (25Kts+) - with the outboard on the transom. That took a deal of sorting out . We also towed a dinghy behind our charter boat in the Windward Islands, with the usual steady SE trades blowing. No problem as the dinghy was a pretty solid RIB. I would avoid towing if possible.

 

[KAM]

Just towed mine despite my better judgement in a steady F7. Bow on the pushpit stern trailing in the water but with two painters attached to the two outer towing rings to stop it spinning. (it's a seago) seemed to work quite well.

 

[duncan99210]

We routinely tow the dinghy, on it’s normal painter. Only if the wind if forecast to be over Force 6 or if we’re doing a long passage (more than 8 hours or so) will we lift it out and lash it to the coach house roof. We always remove the outboard as there’s always a chance of it flipping but it’s only happened a couple of times in ten years cruising, so we consider the risk to be manageable.

 

[Kukri]

I have tried the usual methods. There is no good answer. I’d always take the outboard off, and be prepared to heave to and get it aboard pronto, case need.

 

[coopec]

I found that they only flip if they're on the windward side (and hoiked up the transom). Obvious really when you think about it - so we just 'tacked' the dinghy as necessary.

Could you please empty your PM inbox (you are over the limit apparently) as we have all been sending you PMs and they are being rejected. Cheers

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Could you please empty your PM inbox (you are over the limit apparently) as we have all been sending you PMs and they are being rejected. Cheers

How intriguing! Don't send too many, the inbox isn't big enough to keep all the treasures that I have in there....

 

[coopec]

How intriguing! Don't send too many, the inbox isn't big enough to keep all the treasures that I have in there....

If that is the case I better delete my past PMs too.(There'd only be a half dozen or so) Cheers Clive

 

[GHA]

Another option for easy foredeck on/off is a line with a block round another block at the end of the pole & use a halyard.

 

[LadyInBed]

We tend to avoid towing, butt if we do, we haul the bow up the bathing ladder.
That way, only a liited amount of water can stay in the dinghy and we can always haul it higher to lose most of that.

Same here, high up on the leeward side of the transom and I leave the engine on, but I only tow for short trips, a couple of hours or so. As my inflatable has two painter rings flipping has never been an issue.
If the sea is a bit bumpy and I feel the need to take the engine off then I would also haul the dingy up onto the foredeck as towing is done for speed, ease and laziness.

 

[graham]

With an outboard motor on the stern of our yacht lifting the bow of the tender is nt possible.

Towing astern our Seago 2.3 behaves ok up to about 4.5 knots.5 and above the bow starts digging in even with a ,5 gallon water barrell in the stern .

It does however fit nicely on the foredeck .we rig mooring lines led back to the cockpit to save climbing over the dinghy and if anchoring we toss it over the side first.

Another bonus is we can leave the fore hatch open under the upturned dinghy even in rain.

 

[TamarMike]

Having downsized last year I have no option but to usually tow the dinghy as even if deflated it takes up too much room, but apart from anything else I always think it's very inelegant to tow it. Best option I have had on previous boats was a small grp dinghy stowed upside down on deck (wooden boat, low bulwarks instead of guardrails).

 

[johnalison]

Having downsized last year I have no option but to usually tow the dinghy as even if deflated it takes up too much room, but apart from anything else I always think it's very inelegant to tow it.

Aesthetics play an important part in many of my nautical decisions, even at the risk of inconvenience. What marine artist would paint a picture of a yacht carrying a dinghy in davits?

 

[TSB240]

I hoist mine up hard but backwards. No transom drag and never flipped even in really rough stuff.