Blake Reimer wrote:
With thoughts towards the great NW next year, I wonder if I need a dinghy for my dimunitive-enough-as-it-is M15. What say? Do others use a dinghy for such locales with their M-15? If so, what are you using? With oars or motor(assume my 2hp can do double duty..) or both? Has anyone tried the newfangled Kaboats (strange, inflatable kayaks with a transom)? Am I any more out of my mind than usual to think I would need one?
Blake M15 IOTA _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
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Hi Blake, Let me add some of my observations to those of Doug. A dinghy adds capability to your sailing. Suppose your wife want to stay on the boat moored at the dock and sleep / read / do some handiwork / or just have some quiet moments to herself, then she can stay on board while you climb into the dinghy, unlimber your oars, and go exploring / rowing / fishing / shopping / or visiting other sailors whose boats are at anchor. You are free to roam. Dinghy size is always a compromise: for good stability and large carrying capacity it should be large. But if it is large, then putting it on the roof of the car becomes very difficult; as you go smaller in dinghy size that becomes easier. I have played (lived with) a 9 foot round bottomed dinghy with dagger board and sail. It was too heavy and too much drag towing it behind our big sailboat doing 6 knots, so my answer was, go smaller. I found a semi-derelict Dyer Dhow 7'-9" low freeboard dinghy in West Hartford; bought it and rebuilt it. We used it for several seasons: it fit on the cabin top: but then found that with two adults and two teenagers on board the freeboard became so small, that if a motorboat came by and made even very small waves, we got wet. So, size was right but the freeboard wasn't. Then a neighbor sold me a small AVON inflatable dinghy. Ah, thought I, ...goodness..... When we make a passage, deflate the dinghy and put it in the forepeak. That worked; and even inflating it on deck and dropping it over the side worked very well. ......but, ..... rowing it was almost a total impossibility. The seating position was wrong; the oars too short; and if you had to row against a headwind and waves, forget about it..... So, we discovered that inflatables only work with an outboard motor - but, .... if the outboard refuses to run - then you are back to rowing....., see above. Then I went back to a hard dinghy and bought a new Dyer Dhow 7'-9" dinghy with sails and oars. This could be rowed, fully loaded, with four adults on board, against a headwind. We stayed with that solution until we sold our large sailboat and included the dinghy in the sale. For our M15, I built a Bolger NYMPH dinghy. It too was 7'-9" long; light weight; easily car-toppable; and great fun to row. When we were at Lake Champlain, mornings could be a flat calm till about 11 AM, when the breeze would start to pick up and sailing could begin. I used that early morning calm time to go rowing by the hour - flat waters - no power boats - interesting bird and animal activities along the lake shore, peace and quiet..... The problem with the NYMPH is that, as originally designed, it is a bit on the tippy side. You have to climb in and out very carefully, but once seated, it is a delightful dinghy. Phil Bolger later redesigned the NYMPH, I believe it is now called the FAT NYMPH - in that he added about 6" to the width of the boat. Think original NYMPH, then cut it straight down the middle and add the 6" addition. This adds greatly to it's stability and to it's carrying capacity. We only used it for two people: our old family crew have long ago departed, and live far away I have towed the NYMPH behind out M15 for many a mile, and was very happy with the performance. Connie ex M15 #400 LEPPO