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(no email)
Date: Sun May 06 2007 - 05:08:32 EDT
So as to not beat the dead horse, this post will be short.
We just returned from cruising for 4 months, during which time, we
towed a hard dinghy the whole time (a Carolina Skiff J12 with a Merc
9.9). This was the first trip of this nature, previous ones having used
inflatables, etc., and here is a summary of our experience.
Having a dinghy ready to use, at all times, as opposed to having to
launch to use, is remarkably convenient. Because it was there and ready
to go, we made daily trips to explore, see nature, and just get closer
to the water. The net result was that we used the hard dinghy much more
than we ever used the inflatable.
The hard dinghy was seldom a problem when towed because I made and used
a "towdster" device. In fact, in rough seas and heavy chop, my wife
would insist that we use the towdster. In other words, it was optional
and not used for short trips in calm water. Hooking up the towdster
only takes about 5 minutes, - no big deal. I could not make this claim
if your trawler does not have a swim platform, because attaching the
device from anything but water level is tedious. The towdster insures
that the dinghy will track straight and not ram the mother ship.
Finally, and this is only a premise and I do not have objective data to
support another claim in the area of economic feasibility, but I
suspect, over a long period of time, of perhaps 10 years (?), a hard
dinghy is not only more durable, but more economical than a plain
inflatable or a RIB. For one thing, the hard dinghy takes far less
maintenance and you do not have to worry about carrying a repair kit
and a pump with you. This comes from several dinghies over many years
in South Florida where the sun is brutal on inflatables. YMMV. Martin
Veiner
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