On 2007-09-03 13:59:01 -0400, Dave said:

On 26 Aug 2007 13:40:06 -0400, Marc Auslander
said:

I need a new dink. I had a small skimmar which was pretty
unsatisfactory - not much load/person capacity, and not very stable. It
was easy to push a rear quarter under water by standing off center aft!

I'd like suggestions for a replacement.

Everyone who has a porta-bote seems to rave about it. My personal
preference is for something I can take aboard when underway to avoid
the speed penalty of towing a dink, as well as the other issues that
rise when towing something behind you.

I'm one of them. We have the 12', which carries 5 big adults
comfortably and dryly in about 6" chop (yeah that's almost nothing, but
our anchorages are pretty sheltered) doing about 10 knots. Borrowed a 2
HP Honda a couple of years ago for an afternoon and got up on plane
with me and the ice. Does about a dozen very comfortable knots with an
old 4 HP. More often than not on the Chesapeake, sailors row them
around because that's easier than carrying and mounting the motor.

Tows well, best when on a short leash. Still, I prefer to store it on
deck, where it takes up no room (*)and slows us not at all. Takes me 10
minutes to set it up, though I haven't tried the faster/easier-sounding
"hoist up the mast" method mentioned here a few months ago.

(*) We store ours flat on the deck and don't worry about stepping on it.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's new pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI pages: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/