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.

Requirements -

Decent performance with a 2HP engine.
Stable when entering and leaving.
Tows well - since I tow my dink. (Keel?)
Minimal maintenance (little wood).
Strong and of course sink proof. (Fiberglass construction, I think)
3 person or better capacity.
Reasonably dry when pushed upwind in chop.

Cruising world reviewed some recently - and comments on those or
others would be appreciated.

http://www.cruisingworld.com/article...=397&catID=571

The alternative is an inflatable or inflatable RIB - but I've always
liked the reliability and ease of maintenance of a hard dink.
--

"Marc Auslander" wrote:

I need a new dink

Fatty Knees.

Not cheap, just good.

Lew
..

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...

"Marc Auslander" wrote:

I need a new dink

Fatty Knees.

Not cheap, just good.

Lew
.


Ya, hard to go wrong with a Fatty Knees if you can afford it.

In article ,
Marc Auslander wrote:

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.

Requirements -

Decent performance with a 2HP engine.
Stable when entering and leaving.
Tows well - since I tow my dink. (Keel?)
Minimal maintenance (little wood).
Strong and of course sink proof. (Fiberglass construction, I think)
3 person or better capacity.
Reasonably dry when pushed upwind in chop.

Cruising world reviewed some recently - and comments on those or
others would be appreciated.

http://www.cruisingworld.com/article...=397&catID=571

The alternative is an inflatable or inflatable RIB - but I've always
liked the reliability and ease of maintenance of a hard dink.
--

Marc, I like the high pressure floored inflatable alternative better. In
really impossible seas, I think they are much better option (I had to do
a rescue a few years back, so I feel fairly confident about this). I
think they are easier to two in terms of weight and if you get a blow up
keel they track well too. I have had Hypalon Achilles and for ten years
or more they should provide everything one would want.

The ten footers will do fine with a 2 HP (I use a Honda) but my son
would like to put on a larger engine for which they are also rated.

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

On Aug 26, 4:14 pm, Harlan Lachman wrote:
In article ,
Marc Auslander wrote:



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.

Requirements -

Decent performance with a 2HP engine.
Stable when entering and leaving.
Tows well - since I tow my dink. (Keel?)
Minimal maintenance (little wood).
Strong and of course sink proof. (Fiberglass construction, I think)
3 person or better capacity.
Reasonably dry when pushed upwind in chop.

Cruising world reviewed some recently - and comments on those or
others would be appreciated.

http://www.cruisingworld.com/article...=397&catID=571

The alternative is an inflatable or inflatable RIB - but I've always
liked the reliability and ease of maintenance of a hard dink.
--

Marc, I like the high pressure floored inflatable alternative better. In
really impossible seas, I think they are much better option (I had to do
a rescue a few years back, so I feel fairly confident about this). I
think they are easier to two in terms of weight and if you get a blow up
keel they track well too. I have had Hypalon Achilles and for ten years
or more they should provide everything one would want.

The ten footers will do fine with a 2 HP (I use a Honda) but my son
would like to put on a larger engine for which they are also rated.

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

I know you said no wood but my nesting "Two Paw 9" has sat on my
foredeck for three years now and seems very solid after painting with
epoxy and then latex paint. She is light enough for me to easily put
in the water and haul her out so I have never towed her. She us HUGE
when assembled and rows very well. I did not put the motor mount on
her when I built her so have never used a motor. She took very little
to build. I did not add flaotation but that would be easy, just some
closed cell foam in the bow and under the rrear seat.

Hi Marc,
I have an 8 foot fibreglass twin hull dinghy that i have been very happy
with. Im not sure who makes it, but it is a lot more stable at rest and
under power than plain vanilla vee/flat bottom dinghies i have been in of
the same size. I have a honda 2hp 4 stroke on mine and it moves along quite
well. It has flotation in the hulls and seat so it's unsinkable. I bought
it second hand (but near new) with the outboard (also near new) for AU$1000
which seemed like a good price to me.

Shaun


"Marc Auslander" wrote in message
...
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.

Requirements -

Decent performance with a 2HP engine.
Stable when entering and leaving.
Tows well - since I tow my dink. (Keel?)
Minimal maintenance (little wood).
Strong and of course sink proof. (Fiberglass construction, I think)
3 person or better capacity.
Reasonably dry when pushed upwind in chop.

Cruising world reviewed some recently - and comments on those or
others would be appreciated.

http://www.cruisingworld.com/article...=397&catID=571

The alternative is an inflatable or inflatable RIB - but I've always
liked the reliability and ease of maintenance of a hard dink.
--

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/