the next dinghy...

Some good news on the plastic front in California, a gallery of shame, and in the "Sick on so many levels" department...

Way back when on Las Palmas while we were waiting for the crossing window to the Caribbean to open up, I chopped off the front of our Bolger Tortoise to make it a sorta/kinda nesting dinghy. It worked just fine.

In terms of building a Tortoise, I've adapted it to plain old stitch and glue which is as fast to build and only a kiss more expensive. The last change I've made in the design is swapping out the lengthwise thwart as it takes up too much room in my opinion and the traditional thwarts seem to work better in my experience while adding some needful reinforcement to the hull sides.

For the current build, I'll be doing the Tortoise rather than the long Tortoise as we just don't need the added room and the smaller Tortoise in nesting mode fits into a 4' X 4' space.

I'll try and remember to take some pictures of the build while I'm doing it.

Listening to a favorite Beach Boys song

So it goes...

skin on frame in the current century...

About that USCG scam, some needful situational info on what's going on, and in the "Is this insane or what?" department...

Well, this is kind of cool.

 

I've long considered the idea of building and using a skin-on-frame dinghy but, so far, have not come across the right design. This construction method has me thinking that this just might be the right approach. 

Looking forward to seeing how this company's product holds up in the real world.

Listening to the Linda Lindas

So it goes...

As I was saying...

A WTF moment of note, a good example of stupidity, and something I'd like to learn more about...

A photo of a dinghy that actually impresses me.

CLC's Eastport Ultralight Dinghy makes a lot of sense.

Listening to an album's worth of Dead coverage

So it goes...

Regarding real world dinghy reviews...

 Applying logic to an illogical situation, follow the money, and in the "Money vs science" department...

Voile Magazine has an excellent test of dinghies you might want to check out. It's the sort of review which I'd love to see in a USA publication and it got me thinking.

One of the things that gets up my nose where designers of dinghies are concerned is that if they have a photo of their design in use it shows just one person rowing on a dead flat and apparently windless body of water.

The picture I want to see is someone rowing to weather with at least another person aboard, a couple of five-gallon Jerry jugs of water, and a full load of groceries. You know, just a normal cruising dinghy situation.

Well, I can dream can't I?

Listening to Madi Diaz

So it goes...

and the winner is?

Still SNAFU, about those gas prices, and in the "Seriously weird and creepy dudes" department...

The results of the Junk Rig Association dinghy design contest are now up on the JRA forum. You might want to check it out as there is a lot of good info on dinghies of the non-RIB persuasion.

You're still here?

Listening to Jason Isbell

So it goes...

So much for cunning plans...

Dorworth on Tahoe, Sailing Anarchy takes a stand, Republican scum bags doing what Republican scumbags do best, and in the "Just following orders" department...

Color me somewhat frustrated. The available deck area is not quite big enough for the cunning plan dinghy hack to work and so it's back to the drawing board.

Which is OK, as I actually enjoy the whole problem solving gig where boat design and building is concerned. That and my daily dose of Backgammon keeps the gray cells doing their thing.

Still, I'd much rather be building the new dinghy rather than sorting out the design...

Hopefully, more on the subject soon come.

Listening to a plethora of Cars coverage

So it goes...

I just had an idea...

A little good news, some needful reading, and a wingnut translation of note...

Over the last couple of months I've been wrestling with various plans, workarounds, and related mayhem to improve a dinghy design of Phil Bolger's.

Which, I'll be the first to admit, is tantamount to insanity. 

That being the case, dare I say that I might just have a cunning plan?

Now, if you'll forgive me, I have to take some measurements.

Insanity waits for no man!

Listening to Arthur Watership

So it goes...

What's currently on my mind...

What's in your tuna fish sandwich, some needful drought news, and in the "common sense or radical environmentalism" department...

Since I'm thinking about a new dinghy I've also been thinking long and hard about a one HP electric outboard to go with it.

More about that soonish.

Listening to a harp-centric cover

So it goes...

Today's ongoing dinghy dilemma...

 Some news about Guam, a 3D printed prosthetic leg, and a podcast site well worth listening to...

Small Craft Advisor sent me an email this morning about their new issue as well as a link to a survey on dinghies they want to have filled out. They also had a link to Duckworks Portage Pram which, in my opinion, is a very interesting, attractive, and workable design.

At 6'10" and 35lbs (more or less) it makes a lot of sense as a tender for a smallish sailboat crewed by a couple. The bottom line is that it will get you to shore and back by oar, carry the sort of loads a cruising couple needs, and not take up an excessive amount of space on the deck while making passages.Better yet it is quite attractive and has a lot of character.

Truth be told, it's a dinghy I'd really like to build and am looking forward to the day when someone wants me to build one for them.

As it happens, I'm just about back in dinghy building mode as we're getting back into full-time cruising ASAP mode and I'm caught between three dinghy designs... 

The first is the old standby Bolger Tortoise which at 6'5" does pretty much what the Portage Pram does while admittedly a bit less pretty. That said, I've rowed hundreds of miles in all conditions with the Tortoise and have never found it wanting in terms of performance. The added bonus is with a Tortoise as a dinghy you also don't have to worry overmuch about someone stealing it.

The second dinghy on the short list is an eight-foot B&B designs Two-paw nesting dinghy which is no slouch in performance and only takes up about a 4' X 4' space on the foredeck while nested.

Lastly the the third choice on the list is a Bolger Nymph but widened by six inches for a bit more stability because I might want to be able to fly fish from it.

Did I say three designs on my shortlist? Maybe it's four...

Reuel Parker has a couple of dinghies that recently caught my eye, his PRAM 8/9 a quick build minimal material arc-bottomed pram that appeals.

Another Parker dinghy that really got me excited is his PERIAGUA 14 design which at 14-feet is way too big to store on deck but cries out "Build me!" in spite of what common sense dictates.

 

So many good designs and so little time...

Listening to

So it goes...

More dumb ideas...

 Something on the subject of EVs, a plethora of unsolicited advice, and in the “zero-trust architecture” department...

Speaking of advice, this one really caught my attention;

"A multitude of bad ideas is necessary for one good idea."

As it happens, just yesterday I was wondering what was wrong with the current state of boat design and that pithy sentence pretty much encapsulates the problem as I see it.

Not enough bad ideas.

Or, to be more accurate, no one is really thinking about solving problems by coming up with new solutions to the current needs and issues of sailors. Most designers are just applying the current acceptable answers to the existing problems that need fixing because trying something new and getting it wrong is embarrassing and no one likes putting themselves in a situation where they will be ridiculed.

Sure, I get that.

Still, I find myself searching for those designs that are outside the box, different, and reek of the potential for failure. I don't want to see just another dinghy or cruising boat design I want to see designs that are just over the cutting edge of what's possible and inspired by the need to get it right rather than playing it safe.

Not all that long ago a designer of boats that I admire asked me why I had lost interest in a design I'd talked to him about. My answer was simply that while I liked the design in question I never felt that the designer was enthused or excited about his design and how could I build a boat that the designer wasn't really enthusiastic about?

Yeah, what we really need is more dumb ideas and some passion to back them up.

Listening to some Dylan tribute bands

So it goes...

Another dinghy I want to build...

 A doorstop keyboard, Texas blowback, and in the "plastic, plastic everywhere" department...

Over the years I've heard rumors of the wonderfulness of dinghies designed by Julian Godwin in New Zealand. The problem is that as much as I've kept an eye out for a up close and personal sighting or getting my hands on a set of plans I've never quite been able to be in the right place at the right time...

"There was a Kiwi boat here the other day with a really cool dinghy you'd have loved"

...was as close as I've come.

So, imagine my surprise to see a post from Roy McBride of CKD Boats that they are now selling kits for Godwin boats and that they were also selling plans!

In the sort of odd coincidence that no longer surprises me anymore the very next day a reader  dropped me an email saying I should really write something about Godwin boats and included a link to Julian Godwin's website. A site and designs that are well worth checking out.

One design, the Crackerjack, really caught my eye as I've always been in quest of a dinghy design that would only require a single sheet of plywood to build.

Sure, there are countless single sheet plywood designs but all of them are more suited for kids and not large enough to fulfill the requirements of a proper dinghy. To be honest, I've pretty much given up the quest and had filed it away with the search for an honest politician and other impossible dreams of my long departed youth.

So, yeah, the Crackerjack...

Obviously it's a small dinghy but it only uses one sheet of plywood and is very close in terms of size and usability as these dinghies which all require at least two sheets of plywood to construct them. Not only would the two sheet ply dinghies cost more but they would also weigh more as well.

I'm really looking forward to getting the plans, building one and putting it through its paces. In the meantime I'd really love to hear from any readers who have either built or used one of the Godwin dinghies as  it will be awhile until I get the Crackerjack into the building queue.

Listening to Rufus Wainwrite

So it goes...

About those new boat plans...

About those blackouts in Texas, a really bad law, and in the "Most depressing article I've read in ages" department... 

So, I got a new dinghy plan and it's the Passagemaker from CLC.

I've long admired the design and it is most certainly a boat I'd love to build. Of course, there's a bit of a problem as it is still a bit too big to fit on "So It Goes". 

Color me in pondering mode...

Listening to some James Taylor coverage

So it goes... 

a lifeboat/dinghy of choice...

Regarding weaponized stupidity, dealing with awkward numbers in Florida, and in the "A trail of Covid spikes in his wake" department...

Face it, where lifeboats are concerned,  you can't have too much positive flotation. While the two buoyancy/storage chambers combined with a wood hull assure that the Tortoise won't sink I think it's safe to say there's nothing wrong with a bit more positive flotation in the mix.

So, how best to accomplish that?

As it happens, Gig Harbor Boat Works makes and sells inflatable sponsons, otherwise known as Dinghy Dogs, which are pretty close to perfect for the purpose. The downside is they're, at $375, not exactly cheap.

Duckworks sells some inflatable Beach Rollers that, could be adapted for the purpose and has been used on Richard Wood's Duo nesting dinghy. Priced at about $150 for a pair they give a lot of extra flotation for not a lot of outlay. The downside is they're a little too big for use while sailing the Tortoise.

My personal choice for added flotation is a 52" x 4" pool noodle stuck inside a Sunbrella or reasonable facsimile sleeve which will add a Buoyant Force of 107.24 N Buoyant Force per side for a whole lot less and not interfere with sailing in the process. Better yet, they'd only cost around $20-$25 a pop.

Another advantage is they all make great dinghy fenders.

Listening to Marty Balin

So it goes

a lifeboat/dinghy of choice part 4...

Insanity in South Dakota, AJ on DIY gear, and a final wish... 

One thing that freaks people out with the Tortoise design is that the mast is not on the center-line. Instead Bolger drew it just inside the starboard hull side which opens up the interior of the dinghy which is an added benefit for its use in lifeboat mode. For those unacquainted with sailing a boat with an off-center mast there is very little, if any, disadvantage in sailing performance.

The rig of choice is a 38 square foot Lateen set on an eight foot mast. The yard (10'10") and the boom (8' 1") are a little problematic as they can't be stored in the boat. I'm still on the fence whether it's worth the trouble making the yard/boom/mast into two-piece spars for stowage purposes or just keep the rig assembled and rolled up to be stowed separately. 

The rudder and the off-center bilge/dagger board are non-problematic and will stow inside the Tortoise while on passage.

Lastly, some thought should be given to adding a couple of reefs to the sail as well.

Next up, a systematic approach to adding some more flotation...

Listening to some social distancing music.

So it goes... 

a lifeboat/dinghy of choice part 3...

Some seriously skewed/deranged logic, a depressing point well made, and in the "Anger is still the appropriate emotion" department...

Phil Bolger's Tortoise and Big Tortoise don't quite cover all the bases but do have the advantage that they are easy to build. give the most bang for the buck in terms of displacement, row easily, sail well, and are incredibly stable.

So, what do we have to do to make them better?

First of all as the basic design lends itself quite well to stitch and glue and I long ago adapted the Tortoises I've built to that construction method.

Secondly, I've also learned, after rowing hundreds of miles in Tortoises, that the side panels of the dinghy could use a bit of reinforcement by adding a pair of stringers (1" X 2") located at seat level to the side panels. These serve double-duty as they also provide a place to put transverse thwarts which will suit our purpose better than Bolger's longitudinal thwart.

The aft deck on the Tortoise (aft and foredeck on the Big Tortoise) are very important design features and it makes sense to turn them into buoyancy/storage chambers. Since I'll be building the smaller Tortoise I'll also be adding a second deck and buoyancy/storage chamber to the bow as well.

Otherwise the design remains pretty much the same as far as construction goes and most folk should be able to put one together in twelve to sixteen hours of actual labor and the expenditure of between $200 to $300 out of pocket for the row only version. 

Of course, we want a more dynamic lifeboat so we'll need a sensible sailing rig and I have a couple changes on that front which we'll get into next.

Listening to a whole lotta Caroline songs

So it goes... 

a lifeboat/dinghy of choice part 2...

Something worth reading, signs of the times, and how I'd like to see our talking heads take on politicians...

So, today's question is what do we actually need in a dinghy to make it do double duty as a lifeboat? 

Well, for starters, the dinghy has to be big enough but it also has to be stowable on deck and, to make matters even more complicated, able to be launched by one person without help.

Since we plan to use the dinghy as a lifeboat it also stands to reason that it has enough positive buoyancy to be considered unsinkable and big enough to carry a couple with enough stores, gear, and water to keep them alive till they're rescued or able to sail to safety.

Not asking a lot now are we?

Just for chuckles, let's remember that the dinghy also has to do its job of being a dinghy getting hard usage on a daily basis.

Which in simple term means we're looking for a small as possible with a biggish interior unsinkable dinghy that's as tough as we can make it, as well as being light enough for one person to manage and capable of daily hard use. 

Tomorrow we'll get into some specifics.

Listening to some covers from 1978

So it goes...

a lifeboat/dinghy of choice...

On the GIGO front, Sail Delmarva making a very good point, and a new citizen speaking out...

The other day a reader wrote asking for my opinion of the Portland Pudgy dinghy. The short form is that I think it's an excellent dinghy and when you consider that it can be used as a lifeboat as well it makes a whole lot of sense.

That said, like just about everything that floats on the water, it's a compromise but, as compromises go, it's better than most.

Which, sorta kinda, brings me to my next dinghy build which is going to be the tried and true Bolger Tortoise. The Tortoise and I go way back and over the years I've built quite a few and each one has has been a testbed of sorts as I tried to improve and refine what is just about the simplest and easiest to build dinghy design around.

 

This time around I plan to modify the overall design in favor of making it a better dinghy/lifeboat in the process. Which, I expect, will cause some folk to freak out with the idea of the lowly diminutive Tortoise doing double duty as a lifeboat. Of course, I should add that I've already crossed the Atlantic with a Tortoise as the designated lifeboat which shows I have some faith in the viability of the concept of using a dinghy as a lifeboat.

Admittedly, building a Tortoise or Big Tortoise as a dedicated dinghy/lifeboat requires a bit of compromise and a bit of rethinking but quite a bit less than you'd expect due to the overall simplicity of Bolger's design. 

Next up is the need/want list for the Dinghy/lifeboat and the thinking behind it.

Listening to five good covers

So it goes...

an interesting dinghy design...

Scalzi puts it all together, a dire situation, and more input on why FaceBook is not in your best interests...

So, here's a dinghy that makes a lot of sense.

It's Harry Bryan's Ladybug design and does double duty as a wheel barrow. It's also kind of handy if you find yourself in areas with a lot of tidal range.

As it happens, Off Center Harbor has a great little film about the Ladybug you might want to check out.

Listening to Larkin Poe

So it goes...

a Legitimate Alternative to the Inflatable RIB...

A good reason not to eat out, some needful proactive forethought, and today's installment in the "Shameful, dangerous & irresponsible" files...

Off Center Harbor, best known as a purveyor of excellent boat and nautical based video media content, is now getting into the plans and kits business.

Now, I'll be honest and say right at the start that I'm not a big fan of kit boats but I do understand that they have their place and make sense for a lot of folks. Personally, I just enjoy the boat building experience so much that I prefer to do all the work myself.

Their new design/kit is for what they are terming "a Legitimate Alternative to the Inflatable RIB" and it looks pretty cool.

That said, I'm pretty sure it is not at all what a lot of people consider what a tender should be these days or, I might add, a replacement for a RIB.

Still, the Oonagh design has a lot to say about it. It has a lot of capacity for its size (11'8" with a beam of 5'), will row easily, motor well (with a 2HP engine) and you can sail it.

So yeah, way better than a RIB in my estimation. Better yet it also winds up being a whole lot cheaper than a RIB as well.

So, why would someone choose a RIB instead of a boat like Oonagh?

Well, for one, the whole appeal of an inflatable dinghy used to be that you could stow away the tender by deflating it and sticking it in a locker. Which is not something you can do with a RIB. The fact of the matter is a RIB takes up as much deck space as a normal dinghy if not more. For instance, a 12 foot RIB (11'5" with a beam of 5'10") takes up the same amount of room as the Oonagh but has a lot less interior space.

Lots more space.

Of course, the big sticking point for most folks revolves around the 2HP thing and how the Oonagh won't plane. The fact that a 2HP outboard will move the Oonagh at hull speed at half-throttle and use hardly any gas in the process apparently does not excite as many folks as it should. Considering most folks would power a 12-foot RIB with a minimum of a 15HP outboard and, more than likely, a 25HP would be most cruiser's choice these days.

A quick note on motors in terms of weight shows a 2HP = 30 pounds, 15HP= 110 pounds, 25HP= 180 pounds. I'd add the costs as well except the costs of outboards these days induce panic attacks and I'm all out of paper bags.

Throw in the fact that the Oonagh does everything better than your same old same RIB with the exception of not getting you to the dinghy dock a few minutes earlier I'd say we're actually talking about a Legitimate Alternative to the Inflatable RIB.

Better yet, OCH has begun an 18 episode series of building the Oonagh for those contemplating building one.

More info over at OCH.

Listening to Best Coast

So it goes...

Four small dinghies that make sense...

A broken record, some interesting reading, and in the "legal rape & pillage" department...

These days there's a lot of talk about downsizing, minimalism, and frugality but, it seems to me, that in the cruising community the "You must have a 10-foot rib with at least a 15Hp engine" dogma somehow undercuts the "Let's simplify" mindset.

So, as I need to build another dinghy in the not-too-distant-future here are the designs on my current downsized, minimal, and frugal shortlist of boats that will do the job.

1. Tortoise
2. Atom 6.5
3. Eastport Ultralight 
4. Eko-Youyou 

Folks who know me are aware of my propensity to build a Tortoise whenever I need a dinghy and can't make up my mind on what to build. Bolger's Tortoise does a great job as a dinghy since it rows well, carries a surprising load for its size, and is incredibly stable. Throw in the fact that it's cheap, easy to build, and should only take a few afternoons to build makes its inclusion to just about all of my dinghy building shortlist.

I really like the Atom 6.5 as it pretty much does everything the Tortoise does but introduces a little more shape to the mix. It won't really row any better than a Tortoise but the design is less likely to offend passersby who find boxlike boats a personal affront.

The Eastport Ultralight may actually row a kiss better than the Tortoise and Atom but not enough to notice and the more refined shape will piss off fewer folk. That said, that more refined shape comes at a cost in the form of less form stability and some may find it difficult to reboard from the water or problematic if fly casting while standing.

Lastly, Yann's Eko-Youyou (which happens to be a free plan) has had me wanting to build it since I first came across it. You might say he had me when I noticed the sculling notch on the rear transom It's a kiss slimmer than the Tortoise, Atom, and Eastport so might perform a bit better under oars but not so much you'd actually notice.

So, what's a poor boy going to do?

The bottom line is all four of the designs will work just fine and any one of them will get you where you want to go and back again. They are all simple and cheap boats to build and maintain. Seriously what more do you actually need in a tender?

Which, I suppose, has you wondering just what I'm going to build. In truth, I'll most likely be building Yann's design but since I'm building the boat myself I can add a couple of features I liked from the other designs as well and fine-tune to what works best for my needs.

Listening to some Joe Strummer covers

So it goes...