To Dingy or Not to Dingy

[kurtwitte]

New owner of 2021, like new, R27 NW outboard. Did not come with a dingy but have been debating whether or not to purchase. Do not like the idea of blocking view out the rear but am curious of the possibilities of exploring shores. I occasionally see tugs towing dingy's behind but am wondering how much fuel and efficiency is compromised? Any input is greatly welcomed.
Happy Holidays

 

[scross]

You may want to check to see if your insurance will cover the towed dinghy. Many policies don’t cover anything towed behind your boat.
There are a number of other options, like fully air inflatables that can be rolled up stored in the bilge area. Or light weight Takacats that be stored on the sports rack. Or even kayaks for that matter.

 

[SKing]

We have a c30 with a dingy on the swim platform. After 3 years the usage for my wife and I would have been better served with paddle boards, kayaks etc. However when we bring people out on the boat that aren't comfortable on the water the dingy has proved to be the right answer. You're right having a dingy will destroy your
aft view, it's frustrating but there's no other place.

 

[Madisonwi]

i have a 2021 R27 and love my dingy. Its great for cruising around and you can tie it up anywhere! Its got the factory carrying system.

 

[sd1209]

Madisonwi-----

getting ready to buy a used R27 OB and would really like to know what dingy you have....

 

[DDean]

We have had two cockpit struggles with our 24 R27. One is an optimal dinghy strategy and the other is a cockpit BBQ.
I concur that an inflatable paddle board is a great addition but I wouldn’t have that instead of a dinghy as there will be times you need to pack things that a paddleboard wont handle well, and there will be other times that the water might be too rough to do that comfortably.

I thought that the dinghy lift was too expensive and too awkward and blocking of the view prior, but I want one now. Inflating and deflating the dinghy is a pain and while it’s not horribly draining on the battery it’s worth considering when you inflate and then where the dinghy is going after that. We tow ours without worry and who cares about insurance on it but you can’t tow at any reasonable speed so dinghy has to be deflated again and potentially inflated again if we are going any distance. Some put the inflated dinghy in the cockpit while underway. We don’t.

We are considering adding a paddle board that can go up on the rack easily and only inflating the dinghy when a dinghy is needed. Also keep in mind that if you get an inflatable dinghy for the cockpit lazerette you can’t have a hard bottom dinghy. We got a hole in of our inflatable dinghy the very first time we used it (patched easily).

If you want to use a dinghy frequently I’d get the lift which avoids inflating and deflating all the time and allows you to get a more robust dinghy. If you only need a dinghy occasionally throwing a fully inflatable in the cockpit lazerette isn’t a bad concept. But inflating and deflating gets tiring if you do it a lot and your dinghy will be more fragile.

 

[fishheadbarandgrill]

I think I really depends on your cruising style on how you approach a dinghy. The other factor is how do you transport a dinghy given the model of RT or CW you own. I don't think you want to tow a dinghy with an RT/CW with an outboard because you immediately limit your boat's cruising speed potential. The factory dinghy solution is probably a better solution. As far as dinghy vs paddle board or Kayak. If you're just looking for something to get you to shore for a little exploration or maybe fishing in a remote shoreline or creek, then maybe something other than a traditional RHIB/inflatable is for you. For us, we need a dinghy to provision, take folding bikes ashore and for longer trips ashore maybe to a restaurant, etc. What I would call typical east coast ICW/FL Keys/Bahamas dinghy use. So we have our dinghy mounted on the swim platform using weaver davits that suit our R29 Classic perfectly.

 

[Nwdiver]

When I purchased my 2023 c-288, the factory dinghy lift was not available. It has since been made available. I have one on order. I picked this lift as it stores the dinghy horizontal. Hopefully this will allow some visibility out the back of the boat

 

[Turbo]

true kit brand, all inflatable, 2 person, rows great. backs small. a good start for us. headed to st Augustine for 3 day visit starting on the 31st. 2 rt 25 traveling together from stuart fl. 3 days enroute. will monitoring all working frequencys. staying at the municipal marina.

 

[Cutwater28GG]

two good dinghy options
takacat 260
highfield UL260

both light. but one with RIB floor and can't be folder.