Dinghy, Tow or Stow?

[Leonardo]

I have a Fatty Knees dinghy, it's nice but heavy. I've built a mast and boom and was planning on loading it with the boom and stowing on the back deck but I'm now considering one of two other options: 1st, just tow it or 2, sell it and get a lighter (maybe aluminum) 8'er. Any ideas? How do you take yours along?

[Veebyes2]

I'm not familiar with a Fatty Knees dinghy but since it is a sailable it is safe to assume that it is a hard rather than an inflatable dinghy.

I have never owned anything but hard dinghys over the years. They last much longer, are much tougher & are easy to repair after kids bang them up on rocks

My current dinghy, 22 years & going strong, weighs about 90# & is towed 90% of the time. I need the dinghy for access to the mooring so it is in the water anyway. Towing is easy with or without the motor. The dinghy paynter is just long enough so that it cannot be snagged by the prop no matter what.

For the rare occasion when I want to carry the dinghy it is an easy matter to roll it sideways onto the swim platform & tie it off to the cleats.

If I want to run fast it is usually better to put it on the platform otherwise let it tow long.

[Boatmon]

We've got an 04 American Sail, rowing dinghy. A great boat, but now too small for all four of us. Not totally sure what we will ultimately do for a dink, so for now it's just cleated off, standing on the swim platform.

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[jleonard]

I rarely tow my RIB infatable. Most times it is on davits.
I don't like to keep loking back and wondering.

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[Leonardo]

I did consider the swim platform as a holding area. But I didn't want to cover up the boats ID since it's required to be seen while motoring.

[jleonard]

I have marquee boards on the side of the boat with the name.
There are also folks who put the boat name on the bottom of the dink then it's visable from behind.

[jcollins]

10' Inflatable. I don't use it much but when I do, I tow.

[Capt Paul]

I just bought a small inflatable this year. I used it on a 5 day trip which just took. I was going back and forth about towing it or stowing it on the back deck. We were going through areas with allot of wind and since it was the first time for me having a dinghy I wasn't sure if the wind could pick it up and flip it. I'm glad I stowed it since we hit some rough spots. I store it on the swim step when in the slip, but can't leave there when underway as the boat is documented.

Paul

[Leonardo]

This is why I'm asking, I'm Documented too and the rules are clear about readability of the name and hailing port, plus they can only be on the back. Where do you have your numbers mounted?

[Mariner]

In my opinion, if you've got the money, a SeaWise Davit is, without a doubt, the best system; whether your dinghy is inflatable or rigid. Very popular around these parts.

[yhc]

You may want to take a look at Weaver Leaver system as an option. It is very similar to SeaWise davit Mariner mentioned above.

[DougSea]

This is why I'm asking, I'm Documented too and the rules are clear about readability of the name and hailing port, plus they can only be on the back. Where do you have your numbers mounted?

I've been looking in to the subject of stowing a tender on the swim platform of a documented vessel. As best as I can tell after a couple of hours or so of googlling; as long as your vessel is properly marked, with the number affixed to a structural member and the name and hailing port permanently affixed to the transom, you're good in so far as the documentation rules apply. The tender stowed on the swim platform does not cause a documentation violation. The USPS has a write up to that effect, I'll post a link tomorrow after I find it again. I was not able to find any specific law that stated that obscuring the name was improper or illegal. The USPS did seem to suggest that having the vessel name on the underside could help prevent issues with law enforcement personnel.

And just to be clear - having the name on the tender does NOT substitute for having it on the transom.

The whole thing is a bit murky.

[Leonardo]

When I looked into it (called the Documentation Office in WV) I was told that the name and hailing port must be "visible" at all times. The same goes for any numbers and use stickers you might have on your boat, say if it isn't a documented boat for example. I have a lead on an old aluminum dinghy in Baltimore that is for sale that I'm going to checkout today. I might be able to load it onto the rear deck.

[Pitou]

When trying to make time : Weaver snap davits on the swim platform here ..... sometimes on the tow. I did mark the underside of the "RIB" with name & hailing port in the required size lettering that goes on the transom of the boat and have never been bothered by the coasties. My Albin is documented without state registration.

A buddy did get pulled over on his documeted vessel by them a half a dozen years ago for having his "RIB" on the platform and obstructing the name & port. No ticket, just a warning. FWIW; They suggested to him to paint name & hailing port on the bottom if he were going to tilt the dink on the platform and obstruct the boats markings. He has never been bothered since. This guy travels on his boat extensively each summmer from my local area to downeast, Maine to most recently Cape Cod & the islands, Long Island Sound and up the Hudson without incident. (I wish I could take 3 months off each summer! )

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[RobS]

A 28TE in FL I looked at had this davit setup. This would be problematic to display name and hailing port.