The Dinghy Thread

[Steam Flyer]

The WT9.4 is a nice little boat. We've had several cruising friends use these for dinghies. I've also seen people use them for fishing.

It is stable and tough, and while it's not really a good hull for rowing, it can be rowed well enough for short distances. My recommendation is to get the longest oars you can fit & balance on the oarlocks (my guess is that it will be somewhere around 6 1/2 ft) and row it with a short stroke.

You certainly aren't going to beat it for the price!

- Doug
'Sugar Magnolia' Albin 31TE

[Jay Knoll]

If at first you don't succeed

I've been watching Craigslist for a hard dinghy after deciding to trash the idea of using the RIB hull as the base for a homebrew boat. Lost out on a beautiful Trinka 8 with full sailing rig, a Boatex owner was too stubborn to even counter from my offer (and his boat has been listed for over 2 months) and I finally found this little project.

I can't find any information on the manufacturer, the boat is probably over 30 years old. She needs some cleaning up and a few wood parts to get her back into rowing condition, and a full sailing rig to complete the package.

I would really like to find out more about the dinghy but a web search hasn't turned up any information.

The CG capacity plate indicates that the dinghy is a Sea Pup, manufactured by WMI in Wakefield RI. Any one have any information? It would be great to see something about the rig so I can think of replacing the missing parts.

Thanks

Jay

[DCatSea]

Steam Flyer - aka Doug

Thanks for the note. I figured that 6 1/2 - 7 foot oars would do the trick for short ship-to-shore runs for food and booze, while a 2-5hp OB would do for the longer and "I'm too tired to row" jaunts. I also thought that a smaller on and off bimini or similar would make it a nifty little boat to cast the occasional line inside the breakwater.

Once I get her together, and on the water, in the Spring - I will post pics.

Doug

[Jay Knoll]

A nice discussion on oar length

http://www.shawandtenney.com/how-size-your-oars

And they make beautiful, albeit very spendy, oars

[DesertAlbin736]

I would think any generic single sail kit designed for an 8 footer, like a Walker Bay would work. Of course unless you can find a used one the sail kit will probably cost more than the dinghy. Might have to also fashion a mahogany rudder & daggerboard from scratch. That can be done. I once had a Vagabond 14 daysailer that had a non-OEM daggerboard made out of a flat mahogany board that was tapered at both edges but no real airfoil curvature. Wouldn't point worth a darn. I went online and found a NACA airfoil coordinate app and plotted out a full scale profile pattern which I took to a Woodworkers Source store and got a board planed to that shape. It made a world difference. If so, best to shape the rudder and dagger similar to an NACA airfoil, ie thicker at the leading edge and curved to a thinner trailing edge, not just a flat slab. It'll point better that way.

[JT48348]

If at first you don't succeed......

The CG capacity plate indicates that the dinghy is a Sea Pup, manufactured by WMI in Wakefield RI.

Jay

Beautiful! That's a great looking dinghy. Fine lines. Is it fiberglass or canvas over wood frames?

[Jay Knoll]

Fiberglass

[DCatSea]

Jay - Thanks for the link to the spendy oar shop; nice product, and real boathooks; may have to treat myself.
Great formula for oars. Seems I'll need 8 footers.

Doug

[Jay Knoll]

Some progress

Of course everything takes longer ................... I thought the seats would just pop off and I'd refinish them but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

the fasteners were silicon bronze (sp?) and most sheared as I was trying to remove them, and my screw extractors didn't work, I guess the material was too soft it just kept shattering; consequently the wood got really messed up getting the pieces out. So much so that I decided it would look better if I just made new seats out of exterior ply. I also gave up on the idea of keeping the rubrail bright.

So here are a few progress pics, doing some West system repair on the bulkheads/transom. I filled the gaps in the flotation chambers with Great Stuff foam. The new seats are installed and primer coat is on.

[DCatSea]

Some nice work going on there, Jay. I look forward to seeing the finished product in use.

Doug

[Jay Knoll]

Finding the waterline

[Jay Knoll]

Some more progress. it has been a bit cool so paint has been drying slowly and I wanted to let the topsides really harden up before I taped off the bottom. Three coats of Easypoxy topsides and two coats of Rustoleum bottom paint. The dinghy is only going to be in the water when we're cruising so I think this stuff will work ok, time will tell.
Found a great rubrail at Hamilton Marine. A bit pricey (almost half of what I paid for the hull!) but better than any alternative.

[tego]

Jay, She looks beautiful! It'd be a shame to put a motor on it. I'll bet she'll row great. I have a 9' Dyer for my primary dink and I love to get out and row-good for you too. I've had my Dyer for over 35 years and she was an old timer when I got her. She was made in 1962. Good ones don't die! Ben

[Jay Knoll]

Who said anything about a motor? I've got a pair of 7' oars for her

[Jay Knoll]

Project complete (except for the dinghy rack) found a nifty locking device for the oars at Chesapeake Light Craft.