Down and Dirty Tender

[Andrew]

I've just bought a Tahiti Ketch!! Right now it's in a slip that I have to vacate at the end of the month. I'm planning to put her on a mooring. I need a tender. Requirements: Quick construction, 2 person minimum capacity and faily light and stable. It shouldn't be too pretty as to avoid inviting theft, sort of a 6 hour dingy. Free plans would be a plus. Any ideas?

[Carlo]

Bolger's Tortoise

http://www.instantboats.com/tortoise.htm

[Paul Pless]

I've just bought a Tahiti Ketch!! Congratulations. How about some pictures?

regarding the dingy, I would think one of bolger's boxes might work for you - maybe the brick. Paint it some godaweful color, say flourescent pink to keep somebody from taking it, or maybe hunter blaze orange.

[John Bell]

Bolger Elegant Punt or Big Tortoise. Either one could be knocked together over a weekend for very few dollars. Plans from Dynamite Payson are only $35 or so, don't deprive him of the income. smile.gif http://www.instantboats.com

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Originally posted by Carlo:
Bolger's Tortoise

http://www.instantboats.com/tortoise.htmWHY :rolleyes:

I'm thinking about this for Tidbit if the Dyer Dhow is too big and heavy to use as a tender.

http://clcboats.com/images/boats/pramrowing.jpg

$749 The Eastport Pram™ Rowing kit includes: Plans & instructions, precut parts, epoxy, fiberglass, one pair of bronze oarlocks, drain plugs, daggerboard trunk.

Length: 7' 9", Beam: 48", Weight: 60 lbs.
Sail Area: 39 SF, Max Capacity: 400 lbs.

http://clcboats.com/images/boats/eastportpram_drawing.gif

60 lbs is nice cause I would like to trailer her on top of Tidbit and the Dhow weighs about 175# :eek: also 7' 9" is about right for a 16.7 Catboat to tow. The Dyer Dhow is 9ft and looks too big.

http://clcboats.com/boats/eastportpram.php

[Andrew]

Thanks for the quick replies. I should have thought of Bolger right off. The tortoise would meet the bill. It certainly has built in theft deterence. My only question is it's capacity. Short of that the Elegant punt looks a bit more involved but it would do. I have several Bolger/Payson books at home. I'll check them for details.

I took Mary (the Tahiti) out for the first time this weekend. Manouvering a 9+ ton full keel boat in and out of the slip was quite daunting. I couldn't have done it without the help of the two captains I had aboard. (I'll post pix in a new thread shortly.)

[ 03-13-2006, 11:18 AM: Message edited by: Andrew ]

[Andrew]

Joe that Pram is sweet. It deserves a closer look for down the road. My immediate need for a dingy that can be left at a public access would preclude her for now.

[Dave Hadfield]

I have an Elegant Punt. You can build it over a weekend, and it is a pleasure to row. Mine weighs 45 lbs.

I've towed it for thousands of miles, but at that weight it hoists up on deck over the lifelines real easy.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

I have built a few elegant punts over the years and they are truly a weekend project. I now build them 6" wider than Mr Bolgers plan as they can be a bit tippy. Not as efficient with the plywood, but a real load carrier which rows and tows well.
If you have a bit more time Bolger's Nymph is great, the best dinghy I've ever used. My Nymph is 6" wider than the original too, cause I'm over 200lb and the boat has a lot of freeboard.
Nothing worse than trying to pull yourself out of the water if you tip the dinghy...

[ 03-13-2006, 05:57 PM: Message edited by: Paul Fitzgerald ]

[hoss]

I second (third forth) the elegant punt I have built or helped build more then a few over the years. Knock it together in a weekend and it is a good little boat. If you do build one there are a few little things that are hard to do (bending the chines for one) but all in all pretty easy.

[Ray Frechette Jr]

I built The Elegant Punt for the same reasons you menytioned in your post.

I had a tender stolen from yard just prior to my building the Punt as replacemnt.

I built dirt cheap too, since if I was going to lose another one I didn't want the thief to get quality.

2 sheets luan ply at $11.00 a sheet, and an 8 foot 2x10 that was reasonably free of knots at local home depot that I ripped down into 3/4 by 1 1/2 strips. Bronze ring shanked nails, and one tube of 5200 to seal the inside corners of the boat. I also layed 1 stip of glass tape over the lower outside ply edges to seal them a bit with epoxy.

Took a truncated weekend to build and maybe $50.00 of material.

I must say I was immensely impressed with the boat. It tiws well behind a big boat, and I have safely and comfortably rowed through 2-3 foot harbor chop by crabbing the boat to my big boat keeping the Bow 45 degrees to the oncoming waves and allowing drift to blow me down on my big boat.

I have also rowed the foll little boat for miles at a time just for the fun of it without fatigue.

I wanted it to be ugly,, but you would be amazed at the number of comments and attention it gets. People really like it.

That is probably it biggest downfall. Paint it highway orange and paint the trim black. Make some plywood patches to nail the the hull side with sonme roofing cement dripping out the sides.

Maybe drill a hole in the bottom and fit a cork when you want to use it.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

I have had four elegant punts taken over the years, but its so easy to make another one that I almost look forward to it.
Funny though, the wide one has lasted for a while. It was found floating in the bay with a few used syringes inside, but no one has taken it, and I'm on the second bottom by now.
Maybe the market is saturated.

[ 03-13-2006, 08:48 PM: Message edited by: Paul Fitzgerald ]

[Keith Wilson]

Bolger's Rubens Nymph (12" wider than the original) is a great tender- tows well, rows easily if not fast, is very stable, and carries an enormous load. OTOH, it's taped-seam construction, which is not to everyone's taste - lots of goop.

If you want dead simple, highly functional and theft-proof (it's so ugly no one will ever steal it), a Bolger Brick is just the thing. Two sheets of plywood and some construction lumber, maybe a weekend to build, paint it with whatever you have left over from your house, and Bob's yer uncle. It has a certain charm. Plans from Dynamite Payson (http://www.instantboats.com)

http://www.instantboats.com/images/brickst.gif

[Andrew]

Again, thanks for the replies. I'm waffling between the Tortoise, Punt and Nymph. I've found my copy of Paysons "New Instant Boats" with the Nymph so I can start right away. If it gets stolen maybe I'll work my way through the others.

[Dave Hadfield]

To help prevent theft, when you park the dinghy, put a couple of gallons of water in it.

Make it look like it leaks.

Irritating, but it'll help make the swine choose a different boat.