folding pram, tender, and nesting dinks
Capt. mmrgsrtmn, suh!
First, jist let me say I LOVE this stuff. Inventing something and making an effort to get it to market - getting a patent - is the only way left that Any-old-person (Everyman) can still succeed with his own imagination. Those that make it big are our heros. It's kind of the lotto of the imagination.
Sometimes it's a righteouse idea and a satisfying, workmanlike solution. The patent will be thumbs in the armpits. The only reward will maybe be bringing astonishment or joy to the onlooker. Sometimes it is just a good idea taken one little step further. Mike Goodwin, who got swallowed by a schooner. got us started on nesting prams There's lots of them (plans) floating around.
Psss s s t, hey skipper, got this great idea for a 3 piece nesting pram that fits over the front of the cabin on the Ariel.....
But check out this marvelous Seahopper first:
www.seahopper.co.uk/
www.seahopper.homestead.com/frontpage.html
http://www.shorebase.co.uk/boating/s...oppy/hoppy.asp
Here is what I have got.....
So I started out borrowing a paddle boat from the marina to go back and forth while I was on a mooring awaiting a slip.
http://pearsonariel.org/discussion/a...tid=1716&stc=1
Then, I bought a very used sandpiper 8;
It rows well, even with 2 adults and a Lab.
- Length: 95"
Width: 47"
Depth: 18"
Weight: 75 lbs.
Capacity: 2 people /425 lbs.
Motor: 3 HP
Like this one; Link to Sanpiper 8 at boaters world
I have had some of the problems you expect with a hard tender. I had it swamp once in a squall, and it becomes a very effective drogue. I would have hated to be in a bad place (like running an inlet) when that happened.
The mfg says it weighs #75 but mine feels about twice that (the foam may have some water in it).
I loose something like .5 - .75 knots when I tow it.
So I started looking for an inflatable, hoping to be able to fit it in my cockpit locker. :rolleyes:
I found a good deal on a used Avon R 280. I arranged the shipping, and should have known something was up when it was too large to be shipped by anything but truck freight! :eek:
So I get this thing, and (like everyone says) it rows like a barge.... No, make that a barge towing an anchor.... :(
Link to Avon web site to see the R-280
I tried putting my Yamaha 6 on it, and got it up to a whopping 5.5knots!
Then I put my evenrude 2 on it, and it went just as fast. :confused:
It is very stable, and while I have not tried to tow it behind my boat I doubt it would be any harder to tow.
The only place I can imagine putting it is rolled up on the foredeck, where it would be tripped over, just like a hard tender on the foredeck would. Then the idea of deflating and rolling this monster on my deck underway is kinda hard to wrap my brain around.....
So, with the 'too large' R 280, I get the west marine flier in the mail and see their smaller R-200 inflatable for $200 off list.
I go to the store and look at it. It is much smaller folded then the Avon, looks downright suitcase sized. Cool.... or so I think.
It does not fit in the cockpit locker either. :mad:
So;
How many are using hard tenders? Are you doing this because you gave up on inflatables?
Has anyone ever found an inflatable that would fit in the locker?
Should my R-280 plane?
looks like just what we need
Bill, That's just what i've been searching for. Been on this computer about all day, looked at a bunch, seems like finding the right dinghy would be easy! NOT!
So where do i find the plans? Google came up with some pig latin.... :rolleyes: