Question:
I have a 19 ft. sailboat and would like recommendations about a tiny
boat to tow or stow for use in travelling from a mooring to dock.
Holding only 1 or 2 people would be adequate. It should be light to
haul up rocky beaches in Maine. Would an infaltable or a folding boat
be good? Any suggestions on type, company, price, etc?
Answer:
When we owned a 19 ft sailboat we used a floating toy boat for a dinghy.
I don't remember the brand but it had the name "CHALLENGER II" on it.
We used a manual pump to inflate it, and we even towed it occassionally.
It towed pretty well, but it slowed us down by roughly 1 knot. Since
our top speed was 4.5 knots, we would usually deflate it if we were
heading for a longer trip. "Challenger II" was plenty big for the
two of us, but we were always prepared for the "wet bottom" syndrom.
It rowed horribly, but the distances were usually small, so it did not
matter. On occassion, one of us would jump in and propel "Challenger II"
by swimming it to shore. I think that for a small boat a dinghy like
our Challenger, is the only practical alternative. It costs very little,
it is easily stowed, it is fun to play with, and it is relatively durable.
We had no problems with ours, and we dragged it in many places and
over many rock crops. Good luck and have fun.
