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The hardest part of the recent trip we had was managing the dinghy!

Ive got a Lamoores 6ft GRP dinghy, it nice & light, but a bit awkward to bring onboard & tie down, its also in the way when sailing, loss of visibility etc.
It painter also gets caught around the outboard when on anchor, resolved that by putting out some fenders & tieing it alongside with a stern line on it also.

Those inflatable kayaks like Rob on Sundowner has look good (got anymore info on that Rob?), did also see a two person inflatable kayak, that might be better to carry stores out to the boat without making multiple trips.

Anyone really happy with there dinghy?

cheers

Shaun, I haven't answered your question but here's my limited experience with two types of dinghies.

I have a plastic sit-on-top (SOT) kayak that I tied on deck the port side. The problem was that the furler line sometimes got stuck on it. While I could not go along the port side with the kayak there, it was ok just going to the bow via the starboard side. The kayak is low to the water and so I found it awkward at times getting up from it into Windchaser, that ladder on the stern was essential. It was extremely easy to deploy and recover from the deck as it simply slipped under the safety wires. Just had to remember to hold tightly to the line as it would shoot off quite quickly. With cartage, one time I carried 2x 20 litre fuel tanks on it which was a bit tricky when coming back with them full and then hefting the tanks up on deck. Overall, I was happy enough with my plastic SOT as it had, for one person, reasonable carrying capacity, easy to deploy and recover from deck, easy and fun to paddle. On the negative, often had a wet bum, ladder essential for ease of getting up and down, was a bit of a problem with the jib, needed to carry my camera etc in a waterproof bag, only big enough for one.

I prefer not to use the SOT on the Fitzroy River and have bought an aluminium dinghy, 11 foot, not a punt, pointed bow. The benefits include; easy to climb out of the dinghy into Windchaser (I tie up alongside using 2 ropes), handles the river chop no problems, safely carries heaps of boat gear and easy to unload into Windchaser, easy to row, can carry a passenger, I remain dry, makes me feel a bit more secure since the river has crocs. The negatives include having to tow it since no room on deck, heavier to handle on shore such as pulling it up a sandbank or taking it home, the aluminium gets burny to touch in hot summer sun.

Shaun, I have a 5'6" lamoor that fits snugly before the mast. I have a fender board that I put under the bow of the dinghy when on deck and it covers the forward hatch so that it can remain open when its raining.
Its a bitch to row, freeboard with 2 people is about 50mm, Standing up in it is like riding a bucking bull. I tried to get back in it one day just to try it, there is NO WAY you can get back into it in the water. I was thinking of using the Dufour windsurfer board and like Troppo lashing it to the stbd side life lines. Unfortunately you have to sit on top of the centreboard so the faster you row the better the enema! (if you're into that?).
I use a 7 ft fibreglass pram dinghy for my normal transport to and from the boat and tow it around the lake. (All lake boats you see have a genoa up, main still furled and a dinghy towed behind). I put a bolt through the rowlocks so the oars don't rotate or slip through the rowlocks, you can get a huge amount of power into the oars if you don;t have to worry about the rotation of the oars.
I also have a simple wheel setup that I use to get 2 blocks to Cold Tea Ck. I don't need a car. Just load the dinghy up with goods and go.
I also found that if you get 25mm nylex or similar tube and slit it along its length then attach one edge to the gunnel it makes a great fender that has never marked the boat when it bangs against it. At night I also lash it along side the quarter at the genoa winch and tie the stern to the boat with a fener between. It makes for a restful night without the bloody thing tapping the boat.

How about a nested dinghy'? Or do you think it would attract even more birds to Blue Moon? See: http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/brighton ... 1009575074
Expensive but they look good.

I use a 7ft lamoore with ring rowlocks for normal transport(towed when necessary), but have been known to throw a surfboard in the 1/4 birth in warm weather. I have also had a 5'6" lamoore (that I gave away) that was fun, but it didn't plane and was pretty useless in any chop/wind.

we have an 8ft aluminium tender with a 4hp ob, so far have just towed it behind Oberon, easy to paddle if necessary but is lacking a bit of freeboard when two hefty blokes are in it
looking at ideas on how to keep it on the mooring for those times that we don't wish to tow, doesn't really help your issue and would not be suitable to throw on deck

I think the best dinghy for a Top Hat is the Montgomery 6-8 that is still with Marinka on Lake Macquarie. While I had the boat I found it to be very stable, able to be got into from the water easily when it floated away once, rowed and towed nicely and fitted nicely on the foredeck - I sat on it at night while sailing watching the dolphins play in the light of the nav lights. It easily took 2 and sometimes 3 people and handled any swell and wake from boats going past. It is the dinghy that Alan Nebauer had while living in Maple Bay Canada on Deus Regit II and then brought back via Mexico across the Pacific and he liked it so much he started to make them here. It is designed by Lyle Hess and was the dinghy that Lin and Larry Pardy had on Serrafin. A great little dingy and I wish I had kept it! Cheers

Are they still available?

Alan Nebauer still makes them I think when he has time- google it for his web page - I think Shaun may keep in touch with him. I think they are around $1200. Well worth the money. Cheers

Ryan, i just tie my dinghy to the mooring line.
The police recommend you write your boat rego number on the dinghy. If they find it they can return it to you. They have a lot of dinghys that get found and they can't return them.

I wonder if the police auction them off?