Tenders stored on foredeck

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by sabahcat, Nov 23, 2010.

  1. CatBuilder

    CatBuilder Previous Member

    I'm having the same problems as Sabahcat.

    I have a few modifications I'd like to make to my boat as I build her. She's not designed with a forward cockpit (like Chris White and Gunboats have). I want to move the deckhouse back about 1 meter (3 ft) and put a small, forward cockpit in.

    For my situation, this will move some weight aft, possibly causing a stern-heavy boat. I won't be using diesels (I'll use outboards), so there will be some weight savings astern, but by the time I hang a large tender off the davits, I fear I'll be in some trouble.

    So, I have been thinking about a forward mounting as well. We need a large tender to carry charter guests and their luggage, so it will be big and heavy.

    My worries are:

    1) Need to rig a crane on the forward deck
    2) Possible reduced visibility from the forward cockpit
    3) Impact from blue water coming through the netting and slamming into the dingy
     
  2. aranda1984
    Joined: Jan 2010
    Posts: 62
    Likes: 8, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 101
    Location: Vancouver, B.C.

    aranda1984 aranda1984

    Tender...

    I sent you a PM.
     
  3. sabahcat
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 792
    Likes: 28, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 273
    Location: australia

    sabahcat Senior Member

    And I have replied
     
  4. sabahcat
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 792
    Likes: 28, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 273
    Location: australia

    sabahcat Senior Member

    I am sure you could do something with mast, halyard and a pole
     
  5. michael pierzga
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 4,862
    Likes: 116, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 1180
    Location: spain

    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Yah Sabahcat, you could use a ridgid tender. Certainly a small cat would have good load carring abilty and space for it lenght. But Something to consider...from a man who has never owned a car and never lived in a house. A tender needs to be lightweight. The completle package, motor tank, seat, gear must be light enough for you...one person... to lift and drag onto the beach.. Its very important, you will be dragging ashore many many times..sometimes almost daily. Also a hard tender " bites " your boat, your mates boat and your fingers when the waves roll by. Ridgid tenders are durable, but with care and seamanship I dont have problems with torn up tubes on a Rib . if I sense danger for the tender I haul it up on the beach for safety.

    Also. remember that for offshore trips it easy to make a Rib half beam and compact by deflating it...you cant reduce the size of a hard boat...unless you built a two hull, dismountable, stacking ,cat tender. Could very well be a good idea.
     
  6. michael pierzga
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 4,862
    Likes: 116, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 1180
    Location: spain

    michael pierzga Senior Member

    You would have to describe the emergency scenario that has you dumping the tender and worried about removing the inner fore stay ?

    You will find that..safety of crew and yourself... is greatly increased, seven days a week, when you do whatever you must to carry the biggest tender possible for your yacht. Even If you must chop chop it , modify it, whatever. If you choose a mini rib, you will die in a thunderstorm as you and your mate return to the boat or your boat will wash ashore because your tender was so small that you could not enter the anchorage do to sea state to protect it. A three and a half meter rib tender is a very seaworthy craft.
     
  7. sabahcat
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 792
    Likes: 28, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 273
    Location: australia

    sabahcat Senior Member

    You did see what it will be built from?
    http://www.polycore-honeycomb.com/
    Reinforced AIR with a light epoxy / glass skin

    I suppose I could "possibly" get it lighter if I built in foam/kevlar;)
     
  8. sabahcat
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 792
    Likes: 28, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 273
    Location: australia

    sabahcat Senior Member

    NO COMPROMISE ON THE DINGHY

    I am not yelling, but I am making a statement

    At the very least it will be a 10ft tinnie or similar as long as it has sides high enough to keep curious salt water crocodiles at bay
    But I reckon a 13ft cat with high sides built from reinforced air will be lighter than that and your inflatable.

    Oh, and I have a 3 meter strip down the inside of the back steps with a rubber cap specifically for taking knocks from a rigid dinghy
     
  9. michael pierzga
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 4,862
    Likes: 116, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 1180
    Location: spain

    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Hey...many different ways to solve the problem. A simple stitch and glue plywood rig will do the trick. I once knew a world cruising South African Multi guy. Very talented fellow. An eccntric who could solve any problem, do anything. He had a small general purpose, bagged, fold up, pump up inflatable. When ever he arrived at a destination that he was going to stay awhile...a cruising ground.. an island archipeligo...he would...on site.. with a circular saw construct a simple , elegant, tough, flat bottom 15ft skiff from the cheapest plywood available locally in less than a weekend, then put his 15 hp outboard on it. ..use it for the 3 months cruising. diving, exploring ....then give it away !! and sail off to the next part of the world.
     
  10. sabahcat
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 792
    Likes: 28, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 273
    Location: australia

    sabahcat Senior Member

    Yes in deed
    I had a 1.2m wide and 2.4m long flatty on my last cat built from 6mm gaboon in the hulls and 4mm in the seats with 50mm pvc around the gunwale.

    Fantastic dinghy
    Incredible stable (I could stand on the edge) and it floated through puddles
    But, reinforced air (polycore/nidaplast etc) would have been lighter and stiffer imho.
    And a cat, well it will be able to handle chop a whole lot better and just be a better vessel all round IMHO.

    This dinghy will be used extensively
    It will be my car
    It will do 5 mile trips up a creek for my crab pots
    It will do 5 mile runs around a headland or reef trolling for mackerel or a coral trout
    It will do a run into the nearest town to pick up several cartons of beer, a few weeks worth of groceries and my laundry AND I want to get it back to the boat dry.
     
  11. michael pierzga
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 4,862
    Likes: 116, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 1180
    Location: spain

    michael pierzga Senior Member

    This South African had Mylar templates rolled up and all he did was break them out, chop up plywood, epoxy tape together, paint some radical electric blue , high visibility paint on and off he went. It was a nice design and everyone knew him..a real character. The world needs more eccentric characters. Remeber a good rib will set you back thousands and may be destroyed or stolden in the first week
     
  12. sabahcat
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 792
    Likes: 28, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 273
    Location: australia

    sabahcat Senior Member

    And will I be able to quickly throw one of these together if my boat is sinking around me?
    That it does

    My last dinghy looked like ****, as did the motor (on the outside) and cost all of about $300 , and this one will be similar, only an idiot would steal them, hopefully

    I understand where you are coming from Michael, I have had dinghies and motors stolen before.
    Ugly is good
    Shiny white paint is bad

    I had already planned a similar thing to what you have in your deflateable

    2 very noticeable inspection ports in the bridge deck panel of the cat dinghy
    Removed on beaching and carried in my billum
    Average idiot will look at holes in boat (with stainless strop running through them to nearest tree) and think it will sink. hopefully moves onto next target
    Of course it wont sink as the hulls are still intact.
     
  13. michael pierzga
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 4,862
    Likes: 116, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 1180
    Location: spain

    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Not just theft. I lost a rib in the surf once. wave capsized us , washed the rib ashore into the breakers and it was destroyed. Lost a tender once when it was crushed by another boat docking. Lost a rib once towing..thundertorm came thru..60 knots of wind, yacht picked up speed..towed rib surfing wildly in our wake, nose dug in to a wave..DIVE DIVE DIVE...she exploded.
     
  14. RHough
    Joined: Nov 2005
    Posts: 1,792
    Likes: 61, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 793
    Location: BC Summers / Nayarit Winters

    RHough Retro Dude

    I'm following this one. From many threads a dinghy/tender ranks as a requirement equal to a head and holding tank. Designers almost always consider the head/holding tank, but seldom the dinghy/tender. Is that the majority of boats live in marinas and don't have tenders at all?

    Power vessels have more options than sailing vessels. Cabin top storage does not have to consider boom clearance.

    I really like the idea of a soft inflatable and building a near disposable rigid for extended stays. Very clever.

    I ended up with the ugly solution of tilting the RIB up over the swim platform on my boat ... The next time I make the run up the coast the RIB will stay on my dock and I'll take the inflatable with the air floor that I can stow properly.

    If I had a long distance requirement for the tender I'd extend the cabin top to the transom and create a boat deck for a larger RIB (at great expense).

    R
     

  15. mark775

    mark775 Guest

    Wow, Michael! How deep do you think the inflatable had to go to explode?
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.