[PUP] Dinghy for N46

[Ron Rogers]

I just purchased a Chesapeake Light Craft "Passagemaker" from an amateur
builder who produces professional quality. If you are on the East Coast,
this is an attractive option. Certainly a dinghy which embraces her
characteristics has merit.

She is 11'7" in length and 56" in beam and draws 6" in rowing trim. She also
comes as a sailing dinghy. She weighs 90 pounds. Both interior and exterior
bottoms are covered in fiberglass and two skids on the bottom and the skeg
are covered in an additional layer of glass. The entire boat is coated in 3
coats of epoxy followed by 3 coats of UV resistant varnish (Schooner).

She is very stable (owing to her fattitude) and her lapstrake construction
adds strength as well as knocking down spray. Maximum horsepower is 3.5 HP.
Most importantly, she can carry 650 pounds in safety.

So if you are looking at hard dinghies, these specification may be of use. I
can tell you that hard dinghies are very costly with wooden ones usually the
most expensive. Fiberglass and composite boats are lighter and less
expensive - unless you order carbon fiber or Kevlar construction. On the
East Coast, the "Fatty Knees" dinghy is popular amongst cruisers because of
her stability. On the West Coast, Gig Harbor makes some interesting boats.
If you are going to have to pull her up on a tidal beach, she needs to be
light and rugged. If you are in the PNW and have to land on gravel beaches,
you are going to place your emphasis on a rugged bottom.

Ron Rogers
Rowing dinghy and RIB