[PUP] The Ultimate Dinghy

[David Schramm]

First, thank you all for your ideas and input.  I hope more dribble in as
people get to places where they can hook up.  For me, the list has added
some valuable necessary capabilities that escaped my thinking.  And, as I
expected, many people have conflicting requirements that cannot be resolved
in one design.  Many also jumped directly to solutions.  As I said at the
start, I have not seen a single solution that really addresses all my core
needs and constraints.

Constraints:
	* Maximum LOA 12 feet
	* Maximum boat weight 160 lbs
	* Only one dinghy, not multiple

That is all we and Jenny can handle.  I have not seen or been on any 11-12
ft inflatable that keeps its cargo dry in the choppy conditions that are
common in anchorages.  That seems to be an unsolvable problem.  The biggest
challenge to hard dinghies is meeting capability #1 - do no harm to the
mother ship.  That seems to me to be a solvable problem.  At the top of my
Off-The-Shelf solutions is the Portland Pudgy.  However it is too small, and
in spite of repeated requests over the years, the manufacturer does not seem
to have any intent on building an 11-12 ft one.  So, it is not an option.

I also have come to realize there is a tradeoff between boat weight and
motor weight.  Our current dinghy is 85 kg and our motor is 85 kg.  I find
that very light boats are uncomfortable and the wettest. They tip and flip
easily.  So, this time I am changing the balance to keep the boat weight,
but drastically drop the motor weight.  

That all said, does anyone have an off-the-shelf solution that addresses my
needs?

Thanks again. 

David A Schramm
M/V Jenny
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