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Message 10 of 10
Posted by member dominic gribbin on Tuesday 8 January 2013
Hi Nicholas
Lucky you! What a glorious place to cruise. Never have been to Gigha but heard it is lovely! The whole stretch from Campbeltown around the Mull and up to Islay, Jura and on to Mull etc ranks as world class boating territory in my books! I'm Jealous! Jura is our favourite Hebridean island, thus our faithful old 'Jura Pilot'.
Good luck with thoughts on where to stow your tender. Like yourselves, we favour remote anchorages thus the tender is essential. I'm so used to inflating/deflating as required it doesnt feel like an inconvenience at all. We dont find the weight of the liferaft has any noticeable effect on our Pilot's performance.
Report back when you find your final solution. keen to hear.
Regards
Dominic and Nicola.
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Message 9 of 10
Posted by member Nicholas Duffin on Monday 7 January 2013
Hi Dominic and Nicola,
Our Hardy has an arch for a radar so I will be fitting one. Unfortunately the arch is too narrow for a dinghy to fit under it.
We like to anchor in places where you need a dinghy to get ashore and a liferaft as well would be a lot of weight.
I know the North Channel well; I have been sailing across it for many years, for the last 14 in a Westerly 35ft Riviera. No problems with stowage there!
We have relations in Tobermory so our likely route will be Glenarm to Port Ellen or Gigha and then on to Mull, probably via Ardfern.
Best regards
Nicholas
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Message 8 of 10
Posted by member Dominic and Nicola Gribbin on Sunday 30 December 2012
Hi Nicholas
Ref: tenders, I have Just noticed your intended use on crossings from N. Ireland to Scotland. We have a Hardy Pilot and a self inflating Seago liferaft in a valise. It permanently lives aboard Jura Pilot and comfortably lives in the foot well on the floor beneath the front cabin dining table. It is easily get-at-able in an emergency there. Does not inhibit construction of the double bed and there is also room for kit to be stowed alongside it aswell.
We have crossed in Jura Pilot from Glen Arm (NI) to the Mull of Kintyre. A wonderful open sea crossing but as I am sure you know, prone to bad fog in the N. Channel as we found to our cost. We groped along through the shipping channel in almost zero visibility for the last 7 miles to the Mull! Scary with no radar and only a radar reflector for comfort!!
Rather re-assuring to have the liferaft in these circumstances. Personally I think the Pilot is just too small to keep a suitably sized tender permanently inflated and secured atop it. The moral boosting benefit of it being there, I believe, is outweighed by everything from impaired visibility, increased windage and potential damage to the vessel. I am sure others may beg to differ but this M.O has served us well over many sea miles.
Hope this helps.
Dominic and Nicola.
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Message 7 of 10
Posted by member Dominic and Nicola Gribbin on Friday 28 December 2012
Hi Nicholas
We have used an Avon Redstart for years and its been a great little dinghy. Extremely tough, made of a higher % of natural rubber than other brands (thus the cost) and more easily repairable if it comes to that. Also resists UV damage better. Its the Rolls Royce of tenders in my opinion and is expensive but you should be able to get a lifetime of use out of one.
For use at sea, ours works perfectly well for two adults and three little people!....but saying that, they are less little by the day so maybe a bigger one is soon to be needed!
We always stow it over the chain locker in an old spinnaker sail bag out of the sun. Its nicley out of the way there and offers a comfy seat if you fancy riding upfront. We never leave it inflatated when underway as inflated it presents a lot of windage and lashing it to the cabin roof risks damaging aerials etc if the wind and boat's motion really gets under it. In the past we have been caught out towing the tender when the wind inceased un-announced. Its no fun towing a half sunken tender in a rough sea....and then being forced to stow it emergency-fashion when it gets too much to handle whilst the boat is pitching and yawing.
Our tender is inflated via a high speed 12v electric inflator connected to the wheel house power supply on an extension I fashioned specially for the purpose (via the cabin skylight). The top of the forward cabin roof acts as a good surface to lay out the tender for inflation and deflation whilst safely at anchor/mooring.
Thats our modus operandi. Everyone will have different approaches to this matter condition dependant.
Hope this helps
Dominic and Nicola.
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Message 6 of 10
Posted by member Nicholas Duffin on Friday 28 December 2012
Marie, I haven't got it yet but at the Southampton show we liked the look of the smallest Zodiac which is probably what we will buy.
I want to carry a dinghy inflated as we intend to make crossings from N. Ireland to Scotland and there will not be room for a liferaft as well.
Sorry for delay in replying but I am at present in Zimbabwe where email is off as often as on.
Regards
Nicholas
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Message 5 of 10
Posted by member Simon Kidd on Monday 10 December 2012
Hi Marie.
The dinghy was only a little soft tail inflatable - about 7ft, but anything up to a bout 2.4m should be ok - but keep the weight down as far as possible. There was no impairment of vision - nice and clear. The River Pilot has a slightly longer roof.
I've just mananged to get a cheap secondhand 2m inflatable with transom for the roof of the Navigator - only for use if going futher offshore - as a liferaft really. A little concerned about stability on the Nav - so will "try it out" first - and do a stability test.
Best Regards
Mr Kidd.
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Message 4 of 10
Posted by member Marie O'Connell Hardy Editor on Friday 7 December 2012
Hi Simon,
How are you? Regarding the dinghy that you used to attach to the wheelhouse handrails - what size was it just out of interest?
I've not had this problem yet, as my dinghy/tender is an 8ft rigid affair and used only to get me to and from swinging moorings in the past. So just towed her behind my FP.
The wheelhouse roof seems the place I would choose though, for an inflatable. Does seem the best option to allow your vision not to be impaired when underway.
Speak soon,
All the best,
Marie
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Message 3 of 10
Posted by member Simon Kidd on Friday 7 December 2012
Nicholas,
We used to have an inflatable on our Pilot in the Channel Islands. We just lashed it to the wheelhouse handrails. This worked fine with no noticeable handly or stability issues.
We did also have a stainless steel frame mounted on the outboard engine well - this is used to lash an inverted dinghy to - this is common in Guernsey.
Hope thats of help.
Best Regards
Simon.
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Message 2 of 10
Posted by member Marie O'Connell Hardy Editor on Thursday 6 December 2012
From Hardy Editor - Well, I've seen an inverted inflatable sea kayak hung over the canopy and wheelhouse/coach roof. Just fitted nicely and was already to go. Did not take up much room either as it was so narrow. Other than fitting some davits at the stern, or as many do - have a partially inflated dinghy tucked in on the bow, just above the anchor locker. Bit of a bulky blob, but works.
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Message 1 of 10
Posted by member Nicholas Duffin on Thursday 29 November 2012
I have recently bought a 20 Family Pilot.
I would like to carry a small inflatable dinghy (inflated), the problem is where.
Has anyone solved this?
Regards
Nicholas
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