Tender options

B

BillS LINY

New Member
May 14, 2012
22
Long Island Sound
Boat Info
58 Sedan Bridge 2007
Engines
900 mans
I just purchased the 58 Sedan Bridge and wanted to add a tender. I am interested in the 13 ft boston whaler with 40 hp engine. Its total weight would be 880 lbs. Would this tender diminish the running performance of the boat? We were looking for something more substantial than a inflatable.
 
Tow it... that is what we do... I would go with the 15 foot... that is also what we use... larger and much more usable. If you are looking, purchase new, they have fantastic warranty programs.. ours is covered for 5 year... just my two cents
 
I would not want that much weight on the back of my boat. Also, a 13' boat is really too big. My RIB is 11' plus some more for the engine and it is just about right. An 11' whaler might be better.
 
I agree with Sea Gull. 13' is too big on the platform. My RIB is 12' (Caribe DL12) and it is the max length for the platform. Unless the boat is sitting perfectly, it catches some wash as I'm getting up on plane. I think the weight would be a bit too much as well by the time you add fuel and some gear.

Paul
 
I though about towing a dinghy, too. How do you keep it from slamming into the stern when coming off plane?
 
When you tow you need a professional towing rig and re-inforced cleats (don't try to go cheap... plus your insurance company won't allow it). When we tow which is almost all of the time, our boat is about 150 feet behind our boat. The engine has to be in the water (which causes no issues) which acts like a rudder and tracks right behind our boat (also add drag). Despite what people think, when you come off of plane, your boat will slow down at the same rate as the big boat. I have even come off of plane very quickly and went into reverse and there were no issue. We have been in seas up to 4 feet doing 16 mph with no issues. I shoot the inter-coastal all of the time also no issues. When we get ready to head into a marina, we just bring the boat up close (within 4 feet). When we arrive at a marina, we hand the boat off to a marina staff or just tie up with it close. Also, we have authorization from our insurance company to tow at night in a limited basis. Our towing rig is from:

http://www.toweye.com/towrigsetup.html

It has a quick disconnect which allows you to quickly disconnect the tender. 8 feet of line is permanently installed on the Tender....

Hope this helps.
 
I have a Walker Bay RIB with a 20hp Honda. Console steering, electric start, bilge pump, electric tilt, seats, nav lights and storage. I keep it on the back of my 460 DA. I think the total weight is under 300 pounds. You can buy them for about $12-13000. I have had no issues with mine.
 
A couple of questions for Falcon Flyer. How do you store 300 ft. of line and then let it out with out without a tangled mess? It's a serious question not a smart remark. When I went to the towing web site, it appears that only a single line attached to the dinghty, is that correct? Any comments are greatly appreciated, I want to know more about this.
 
Here is a decked out walker bay
JCA_6416.jpg
 
bblack.... actually it is not that hard. The nylon rope from the Y to the tender is very thin, about 1/4-1/2 inch in thickness and really does not tangle.... the ticker rope about 2 inches thick from the corners of the stern to the middle of the Y is simply too large to tangle. For our boat I don't let out all of the line.. for example we have about 60 feet out to the Y then it is 100 for us ...so 160 back... really not that far when you consider our boat is 42 feel long. You adjust things based on the sea state. You are correct, only a single line attaches to the tender, your motor has to be in the water and that acts as drag and a rudder. I shoot the West Florida Inter coastal at 20 mph with no issues maneuvering... My "tender" a 15 foot whaler that does 40 mph, with a 19 gallon tank, of course full lights, a cooler, retractable sun shade, anchor, etc was only 18k with a 5 year warranty (it has a 60hp Mercury on it). That 18k includes a trailer... can't understand why anyone would pay 15k for a inflatable.... I have put a Garmin all in one plotter, depth finder... etc. on it. We have a 320 mile range on it if we need it. It is nice to leave the big boat and go explore for the day.

I got the idea from of friend of mine who runs a large yacht.. they tow a 37 foot whaler.

The reason why everyone tows whalers is because you just pull the plug out and go... in fact I have never put my plug in.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the response .... it was helpful. I have a A/B DLX 11 that I am concidering towing. Again thanks.
 
I'm a bit confused why do you want to tow 11' dinghy. I was under the impression that your boat should be able to handle it with no issues. Do you have hydraulic platform?
 
bblack said:
No, I don't have a hydraulic platform. At net $30500 I passed.
Click to expand...

That explains everything. I guess you didn't plan on using any water "toys" like CC RIB or PWC. In this case you either have an option of towing or get much lighter RIB that you can load using manual davits.

However, if you wish to reconsider, you can always add a hydraulic lift for approx. $20K.
 
I've looked at lifts and lift systems. The furthest trip I take is to Put In Bay which from Sandusky is about a 50 min ride. (Ohio, Lake Erie) I just can't pull the triger on the cost vs. the use. That being said,does anybody have a Tender Roller system or know someone who does? Happy?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,183
Messages
1,428,110
Members
61,091
Latest member
dionb
Back
Top