Barry,   I owned a 26-foot Seafarer sloop for 3 years...and cruised
extensively in her; then, "upgraded" to a 36-foot Cape Dory cutter-
rigged sloop...which I have owned for the past 17 years. I lived
aboard the Cape Dory for 10 1/2 years and cruised up and down the U.S.
east coast in her while using her as my domicile. Accordingly, I
believe I can intelligently address the pros and cons of dinghy
ownership by sailboat owners and cruisers...as I perceive them.
     First off: One must have a dinghy if one is going to cruise in a
sailboat. There are many encountered situations where one must anchor
out...yet, must get into the beach for one reason or another. The
further north one operates along the east coast of the United States,
the more one encounters this situation...especially in New England.
     If one picks up a mooring at a yacht club, tender service is
usually included in the daily mooring fee. If not, private tenders are
sometimes operated by enterprising individuals at the more popular
cruising areas. But, If tender service is not available, and you have
to get ashore, and you are at a buoy or in an anchorage, then you are
on your own to get yourself ashore. This situation occurs many times.
     Second: What type of dinghy should you have? You should have a
seaworthy and safe dinghy; it should be as small as you can get away
with; it should be an inflatable; and it should stow in a container
below decks or in a locker. You want nothing that has to be towed or
stowed topside on the coachroof...upside down. It is dangerous to have
ANY equipment stowed topside on a cruising sailboat...especially a
dinghy. That situation increases windage, makes moving around topside
more difficult than it normally is, looks awful, can hurt people if it
breaks loose, and is difficult to launch and recover. Towing a dinghy
is a big pain, affects sailing performance, looks awful, can hurt you
or your boat badly in severe weather, and, sooner or later, wraps its
towing line around your propeller shaft. A sailboat towing a dinghy
has a great time backing into a slip, and, once in, mooring the dinghy
so it does not bump you or a neighboring boat in an adjacent slip.
Most marinas do not let visiting dinghy owners place their tenders on
the pier...so you are stuck with it, alongside or topside.
     Third: Most fiberglass sailboat dinghies are unsafe. They are too
small and have too little freeboard to safely transport people in an
open body of water...unless it's a millpond. The biggest danger is
usually the powerboat racing by...close aboard. Many tenders have been
swamped by those types...and lives have been lost. Fiberglass dinghies
are heavy, most are ugly, and they can sure do a number on your
fiberglass sailboat if they bash it while being towed in a following
sea, or rub on the hull all night long when moored close alongside.
     Fourth: Your inflatable dinghy should be of high quality, should
be propelled by oars only (so you don't have to: mess around with
powerboat licensing requirements; carry, stow, and rig an outboard
motor...they are heavy; carry gasoline), should not have a stiff or
a hard bottom (makes rigging and unrigging a chore...and...you have
the problem of stowing the hard bottom, too, if you have one), and
should have at least one rigid seat. I found the Avon Redcrest to be
my "perfect" dinghy. It is of top quality constuction; stows in a
small duffle bag; inflates and deflates easily; is very seaworthy;
rows surprisingly easy; transports 2 with no problem, four with a
little juggling, and 6 if you have to (in calm water); and has not
failed in any respect during the 20 years that I have owned it. AND,
the big thing: it is out of sight and out of mind when it is not being
used...which is the vast majority of time. It stows very nicely in my
sail locker in the port side of the cockpit. On my Seafarer 26, the
Avon Redcrest inflatable dinghy stowed under the V-berths - forward.
     These are my thoughts based on my experiences. I am a Navyman...
so that background is affecting these recommendations, too. -- Bob --
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