RE: [bolger] Was: Small Motor/Oar Tender - Now: Apple Pie/Skimmer
Pete
I built a Nymph primarily as a dinghy for my 27 foot Cal 2-27 sailboat. It
towed great and rowed very easily. My only beef, like yours, was that it
seemed "tippy" when boarding her or when stepping up to the mothership. My
wife is only 4'11" tall. It was quite a stretch for her to leave one foot
planted down in the center of Nymph, and to then step up with her other foot
onto the boarding ladder of the mothership. Not impossible, just precarious
and awkward.
I chose to build a June Bug because of its better initial stability (and
because I needed an excuse to build another boat.) I figured my wife could
stand close to the rail and more easily get up to the mothership. June Bug
turned out as expected to be a much more stable platform than Nymph.
However, it's much heavier than Nymph, and quite a bit more of a chore to
drag from our dinghy rack ashore into the water. Also, when we sleep aboard
our boat with June Bug tied astern, it slaps and makes noise just enough to
annoy my wife. Nymph is much quieter at anchor. June Bug is a joy to sail,
while Nymph under sail threatened capsize way too often for me to sit back
and relax.
Nymph is so much easier to drag into the water that, for now, my wife and I
are using her most often, all the while trying to improve our boarding
technique.
I think June Bug and Nymph are both great little boats. My experience just
bears out what everyone says, that no boat is ideal in all situations, and
every boat is a compromise.
Michael Galvin
Muskegon, MI
http://members.home.net/michaelgalvin
-------------------------------------------------
The real "need" is for a stable to tender that tows well. I built a
Nymph, but she really isn't stable enough for "casual" boarding from
the mothership. You have to be quite aware of where your weight
goes. I can board her, but think fore and aft trim is way too
sensitive for my needs when I want to shuttle people to shore. Once
loaded she is fine, but boarding seems iffy.
I haven't actually tried using Nymph that way yet though. Maybe once
my large bulk is in her as ballast she will be much more stable for a
passenger to board. Can anyone comment from experience on this?
Maybe my daughter and I will have to go out and try this out. If it
goes well I will try with my wife as passenger. If that works then I
probably don't "need" anything else.
Pete Staehling
I built a Nymph primarily as a dinghy for my 27 foot Cal 2-27 sailboat. It
towed great and rowed very easily. My only beef, like yours, was that it
seemed "tippy" when boarding her or when stepping up to the mothership. My
wife is only 4'11" tall. It was quite a stretch for her to leave one foot
planted down in the center of Nymph, and to then step up with her other foot
onto the boarding ladder of the mothership. Not impossible, just precarious
and awkward.
I chose to build a June Bug because of its better initial stability (and
because I needed an excuse to build another boat.) I figured my wife could
stand close to the rail and more easily get up to the mothership. June Bug
turned out as expected to be a much more stable platform than Nymph.
However, it's much heavier than Nymph, and quite a bit more of a chore to
drag from our dinghy rack ashore into the water. Also, when we sleep aboard
our boat with June Bug tied astern, it slaps and makes noise just enough to
annoy my wife. Nymph is much quieter at anchor. June Bug is a joy to sail,
while Nymph under sail threatened capsize way too often for me to sit back
and relax.
Nymph is so much easier to drag into the water that, for now, my wife and I
are using her most often, all the while trying to improve our boarding
technique.
I think June Bug and Nymph are both great little boats. My experience just
bears out what everyone says, that no boat is ideal in all situations, and
every boat is a compromise.
Michael Galvin
Muskegon, MI
http://members.home.net/michaelgalvin
-------------------------------------------------
The real "need" is for a stable to tender that tows well. I built a
Nymph, but she really isn't stable enough for "casual" boarding from
the mothership. You have to be quite aware of where your weight
goes. I can board her, but think fore and aft trim is way too
sensitive for my needs when I want to shuttle people to shore. Once
loaded she is fine, but boarding seems iffy.
I haven't actually tried using Nymph that way yet though. Maybe once
my large bulk is in her as ballast she will be much more stable for a
passenger to board. Can anyone comment from experience on this?
Maybe my daughter and I will have to go out and try this out. If it
goes well I will try with my wife as passenger. If that works then I
probably don't "need" anything else.
Pete Staehling
--- In bolger@y..., "Samson Family" <Bill.Samson@t...> wrote:
boat. They make no mention of putting a motor on her. And in a boat
that size and type it probably does make more sense to row.
Do you know of anyone who has put a motor on either version? If so
how did it work out. She does look like the kind of craft where it
makes more sense to row.
Does she tow well? It looks as if she would.
I didn't see much info about Peach Pie on Chuck's web page, is she
scaled up or just stretched? Do you have her vital statistics?
The truth of the matter is that she isn't what I was thinking of, but
probably fits my real needs better than what I had in mind. What I
had in mind was something more like Skimmer (would one tow OK?). I
may have been forcing the outboard issue just because I have one
sitting around. I am not so sure that a 4 hp is big enough to really
make a boat like Skimmer fun and I also am not sure it makes sense to
put a motor on a boat like Peach Pie or Apple Pie.
The real "need" is for a stable to tender that tows well. I built a
Nymph, but she really isn't stable enough for "casual" boarding from
the mothership. You have to be quite aware of where your weight
goes. I can board her, but think fore and aft trim is way too
sensitive for my needs when I want to shuttle people to shore. Once
loaded she is fine, but boarding seems iffy.
I haven't actually tried using Nymph that way yet though. Maybe once
my large bulk is in her as ballast she will be much more stable for a
passenger to board. Can anyone comment from experience on this?
Maybe my daughter and I will have to go out and try this out. If it
goes well I will try with my wife as passenger. If that works then I
probably don't "need" anything else.
Pete Staehling
> Another one that comes to mind is Chuck Merrell's 'Apple Pie'I looked at the plans for Apple Pie. It looks like a great little
boat. They make no mention of putting a motor on her. And in a boat
that size and type it probably does make more sense to row.
Do you know of anyone who has put a motor on either version? If so
how did it work out. She does look like the kind of craft where it
makes more sense to row.
Does she tow well? It looks as if she would.
I didn't see much info about Peach Pie on Chuck's web page, is she
scaled up or just stretched? Do you have her vital statistics?
The truth of the matter is that she isn't what I was thinking of, but
probably fits my real needs better than what I had in mind. What I
had in mind was something more like Skimmer (would one tow OK?). I
may have been forcing the outboard issue just because I have one
sitting around. I am not so sure that a 4 hp is big enough to really
make a boat like Skimmer fun and I also am not sure it makes sense to
put a motor on a boat like Peach Pie or Apple Pie.
The real "need" is for a stable to tender that tows well. I built a
Nymph, but she really isn't stable enough for "casual" boarding from
the mothership. You have to be quite aware of where your weight
goes. I can board her, but think fore and aft trim is way too
sensitive for my needs when I want to shuttle people to shore. Once
loaded she is fine, but boarding seems iffy.
I haven't actually tried using Nymph that way yet though. Maybe once
my large bulk is in her as ballast she will be much more stable for a
passenger to board. Can anyone comment from experience on this?
Maybe my daughter and I will have to go out and try this out. If it
goes well I will try with my wife as passenger. If that works then I
probably don't "need" anything else.
Pete Staehling
Hi,
Great wish list!
An Elegant Punt might do the job pretty well, though a 4HP OB may be a lot
of weight to hang on the transom without making it good and beefy.
Another one that comes to mind is Chuck Merrell's 'Apple Pie' - the plans
appeared in the Xmas issue of Duckworks Magazine, FREE! See
www.duckworksmagazine.com . Apple Pie has monocoque construction (like the
'new' instant boats) and should be immensely strong, light and long-lived.
If this is too small (8'), his 10' 'Peach Pie' is another possibility. I'm
building one of these for myself at the moment, as a tender/power/sailing
dinghy. Plans available fromchuck@...
All of these boats come in at well under 100 pounds.
Cheers,
Bill
Great wish list!
An Elegant Punt might do the job pretty well, though a 4HP OB may be a lot
of weight to hang on the transom without making it good and beefy.
Another one that comes to mind is Chuck Merrell's 'Apple Pie' - the plans
appeared in the Xmas issue of Duckworks Magazine, FREE! See
www.duckworksmagazine.com . Apple Pie has monocoque construction (like the
'new' instant boats) and should be immensely strong, light and long-lived.
If this is too small (8'), his 10' 'Peach Pie' is another possibility. I'm
building one of these for myself at the moment, as a tender/power/sailing
dinghy. Plans available fromchuck@...
All of these boats come in at well under 100 pounds.
Cheers,
Bill
I am thinking ahead a project or two to Fall or next Spring
maybe. I would like suggestions for a small power dinghy
to meet as many of the of following requirements as possible:
Tow behind C22 in at least moderate seas. There are a
lot of powerboat wakes where we are and 3' chop isn't
too unusual. I am not generally out in winds greater
than 20 kt gusting to the upper 20's, but who knows.
I am not talking about being in the dinghy in these
conditions, but merely having her in tow.
(towing well is a fairly high priority)
Be easy to board from the mothership, a dock, or a beach.
(very high priority)
Be light enough to carry and car top. Max 100 lbs.
(high priority)
Carry at least two full size adults or better yet three
and a dog, so I don't have to make two trips! This
capacity can be for sheltered water, but it would be a
plus if she could handle two foot chop with two aboard.
(carrying 2 on sheltered water mandatory. greater capacity
a plus)
Use a 4 hp motor 2 cycle that I already have.
(high priority)
Be resonably pleasant to row short distances.
(rowing ok, high priority. rowing well, a plus)
Be fairly easy to build.
(medium priority)
Be fun to buzz around in or explore while at an anchorage.
(fairly high priority)
Be a stable platform to fish, take pictures, or whatever
from.
(medium priority)
I don't have any preconcieved notions about what she has to look
like. I am partial to Bolger or Michalak designs, but would
definately not limit my choices to only them.
Even though I am not ready to start for a while, I want to start
looking at designs.
Pete Staehling
maybe. I would like suggestions for a small power dinghy
to meet as many of the of following requirements as possible:
Tow behind C22 in at least moderate seas. There are a
lot of powerboat wakes where we are and 3' chop isn't
too unusual. I am not generally out in winds greater
than 20 kt gusting to the upper 20's, but who knows.
I am not talking about being in the dinghy in these
conditions, but merely having her in tow.
(towing well is a fairly high priority)
Be easy to board from the mothership, a dock, or a beach.
(very high priority)
Be light enough to carry and car top. Max 100 lbs.
(high priority)
Carry at least two full size adults or better yet three
and a dog, so I don't have to make two trips! This
capacity can be for sheltered water, but it would be a
plus if she could handle two foot chop with two aboard.
(carrying 2 on sheltered water mandatory. greater capacity
a plus)
Use a 4 hp motor 2 cycle that I already have.
(high priority)
Be resonably pleasant to row short distances.
(rowing ok, high priority. rowing well, a plus)
Be fairly easy to build.
(medium priority)
Be fun to buzz around in or explore while at an anchorage.
(fairly high priority)
Be a stable platform to fish, take pictures, or whatever
from.
(medium priority)
I don't have any preconcieved notions about what she has to look
like. I am partial to Bolger or Michalak designs, but would
definately not limit my choices to only them.
Even though I am not ready to start for a while, I want to start
looking at designs.
Pete Staehling