Length of your inflateble?

[catdogcat]

What would everyone say the biggest inflateble you can fit on top a 22 Cruiser is? Would like to use the dingy for duck hunting on lower Skilak Lake in the fall. So I guess I want the biggest that will fit on top of the boat.

What size do you have?

[Sneaks]

Just remember, when it comes to Dingies, size isn't everything....

[catdogcat]

I knew this would be a sensitive subject

[El and Bill]

We have a little guy -- like 6 feet. The recoil from a 12 gauge would probably get it up on a plane.

[Joy]

Has anyone looked at the Porta-Bote
Randy
Joy

[JamesTXSD]

We have both a Porta-bote and an inflatable, for use as dinghies with our sailboats. The Porta-bote is virtually indestructable, perfect for use where there's rocks or oyster shells at the shore. The PB folds flat, but the seats and transom take up almost as much room as the folded boat.

Some people are put off by how the PB goes through waves... it doesn't pound or slap, but it kinda "slithers". It can be unnerving at first, as the boat seems to flex, but it is very stable and makes for a good ride.

You have to be careful when pulling the PB aboard, because the "keel" will leave black marks on deck; a towel covering where you need to drag will eliminate that.

I'm not sure where you'd have room to set up the PB on a C-Dory. Our trimaran has plenty of room on the nets, but you need to have the length of the boat and a bit more width... needed to step into the boat to insert the seats and transom.

The Porta-bote rows much better than our inflatable. Hope this helps answer some questions.

Best wishes,
James

[Sneaks]

OK, so ya want to stay serious.

I had an 11 ft. overall inflatable. A Sea Eagle SE9 we had when we RV'd. On a C-22 with or without a special rack, there was entirely too much overhang at the stern end of the pilot house *if* I wanted to keep the Nav light socket clear of obstructions. Sold it on Ebay because I also wanted a radar and didn't want the huge hassle it would take to launch/recover something that ungainly.


Since I'm casually shopping for a replacement, with the radar where it is on the "Jenny B", and considering overall length, a 6 footer would be my personal maximum. If I didn't have a radar, an 8 foot inflatable would still keep the Nav light clear yet not reach a length that might require support. A 9 footer would push the limit and I think it too would present launch/recover obstacles for a single geezer type skipper without a fully operational first mate. YMMV

Don

[catdogcat]

Would a 9 footer fit if you had a radar arch with the lights\radar mounted on it?

[Sneaks]

To be honest, I don't have the practical experience on a CD-22 to answer that other than SWAG*. 9 ft. overall would certainly hang over one end or both ends of the cabin roof/brow, but only by about six inches. Mounting for travel, however, is an entirely different matter.

Once concern with a radar arch, for me anyway, is that my old inflatable had 15" tubes, and considering the added protuberances on the tubes, it would need some careful arch measurements and location to keep the overall boat/trailer height down to my personal comfort levels while leaving enough room to slip the dingy below the arch. Right now I measure roughly 10 ft. from the top of the radome to the road, so my gut level clearance is set at 10'6" minimum. If I had an arch with, say, 18" clearance between the arch and the C-Dory top, my overall height would grow to 12 ft. That surpasses my "Of no concern" comfort level and moves into the "Do I have clearance at that gas station?" level. I've even seen railroad bridges with 12' clearance while RV'ing and a new radome ain't cheap.


*SWAG
Scientific wild ass guess

[catdogcat]

Thats a very good point. I need to take a good look at the gas station clearances.

[Pat Anderson]

Here is another dinghy mounting idea...if your radar arch is forward, your dinghy does not have to go under it, it can be behind it. This is not practical with a camperback, however.

[Overload]

This is not about size, but since you are close to "Anchortown", you might want to check Gary King's and have a look at Jim's Alaska Series Inflatables. Jim has designed them for Alaska use...tough bottoms for the rocky beaches. I think Dan of DogOnDory fame has one, so you might PM him to see how he likes it. I have ordered the 7'3" Tender to play with before the 22'. I know, I'm backwards, but it is a timing and $$$$$$ thing! The web site for the Alaska Series is: www.alaskaseries.com. Good Luck!

PS. These are on the upper end of the $$ scale, but if purchased early in the year, boat show time, the savings was 30%.

Doug

[Redƒox]

I say stand-er-up on-end easy and quick (when your cruising and going ashore a lot) long as there is not a motor attached to the transom; just pul it up along side, bring the nose over the gunnel and push down! (it's gotta be an inflatable ) I even have sundog doin' it that way now gets to be a real drag heaving something that clumsy and heavy up on top all the time. Depends on how you cruise I guess.

Lengths: 7-ft 8, and 17-feet. (you don't stand the long one up on-end)

[AnchortownJim]

I have one of Gary King's "Alaska Series" inflatables and think it is great! It is their 220 TDS model and fits very nicely on top, believe it is 7'2" long. The inflatable floor is really nice, and easy on ageing knees. And like Doug said, they are built tough for Alaska use. Take a look at my photos of it in my album on this site. Jim King will give you deal at the Sportsman Show in Anchorage coming up this weekend if you see him.

Jim

[Anita Marie]

My inflatable is 11 ft and launched and retrieved just fine from the bow.