Outfitting the Boat: A Dinghy
Dinghy Transport, Redneck Style
There are several items, and we are discovering them every day, that we need before we get going on a long trip. One thing is a dinghy. These are small boats that allow you to get around from your large boat, to get to shore when you are anchored in the bay, for example. They are small, usually motorized boats that you carry with you on board. “Small” is a relative term, however. A practical dinghy that is most useful in a diversity of locations is about 10 feet long, holds at least 4 people, has a hard bottom and a 10 horsepower outboard motor.
Anyway, we found one on craigslist for about half the price of a new one, which is a fantastic deal. It’s an inflatable dinghy (see link above). It was located in Annapolis, so we would have to transport it about an hour and a half to the marina where we are located. We were considering renting a truck, but that was very inconvenient so instead we decided we could probable fit it into our Honda Element. It was… A challenge.
First problem: it had to be deflated to fit in the car. Ok, solved. We let the air out. Second problem, it weighs about 150 pounds – EVEN WITH NO AIR! 😉
Fortunately, three of us were able to stuff it into my car. Unfortunately, I could not see out of the rearview mirrors in the center or left of the car. We did some further manipulation and I was able to not only see out of the left side rearview mirror, but Shelly could crunch into the space below the shotgun seat! The problem was, it was sticking out about two feet from the rear hatch closure.
We manuvered to a marine store and bought some line to hold the dinghy inside the car and the rear hatch door closed. We then drove an hour and a half to the marina, looking like the the Beverly Hillbillies.
We struggled, in the hot and humid afternoon, to get the damn thing out of the back and pumped back up. We then levered it over the dock pilings and dropped it about ten feet into the water in front of curious onlookers. We got in and awkwardly rowed it back toward our slip. It was surprisingly difficult to keep in a straight line while rowing.
We still need to acquire an outboard motor but we now have a dinghy…