Anyone tried Dinghy Cruising?
I'm not getting much spare time to devote to a yacht at the moment, im thinking something small that can be kept at home, where its quick and easy to potter with it, and towable to a cruising area, as undertaking a coastal passage is time consuming and therefore doesn't happen as often as I'd like.
Bruce Dyson-Smith - YouTube

Great idea. 2 of mine on a bit smaller scale, on the Myall at Tea Gardens. Kayak has a windsurfer pivoting board set up as a leeboard on a frame - but sold the rig a while back just paddle and fish out of it now. Looking fwd to some sails over Xmas if it stops raining. Skiff is a Phase Two hull, vj mast, Heron jib, MG14 kite, moth cut down main, windsurfer mast boom and prodder, Tasar cboard, forget where got the rudder.

Bluemoon,
Rob, my neighbour who used to own Bob D's Roberts, has a NZ Cherry which is very similar to a TS16.
Contact me if you wish to see his small yacht.

I've done a fair bit of dingy cruising and imho 16 feet is the sweet spot, a 12 footer is bit shy for overnighting, that is unless they're beamy then they're slow. Much bigger than 16 feet trailering/ storage become an issue. That being said the old fairlight hull is a big 12 footer, Aussie made, heavy old school laid glass. They don't come up all the time, but when they do they are usually inexpensive.

Started out weekend/long weekend cruising a Hartley 16 with my daughters mother many many years ago. I have also done a lot of sail/peddle camping with my daughter and her friends in our Hobie Adventure Island Trimarans both single and tandem. We have even slept onboard.Recently retired now and these days cruising close to the biggest trailer sailer you can genuinely trail without restrictions at 28 feet but that's for ultra comfortable multi week live-aboard cruising with my recent previously non sailing partner. In between I found the sweet spot for extended cruises whilst being super light and easy to rig, launch, sail and still multi night/week cruise in was a Jarcat 6 catamaran with simple beach cat rig.




Jarcat 6 dried out in Hill Inlet during 5 weeks cruising the Whitsundays and it was towed across Australia with a small Subaru.

I have given it some thought. We holiday in the Whitsundays every Winter and I find myself staring at the water wishing I was on my boat.

Not exactly a trailer sailer but I was thinking that something like a Ross 780 might be good even though putting up the mast is a pain and it's not exactly easy to tow. On the plus side it can be a caravan to sleep in on the way to far away places.Not exactly a dinghy I know. A centreboard however has great advantages in beautiful sandy areas otherwise inaccessible to my keel yacht.

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julesmoto said..
I have given it some thought. We holiday in the Whitsundays every Winter and I find myself staring at the water wishing I was on my boat.

Not exactly a trailer sailer but I was thinking that something like a Ross 780 might be good even though putting up the mast is a pain and it's not exactly easy to tow. On the plus side it can be a caravan to sleep in on the way to far away places.Not exactly a dinghy I know. A centreboard however has great advantages in beautiful sandy areas otherwise inaccessible to my keel yacht.

That's exactly the direction I have gone now after many years of cruising smaller trailer sailers and sailing kayaks. I have done 8 trips to the Whitsundays now 4 when based in WA and 4 from southern NSW and lots of others in other places. :)
2x in Jarcat 6's trailable catamaran. Couple
1 x in a Farrier 680tt trailable trimaran. Couple
1x in a Hobie Adventure Island sailing kayak ( car roof top carry) Alone
1x in my previous Imexus 28 3.2 ton trailable yacht. 3 on board.
1x in a charter 36 foot catamaran. 7 on board.
2x in 32/33 foot mono charter cruising yachts. With 2 and 3 respectively. Next year (now retired) I will take my more recent Imexus 28 which I have set up specifically for long range cruising for a few months at a time. Couple with short term guest onboard.
After lots of small yacht cruising experience I feel this is about the perfect size and maximum flexibility option for a couple with occasional guest.
All the above yachts and kayak had plus and minus features and benefits.
Too small and it's just camping on a boat and bigger, non trailable and or deep keel mean hard work to get up there from southern Australia ( or expensive chartering) and many limits to mooring/exploring location choices.
Re the above comments about the negatives of putting the mast up and trailering it's all about appropriate systems in my view. :)
Whilst my mast is pretty big at around 30 foot and the yacht over 28 foot with internal standing headroom, my mast, rigging, launching and retrieving have all been designed as relatively quick one person exercises.
Having done many years in small sailing platforms I appreciate all their benefits but like the ex tent campers and ex backpackers (also been there done that) many now have moved to caravans, campers or motorhomes as there comes a time when a little more comfort is appreciated!
Best wishes with your proposed dingy camping, my only suggestion is something like a Hartley 16 opens up staying onboard that become more difficult in an open dingy.

Spot on Grith, the Hartley 16 was my choice of big dinghy / trailer sailer. I would be hesitant tackling the Whitsundays in anything less, sure you can do it in a canoe, in the right conditions. The Whitsunday passage heaps up with wind over tide . We chartered a 30' beneteau out of Airlie in July and the wind over tide had the seas up and the sails reefed. The hobie adventure island I've had a bit to do with and they are tough little beast but extremely wet & all power to you for taking the challenge on. I must self edit here, the boat I mentioned in my previous post fairlight gull is indeed 14' hence it appeared to be a big 12 footer whoops !

I had a Status 19 years ago that would have been a superb camping dinghy. Large flat cockpit extending up under the cuddy cabin. They seem to be maintaining their value though but occasionally there is the odd one from a sailing school that is a bit battered that sells cheaper.

Check out Small Craft Advisor magazine - lots of information about cruising in trailerable boats

If you are looking for a dingy that fits into the tray of a ute, is easy to set up, sails and rows nicely, and can be used as a boat tender, take a look at a well-designed nesting dingy.

Leo features one in his latest video *. The nesting dingy he talks about is in NW United States. Maybe you can get something similar locally?

* Warning - exposure to these videos could result in Tally-Ho dependency, with symptoms including compulsory viewing every fortnight **

** Don't ask me how I know.