Ultra Light Dinghy Build Project

[-Waypoint-]

I have been thinking about a dinghy for my boat. But after looking around for a commercially built dinghy under 50 lbs, found that I may have to build it. So I ordered the PDF files from Chesapeake Light Craft to build the Ultralight 6 ft. Dinghy. This is how far along on the build.
Hopefully I can keep the weight under 45 lbs.

 

[Karl Konecny]

I built an 11' cedar strip canoe that I use as my dinghy. It is very wide and stable, easily carries two adults and my dog (adult black lab) and is efficient to paddle. I built if from a salvaged western red cedar killed by a local fire. It weighs 30 lbs. It fits on a roof rack under my radar mount.

 

[-Waypoint-]

I built an 11' cedar strip canoe that I use as my dinghy. It is very wide and stable, easily carries two adults and my dog (adult black lab) and is efficient to paddle. I built if from a salvaged western red cedar killed by a local fire. It weighs 30 lbs. It fits on a roof rack under my radar mount.View attachment 130248

Very nice! My Dad made a living building srip canoes in the 90's. I have one of the last of his boats made out of red wood 1" strips. It's a little over 16ft weight is 60 lbs.. love that canoe! It is to long and narrow for the C-Dory. I was going to use it as a trial dinghy but was concerned how it might tow. What attracted me to this dinghy was the small length, payload capacity, large rocker, weight, and it appears that you can stand up in it. But nothing as stable as the old trusty lifeless inflatable dinghy though. Nice work on your canoe build!

 

[Karl Konecny]

Wow, an old redwood canoe -- I hope you cherish it. I have enough beautiful redwood (from old lapped siding) to build a small boat. I used some of it to laminate the inner stems on my current canoe project, a 17.5 foot marathoning canoe.

 

[-Waypoint-]

This is the canoe my Dad built. It’s was built in 1995. Has been restored 4 times . I added an outrigger, lee board, and lug sailing rig for it.

 

[Karl Konecny]

Beautiful, good to hear you take such good care of it and use it.

 

[-Waypoint-]

Finished the dinghy build. Total material cost was $998.42 this was everything. I ended up finishing the boat with paint and adding a durable gel coat bottom. It brought the finished weight to 55 lbs Totally fine for our plans considering it’s 6 ft length. Shout out to Chesapeake Light Craft for designing this really capable little dinghy. It is unusually stable to! These pictures are us testing it for the first time. Will post some pictures when we tow it around with the C-Dory.

 

[pcg]

Nice job and great color scheme!

 

[BenCarney]

"Ripple" looks amazing! Nice work! I was also considering the Ultralight as a dinghy. Have you thought about stowage at all or are you only planning to tow it?

 

[-Waypoint-]

"Ripple" looks amazing! Nice work! I was also considering the Ultralight as a dinghy. Have you thought about stowage at all or are you only planning to tow it?

 

[-Waypoint-]

Thank you!

It towed fine behind the boat at 12 kts. But once I got up to 14 kts. It started to jump out of the water. The next test is to fold the Bimini top forward and bring the dinghy in the cockpit. It is small enough to stand up on its transom and strap to the side rail. I don’t have any room left on my roof. So I have abandoned the idea. Tows so well and is going to live in the water 98% of the time. I’ll post some pictures when I get it in the cockpit for reference. If you decide to build this boat, I highly recommend buying the kit. I only saved $300 building it from scratch versus just buying the kit. Although it was a pleasure to build from scratch, if I had to do it again I’d buy the kit. It takes a lot of time to cut the pieces out, plus it takes an Architect to print out a 16’ PDF $$$.

 

[thataway]

Nicely done!

 

[BenCarney]

Thanks for the pictures. I just realized you reproduced the C-dory shear stripe curves on "Ripple". Excellent.

Yes, I would 100% order the kit! Saves you time and the the precision probably makes assembly easier.

I am super curious to hear how lifting her into the cockpit goes. I think that would be my primary use case so want to know how feasible it is? I have see other users on here install Garhauer hoists to get dinghies on cabin tops, but I could see using one to put this little darling in the cockpit with a lot less fanfare. Let me know how it goes.

I'm also considering B&B Yachts Two Paw design. It's a nesting version of the Catspaw. It's probably more like 60-65lbs, but you only have to lift one half at a time and takes up similar space on deck to the Ultralight Dinghy. More fiddling to assemble/disassemble, but would probably an easier lift. As we all know, it's about tradeoffs.

 

[-Waypoint-]

I love the idea of the Garhauer lift too. I may get one down the road. I have actually tried a mock simulation of lifting the dinghy into the cockpit with the boat on the trailer. I staged the dinghy on sawhorses with the stern of the dinghy backed up to the Stbd. side of the boat with fenders. Then I tied short lines to the aft handles of the dinghy leading to the cleats mounted in the cockpit. Then I simply pulled up on the dinghy fwd painter tow line to bring the bow up and flipping the dinghy over into the cockpit. Then I untied the lines from the dinghy stern and simply stood it up. I found that it was really easy to handle it upside down in the cockpit and believe this maneuver might be easier to in the water. To launch it, do everything in reverse.

I checked out the B&B dinghy link. That boat is a foot longer than “Ripple”. Unless it can be assembled in the water from the cockpit it might become a challenge even for that. But it will be a much easier boat to build. Length is your enemy with a hard dinghy.

 

[BenCarney]

Nice to hear it wasn't too much of a production to get it in the cockpit. I suppose you never really have to take on the whole load since you can use the gunwale as a 'third hand'. Very encouraging.

Regrading Catspaw, you can assemble it in the water. That might not be practical on a blowy day though. I was almost wondering if a Garhauer lift mounted on the gunwale and attached to the dinghies bow would get it out of the water enough to easily disconnect and stow the stern half from over the gunwale. Then you could just swing the forward section on board. Possibly reversible to launch? Might be too much of a production and eat up too much cockpit space. Will need to mock it all up and see. I like the simplicity of what you've got going.

If you get a chance to try the 'flip' maneuver on the water, let us know how it goes!

 

[thataway]

When I put in the Garhauer davits for the side deck, I put a second mount on the starboard aft part of the cockpit which we used to transfer the trolling motor to the dinghy etc. We also used it to host batteries aboard, and a 50 liter refrigerator chest. That was also used if I wanted the deflated tender in the cockpit. We also kept dunnage boxes in the cockpit and used them with as extra seats. (only aft and on Starboard), and these leave little cockpit floor for standing.

 

[-Waypoint-]

When I put in the Garhauer davits for the side deck, I put a second mount on the starboard aft part of the cockpit which we used to transfer the trolling motor to the dinghy etc. We also used it to host batteries aboard, and a 50 liter refrigerator chest. That was also used if I wanted the deflated tender in the cockpit. We also kept dunnage boxes in the cockpit and used them with as extra seats. (only aft and on Starboard), and these leave little cockpit floor for standing.

How much height do you think the Garhauer davit lift boom could get? Do think if it was mounted high enough that there would be enough clearance (6 ft.) to pick the dinghy up vertical by the bow painter line and swing it up over the cockpit gunnel? That way I could go from the water to the cockpit and boat would be already in the right position to land out on its transom in the stowed position. I like the fact that it can be used to heavy items with the boat it on the trailer to.

 

[thataway]

As I understand you want to pick the boat up by the bow, let it hang vertically to clear the gunnal, and stand on its transom in the cockpit for transport. The davit it's self can be extended by as much as another pipe section (about 4 feet), and you probably could clear the gunnal. But I would be concerned by the mounting position. I have used a 12" extended standard with a bumper hitch, which only support is a pipe running about 18" into the lower pipe section of the davit--and that worked fine, to pick up 80# of a rolled up air floor dinghy onto the back of a truck.

Looking at your photos, I believe you could get the bow up high enough that you could grab a corner of the transom, and lift that over the gunnel, without stressing the height of the davit. Even if you had to boost 2 feet over the gunnel, that would work. There are many advantages of a small skiff as a dinghy. My dad made out of plywood in the 1930's and it was still going strong when we sold his last sailboat in 1980'--so you might call it a "50 year" dinghy. He did not use fiberglass, but copper glued and nailed on the chines to protect the edge of the flat bottom plywood. No thwarts, just a center hollow 2" center floorboard, which all passangers sat on--tangled legs were the norm, but the rower had first choice of position, so the rower was properly braced. I don't know the exact weight, but I suspect is was in the mid 40 lb range. Also it had an inner chine and clamp, no keel, and a little rocker. Easily carried over one's head and back, by hands up and holding a rib about 2 feet back from the bow.

 

[-Waypoint-]

As I understand you want to pick the boat up by the bow, let it hang vertically to clear the gunnal, and stand on its transom in the cockpit for transport. The davit it's self can be extended by as much as another pipe section (about 4 feet), and you probably could clear the gunnal. But I would be concerned by the mounting position. I have used a 12" extended standard with a bumper hitch, which only support is a pipe running about 18" into the lower pipe section of the davit--and that worked fine, to pick up 80# of a rolled up air floor dinghy onto the back of a truck.

Looking at your photos, I believe you could get the bow up high enough that you could grab a corner of the transom, and lift that over the gunnel, without stressing the height of the davit. Even if you had to boost 2 feet over the gunnel, that would work. There are many advantages of a small skiff as a dinghy. My dad made out of plywood in the 1930's and it was still going strong when we sold his last sailboat in 1980'--so you might call it a "50 year" dinghy. He did not use fiberglass, but copper glued and nailed on the chines to protect the edge of the flat bottom plywood. No thwarts, just a center hollow 2" center floorboard, which all passangers sat on--tangled legs were the norm, but the rower had first choice of position, so the rower was properly braced. I don't know the exact weight, but I suspect is was in the mid 40 lb range. Also it had an inner chine and clamp, no keel, and a little rocker. Easily carried over one's head and back, by hands up and holding a rib about 2 feet back from the bow.

Great idea about using the davit arm lift to get the bow up high enough to clear the cockpit gunnel. I could lift the stern and swing it in the rest of the way. Then stand it up vertical on its transom from there. That would totally work. Thanks for that idea. After I finish my test manually getting it aboard. I’ll most likely invest in one of those lifts for sure. I’ll continue updating this post with pictures on how it will integrate with our cruising experience. Thanks again.