Many of us think about nothing at all, but lately I have been thinking about my San Juan Islands Dinghy. And I got a little sidetracked. I should be thinking about boating and off-season planning.
Dinghy's, tenders, and shore boats come in a dizzying array of shapes and sizes, and the ongoing "best dinghy" argument is far from complete in my limited mind.
But right now I'm wondering if the pointy end of a dinghy is really needed. I mean the part that is normally above water.
So here's the question: When comparing a 8' pointed dinghy to a 8' blunt nosed dinghy (some call them prams, others punts) do they both have the same load capacity? rowing, sailing ability? I think if you take a 8' flat nosed dinghy and add back what it would take to make a decent pointed end you would in essence then have a 9.5' (give or take some inches) pointed dinghy. Am I missing something here?
If I'm correct, it means a flat nosed dinghy of a given length may actually be a bigger boat (other issues and factors being equal) than a pointy dinghy of the same length overall. Right!
I think carried to extremes this line of thinking means a rectangle boat is bigger, followed by a square boat as being the best shape for big loads. So a barge may be the shape it is for good reason.
So this brings me full circle back to my earlier thought, is the pointy end of a dinghy really needed, or does it just make it a smaller boat?
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| This picture was taken of my son by his sister. Sunset at Rolfe Cove on Matia |
I think you're right. A blunt nosed boat may have more floation than a pointy of same length. Depends on hull shape too (wetted area). Think of what a barge looks like, flat bottom and square. It's been designed to carry the most load possible. I have a 7'x 3' wide Sportyak 2. Weighs only 45 lbs and carries 300. 2 people basically. hard to row but has oar locks. can put a motor on too.
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