While the repairs and retrofit were proceeding, we stored the roll up dinghy in the house. So we get to the point of checking out the dinghy and bring it to the marina. Inflate it, throw it in the water and tie up to the stern of the boat. One of our projects was to install a Forespar Nova Lift for the dinghy motor.
Pros: looks nice, works smoothly and the line is long enough to reach a jib winch.
Cons: With a bimini, you are severely limited as to placement. The least bad spot on our boat is right on the edge of the wood cap rail starboard side. We drilled pilot holes for the screws so that we wouldn't split the wood. There is no metal under the cap rail on a 1980 model.
So the Admiral gets in the dinghy to receive the motor during our trial of the Nova Lift and things really go smoothly for a first time with a new item. We return the motor to the stern rail (on the starboard side to offset the fuel tank) and move the dinghy to the bow of the boat to tie it off. We were looking at the weather and expecting rain so we pulled the drain plug and raised the bow up by tying it to the mothership cleats. Time for lunch.
When we return from lunch, the dinghy tubes are still holding air but the floor has come unglued and is laying in the water. When we bought the dinghy 9 years ago, it was in similar circumstances but $800 fixed that. So I start looking for a repair shop near me but the Admiral is looking at NEW boats. You know how this goes. I am the proud new owner of a WM PHP-310 inflatable.
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File comment: We had already deflated the tubes by this picture. IMG_20230605_181242131_HDR.jpg [ 3.36 MB | Viewed 0 times ]