Aphers

In a few days time it will be two years since we moved on to our yacht full time and began using our S11N as our daily driver. I thought it might be useful to report back on real world experience with the boat. We've cruised from Scotland down to the Med, across the Atlantic, and now we're in the Caribbean. In those two years, we've only had around 100 nights in marinas, so the dinghy has had a lot of use. We do carry a spare dinghy, a tiny round-tail Avon inflatable, but have only used that a handful of times, e.g. in Cape Verde where it didn't seem worth assembling the Spindrift. Overall, it's been a really positive experience and we're delighted with the Spindrift. I must admit I was a little sceptical, thinking that everybody else would have a big RIB with a 15hp. Which they mostly do. But in practice it doesn't make much difference. They may get to shore five minutes faster than me, but then they're stuck with a dinghy that's too heavy to carry up the beach. Compared to a RIB, our carrying capacity is enormous. We can easily take six people plus cargo and still have loads of room to spare. The downsides are things I can live with. There is a bit of ongoing maintenance covering the inevitable scrapes and chips with epoxy and two pack paint. I generally use a stern anchor at the dinghy dock, a complication which inflatables rarely need. We are definitely slower than the RIBs, but faster than those with comparable sized engines. Average about 5.5kt loaded, with a 3hp, and another knot with just one person aboard. The ability to actually row is amazing. I would go as far as to say it makes the Spindrift safer than RIBs. Some of the centre console boats cannot physically be rowed at all, so if your single engine cuts out, you'd better hope there's somebody around to offer a tow. In hindsight I think the 10 would have suited us a little better. Still plenty big enough but a little easier to get on and off the deck. I've made a few modifications which I thought might be of interest: I used split PVC hose to fender the gunwales, then added 4" thick pool noodles below that. It looks scrappy but it does wonders for protection, and adds useful buoyancy and stability. I used eye, rather than wing, nuts and bolts at the nesting bulkhead. This gives plenty of places to tie things to, e.g. a midships line when lying across the stern of the yacht. I added bilge runners on the aft half of the hull, which stiffen the floor, provide protection when beaching, and gave me a good strong location for davit eyes. These are made from folding pad eyes with coach bolts fitted from underneath, through stainless backing plates. Much better to have the smooth domed head showing, rather than a nut. The forward davit eye I made differently. This is made using a u-bolt, and the exposed nuts on the underside of the keel were then buried in thickened epoxy, forming a protective bumper built up on top of the keel. The idea is that this will take groundings without exposing any wood. Finally, I added a lock for the oars. This can be used with a small padlock, or just to stow the oars when sailing to keep them out of the way and safe in case of capsize. It's an aluminium double hook design, and goes through a hole in the rowing seat, then through an aluminium angle bracket on the forward side of the nesting bulkhead. A bungee holds it down, allowing one-handed instant unlocking of the oars. Anyway I hope some of that is useful for anybody contemplating using a Spindrift as a daily tender.

Just by way of update: I've found a slightly different way of rigging and de-rigging. With the Spindrift tied across the stern of the yacht, the lower half of the mast comes to about my shoulder height. I can pull it towards me, tipping the Spindrift over slightly, and then add the top half. Sounds awkward but it's far easier than trying to handle the mast in one piece. And I usually have a helper available. With this method I can rig and de-rig in much choppier conditions. It's been a bit of a game changer. Secondly, I was recently given an old windsurf rig. It's only 5.5m² and obviously the sail is the wrong shape really, but I've tried it out just for a laugh and it's got my 7yr old hooked. He loves how safe it feels- the boom is way up above his head, the load on the sheet is tiny, and the boat feels more stable with reduced weight aloft. It's been great for building his confidence and he's now happy to take the sheet and helm, and is learning rapidly. The other big advantage is that I can either leave the boat rigged, or lift the mast out in a few seconds very easily. This makes quick trips to visit other boats much more practical. It looks kind of silly and we can't go upwind anything like as well as the proper rig, but since the windsurf gear was destined for the skip I thought I would give it a try. And it's been a lot of fun

I did a deliberate capsize the other day, and righted the boat without using the board at all. I was really surprised how easy it was and it meant I could keep my weight right aft where there is more buoyancy. As a result the bow section scooped up a lot less water than on the previous capsizes. I'm glad that the accidental capsize happened- I'm much more confident about the boat's behaviour and stability now. In fact I've started using it as a way of cleaning the boat when it gets sandy after a trip to the beach. And my 7yr old lives playing underneath the upturned hull ?

I've been enjoying exploring some shallow inlets in my Spindrift, and wondering if I could add a depth sounder in some way. I feel that the daggerboard is a bit vulnerable to a grounding and in some places the water is not clear enough to see the bottom. I think a simple sounder would make messing about in shallow places much more fun. I don't want to reinvent the wheel so has anybody in here already done this? I can see three options: - a self contained handheld unit, which my crew could operate. I don't think this would work at high speed and doesn't give a continuous reading. Also pretty useless when single handing unless I stop every time I want to check the depth. - a battery operated unit with a transom mounted transducer. These mostly seem to be fish finders. Not sure how well these function as a pure sounder. And how well does a transom mounted transducer cope with the boat's wake? - a proper built in unit with separate power supply. This option might work if I had a small 12v battery aboard to power nav lights as well, but that's starting to sound like a bigger project and potentially a lot of work. Ideally, I'd want to fit the display on the forward bulkhead, but that's not ideal if I use a transom mounted transducer. And I don't think a through-hull transducer would work up in the bow section due to the vee shape. And would it work through plywood anyway?

Thanks as always. I'd already pretty much come to the conclusion that floor buoyancy wasn't going to work. Just had to see how the boat behaved when partially swamped. Next time I'll try to keep my weight aft if possible during recovery. Proper built in lateral tanks look like a great idea, obviously it's adding a little weight. Maybe a job for the end of the season. It's hard to make modifications like that when I need to use the dinghy every day. As a temporary measure I'm going to install a couple of lashing points on the forward bulkhead, low down in the corner at the chine, then use these plus the eye bolts at the nesting bulkhead to secure buoyancy bags or fenders. I might do something similar in the stern section too, with the aim of getting the boat to float a little higher when capsized. Obviously those would have to be removed for nesting.

I've done another couple of capsize tests today, this time with the mast on. My mast has a sealed top so it has enough buoyancy to prevent inversion, and I was able to swim round and right her. I think for stability I might be best to go with lateral tanks. Seeing the free surface effect in action was... interesting. A raised floor might help reduce the amount of water taken on, but it's not going to make the boat any more stable once righted.

A little update on this. As a temporary measure I've lashed down two fenders as low and forward as possible in the bow. I used the mast step and eye nuts on the nesting bulkhead as strong points. Next I deliberately capsized the boat. It took a surprising amount of effort. I turned her through a complete circle when righting so she was as full as possible. This time the bow section had much less water in it. Instead of the centreboard casing being awash, there's around 5" of freeboard. So the fenders are a useful precaution. Now I need to think about a permanent solution. Side buoyancy as @Starboardbuilt looks very good indeed. I hope he reports back at some point on its effectiveness. Another thought I had was to make up a foam floor, encapsulated in glass. This could serve several purposes: it would add buoyancy low down, and it would provide a dry, strong, flat floor which is easier to stand on and less susceptible to damage from anchors, bicycles etc. I'm thinking of making it a removable unit so that water cannot get trapped, but it could also be permanently installed. Obviously it would need to be shaped to give access to the self bailer, mast step, etc. Would there any negative effects upon stability with buoyancy at floor level vs the sides? Neither option is exactly a small job so for now I'll stick with the fenders and enjoy the sailing ?

I painted my last yacht using International one pack paint. Outside. In Scotland. It looked pretty good but it's really only slightly less time and effort than two pack, for a coating that is considerably less tough and will last maybe a third as long. When I built my Spindrift I was working indoors so didn't have to worry about temperature or humidity. I chose two pack paint. Very pleased with it. The dinghy is standing up well to daily use as a tender. Touch-ups are obviously a little more work but you don't have to do it very often. The paint supplier said I could use it directly over epoxy without a primer. Personally I would never go back to one pack unless for some reason I couldn't guarantee decent working conditions.

@Starboardhow are you getting on with your modified Spindrift? Having just had a capsize yesterday I was a bit taken aback by just how full the boat was- and that was without the rig on. Looking back on my previous comments on this thread, I had been talking about adding buoyancy bags in the stern. In hindsight I'm not sure if that would help much. Based on what happened yesterday, it's the bow that needs the extra buoyancy, because the centreboard casing is very close to being awash. I think raising the stern wouldn't help that much, if at all.

Very strange winds today. I'd just finished sailing my Spindrift and had taken the mast off. The boat was tied up to the back of my yacht but being pulled around side to side in the gusts. One gust managed to get under the boat and flip her upside down. The board was down- maybe that contributed because she 'tripped' on it, instead of just sliding sideways? I jumped straight in and got the boat righted again very easily. Pleased about that. But I was a bit shocked at just how much water was inside. The bow section especially seemed very full, with the centreboard casing almost awash. No harm done, and a useful little exercise. But it's got me thinking about reducing the volume in the bow section. I don't really want to add lots of weight. Has anybody modified their nesting Spindrift to provide more buoyancy (and less room for water!) in the bow?

The youngest crew member is enjoying the dinghy. Can't do this with a RIB ?

Ours lives in davits most of the time, but it's good to be able to put it on deck as well. We just crossed the Atlantic with it on deck. From memory the oars are about 7ft. A little on the line side but the boat absolutely flies if you put in a bit of effort! Just one rowing station. We've tried sitting side by side with an oar each but it tends to lead to arguments ?

Yes it's my daily driver- we live on our yacht at anchor. It's a great load carrier, much more internal space than an equivalent sized RIB, and an absolute joy to row. We used just 10l of petrol in our first year as liveaboards! For sailing, we strip everything out of the dinghy: anchor, fuel can, outboard, fenders, etc. The oars stay, obviously. We haven't really found sailing the dinghy to be a very practical way of getting about, but it's a lot of fun. I'm hoping to upgrade the mast to a lighter one, which might let me keep it rigged whilst afloat. That would make trips to the beach etc much less stressful.

We use a short shaft (Mercury 3.5hp 2 stroke). No real problems with the prop coming out of the water or cavitating. Surely you wouldn't be worried about the prop coming out of the water when you go forward to set sail, because you'd have already removed the motor in order to fit the rudder? Just to slightly hijack the thread, I'm tempted to try a 5hp on my S11N. 19kg, so it's a bit more weight, but I reckon when we're carrying a decent load the extra power might be useful. Or it might just make the bow point at the sky...

When I was building my 11N, I was worried that the aft seats would stop the bow from nesting correctly. So I decided to install them after sawing the boat in half. Sure enough they needed trimming down. I don't know if that means my hull shape is slightly off, or is it quite a common occurrence?

I've got a small (7lb, I think) Manson Supreme as my dinghy anchor. It's a brilliant little thing. Use it all the time as a stern anchor at dinghy docks. It's broadly similar to the Mantus and Rocna, i.e. concave fluke with a roll bar. Fun story: a few years ago I was anchoring my 33ft yacht and she started dragging her 16kg anchor. With not much room left, I threw down the little Manson and it bit and held instantly. A 7lb anchor holding a 6t 33ft yacht! The reason it worked was because it bites so quickly. The bigger anchor (which was a very badly made copy of a delta) had just dragged along the bottom picking up weed until it had no chance of ever setting properly. I've also tried using a folding grapnel anchor on the dinghy, but with very poor results, even when it was plenty heavy enough. Design matters!

If it's good holding and a decent anchor it should reset without any drama. I've heard that Danforth or Fortress types are less good for this, as the chain can foul the anchor when it is resetting. However a Bahamian moor is the way to go if you're in any doubt.

Whilst I was repairing my Spindrift, I had the loan of a little grp tender. It was terrible! Cramped, slow, wet, exceptionally heavy. My wife and I could only just drag it up a slipway, even though it was less than 9ft long. It was also impossible to row, because the flimsy rowlocks would just bend and allow the oars to pop out. We've used as much petrol in the last two weeks as we have in the preceding twelve months, simply because the outboard was the only option, even on flat calm days. But the loaned dinghy had one redeeming feature: under motor it was lovely and quiet. In contrast, the Spindrift reverberates like the soundbox of a guitar. Not really surprising given the construction. My motor is a little single cylinder 2 stroke, not known for smooth or quiet running. Has anybody used a different type of motor and found the noise to be reduced? I'm wondering if a twin cylinder or a 4 stroke would be an improvement?

Obviously we had to go for a quick sail at the first opportunity. 6yr old on the tiller. Start them young! And sorry for topless look but it's 32C/90F and pretty humid here ?

There's around 40 litres of buoyancy in the noodles (they're extra wide ones, 4"), so about enough to float the dinghy even with the three buoyancy chambers flooded. Which is very comforting! I haven't actually capsized the boat yet, but I can stand on the gunwale with my full weight and the noodle starts to dip in to the water. I'm sure it's adding a useful amount of extra stability. The other benefit is as a spray deflector, and if course it has saved the paintwork countless times. If only it was a bit less cheap looking!

Launch day! The boat is looking better than she did before the accident. I gave her an all over re-paint and came up with a better way of attaching the pool noodle fendering, so that they no longer sag. One of the rowlocks had a lot of play so that got a few blows from a hammer whilst it was off, much better now. Thanks to everybody for the encouragement and advice- especially Alan and Graham. You really cannot see the repair unless you know exactly where to look, and it pretty much blends in with the general level of finish that I aimed for originally. Great to have the boat back. I was loaned another dinghy for the duration of the repair, and it really made me appreciate how good the Spindrift is!

Happy anniversary @PadrePoint

I used plastic for my keel strip. Cheap, light, doesn't do any damage to anything. I don't expect it to last forever but then again I don't drag the boat around on its keel. I just fixed it with sealant so it'll be easy enough to replace when the time comes. We're one year in, full time use as a tender to a liveaboard yacht, and only showing light wear.

First full coat of paint on today. It's not perfect but you'd be hard pressed to spot the repair, I think.

I was using an old tub of West 407 for fairing, and found it very lumpy and gritty. Ok to just build up a big volume and sand back, but very frustrating if you tried to smooth down taped edges etc. Anyway the guy who is paying for the repair got me a new tub, because he couldn't get the microballoons I wanted, and wow what a difference. Clearly my old tub has got damp, or contaminated with dirt, or something. So I think the lesson is to keep your powder dry! Anyway, today I made the decision that fairing and sanding had to stop, and I moved on to the painting. There are still some low spots and slightly rough patches here and there but I can't keep throwing ever more time at this. The standard I had originally aimed for wasn't exactly perfection. Got the bare areas painted today, tomorrow I'll aim for a full coat, and probably do a second one, then it's just a case of re-fitting the fendering, rowlocks, etc, and we go back in to the water