Spindrift 9N Stability

[BostonSailor]

I'm thinking about building a nesting dinghy and the spndrift 9n (or 10n) look like a great options.  The main purpose would be to use this boat as a tender to my larger sailboat and I am concerned about its stability.  I have an inflatable now which makes it pretty easy to board from a dinghy while on a mooring, what's the spindrift like?  I'd love some advice/thoughts on this.

 

-Peter

[Hirilonde]

I use a Spindrift 9N as a tender to my Renegade.  I could never use an inflatable now.  I wrapped the entire gunwale and onto the transom with gunwale guard, so it is almost as forgiving as an inflatable. It is quite stable.  But what really sets is off is you can actually row it and sail it.  I tow the hull and store the rig and stuff down below when I cruise.

[BostonSailor]

Thanks.  I've had a few people tell me that I will miss the inflatable because the stability getting on and off the boat will be horrible.

 

 I appreciate the feedback

[Howard]

This is a short video of my Spindrift 10n under tow:

 

 

Search YouTube and you may find several other videos of Spindrifts under sail and tow.

 

As for stability, they probably are not as stable to get in and out of as an inflatable, but those are not as stable as a dock. So it's all relative. BTW, neither the inflatable or dock will row or tow very well.

 

Out of all the hard tenders I have climbed in and out of, this one is the most stable. With most, you have to have some physical agility and step right in the middle of them and get down and lower your center of gravity as soon as possible, else it will jump out from under you and you might go swimming. The claim to fame for many of the smaller hard sided dinks is they are small, light and they float. Spindrifts are more than that.

 

Since these tow so well (the boat doing the towing in the video is only 17 feet), once you get where you are going, these are much more versatile to have. If the wind is up, or the objective is too far away to row to, the sail will open the range to several miles (I would suggest no farther than you care to row back to if the wind dies on you).

[Hirilonde]

They tow like a dream.  I do however add a little weight back aft and use a long painter.  In a following sea they try to surf past you.  This happens outside the Elizabeth Islands and Block Island Sound, areas I am sure you recognize.  The weight makes them squat a little as they take off down the wave and slows them down a little.  I use my garbage for ballast when I am a few days out if I haven't been to a port.  You can guess the second reason for that decision.  But nothing about a sailing Spindrift as a tender tops being able to drop your anchor and secure the boat, rigging the Spindrift,  mixing your favorite rum drink,  then sailing around the harbor and taking in the sights.  You can't do that with an inflatable. 

[scrimshaw]

A hard dinghy is not like an inflatable. We had a 13 stone man stand on the corner of the aft thwart and the dinghy filled with water. However with usual commonsense it is very stable.