5 Buck dinghy mods
While shopping online and at the usual chain-store chandlery, we found:
- Tiller extension: $15.00 to $60.00!
- Portable stern light: $35.00 to $40.00!
- Our tiller extension: $5.00 (piece of schedule 40 PVC, end cap and rubber connector with clamp)
- Our portable stern light: $5.00 (solar patio light, rubber stopper thing, sticky-back velcro)
Our old dinghy, which is still for sale. Any takers? No, we can’t ship it!
Good job on the dinghy mods! You could be a contributor to the Frugal Mariner. 😉
Thanks Larry!
Tiller extensions are one of those things that you might think a bit silly… until you try one. Then you can never go back. Mine’s pretty similar to yours, but in aluminum. $200 for the “OEM” version was just a bit too ridiculous.
I’ve always had aluminum tube tiller extensions; 3 boats now. The boat is faster, rides better, and you have better seating options. I never attach them, though. IF the tube is the right size it will grab the handle and work the throttle just fine–easier to figure for dry-land sailors that can hunt around. I don’t think it ever occurred to me that you could buy them! Maybe it just seemed silly.
The light idea is brilliant. I’ll either steal or adapt that one. I have a battery powered anchor light that I’ve never been able to find a use for. Of course, you don’t have red and green, but I guess many dingies don’t bother? I don’t know what common practice is. I’ve always avoided night and carried a flashlight if I could not. Which has probably cost me a whole lot of club opportunities.
The tiller extension we made slips on and off. When you shove it on snug it grabs the throttle control just fine.
No, we don’t have a red and green. I was checking on the requirements yesterday and read something about if your boat can’t do 7 knots they aren’t necessary. I doubt our boat could do 7 knots. I did see this one though that looks good (LED)…
http://www.duckworksbbs.com/hardware/electrical/il-560-111x/index.htm
I did not know the “under 7 knots” bit:
“A power-driven vessel of less than 7 meters / 23.0 ft with a maximum speed of less than 7 knots may display only an all-round white light. However, if practical, these should also show sidelights.”
I’m certain you can plane faster than that with one person in the boat… but I’m not telling. Actually, “under 7 knots” would cover practically all sailboats under 23 feet.
Great news. Thanks!
🙂
Correction:
International
1. A power-driven vessel 20 meters (65′ 7½”) and over shall exhibit navigation lights as shown in Figures 1 and 2. If you choose Figure 1 the aft masthead light must be higher than the forward one. If Figure 2 is selected, a vessel less than 20 meters (65′ 7½”) must have the masthead light 1 meter (3′ 3″) higher than the colored lights. If the vessel is 12 meters (39′ 4½”) or more in length and less than 20 meters (65′ 7½”) the masthead light must be 2.5 meters higher than the gunwale.
2. A power-driven vessel less than 7 meters (23′ 11½”) in length and whose maximum speed cannot exceed 7 knots may, in lieu of the lights prescribed above, exhibit an all-around white light. Such vessel shall, if practicable also exhibit red and green lights.
Inland
1. A power-driven vessel, when the construction was started before December 15, 1981, less than 20 meters (65′ 7½”) shall exhibit navigation lights as displayed in Figures 2 or 3.
2. A power-driven vessel, when the construction was started after December 14, 1981, 12 meters (39′ 4½”) or more in length and less than 20 meters (65′ 7½”) shall exhibit navigation lights as displayed in Figure 2.
3. A power-driven vessel when the construction was started after December 24, 1981, less than 12 meters (39′ 4½”) shall exhibit those lights shown in Figures 1-4.
So, it IS NOT LEGAL to use a single all-around white light unless you are off-shore in international waters (or perhaps in Canada or the Bahamas), but not in the US, which is why I did not know of this exemption. I just read of someone getting a ticket in Florida, so you have been warned!
Sorry, I really liked the idea and was starting to put together my own.
Thanks Drew. I suspect that once out of the states things like this become a tad less enforced. Just a guess though.
That’s my understanding too. But I think if I were going to the Bahamas, I would spend an evening Googling regs (how much beer you can import, anchoring, fishing…), just so I would feel better about it, if busted.
So just take care in Florida; I understand the water cops there are mental.
$200? A “bit” ridiculous? That is the understatement of the year, Matt.
We put two of the same high tech lights from Walmart on the stern rails of ‘DreamCatcher’ to light the steps. They work great and no draw on the batteries!
Hope your solar panels go in OK.
We had purchased 4 of those solar lights before we left Canada. We have one on our stern rail, one on the dinghy now and two were sacrificed to Poseidon. 🙁
‘sacrificed to Poseidon’
Hahahaaa! That’s a great way of putting it. The most expensive thing I ever sacrificed to Poseidon was the command bridge canvas cover – $600 to replace. Blew off when at high speed when then hubby laid it out to dry off the dew on the seats up there. Watching it sink out of sight, boat hook in hand, and holding him back from jumping in after it (fully dressed in winter clothing – including one of those ‘Indian Sweaters that were popular back then) is forever burned in my memory.
I definitely think I would have went swimming for it.
Long story, but I’ll keep it short.
In February3 years ago, a monohull ran aground in the channel of my home harbor. The channel had moved south in a winter storm. At the time I had my Stiletto, but I did have 18 hp and pulled him off. Perhaps I should not have, but the weather was getting worse fast (from 15 knots to 45 knots withing the hour).
He turned around and went right back on, the same spot! He said that is what the markers indicated, while I pointed out that was the one place we KNEW the channel wasn’t! I pulled him off again, but the knucklehead had tied to the middle of the tow line, so when he cast it off, it went into his prop. It pulled me backwards into even shallower water, knocked one of my rudders up off the pintle (sheared a pin), and left me drifting towards the jetty. It was blowing about 35 knots and was a little below freezing. I got and anchor down in time–VERY fast.
I had also spun a prop, from getting pulled backwards into the mud, so I had very little thrust. Eventually, I sailed to my slip with a tiny bit of jib and some luck.
Meanwhile, my $1800 rudder assembly was still just floating at the harbor entrance; the tiller was in the mud and the tip (glass and foam) was pointing up, but with the tide and wind I didn’t expect it to be there long. With the rudder kicked-up (like a beach cat) as it was, it is about 7 feet long, so it was in 6 feet of water, about 75 feet from the jetty tip. I had left my wet suit at home (now I ALWAYS keep it on the boat).
I drove the car to jetty (heater on HIGH). I hiked out the jetty (100 yards of big rocks) with a piece of rope, swam out to it (some ice), and got back to the car and warm clothes quick. Fortunately I was wearing wind blocker fleece, which while not like a wet suit, helped a lot. I never even caught a shiver (partly due to being over-heated from running around before I entered the water), just felt like I’d been slapped all over.
And I got my $1800 rudder back!
For $600, I’m going in. But I’m not going to like it.
Uh, yeah, no doubt very cold but I think I would have gone in too. Too bad your boat got damaged because that other guy was stupid.
Mike, What size pvc? What rubber gripper? did you get to connect pvc to tiller arm? Thanks, JC
I will measure and take a better close-up pic.
The PVC is 1 and 13/16″ OD, 1 and 1/2″ ID. The rubber adapter steps it down to 1 and 3/8″ ID. That is the part which attached to the tiller.
Perfect!
I love ’em!
bob
Thanks Bob.
Oh, and a caution Mike – like aluminum, PVC doesn’t corrode, is light weight, and *does not float*. I learned this the hard way when cutting PVC pipe on the dock for replumbing Eolian‘s head lines.
🙂
Good thing to know!
Yup. I shove some foam in each end of the extensions, after the first one sank, years ago.
And I can’t count how many times I’ve grabbed a mask to go look for some part or tool that made a break for it.
Good tip on the foam!
If you want red and green on that light, this is the season to get some el cheapo cellophane in the proper colors. You don’t have to worry much about it lasting, as you will have PLENTY.
I bet that, in a couple of weeks, when we leave the US, none of this will even matter.
Thanks Mike for the measurements. JC
Con mucho gusto.
🙂
Keep us posted on how the dinghy light holds up… I love having you guys as guinea pigs
🙂
Will do. By the way, the tether that you see in the pic has already saved it from swimming at least once!
Love these ideas! Why spend more money than you need to? We’ll have to remember this once we purchase a dinghy!
Inexpensive is good!
Reminded me of a story I read a while back.
http://www.saltysailors.com/articles-cruising/a_brilliantly_dumb_idea.html
LOL