Welcome to the Fellow Traveler Gear Blog. I do not consider myself the final word on any piece of gear, supplier, manufacturer, or technician discussed in this blog. But, I will report, as honestly as I can, my experiences with the mechanical aspects of my boat , her equipment, and maintenance. These comments derive from (as of this writing) over 5 years aboard Fellow Traveler, 15 years of living aboard 3 different boats and cruising extensively, and a lifetime of sailing. I hope it may be of value to others. This is a work in progress: as continue my sailing adventures, I am sure I will have new additions to both my love and my hate pile!

BOAT

 I will start with my boat, a Morgan 461. For those who did know (as I did not), the 462 is not a later version: it is the ketch rig. Most of the sloop rigged boats were built for Moorings Charter in the Caribbean . The ketches, to my knowledge, were all for private owners versions. The hull is based on the Scheel 45, designed by Henry Scheel, of which I believe only 6 were made. Indeed, the 461 is only 45 ft on deck, despite the name. Morgan acquired the mold, and molded Morgan 452's in 1978, which are pretty much the same boat as the Scheel 45. All of these were ketch-rigged, I believe. The differences between the 45/452 and the 461/462 that I note are these: On the 462 (ketch rig) the main mast is stepped further aft in the same location as the sloop rig. This causes the rig to look a little "unbalanced" to my eye, with the large foretriangle and small main. Instead of a low coach roof, the 45l/452 had more of doghouse with fixed windows and a heavily cambered deck forward for headroom in the V-berth cabin.  Morgan added 1/2 foot to the keel with the 461/462. The 461/462 was designed for life in the tropics, i.e., extensive hatches and ports for ventilation. The charter version had several concessions to their intended purpose, such as upper/lower  bunks in the passageway vs. the workbench, and a master stateroom bunk that works as two twins fore and aft, or an athwartship double vs. just the double with more cabinetry. Also, there is access to the aft head from the passageway as well as the aft cabin. Personally, I like the charter version. Too many cruising boats lack good sea berths, particularly if sailing on the wind (Eastern Caribbean sailing is mostly on the wind). I turned the passageway bunks into a comfortable single with tool storage under, thus gaining an excellent sea bunk. The twin configuration in the aft cabin provides ok sea bunks: I intend to eventually box in the space under the shelf above the bunk. This will make the bunks narrower, but you do not end up under the shelf, which is claustrophobic. You also get some more storage.  I prefer the simplicity of the sloop rig over the ketch.

A few other quick comments on the layout: the walk-in engine room provides superb access to the mechanicals, and keeps them all in one area. As someone who hates engine work this reduces my excuses to not do it. On the down side, there is no sound-proofing, and it would be hard to install with all the wires, equipment, etc. mounted on the bulkheads of the engine room.  A friend considered adding a separate sound-proofed engine box inside the engine room, which would be a clever solution, but I have a simpler one. Turn off the engine and sail.

The galley is bigger than any equivalent-sized boat I know of except those that put the galley in the passageway, not an idea I like. The fridge, BTW, was terrible. Best to cut it open and build a much smaller, better one inside.

The chart table is nice and big, but the seat is rather uncomfortable.  But then, when was the last time you sat at a chart table for hours reducing star sights? 

The aft head (complete with bathtub!) will spoil you! It is the size of those found in mega-yachts! Personally, I hate phone-booth heads that lack a separate shower stall. 

The level of finish is ok. It does not jump out at you with the superb craftsmanship of some boats. Personally, I no longer care to sail around in something that resembles my grandmothers armoire. I have endeavored to avoid the "yachty" look the few times I've gotten in touch with my interior decorator side.

As to sailing ability, keep in mind this is not a race boat. But, she performs surprisingly well for a pure cruising boat. She does not sail very close to the wind. The main reason is the jib sheeting angle: the shrouds lead to chainplates bolted to the outside of the hull. I think this is by far the best approach for chainplates for a cruising boat, but with a 13.5 ft beam, any jib that overlaps can not be sheeted in enough to sail close to the wind. Her hull shape does not help either, with a longish keel that is only 6 ft deep (6 1/2 actual for Fellow Traveler when loaded for cruising). I suspect windward ability would be greatly improved if a blade jib was used that sheeted inside the shrouds. I considered this option, but chose to go instead with a blade staysail: in a good sailing breeze, she will sail much higher than before, but if wind gets light, speed drops without more sail area. The blade jib would be a great option for someone who is not crossing oceans. People are finally realizing that a huge genny just is not a friendly cruising sail. For off the wind, buy a cruising chute or Code 0 on a removable furler. 

On a reach, Fellow Traveler is as fast as all but the racing sleds. The former owner supposedly won a St Croix to St John race once in her (almost always a fast reach the whole way). Down wind, again, as fast as anything except the sleds. All boats are compromises.

I really like the Peterson 44's. (hate the iron ballast, though. So stupid. Iron and salt water are just a bad combination).  They will probably out sail the Morgan, particularly in light wind and upwind. But, for similar-sized boats, the galley and heads seem small. If sailing performance is more important, find a good deal on a Peterson . Just make sure you never go below on a Morgan....don't want you to doubt your decision. 

Anyone looking at these boats has probably found an extremely negative website written by a surveyor. By all means, read it and take it in to consideration. But, I have found few of the problems he mentions on my boat.

The hull is very heavily laid up. Good thing, as 25 years in tropical waters led to extensive blistering on my boat. I figure I ground out the thickness of a typical modern hull, such as a Benneateau, and still had 2 more hull thicknesses left! From cores I have drilled to add through-hulls, the layup quality is not great. there are some dry spots. If it were not for the serious overkill on the amount of fiberglass, I might be worried, but there is so much there, it does not concern me. 

By the way, Many people think steel is a more solid material than fiberglass, and has a better chance of surviving a reef-grounding, collision, etc. Maybe. We open steel cans all the time with a not very sharp cutting instrument (and coral reefs can be sharp!). I will tell you a quick story about fiberglass. In 2002 I was  in Porto Santo, near Madeira, having arrived in the dark after 8 days from the Azores. I was anchored in the small boat anchorage just off the beach and by the walled-in port. While I was in town buying ice cream and beer (8 day at sea!), a local boat t-boned my boat at full speed. The local boat was a massively built reproduction of the traditional sailing cargo vessels that hauled freight on the open Atlantic from Madeira to Porto Santo. It was around 65 feet long, with a bow probably 15 feet off the water so he could not see my low boat (don't know why he missed the mast. Perhaps it had something to do with the skimpy European bathing suits on the beach on a holiday weekend). The harbor master, who witnessed the collision from the road, said he thought it would go right through my boat, cutting it in half and sinking it. The captain on another boat in the anchorage rushed up on deck to see what was happening because he heard my anchor chain being drug across the bottom at 8 knots. My boat, by the way, was a 1962 Pearson Alberg 35, one of the early fiberglass production boats. It was heavily laid up (but not the 2+ inches some claim. The bow sections could oil-can disturbingly in rough seas). Did it sink? No. Did it cause major damage? No. It put a hole in the hull/deck joint about three inches across, with a crack running down the hull maybe 6 inches. Fiberglass, in adequate thicknesses is very tough stuff!

Back to the Morgan. All in all, if I were to hire a designer to come up with the perfect boat in this size range, I honestly can think of few changes I would make. Maybe move the electrical panel so you could get a comfortable seat at the chart table. Maybe squeeze a little more foot room into the V-berth. I have wondered about her relatively modest amount of ballast. She does have large tanks in the keep above the ballast, so maybe that helps. I can not say I have found her tender, nor would I second guess Henry Scheel. Moving the chainplates inboard would help the sheeting angle, and thus the windward performance. But, then I would need a double-spreader rig, and chainplates that penetrate the deck are a constant source of leaks and crevice corrosion. They probably cause more dismastings than anything else (the chainplates look perfect above and below deck, but where they pass through the deck, they turn to swiss cheese). Not sure the complexity and cost are worth the gain. Sail downwind instead!  I guess I am happy. I could easily spent 5 times as much and not get a boat I like as much.

On to gear.

SAILS

I had a jib and a staysail built for me by SAILS EAST, ordering through John Ward, their NW US rep. There were problems when they arrived. Honestly, I have never ordered a sail, through a local sailmaker or elsewhere, in which there were not some issues, so I can not say Sails East was significantly better or worse. John Ward  is very knowledgeable, and great to deal with, and went to bat for me to fix the problem (wrong size luff tape) .  I do think, though, I was a bit more impressed with the workmanship from Rolly Tasker, in Thailand (main for my last boat). Of course, that was 10 years ago, so may not be the same. The US rep for Tasker, National Sails, in FL never did make good on that sails  problem (mast slides on foot and vice versa, and non-reusable attachments for them, so had to buy extra slides and new plastic shackles. Do not know if the problem was caused by him or the loft). In view of his  unwillingness to resolve this problem despite promising to do so, I would never order a sail from National again. 

RIGGING

I have ordered extensively over the years from RIGGING ONLY (www.riggingonly.com) and always had great service at great prices. I highly recommend them for all rigging needs, including prices for new winches cheaper than Ebay used. They are very knowledgeable if you need rigging advice.

MARINE CHANDLERIES

ISLAND WATER WORLD  and BUDGET MARINE: The Eastern Caribbean has two main chandlery chains that compete strongly for business, so it is actually an ok place to supply. Best deal is to use cash in St Martin at whichever has the best price. Next best is the islands that have one of each store: Grenada and Saint Thomas. On big items, get them bidding against each other. 

DEFENDER INDUSTRIES: supposedly a marine chandlery, but actually a den of thieves. I do not order from them no matter how much cheaper they may be, because in the end it will cost you. They mailed an order that I had cancelled 6 months before because I was leaving the country (the items had been in stock, they just never mailed it for some reason only known to them). I returned the package AT MY COST (not easy to do from a foreign country when it is at an address you no longer live at!), yet never was credited. My bank said write them with the details, but claim they never received the multiple letters I sent from various foreign countries. Ask around among long-term boaties and you will quickly find similar stories. Their reputation is terrible.  If you still insist on ordering from them, DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!

MARINE STOVES:

Best deal going: New Princess stoves from The Stove Doctor (ultimateaccuracy@aol.com, or GEARBUSTERS on Ebay). He also is your source for parts for old stoves, even parts the manufacturer no longer carries. But, while the Princess is much cheaper than a Force 10, I recently did an Atlantic delivery on a boat equipped with a Force 10 and think it is a superior stove. I have also captained a charter catamaran with an Eno stove and hate it: the burners are so wimpy it takes half an hour to boil water. The oven is not thermostatically controlled and the "control" provides little variation in temperature. A stove without a thermostat, but a built-in thermometer readable from the outside and a good control would be good, but I do not see those anymore.

RADAR DETECTOR

the CARD (Collision Avoidance Radar Detector), from Survival Safety Engineering, is an essential piece of gear to me, particularly for a singlehander. From when it is first visible, you have about 15 minutes to  spot a ship at speed before you are going to be running out of time to contact it or maneuver out of it's way. Genny poled out? Move fast! No main up, so can't turn upwind much? Move faster! The CARD gives you that extra edge of warning, and lets you sleep, even if you do not entirely trust the person on watch. And, it draws milliamps. Not for coastal sailing, but open ocean. I used one on my last boat, on which I singlehanded the Atlantic. I added one to Fellow Traveler as well as I never know when my crew might abandon me (or I throw them off!).

AIS is a good alternative to radar detectors so long as it can be hooked to an alarm. Radars seem like a good solution, but they just draw too much power and have too many false alarms  to really work as a an alarm when off-watch, IMO.

SELF STEERING AND AUTOPILOTS

First, everyone sitting on land dreaming of sailing thinks they are going to cross oceans. Most I know here in the Caribbean thought they would, but never do. Here, where passages are short. a good Self Steering device or a good Autopilot will suffice, but both are not needed. You can add the other later before you actually start that ocean passage. But, if going bluewater sailing, Jimmy Cornell says he thinks you need both, and I agree. 

My AUTOPILOT is a SIMRAD (formerly Robertson) AP 11. Not many bells and whistles, but I don't need them. Just steer the course! I have no complaints about this gear. It was recommended by "Mac" MacNeil, who helped me install it (see below). He has dealt with most, if not all types, so I respect his opinion. I know, everyone else is going RayMarine. Well, I listen to Mac. Since then I have captained two boats with RayMarine autopilots, and I am very thankful I had Mac's advice! It does not compare to the Simrad.

If you are anywhere near the US Virgin Islands, and have autopilot or major electrical issues, contact James "Mac" MacNeil (usvitechnical@yahoo.com). He is good, he is honest, and her is reasonable.  

SELF STEERING: I have used a very beat, old RGV, a somewhat beat Aries, and now, a brand new HYDROVANE (www.hydrovane.co.uk). I could get all three to steer my boat, albeit with varying amounts of finagling. The Hydrovane has yet to be completely tested, but so far, it seems to be the best (keep in mind, it is new). I just mounted it last year, yet I have already sailed for several days close reaching in light air without touching it (I would adjust the main wheel slightly to balance the boat as wind varied). I have used it in ocean swells on a beam reach in moderate winds (neither windvane could do that on my last boat, but that could have been the boat more than the vane). The Hydrovane also steered down wind in moderate to strong winds with a fairly large quartering sea from Curacao to Cartagena, a notoriously rough bit of sea. And in all these situations, it steered superbly. It has yet to be tested in gales or stronger, but then, it would not bother me if it does not get the opportunity! Both the RGV and the Hydrovane serve as emergency rudders. I used the RGV as one once when my tiller on my Alberg broke at the base. The Aries does not serve as emergency steering.

 Honestly, for most boats, you could not go wrong with a used Aries. Get spare parts and rebuild it if need be. But, for my situation, this would not have worked. I have hydraulic steering, which means there is not a fixed center point to the wheel. Also. with the center-cockpit, the lines to the wheel would be long, leading to friction and stretch. And, the high freeboard of my boat might make mounting it difficult or impossible.  Perhaps the biggest concern,  the steering and autopilot both work through the hydraulic system. If it failed, I would only have an emergency tiller in the aft cabin to steer by. The Hydrovane is the perfect solution in every way but one: IT IS CRAZY EXPENSIVE!. In fact, it is the single most expensive piece of boat gear I have ever bought. It cost more than my first cruising boat did! All I can say is, now I have to cross an ocean just to justify it!

WATERMAKER

3 years ago I installed a Little Wonder Watermaker by VILLAGE MARINE on Fellow Traveler. For most of this time, I was a huge booster of Village Marine. Until this summer (2007), when I needed a new membrane. I contacted the company, and they said it cost $500. I looked at my manual, and it gave the model number and specs. of what membrane I needed. And, it turns out that model is a standard part, made my most membrane makers, and selling for less than 1/2 what Village Marine was asking. Or so I thought, The manual was wrong. I need a "special" membrane that is two inches shorter than the one specified in my manual. I don't know, but I suspect that when Village Marine started making their own membranes, they intentionally made them 2 inches shorter than the standard ones so they could charge you more than twice as much. When I pointed out the clear error in the manual, they dropped the price a whopping $25 over what I could order it for through one of their reps. Never even apologized for what I think is a major screw-up on their part. Not the kind of treatment of customers I look for in a company. 

I no longer recommend Village Marine. If I were buying a watermaker today, I would ABSOLUTELY shop around a lot more. And, I would ask any company whose watermaker I was considering whether they use standard membranes or some proprietary model, and what they charge for replacements. You might find that the watermaker that cost a few bucks more to purchase saves you a lot down the road. Caveat emptor.

BOATYARDS

Since arriving in the Caribbean, I have hauled in boatyards in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and Carriacou. None were bad. INDEPENDENT BOATYARD in St Thomas is excellent, but expensive. But, the best? Unquestionably TYRELL BAY YACHT HAULOUT in Carriacou. The guys who own, run, and work in this yard are the best! Their prices are reasonable, and they do not attempt to nickel and dime you over everything they can. It is a pleasant and safe place to be hauled as well. There are two negatives that I will point out: their bath facilities are pretty rough, and there chandlery is modest. But, they can get any part available in Grenada shipped in on the ferry within a couple of days at the Catalogue price (cheaper than you pay in Grenada).  They also are more environmentally friendly than most yards in the islands. If you want to move off the boat, there are reasonable accommodations nearby (i.e. AC and clean restrooms). As I write, I am about to haul there for the third time. Did I mention that, when they took a direct hit from hurricane Emily, they went to extreme pains, adding extra chocks, moving boats from their moorings into the mangrove hurricane hole, etc? Result? Superficial damage only. That's the type of yard they are.

Currently, Fellow Traveler is stored in Shelter Bay Marina's Boatyard in Colon, Panama. I will post my opinions of this yard once my boat is launched and I am on my way again. In the mean time, if you are heading that way and want my opinion so far, by all means, email me.

MARINE HEADS

One word only: LAVAC. Buy them through ST BRENDAN'S ISLE (see mail service below). These heads are simple, do not leak, and almost never need maintenance.

MAIL SERVICE

I have used ST BRENDAN'S ISLE  (sbi@boatmail.com) for 5 years now. They are not cheap. They are good. They also rep Village Marine Watemakers and Lavac heads (see above) as well as folding bikes, if I remember right.

WINDLASS

I bought a QUICK WINDLASS from ISLAND WATER WORLD  in St Martin 4 years ago. It was half the price of equivalent competitors, and worked nicely for the first two years. When I purchased it, I thought the studs that connected the above-deck part with the motor, and thus held the whole windlass onto the boat seemed a bit undersized. Well, this winter (08) they sheared off. I had a machine shop drill old the broken studs and tap for larger ones, so that should hold it, I hope.  There has always been a problem, when dropping the chain manually with an occasional link coming up the chainpipe sideways and getting jammed. This is less of a problem in the power-down mode as it allows for a slow, steady decent and gives the chain more time to shake out the kinks. If I am still using this windlass in 10 years, then it will have been a good purchase, so the jury is still out.

FRIDGE

No owner or expert I have ever talked to recommended a DC holding plate system. Read Nigel Calder's book on marine refrigeration if you wonder why. Engine driven coldplates are becoming much less common: I know no one who has installed one in years. A friend, who installs and repairs refrigeration on mega-yachts in St Martin tells me the trend, even with mega-yachts, is 12-volt dc: they will have a bank of  WAACO (formerly Adler Barbour) compressors. The reason? quiet operation, dependability, and redundancy. Nearly every cruiser I know uses the small dc units. I prefer Waaco as they have been around the longest and are the most readily available in my experience. I have the water-cooled option just because the unit is installed in the engine room, although one friend swears that so long as the temp is under 110 degrees, air-cooling is fine. I figure, I can turn it off or on as I want, since it works both ways. If your installation space is cramped, go with water-cooling, as airflow is essential otherwise. And, take the time to build a good box, or nothing will work except a generator and AC system!

Note on insulation: most people use polyurethane as it has the highest R value, but this is a mistake. Polyurethane rapidly looses R value if it becomes wet, and a fridge will ultimately have moisture enter the insulation space as vapor and condense into water as it gets colder closer to the box. If you have lots of money and very little space, use the vacuum panels. But, it would almost be cheaper to buy a bigger boat!  For the rest of us, the stuff to use is Extruded Polystyrene (the blue stuff they sell at most lumber yards) as it does not absorb water so does not lose much R value due to condensation. Then, do yourself a favor and seal you insulation inside and out with fiberglass to minimize the vapor that can penetrate. Oh, the hole for the tubing? Cut the hole and fit a piece of PVC pipe and glass it in. Then, use spray foam inside the PVC around the tubes. This way, no moisture gets to the rest of the insulation. 

LIGHTING

My boat is old enough it has lots of the simple screw in base sockets that take bulbs that look like normal household bulbs. These bulbs are terrible, sucking up juice for little light. But hey! They now have 12V screw-in fluorescents and they are great! If you don't have the screw-in sockets, buy them from a home lighting place in a style you like: it does not matter what the socket is, only what voltage you hook up to it. Recently, LED interior lighting has become possible, and may be the next best thing.

BATTERIES

I have used golf cart 6-volt batteries exclusively for my house bank now on two boats, and think they are the  best value. My Alberg used two wired together into a 12 volt bank. Fellow Traveler uses 6. Brand is less important than freshness: a battery that has been sitting on the shelf for 2 or more months without being trickle-charged will never perform at full capacity. I do not know if Chandleries are ignorant of proper battery storage techniques or just assume the customer is. Carry a volt-meter into the store with you and do not accept any battery that is not showing near a full charge. Use a supplier that supplies fresh batteries, not old ones, or trickle-charges them. In St Thomas, USVI, contact CARIBBEAN BATTERY for the best price and freshest batteries.

In Colon, there is a shop, Casa de Bateria, which sells golf carts, AGM's, etc, for the cruisers. The only problem is they charge double the US price. Golf Carts are good in part because you get a lot of battery for the money. But not at Doubled Prices! Two 8-D's will fit in the same space as 6 golf carts, and while this is only 2/3rds the amp-hours, if they are 2/3rds the price, as they are at Casa de Bateria, I would consider going this route. My point is, in remote places, do not become too locked into a particular style of battery. Instead, figure out what will suit your needs at the cheapest price.

With the ever-increasing demands we place on our batteries, such as DC fridges, radar, stereos, computers, etc, realize that a battery is only as good as the system to charge it. Take the time to learn about DC systems, or you will always have dead batteries. You will need a high-amp alternator with a smart regulator, and hopefully some means of alternative power. Why live on a sailboat and yet still need an endless supply of fossil fuels to sail? Go alternative! But please, do not anchor anywhere near me if you have one of those screechingly loud AIR MARINE wind generators. Buy a KISS or one of the new ones out of Europe that do not disturb the peace and tranquility of paradise. While I like alternative energy, if you already own a high-end AC charger, a simple solution for bulk charging and equalizing your batts is a portable gas generator putting out enough AC to run the charger. Great for running power tools too! Just make sure you buy one of the quiet ones!

PORTLIGHTS

Fellow Traveler, like many boats of her vintage, came with plastic ports. I found them problematic: if you never opened them, they did not leak...but then why have opening ports? Once opened, they would leak no matter how tightly sealed, until a layer of grime "sealed" them again. The plastic latches break. They are usually not through-bolted, so, in a knock-down, just might all pop out (well, in, actually). So, I bit the bullet and bought 14 stainless ports from NEWFOUND METALS (www.newfoundmetals.com). These things are so beautiful they belong in a museum as sculpture! But be forewarned, they are a pain in the stern to install! After 1 year, I finally found time to install the last 6. 

DEFENSIVE WEAPONS

OK, no doubt that got your attention! Well, I do not cruise with guns. I have heard all the arguments for and against, but ultimately, it comes down to the laws where you travel. If you declare your weapon, you may find you have to leave it in your port of entry and return for it upon checkout, not always easy in a long trade wind sail. If it is a pistol, you may not have it returned. But that does not mean you should be unarmed or unprepared. Think alternatives.

Now, if someone boards you with an Uzzi, forget defending yourself, just give him what he wants. But this is rare. More often, he is unarmed, or armed with a machete. So, locking steel screens on ports and companionway would mean you are safe. A Super Soaker filled with ammonia would incapacitate him long enough to pitch him over the side. Oven cleaner is more aggressive, possibly doing permanent damage, but hey! so does a machete! On board, rather than a super soaker, a household spray bottle of ammonia set to shoot a stream could be kept next to your berth and should hit an attackers eyes before they could get you with a machete. If you ever got even a mild whiff of Ammonia when pouring it into the bucket, you know a shot in the face would basically shut someone down. And, while a little might blow back with a breeze at you, it is a liquid, not an aerosol, so does not have the problems of firing pepper spray upwind, at least down below.

It seems to me there should be simple, 12v alarms for boats. I intend to look into this possibility soon. A friend found battery-operated motion detectors that have remote sensors, so could put the sensor up in his cockpit and have the alarm down below: Early Warning system! I think he said he got them from that tool catalogue, Harbors and Freight. Radio Shack and Home Depot have simple, battery-operated alarms with motion sensors. Perhaps the best deterrent I have is my anchor light, a LED with a light sensor to turn it on at night. I leave it hanging under the bimini where it is clearly visible to any approaching vessels, yet also lights up the cockpit. It takes a brave thief to enter a brightly-lit cockpit and go down into a dark cabin not knowing who or what awaits him. He would also be visible to any other boaters peering out a hatch. Now, if I could just wire up a light to a motion sensor, like the ones on houses....

Dinghies

First, most people leave the US or Europe with too small of a dinghy. In the Caribbean, and no doubt most of the rest of the remote cruising grounds I usually prefer, you almost always anchor out. Harbors are often large and open, with a pretty good chop in them, so you want something big enough to get you around without soaking you and everything you are carrying in the dinghy. You want something big enough to load with snorkel gear and your friends from the boat next door, and get through some open water to a great snorkeling reef. Nearly everyone trades up once in the Caribbean. While they might buy similar dinghies, American and European attitudes to powering them are very different. Americans go for a 15. Europeans usually go for a 5, or even a 2 (although this is starting to change).  And, more and more, everyone is buying deflatables. I loved my Carib 12-footer with the 15hp. When I was in St John, I lived several miles from town and worked as much as 7 days a week, so this allowed me to get to shops and bars in the evening without owning a car. But, it leaked air. I have debated about buying a hard dinghy for years. Finally, some thieves in Colon, Panama and a lack of money made the decision for me.  Before describing what I built, let me give the pros and cons of the various engines and boats, as I see them.

Inflatable: Pros: very stable and safe, does not scar the mother ship when coming alongside. Good loading capacity. Easy to secure aboard for passages. Cons: Expensive, do not last, and eventually need regular pumping, and usually pretty heavy.

Hard Dinghy: Depends a lot on the design, but: Pros: May be cheap, and can be home built. Should last a lifetime if properly built. Cons: needs padding to avoid scarring the mother ship.  Some are hard to enter from the mother ship or the water. Can be hard to store aboard.

Big engine (15hp+): Pros: you can cover ground fast. You can go between nearby islands if it is on a seaworthy dinghy. If your motor dies on your mother ship, a 15 hp on a dinghy strapped to the side will move it around in a pinch. Cons: Heavy, consumes more fuel, costs more, and is more of a target for theft.

Small Engine (5hp): Pros: Are you really in a hurry? When I use a smaller motor, I discover that the trips are more relaxing, so it does not seem slow even on a long commute. Fuel efficient. Light and easy to handle, even if you have to drag your dinghy up a long beach to get above the high tide point. Cheap. Cons: A 5hp would move my old Alberg 35, but not my current boat. If you load several people and gear to go snorkeling it will slow way down.

Now, let me tell you about my new dinghy: it is a Spindrift 10, designed by B&B designs. Here is the link to their site:

This dinghy is designed for stitch and glue homebuilding out of plywood. Due to no decent ply available in Colon, I built mine out of sheets of fiberglass (click here to go to my page for building stitch and glue fiberglass boats). This dinghy can be built as a two-part nestling dinghy that takes up very little deck space. It comes in other sizes (up to 11 ft for nestling, up to 12 foot for one piece). It is a bit beamier, particularly at the waterline, than the pure rowing dinks like a Whitehall, so probably does not row quite as nice, but should sail and power much faster. More important, the stability it derives from this means it is very easy to enter from my high-freeboard boat or from the water. I find it easier to enter from the water than my old inflatable, climbing over the bow, which dips way down but does not come close to letting water in. I weigh 210 pounds. When snorkeling with some Kuna friends in Panama, who are much leaner and smaller than I, they could climb over the sides without them dipping.

 I do not like to row much as I have carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis in my wrists, and this aggravates it. But, when anchored in a small harbor, it is nice to have the option to leave the motor stored, take a few strokes, and be ashore. I NEVER rowed my 12 foot Carib (which actually comes with paddles, not oars). With a 5hp motor, the Spindrift planes easily with one person (a tiller extension is needed so you can steer from amidship, and I designed mine so I can adjust the seat forward or back for best position for rowing or motoring depending on conditions and load). Their website shows a small person planing the Spindrift 10 with a 2hp! I built my boat with additional freeboard, particularly in the bow area, so it is very dry, even in rough conditions. I have had three Kuna friends and myself with our snorkel gear in it heading out into the open waters of San Blas Bay to get to a distant reef to snorkel and found it dry and comfortable.

I rode in a friend's before building mine, and thought it was much bigger than 10 feet. It has the carrying capacity of an 11 or 12 foot hard-bottomed inflatable, but weighs less and needs a much smaller motor to get equivalent speeds. I am considering, when I find the time and place, building the 12-foot version as I often take 2 or more crew with me when I sail, and occasionally charter my boat. The extra space, capacity, and seaworthiness of the longer boat would be nice when loaded. I would seriously consider building it the same way again, as it makes for a strong, light boat pretty cheap (I have about $500 in the 10 footer).