We took our old one to a second hand sporting goods store, Encore Sports in Daphne. We have become friends with the people at that store. Hello to those of you that are reading this blog.
The dinghy arrived while we were still in our condo. Luckily, we had a large garage. Dave also had a motor stand, which was helpful. We moved the boat from our garage to the storage unit about 3 weeks after Dave's hernia surgery. Again, we were lucky to have a dolly to move it and not have to carry it. Dave still did more than he should have.
So today, we finally brought the dinghy to the boat. We launched it at the beach next to the marina. Dave then rowed it around the breakwater and into our marina. We placed it on our deck on soft chocks that are removable. This will only be an overnight storage. If we are sailing, the dinghy will be upside down on the deck, on the davits at the stern, or we will pull it behind.
The motor is on it's own davit on the stern. There is a pulley system to lift it off the dinghy and onto the davit.
The dinghy is a sailor's mode of transportation once you are settled. If you are anchored or on a mooring ball, you use it to go to shore. Even if you have a slip in a marina, you can use it to explore the area. You might dinghy into a shallow area or another bay, to a restaurant, to another boat, or go fishing or snorkeling. I have read other blogs that mention several boaters tying their dinghies together for a social gathering. We would "raft up" with other boaters with our smaller boat. But with a live aboard, once you are anchored for the night, you don't want to move your boat until you head to a new location.
With a dinghy, I don't feel so bad about selling my convertible to my sister. But I may wish I could put the top up some day.
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