One thing we’ve noticed watching videos from other cruisers blogs is that they seem to have a lot of toys. Dinghys, kayaks and standup paddleboards seem to be the most prevalent and seem to give the most options for stowage. I know it seems like all we do is work, and for the most part, we do, but we like to have fun too.
Dinghy
We bought a used Achilles 11’6″ dinghy and Honda 9.9 4-stroke outboard off of Craig’s List in 2014. The dinghy is bigger than we wanted and we might get a smaller one before we go traveling, but it works great in the Delta. The Honda is a gem. As long as the fuel is good (which can be a challenge in Rio Vista), it starts on the second pull every time. The dinghy has a slow leak (or two) that we need to track down and fix. We put the liquid glue-type stuff in it last summer, but it still leaks. It has a patch and a gouge out of the fiberglass bottom and we’re pretty sure that the patch is leaking.
Update Fall 2017
We found the dinghy leak! Rich took the old patch off and replaced it. Plus, there was another pinhole that he patched as well. It does deflate a little overnight when the temperature drops, but it seems full when it warms up.
Advanced Elements Inflatable Kayak
Rich takes the dinghy out fishing a lot, and I’m left with nothing to cruise around on so I bought an inflatable kayak. It’s an Advanced Elements Straitedge. It tracks about as well as anticipated for an inflatable kayak (ok, but not great), but it’s nice to have something to cruise around on the water.
The marina we’re in has standup paddleboards for anyone to use. We’ve used them a couple of times and they’re pretty fun. We’re considering getting an inflatable one to take with us, but we’re also considering getting a regular kayak as well; one Rich can fish from without worrying about punching holes in it. It seems like it might be nice to be able to paddle around and catch some dinner. A few of the tenants here also have Hobie SUPs that double as sit-down peddle boards. They’re pretty sweet but very expensive.
Honda 9.9 Engine Mount
One thing we haven’t been able to do when we take SVRO out is to take the dinghy with us and this is because we do not have a place to mount the outboard while underway. We’ve mounted it on the back pulpit rail before, but it’s not really secure that way. Rich made a proper outboard rail mount out of Starboard. Sounds like an easy job, but evidently a few weird angles that threw a wrench in the project. The final product is beautiful and works great though.
