Length/diameter of shore line for RIB / dinghy

[huruta]

Hi. We are in the PNW with a new to us boat. Last year we chartered and the line to tie the dinghy to shore wasn't long enough given the tide was out and there was no anchor, and the tree we tied the dinghy to was far from shore.

So we are wondering how long of a line should we have for our dinghy? We were thinking 80-100 feet of floating line. What do you all have? What diameter? A smaller diameter would be great for space purposes but we want to make sure it can hold. Thoughts?

 

[RCook]

Ours is ~75? feet (have not measured it) of 3/8" poly. Seems long enough where we've gone on the Inside Passage. We use a stretchy Anchor Buddy with 6' of chain and a 2kg claw to keep the dinghy afloat out away from shore.

 

[Portage_Bay]

Hi. We are in the PNW with a new to us boat. Last year we chartered and the line to tie the dinghy to shore wasn't long enough given the tide was out and there was no anchor, and the tree we tied the dinghy to was far from shore.

So we are wondering how long of a line should we have for our dinghy? We were thinking 80-100 feet of floating line. What do you all have? What diameter? A smaller diameter would be great for space purposes but we want to make sure it can hold. Thoughts?

The correct way to solve that puzzle is a look at the charts and tide tables for the area you want to go ashore. Plan the place and time of your shore excursion so that you or the dinghy won't be stranded.

There is no possible single answer that will be successful in all places at any time. The depths near shore and the dimensions of tidal flats if present vary so much from place to place. Look for areas with gradual slopes from high tide line to low tide line for the day / time you wish to go ashore. Look for areas where the bottom to be exposed in a falling tide is gravel or rocky, slogging through boot sucking mud is no fun.

Sometimes the best answer is one stays with the mother ship and keeps the dinghy. Dropping off and recovering the shore party.

80 - 100 ft should give you a lot of options. As for size that too will depend on a lot of variables. How big/heavy is your dinghy? How rough is the ground the line will be dragged across? I favor the inexpensive braided poly line similar to that used to pull water skiers. It's light, it floats, it's brightly colored and reasonably tough. I does however tangle into an unruly mess very easily. It is susceptible to UV degradation.

 

[mvweebles]

I recently assembled ground tackle for my AB-10, though my intended cruising grounds are Mexico, then Florida/Bahamas.

I went with a Mantus dinghy anchor (HERE) because it dismantles and stows easily, but it's expensive. I have a reel of 1/4' double braid so used that for rode - about 75-feet; plus a 6-foot lenth of SS chain from US Steel (HERE). My thinking was that in some shallow areas such as the Bahamas, easier to anchor the dink 25-yards off the beach.

Not sure how this would translate to PNW, but the setup is pretty flexible. Rode was about $100. Anchor was the expensive part. Oh, it stows in a 10-liter dry-bag used by kayakers, so pretty compact.

Peter

 

[tiltrider1]

My dingy painter is 10’. That length is 2’ short of interfering with the prop should some one forget about it.

I carry 100’ of 3/8 single braid line for beach tie ups.

 

[huruta]

This is all very helpful. Thank you!

 

[BruceK]

Probably too cool there, but recently we saw a very competent skipper swim the stern line ashore. Tied around a rock, using trees is prohibited in national parks.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

To some extent it depends on the size and weight of the dinghy.

Poly is nice because it floats but the sun can really tear it up in just a few seasons. There are better options.

pete

 

[Mako]

Poly is nice because it floats but the sun can really tear it up in just a few seasons. There are better options.

True, but it is so cheap it can be replaced every season. I used it as an anchor line for several years to keep it off the bottom. Worked great for my purpose.

 

[RedRascal]

I have about 20-25' of anchor line on a grapnel folding anchor that I tie to the dinghy painter. I usually don't tie to a tree if there is a beach where I can just set the anchor into the sand. This method has worked for me over the course of about 30 years with 8-10 foot inflatables. If the tide is going out I'll set the anchor at the waters edge and if it's coming in I'll set it high on the beach. As you cruise more you can tweak your system to align to your dinghy adventures. I think I am using something close to 3/8" line which was something that was just laying around.

Here's a pro tip If using something like a grapnel folding anchor they work great in a pinch for a lead line. If your boat draws 4' feet tie a knot in the line at 5' then one again at 10' then 15'. If you need to scout a tight entrance to an anchorage you can scope it out in the dinghy. You can hold the line over the side and motor slowly with the anchor down at the 5 or 10' mark. You'll feel it if it touches bottom or hits a rock. Also good to have in your back pocket if you lose your primary depth sounder.

 

[koliver]

In the Desolation Sound area where we often anchor our dinghy for a few hours, on a rising or falling tide, we use a 15# grapnel anchor, on a 50' rope, tied to one end of the dinghy and a long shore line on the other end. The grapnel holds well enough to keep the dinghy in place while we are away, and poorly enough that a good strong pull from shore on that line will dislodge it so the dinghy can be hauled to shore and no swimming will be required.
No, this method is not foolproof, but in good weather, swimming, which is usually the reason for the hike, isn't an issue.

 

[Porgy]

If you’re dealing with wide tidal flats, you might want to consider a clothesline mooring. Google for examples. You’ll need a much longer length of line but less worry about the dinghy getting marooned.

 

[Mako]

I would imagine by "clothesline mooring" you are referring to setting a pulley on an anchor out in the water, then a anchor on the beach on the other end, thus being able to pull your dinghy back and forth.

My buddy used that on his boat when we went to the islands of al Khor. Brilliant!

 

[Porgy]

Yes. There are variations but all do the same thing. Some do a single line. We can use our normal 50’ dinghy rode and set the anchor. Tie a float to the end of the rode. Run the clothesline/pulley loop through the float bail and cleat to dinghy. Secure the shoreside end of the loop to a tree, rock, sand anchor, etc. That way, we only break out the long loop line when we need it.

 

[Mac2]

I went a different route. I sold the rib and bought a inflatable floor rib (achilles) and electric motor. I also bought wheels to mount on the transom. I plan on carrying it or wheeling it above the tideline, so I know it will be there when I get back.

 

[Nikko]

Ours is ~75? feet (have not measured it) of 3/8" poly. Seems long enough where we've gone on the Inside Passage. We use a stretchy Anchor Buddy with 6' of chain and a 2kg claw to keep the dinghy afloat out away from shore.

+1

 

[rpackard]

There is no perfect solution for going ashore with a dinghy in the PNW. We used a lightweight inflatable floor Achilles dink and a 3.5hp 2 stroke engine. Upon landing on shore we first carried the motor above the high tide line and then lifted and carried the dink here. Dinghy wheels don't work too well in the PNW because you are not landing on beaches. The shoreside rocks and ground holes are often as large as the heels. Wheels are great in /mexico but not useful in the PNW.

further, there are not many places to land a dink in the PNW because the shoreline rises abruptly up and the land is heavily forested. I can think of only 4 or 5 places above Port Hardy that are dinghy friendly.