How many dinghies should one boat have anyhow? You absolutely need one for the type of boating we do; anchor out in a beautiful secluded location, then hop on the dinghy to do things like pick up guests, visit neighbours, go fishing, explore, get groceries, do the laundry, get more booze, etc. We started 2019 without a dinghy and very quickly learned that we were missing out on some of the best parts of boating without one. Here is our dinghy fleet.
Here is Little Fella. She is a 2011 Grand Golden Line G340. Purchased hastily in 2019, we have had a few problems with her taking on water. After some repair during the 2019 season, we took her in for a permanent fix at the beginning of the 2020 season. Once the repair was complete, she was still taking on water (not quite a permanent fix it seems). So, with a scheduled return to the shop, we decided that it might be time to get something a little more reliable. Little Fella has now been repaired once again, and sits at the dealer location in Oakville awaiting determination on her future.
Here, friends, is Little Fella II (LFII). New from the dealer, she is a 2017 Highfield Ocean Master 390. Bigger and with more horsepower than Little Fella, LFII handles the rougher water better than her little sister. Though we didn’t start 2020 planning to purchase a new dinghy, we certainly don’t regret having made this purchase. We put over 300 miles on her this past season with no maintenance issues……relief!
So there you have it. We started 2020 with one dinghy in need of repair, and ended it with two perfectly seaworthy dinghies. Not typically what you would see, but very little of what happens with No Yards is typical.