Cool Change Sailing

Well, sort of. As we’re getting closer to the time when we’ll conduct a sea trial on Long Island Sound, I’ve been busy checking other items off my must-haves list. For Strider, I bought a full body life jacket which wraps around his torso, is bright orange for added visibility and even has a hinged flotation section directly beneath his neck, allowing for less effort keeping his head above water while he swims. Also, it has two sturdy handles on the top to allow me to easily lift him back into the boat.

For me, I bought a nylon harness that contains a CO2 cartridge to instantly inflate it at a moment’s notice. It acts as a life jacket but without the usual bulk. The stainless D rings in the front can be attached to a tether which I’d run the entire length of the boat, allowing me to remain connected to it when conditions become choppy. Sailing single-handed, there’s no room for mistakes.

One of the items that’s included in my purchase is a small dinghy and outboard motor. The dinghy is about 6′ long and has an under-powered 3 hp motor. This will not be sufficient for my needs, as there will be times when I’ve dropped the anchor and wish to travel several miles in shallow waters. Also, the inflated tubes are showing signs of wear and I don’t want to take the risk of it springing a leak. When I bring the boat and dinghy back to Ohio, I’ll sell the old dinghy and replace it with something new.

Many dinghys are fully inflatable, including the vinyl bottom. This design is slightly less expensive, but it has a drawback of wearing out the material each time you drive it onto the shore of a beach. I wanted something metal which would be more durable. Other dinghys have a center cockpit which adds weight and takes up additional space on a small boat. That design would be overkill for me. I wanted as much open space as allowable and a simple bench seat near the outboard motor.

Finally, I wanted sufficient power to allow me to travel quickly between my boat and the dock/island/restaurant/atoll with ease. On a 10′ dinghy, a 10 hp motor would be sufficient power.

A name that kept showing up in my searches was Highfield Boats. Their boat design includes a solid aluminum v-shaped hull and inflated sides all around. A quick Google search showed a dealership about 100 miles north of me, along the shores of Lake St. Clair. Two weeks ago, I paid them a visit to see what inventory they had in stock. To my surprise, the salesman told me they wouldn’t have the dinghy I was interested in until August. I told him that creates a problem because I plan on beginning my trip a month earlier, in July.

“Well, we DO have just one boat in stock, but another man asked that we order it for him.”

I asked whether that order involved some sort of purchase agreement or any other formal request. He told me no–the other person has been wishy-washy for the past 2 years and they just brought it to their showroom to allow him to see it first hand.

I asked “Did he give you a down-payment?” When he said no, I pulled out my checkbook and bought it. Remembering the time that my Dad did the exact same thing when he helped me buy my first car, I knew that no purchase is a legal agreement unless/until money changes hands. The salesman said “I guess somebody’s going to be mad when I call him!” I nodded, knowing that life is filled with tough lessons.

They didn’t have any 10 hp motors; they only had 15 hp and 20 hp. With such a slight difference in cost, I went with the 20 hp motor. This will provide more than enough power to operate easily wherever I wish to go.

Everything about this small boat is perfect. It contains a foot-pump which allows you to fully inflate each of the three bladders in just 7 minutes. The bow of the dinghy has a small seat that I’m sure Strider will use as place to set his front paws with the wind in his face. But a hidden surprise was the 3 gallon fuel tank beneath that front seat. That added weight would prevent to bow from lifting up as you accelerate. In the stern, a bench seat also includes storage compartments beneath it: one large storage space and two front storage pockets in the front. Finally, an extra bag is included for a convenient place to store the foot pump and a repair kit…just in case.

Soon, I’ll have Cool Change delivered to Lake Erie. At that time, I’ll have someone design and install a stainless arch on the transom which will include dinghy davits and pulleys. When the Suzuki outboard motor is attached to the transom of the dinghy, the combined weight will be about 250 lbs. I’ll need a pulley system to hoist the boat up out of the water and hold it securely while underway.

And that “underway” moment will be here in less than four months.