Dinghy Debut

Among the many things we inherited with Circe when our adventure began was an almost new Achilles LSR 9 1/2 foot dinghy and an 8hp Nissan outboard with very low hours. After first establishing their condition and functionality they have been largely ignored and neglected for the last three years. While we were up to our ears in re-hab projects, interrupted by occasional day sails, we had no need for either the dinghy or the outboard so they sat......the dinghy in our storage unit and outboard on the stern rail. With most of the big rehab and upgrade projects now completed we are starting to plan some trips a bit further afield and so the need for a tender has become more pressing.  The time finally came to drag them both out of mothballs!

Checking the valves and putting some air in the dinghy.

We also discovered this Colman electric inflator we had forgotten about....neat little gizmo and quite efficient (if there is 110v available). So, we had the dinghy up in less than 10 minutes. We'd forgotten how good it was....it really is new looking. 

We didn't have a towing and lifting bridle so we had to do the lifting from the bow painter....bit of a no no but we'll make a bridle asap. 

Getting ready to drop it over the side.......thanks for the help Todd!

The "Achilles Heel" of the Achilles LSR is its air (soft) keel! It has the advantages of light weight and allowing the dinghy to fold up into a very compact package, while still having a hard floor. Its disadvantages, big ones in our opinion are its vulnerability to grounding damage and the fact that it doesn't plane or track nearly as well as an RIB hull design or a hard dinghy. Another side issue is its poor rowing performance. No inflatable is easy to row but the soft bottom designs are almost impossible. Anyway, bottom line, despite our reservations it is in really great shape so we'll stick with it until it gives us a reason to change or we find an alternative that fits our budget. 

Ready for some horsepower.

We found and downloaded both a User Manual and Parts Catalogue for the NS 8B outboard at Nissan Marine and treated it to a carburettor clean, fuel filter change, water pump impeller replacement, oil change, some grease and two new spark plugs.

Some gas and some crossed fingers, and................ it started on the third pull.

 Off we go!

Winning friends in the 'no wake' neighbourhood ....not!

Ready to rock and roll......literally and metaphorically...plus some new projects; a sling and a hoist on the wind gen pole for the motor and a towing/lifting bridle for the dinghy.