Tenders vs Dinghy - Pros and Cons

First lake Harriet. Because Lake Harriet only has mooring buoys, you have to choose how to get to and from your boat. The city maintains several aluminum tenders at the dock at the north end of the buoy-field. From here you can row to your boat, rig for sailing, and sail back to the dock to return the tender. You CAN NOT leave the tender at your buoy. When you are finished sailing, you have to reverse the process. This adds a lot of overhead to your sailing. Your alternative is to bring an inflatable dinghy with you to the lake, and launch it off the seawall close to your boat. While sailing, you leave the dinghy tied to your buoy. This has the advantage of not having to deal with the logistics of the city tenders, but getting in and out of the inflatable from the wall and your boat can be a bit of a challenge. How far away from the lake you live will determine if you can bring the dinghy to the lake inflated, or if you have to inflate it there. If you do chose to inflate the boat at the lake, I suggest you get a 12v electric pump. The choice is yours. If you are bringing passengers on a sail, the best course of action is to pick them up from the dock. Much classier.

One more thing: The bottom of lake near the sea wall is quite rocky, and you often drag the bottom of your dinghy over the rocks when heading out. A puncture is a real possibility. I would choose a high-quality dinghy over a $35 Walmart special. The West Marine model shown above has a condura nylon cover that helps protect the boat from rocks and other sharp things that can ruin your day. I found mine when it was on sale for $120.   

Lake Calhoun is a different story. Because the lack of a sea wall, almost everybody uses the MPRB tenders, and the prime buoys are near the dock. It adds complication to the sailing, but t also has a positive effect on the social aspect of the sailing there, as the cruising sailboats spend much more time at the dock than they do at Harriet. I can count on one hand the number of times I sailed to the Harriet dock last year, so it occurs to me that maybe the Harriet sailors are missing out on something.

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