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Q. Why would someone buy a fiberglass dinghy
instead of a cheaper soft plastic dinghy?
A. Well, you just said it - a soft plastic dinghy. A soft dinghy doesn't
hold its shape well and it doesn't feel like a real boat. The only thing
that's attractive about that type of boat is the price. Our owners take
pride in owning sturdy, practical, classical and salty-looking boats.
Q. Does the buyer have any options when purchasing
a Bauer boat?
A. Although the basic boat includes everything you need, there is a long
list of options for these boats, so that individual owners can equip the
boat for their own particular applications. We like to interview prospective
buyers to find out how they plan to use the dinghy and make suggestions
for the accessories based on their requirements.
Part of the philosophy of these boats is that you basically get a custom-built
dinghy, without the custom price.
Q. Most sailing dinghies have dagger boards,
but I see the Bauer 8, 10, and 12 use centerboards. Why did you decide
on this?
A. Initially we did use a dagger board, but quickly we changed to a kick-up
centerboard and kick-up rudder, because very often these boats are sailed
in shallow water, or water where there are underwater obstacles. We also
wanted to be able to sail up onto a beach without doing any damage. Originally
the centerboard and rudder were made out of fiberglass, but they are now
solid polyethylene, so that when they rub on the bottom there is no coating
to rub through and expose the core, which could cause water-damage. This
makes them much more abuse-friendly, long-lasting and maintenance-free.
We use a closed centerboard trunk, which eliminates water coming into
the boat when it is being motored or towed. Both the rudder and centerboard
have a unique bungie-cord arrangement that pulls them down to the lowered
position, but allows them to easily kick up if they hit an obstruction.
The whole centerboard mechanism, including the pivot point and bungee,
is mounted through the bottom of the boat, so that it doesn't compromise
the integrity of the centerboard trunk, which is molded as an integral
apart of the hull.
Q. How did you decide on the hull design?
A. These classical and salty designs were conceived based on years of
our cruising, and observing what we, and others, demanded from their dinghy.
We anticipated that very often this dinghy would be used to ferry people
and groceries back and forth from the mother ship, so it had to have good
load capacity while still being a dry, seaworthy boat that was easily
moved by oar, sail, or motor. The 8-footer is rated for 3 people, and
the ten-footer for four, with lots of reserve freeboard for extra equipment.
They have a relatively sharp bow, so that they cut through the water and
reduce spray. At boat shows owners comment how seaworthy these boats are
and how they do what they are supposed to under difficulty circumstances.
Our design philosophy also required that these boats would also have to
have a skeg in the stern, because most dinghies that don't have this,
really don't track well when rowing.
The interior hull liner not only creates positive flotation, but provides
dry storage for all things dinghy sailors like to keep aboard-a small
anchor, foul weather gear, emergency flares, a small tool kit, and a dry
lunch. The liner also acts a s a stiffener for the hull. The wrap-around
seat, created by the hull liner (Bauer 10 and Bauer 12), is something
you don't see on other sailing dinghies. It not only keeps the weight
of the person at the tiller on the windward side, where it should be,
but also makes for comfortable sailing. The liner is fastened to the hull
with our own special material which joins the two parts into a true chemical
bond.
The construction of our boats is not static- it is constantly evolving
as new materials, and building techniques are introduced into the sailing
industry.
The 8-footer is primarily designed for rowing, then motoring, then sailing.
The Bauer 10 is primarily a sailboat, then a rowboat, then a motorboat;
and the 12 is primarily a daysailer, then a motorboat, finally a rowboat.
Q. What outboard horsepowers are recommended
for the 8, 10, and 12?
A. Since these are displacement hulls, they move through the water very
easily, and a 2 hp outboard is more than enough on all three boats, even
against wind or chop. This smaller horsepower engine also makes it much
easier for one person to install it on the transom or motor bracket while
the boat is in the water.
Q. Why did you decide on displacement hull
designs rather than planing hulls?
A. On yacht tenders there is the need to really be able to load the boat
down much more than one would if the boat were used strictly for recreational
purposes - you want to be able to transport the crew, the laundry, and
groceries, while still being able to move through the water as effortlessly
as possible; so the primary requirement of the hull design has always
been the ability to move it through the water with as little effort as
possible, but still having the biggest payload possible so that everything
can be done in one trip. This dictates a displacement hull.
Q. Tell me about the sailing rig.
A. The Bauer 8 has a cat rig. We decided on the gunter-style rig for the
Bauer 10 because of the practicality of it. It is compact, and can remain
completely assembled. This makes it a lot faster to step the mast and
hoist the sails, yet the spars are not longer than the boat when stowed.
The 12-footer has a true marconi rig.
All three boats are adaptable to a variety of wind conditions. The 8-footer,
rigged as a cat boat, can be reefed by simply rotating the mast to roll
the sail around it. The 10-footer is rigged as a sloop, and has a traditional
single row of reef points on the mainsail. Without the jib, it also performs
nicely as a cat-boat. The 12-footer is also sloop-rigged, has a double
row of slab reef-points on the mainsail.
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