Nestaway 9ft Clinker Stem Nesting Dinghy

Click here for: Nestaway 9ft Stem Jan 2018

INTRODUCTION

Our popular 9ft Nesting Clinker Stem Dinghy is reminiscent of traditional ships’ tenders, built to carry heavy loads of people and stores.

She is quite chubby and has more freeboard (depth) than most designs of this size, but still performs well under sail, oars or motor.

Being a Nestaway she splits into two sections, and the bow fits inside the stern, for easier transport and storage: on the deck of a yacht for example, or on our vehicle towbar-mount carrying platform as shown here.

She takes three adults rowing or motoring, and two for sailing. These are quite conservative ratings, dictated by current regulations about the amount of buoyancy built in rather than actual hull volume (20 years ago she would probably have sold as a four-adult rowing boat).

She has a full length keel and deep skeg (an extra bit of keel at the stern), which, combined with the long waterline, means she tracks beautifully under oars. She carries her way through a fair chop and doesn’t get blown off course in the first gust; if you have only ever tried rowing an inflatable, you will find this almost incomparably better! The right pair of oars – for the dinghy and for you – also helps, we can supply/advise.

The picture below shows a high-spec version with navy blue “sheer strake” (top two planks), cream interior, teak decking on the buoyancy tanks, rubber fendering and sailing rig. (The hull exterior was not pink, but is reflecting the bright pink aisle carpet at London Boat Show!)

Click here for prices and options: Nestaway 9ft Stem Jan 2018

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SAILING

The optional sailing rig is available with a 36 or 44 square foot lug sail. The rig price includes sail, mast, yard, daggerboard case, daggerboard, lifting rudder and tiller.

The free-standing mast (no fiddling about with rigging) means you can be on the water within a couple of minutes, and the sail can be used with or without a boom – a useful feature when teaching young children to sail.

The smaller rig (with 36sqft sail) works well in most conditions but we have had a few of our more experienced customers report back that they felt she could take more. So now we also offer a 44sqft lugsail. This uses the same mast, yard and daggerboard, making an “upgrade” at a later date – if you feel the need – fairly simple (you just need the sail and a longer boom).

If you don’t want a sailing rig at this stage, but think you might want to add it later, there is an option to take just the daggerboard case and mast support structure (both of which would be difficult to retrofit).

“Surprisingly stable. The most comfortable way to sail her is to sit on the sole and use the 
nicely designed aft buoyancy tanks as a backrest. It’s easy to forget she’s a sectional boat…can’t remember the midships joint getting in the way… lug sail balanced and controllable… a very pleasant sail… impressed by the way the sections fit so neatly together… every single aspect reflects the quality and care put into the build…” Alice Driscoll in Water Craft Magazine (May/June 2011)

As Watercraft magazine found, probably the most comfortable place to sit is on the floor, but you could also sit higher, on the centre thwart, or the seat that spans the stern tanks.
The hull shape makes her highly resistant to heeling for a 9ft dinghy; she inspires confidence and (whilst not a racing machine) is very enjoyable to sail. If you have read the books by Arthur Ransome, she is often referred to as a miniature “Swallow”.

Click here to see a pdf of the Watercraft Magazine article ‘Divide and Conquer’.

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MOTORING

With an electric motor she is easily driven up to hull speed; more in fact, to approx 5 knots (10kmph). That was using a Torqeedo 503, with a total load of approx 200kg on board.

Petrol outboards can also be used: 2-3 hp is perfectly sufficient but she will take up to 4hp if you already have one. (A brand new Tohatsu or Suzuki 2.5 is £549 from us, when purchased with a boat.) Lightness, quietness and reliability are all highly commendable features of modern engines but a classic “British Seagull” would look just right.

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YACHT TENDER

She can also be carried, either way up, on the deck of a yacht, making a very fine tender that will get many admiring comments. However we should point out that the bow does not sit as flat inside the stern as our Pram Dinghy, so the best and easiest option might be to store her right way up in chocks, with a cover on top.

We also have several yacht-owning customers who keep their Nestaway Stem Dinghies assembled in davits most of the time (the hull joint is plenty strong enough for this), then transfer her on deck and dismantle/nest for longer voyages.

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TRANSPORT

Here the 9ft sectional Stem Dinghy is shown dismantled and nested on our (bolt-on-in-two-minutes) towbar platform, so you can transport her by road without a trailer or roof rack.

It’s much easier to load than a roof rack, especially if you are on your own, and won’t lead to “towing trauma” either! At your destination the platform can be detached from the towbar and put inside the car (useful now many car parks charge for trailers).

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CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Happy owners of the Nestaway 9ft Stem Dinghy. The photo to the right shows a customer sailing her Nestaway 9ft Clinker Stem Dinghy on the Norfolk Broads. She specified the larger 44sqft lugsail, with aluminium spars for reduced maintenance. In terms of weight, you would guess that the aluminium will be lighter than wood, but we use quite a heavy duty anodised tube so the weights are very similar.

 She and her grandchildren are delighted with their new boat, and amazed by the stability. Shortly afterwards we sold a similar-spec boat to some of her friends, on her recommendation.

“I’m very happy with the boat, it is beautiful, handles well and is really very stable! Thank you for providing me with such a handsome, seaworthy and well-built craft. I am sure I will get years of enjoyment from it” P. D., Montenegro

“Very pleased with the boat. It has attracted a lot of admiring comments.” M.S., River Thames

“As I sail past with a beer in hand many yachties call out to say how pretty she is… great boat!” 
K. B., Portugal

Click here for prices and options: Nestaway 9ft Stem Jan 2018

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PHOTOS

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