Rigid Inflatable Boat

VOYAGE charter catamarans come equipped with a rigid inflatable boat, more commonly referred to as a RIB, for use as a yacht tender. These craft combine a hard hull bottom made of GRP with inflatable pontoons to produce a craft that is very stable and has good performance. The VY 440 has a 12 foot tender while the VY 380 comes with an 11 foot, both use 15 horsepower two stroke outboard motors for power.

The tenders are a very important part of the yachts inventory and greatly enhance the enjoyment of the vacation. Many of the most charming and interesting anchorage’s at our charter locations can only be fully explored by use of the “dinghy.”

Proper and considered use of the tender will ensure everyone’s safety, prevent damage to the craft and cause minimum impact on the marine environment.
 

Safe Use

As with all activities on the water being aware of potential dangers goes a long way to preventing them, these are some of the things to consider;

Always make sure there is adequate fuel available. The 2 stroke outboard motor uses a mixture of gasoline and oil mixed at a ratio of 100 parts gas to 1 part oil. You will be provided with a full tank of fuel premixed at the start of your charter. If you need to purchase more add the required amount of oil into the fuel tank and mix thoroughly.

Make sure you have life jackets on board for the full number of passengers and ensure that children and non swimmers wear them.

Do not overload the tender, it is safer to make two trips than to squeeze too many in at one time.

Always wear the kill switch attached to your wrist when operating the tender under power.

Make sure who ever is driving the tender has a clear view of the surrounding water, proceeds at an appropriate speed and adheres to speed limits and no wake zones.

Do not leave children in the tender unattended or unsupervised.

Do not untie the tender from the yacht or the dock before starting and warming up the engine.

Do not have the motor in gear when in the vicinity of swimmers, snorkelers or SCUBA divers.
 

Outboard Motor

The Yamaha 15 hp motor uses a 2 stroke fuel mix as previously described. To start the motor proceed as follows;

Check fuel level in tank and open air vent.

Lower motor into drive position and lock in place

Insert the red kill switch slide under spring loaded button on tiller arm

Pump priming bulb until pressure is felt to ensure fuel to carburetor.

Check motor is in neutral on the gear shift control.

If motor is cold pull out choke control and set throttle to start position.

Take up the slack on the pull cord, make sure no one is behind your arm then pull firmly on the cord. Repeat until the motor has started then release the cord gently. Push the choke in before the motor stalls and turn the throttle back to idle as soon as the engine is warm.

Make sure water is flowing from the tell tale on the motor side. If it is not it could be a blockage on the tell tale outlet or it may indicate a loss of cooling water flow around the entire engine. Running with out cooling water will cause the motor to seize.

Check that all lines are onboard and secured to prevent fouling the propeller. To engage forward gear shift the gear lever ahead and back for reverse, twist the throttle gently to accelerate.
 

Anchoring and Securing the Tender

When leaving the tender it is very important to make sure it is properly secured. When tying to a dock or mooring always use a bowline knot or round turn and 2 half hitches. Always put out and secure a stern anchor when tying to a dock, not only will this prevent the tender from rubbing against the dock but if some one unties your bow lines it will prevent the tender from drifting away.

Check that docks or moorings are clear of sharp objects, although the inflatable pontoons are tough they can be easily punctured, even barnacle growth on dock posts can be sharp enough to puncture a tube.

Always take the kill switch cord with you when leaving the tender. Your local VOYAGE base staff will advise you where it is necessary to padlock the tender to prevent theft.

If landing on a beach make sure there are enough people on hand to pull the tender above the surf line and make allowance for tidal changes. The boat and motor weigh some 244lbs and if left in the surf the water that splashes in will soon increase that weight by a further 50%. Two people would find this very heavy to deal with. Only land on clean sand not rocks or stones. If leaving the beached inflatable unattended secure with the anchor dug well into the sand.

Always make a very careful assessment of the wave conditions before attempting to land on a beach, many people are injured every year by being knocked over in the surf by dinghies. Use a dock if one is available, look for the calmest spot if you are going to land on a beach, if the waves are too big for a safe landing anchor off and swim ashore.
 

Boarding and Towing

As detailed in the On Deck page, VOYAGE catamarans have a unique hauling system for the tender that utilizes the aft dive platform and a telescopic boom derrick to stow the tender on board whilst sailing. This facility should be used when ever possible to increase the sailing performance of the yacht and ensure the security of the tender however there will be times when you will wish to tow the tender for a short distance. The dive platform and step through transom make boarding the yacht from the tender very comfortable. The height difference between the dinghy bow locker and platform provide an easy step up, much less than boarding along side.
 

Something that needs consideration when using tenders with catamarans is the open, under bridge deck area between the hulls of the yacht. If the tender is tied to the stern of the yacht at anchor it is very easy for it to drift under the bridge deck and cause damage, particularly to the outboard motor casing. This usually only occurs if there is no wind or a counter current. To prevent this from occurring either secure the tender along side one hull at the midship cleat or preferably tie off at the stern taking one painter line to each stern cleat and centralizing the tender. If these two lines are kept short the tender cannot rotate enough for the motor to drift under the bridge deck.
 

If you do tow the tender, tilt the motor, stow any lose items such as paddles or anchor and remove the kill switch. When you first move off have the tender on a short line to reduce the chance of fouling the yacht propellors with the painter then increase the length of the tow to its full length.
 

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