Travel boat par excellence, the habitable dinghy with its flat hull ballasted in the bottoms and its absence of keel makes it possible to get as close as possible to the land, to go up canals, rivers and rias and even to beauty. All you have to do is to raise the daggerboard so that the boat lands on its hull. Features that are really appreciated when sailing around the world.
Discover the different types of ballast
Two categories of manufacturers
Although this type of boat was more popular in the 1970s and 1980s, some manufacturers made it their credo. There are two types of dinghies:
- Travelling boats are often built in aluminium to run aground without damaging the hull
- Polyester cruise ships, often Polish constructions designed to adapt to the geography of their region and navigate in shallow waters.
The new market offer
Aluminium centerboarder
Among the French manufacturers, there are three manufacturers who have specialised in the design of integral dinghies. All of them offer robust boats with an aluminium hull, designed for long voyages, even in polar regions.
- Boreal Yachts, whose sturdy and voluminous yachts are designed for long cruising or even extreme voyages
Polyester centerboarder
The Vendée-based manufacturer Jeanneau also offers some of these models in full centerboarder version, like the Sun Odyssey 319 or the Sun Odyssey 389 .
But in this category, the great champions are the Polish builders. Indeed, the typology of their bodies of water obliges them to build drifting boats, to be able to navigate without the risk of bottoming out. In this category, we often find boats of a more modest size, but still designed for cruising in a habitable environment.
- Your Yachts which offers small, transportable sailing boats
The second-hand market offer
Very popular at the time, the integral dinghy was built in many shipyards, and in particular at the French giant Bénéteau which proposes, for example, the Océanis 323 DL or at Jeanneau with the Espace 1000 .
But the leader in all categories, remains the French manufacturer Kirié, which has made it the trademark of its range of sailing boats Feeling .
Other second hand integral dinghies : Trisbal 36 Trismus, Ikone..
There are also many one-off projects, often built individually by an architect at the specific request of a client or even for amateur builders.
Benefits
- Reduced draught
- Failing without risk
- Craneless fairing (as long as you can access under the hull when dry)
- Freedom in the choice of ports of call
- Ease of wintering (no cradle)
- Doesn't lie on its side like other boats when they run aground
Disadvantages
- Reduced performance upwind (less steep boat)
- Greater roll, especially at anchor if the drift is raised
- Maintenance to avoid drift play
Do you know any other manufacturers? What do you think of the ballasted dinghy as a cruise or travel boat?
