Tinker Tinkeress

I have wanted to get a Tinker Tramp or Tinker Traveller with the sailing rig for quite a long time. I do not even know that Tinker Inflatables even made a catamaran version of them.

I saw an auction on ebay for a new unused Tinker Tinkeress with a new and unused Mariner outboard. I searched online but, was not able to find anything about the dinghy. I decided to bid up to an amount that I would be able to sell the outboard for. I won the item and picked up the item in Doncaster.

When I brought the dinghy home I set her up and inspected everything and everything was how one would expect. The seller informed me that the boat was brought with the outboard at the EarlsCourt Boat show and had only been set up three times and had never been used.

The following is from the Tinker Inflatables promotional material that come with the dinghy along with Issue No. 11 of the official magazine of the Tinker Class Owners Association.

"The latest design from the drawing board of F. Benyon - Tinker is not only a unique design, subject to a new patent, but the Tinkeresss is the most economic boat in the range. The boat can be assembled in less than a couple of minutes and inflated and ready to launch in another four to five minutes. The Tinkeress will provide a very stable platform for fishermen. The wooden side decks will provide a useful working surface and protect the tubes from sharp knives and hooks. The Tinkeress is a delight to row. The twin tubes providing excellent directional control. She is light and easy. Motoring with a 4HP outboard engine she is fast, very fast, and will carry up to four people. The Tinkeress has a buoyancy of 1425Ibs. (646kgs), she therefore makes an excellent load carrier for use by divers as well as yachtsmen."

I have no idea if the patent went though or how many had been made.

I will be taking her out and will provide an update if you own or have any information on the Tinkeress please contact me.





I took her down to slip by my mooring for a test run. As it was very windy I decided to row and motor around. I had got her out of the car and set up in under 5 minutes. I was pleasantly pleased by the ease of launching in such a shallow water with out the need to get any more than my feet wet.


Under oars against the wind and tide was a bit tricky bug, that may have been down to my technique. Although she was easy to row I would not want to row far in her.


I then started the Mariner 2 stroke 2hp that was also new and come with the boat. Wow she was quick very quick exceeding hull speed with ease. She was also very stable but, I did get a bit wet when motoring into the wind.

I decided to take the Tinker Tinkeress on holiday with me down to Manilva in Southern Spain. Some 1600 miles away. I made a bag for the rigging and mast to go into. I was also able to get my other gear in the bag. Due to the lack of space in my car I had no other option but, to put everything on the roof rack. I secured it with two ratchets and a long rope for added security. It was very windy driving down to Dover and the ferry was delayed by two hours due to strong winds.

I drove from Calais to a small village called Chenay where we stopped for the before driving to Burgos in Spain for the last pit stop before driving down to the Costa Del Sol. I had no issues with the dinghy and gear on the roof rack. On my first day in Manilva I had a failed attempt at a beach launch due to the amount of surf.

 All set up and ready to go

It was not until the third day that I was successful in launching her. It was a bit tricky getting into the dinghy in waist high water. Then I had another challenge getting away from the beach. I rowed hard to get away and into deeper water. The center board is 0.7 meters. I sailed across wind in light winds and she was a pleasure to sail.

Beach Launching 

I found tacking a bit tricky in the light winds and sailing close to the wind was near impossible. This was the first time that I had sailed in a catamaran. I did find her very stable in the waves but, rowing into the wind was quite hard. 

Sorting out the rudder

Sailing in the Med

A beach launch was ok for a short sail in light winds I was out for about two hours and really did enjoy myself. I do wish I had brought the outboard as I would have felt more comfortable sailing further away from the shore and along the coast. I was very pleased with my new inflatable an will be keeping her. I do need to get to know her better and in stronger winds.

Fareham - Cowes - Yarmouth - Fareham

 

 

It is always nice waking up to sunrise

I got caught in the traffic going down to Fareham by the time I had slipped the lines it was +2 high water and the sun was beginning to set. The Solent was fairly quite just a few yachts and container ships. I was once again sailing in the dark, nothing quite like night sailing single handed.  I was 3nm from Wooten Creek when I could hear a loud engine and spotted a port and starboard light but, could not see any other lights. The lights were at least 400 metres high it appeared to be on a collision course. Then I realised why no other lights were visible it was the coast guard helicopter.

                                                 

It was a really weird night and I was very tied having been up since 5am so I decided to pick up a buoy in Cowes, just outside of the channel I was so tied I thought that I would get a good nights sleep. The wash from the ferry was immense and woke me each and every time I had very little sleep that night.

I woke up to an amazing sunrise. Despite the lack of sleep it was nice to have spent the night in Cowes without stepping ashore. I checked the forecast and all was well. I did the engine checks and then click, click she would not start. I had left the cabin light on and had two flat batteries. I was so tied the night before I forgot to switch to the second battery and had left the switch on both. So I was really not happy.  

I gave the batteries a charge with the generator but, after an hour with not enough charge to  start the engine I decided to use the outboard engine and head to Yarmouth. It was a nice sail to Yarmouth and upon arrival I was unable to get though to the harbour master on the radio. So I decided to look for a berth myself. It was packed I managed to find a berth on a walk ashore pontoon with much needed shore power. But, it was very tight indeed I always have my lines and fenders ready when entering port and was able to moor up successfully without any drama.

I had not been to Yarmouth before and it was a pleasant place to spend the night. My batteries now had a full charge and I was preparing the lines to slip when I saw several yachts having near misses upon entering and leaving. I had a bit worried as I had to get out of a tight spot and come about with very little room for error. I put my tricorn on and slipped the lines go a engaged gear and gave the throttle a good push perhaps a little too much to the amazement of onlookers and myself I spun Tallula around with ease and very rapidly.

I left the Yarmouth and decided to try a bit of fishing with the hand line I caught a mackerel on the way back and was very pleased with myself I just wish that I had put a second line out. It took me about 3 hours to get back to Portsmouth 40 minutes to my mooring.

I eat the mackerel the following night and it was very tasty.

Fareham to Bembridge

I decided to sail over to Bembridge even for the Solent it was very bizzy. I saw a number of people launching on the free slip in Fareham. I got the chance to see the new aircraft carrier. I thougtht that she would have been somewhat larger.

 Sadly not much wind F2/3 so had to motor sail all the way as I needed to be moored up before the harbour entrance dried.

I entered the harbour and the depth started dropping so I picked up a bouy. Not realising at the time that even that part of the harbour dried. I spoke to the harbour Master and they said I was just outside the chanel. The pontoons had as many as 7 boats a breast so the already narrow channel was even more narrow. I kissed the ground and had to raft up. I was number seven. I was not able to get any shore power and I had never seen Bembridge with that many vessels before. Even the Harbour Master said that she had not seen it like this before.

I left the next day and had a nice sail back it only took two hours.