WALKER BAY
Walker Bay 8 & 10 Dinghies

Comments about Walker Bay 8 & 10 Dinghies:

We used the 8 foot version for years as a tender for our sailboat. With one person it was very easy to row and almost as stable as much heaver boats. It has a flat bottom so it resists tipping when someone steps on one side.
With two people, it is slow. The balance point is too far aft and it only rows well if a heavy weight is put in the bow.
It has the advantage (also the reason we purchased it) that it is fairly easy for one person to pick up and get into the water.

Comments about Walker Bay 8 & 10 Dinghies:

Only buy if you also intend to buy the tube kit. We bought it as a dinghy for our yacht and first trip it tipped over, second trip we were so scared we said...no more until we buy tube kit.

It got here quickly and was together in a jiffy. Starting using it right away. Just what I needed to replace my old wornout dinghy!

Comments about Walker Bay 8 & 10 Dinghies:

Our family has owned a WB 10 with the RIB tubes and Performance Sail Kit for 5 years. It has totally changed our cruising experience. Far roomier than traditional RIBs due to the unique design. Sail kit offers endless hours of entertainment in anchorages for our daughters (and their father).

With the tubes it is much more stable than our old dinghy; I have never tried it without the tubes, so I can't speak to that. Not inexpensive, but the smiles on my family's faces speak to its value.

I used it as a tender for my trawler. Way too tippy for the less than athletic. Wrong hull design for such a light boat.

I am 62 y.o. male. I really enjoy this 8 ft sailing dinghy. It points well and it is the perfect boat to really learn how to sail. Just go out with a lifepreserver and a chlorox bottle to bail. If you run aground, just get out and push it off.

Great for lakes or small bays.

My kids and I have a great time with our new Walker Bay. My oldest is able to move the boat himself with the wheel in the bottom (really clever) and almost rig the sail kit by himself. We love this little boat.

The Walker Bay's have been around forever and there's endless evaluation of their properties on various web discussion pages, but as a recent owner of the 8 it became clear to me that this is not a stable boat without the inflatable collar, and using any type of engine would also be problematic. A lightweight plastic dinghy is a great idea but the traditional hull shape used here probably derives a lot of its stability from the weight of wood used in the traditional construction, weight which is missing here. I can't imagine the sail version of this being a good idea either, though getting dunked is at least a tolerated tradition among dinghy sailors. Buy one of these as a fun boat for the lake but buy an inflatable or a traditional wood/fiberglass rowboat for your tender.