Our 8ft stem dinghy can be stowed away in a space measuring just 4ft 
square. She weighs approx 75 to 80-lb (34-36kg), depending on the level 
of fitout, so the individual sections are very easy to manhandle. She is a 
very classic shape, and (in a textbook case of "What looks right usually is 
right") rows beautifully too!

She is most comfortable with a load of up to two adults, but will take three
in calm conditions. This size of boat is exempt from the Recreational Craft
Directive but we'd rate her Category D, two adults plus luggage, maximum
load 400-lb (180kg). 

Like all Nestaways, her hull splits into sections - and these stow inside each other for easier storage and transport. Here she is stood on end, giving the smallest "footprint" possible (approx 4ft x 1ft 6") As you can see she has quite large buoyancy tanks for a boat this size, and we found these sufficient to keep her afloat with at least one large bloke on board after a complete swamping (ie she was still buoyant and stable enough for him to bail her out).

She has the most compact nested dimensions of all our boats, and that means she fits in spaces that others won't... here for example she is stood upright in the front of a (standard roof) VW Transporter van, having gone in through the side door. A single piece boat would of course take up almost the whole interior!  The separate pieces are easily manageable for one person on their own, and with a little practice launching - even without a trolley - becomes relatively straight-forward.

Click here for pdf diagram of nested dimensions: 8ft Stem Dinghy dimensions

The simulated clinker planking and oiled timber fitout (Iroko as standard,
Teak available as an upgrade) gives her a traditional appearance with
minimal maintenance requirements.

The assembly process consists of aligning the two sections by means of the
tapered hook fittings, then doing up three bolts into threaded inserts - it
takes less than a minute. Once assembled the join (see below) is barely
visible - no we didn't cheat, it is the same boat! 

We've already mentioned she is a lovely boat to row, but she can of course
also be fitted with a small outboard, and the hull is very easily driven -
ideal for electric motors such as those made by Torqeedo (click here). 

Performance will depend on load and trim but with a 90kg person on board,
using a Torqeedo 503, we obtained the following results:

- Power draw 50W, speed 3.5kmph
- Power draw 100W, speed 4.3kmph
- Power draw 250W, speed 6kmph
- Power draw 500W, speed 7.5kmph

So at 6kmph (approx 3 knots) with a 520Wh battery she'd have had a range
of about 12km (6 nautical miles); and at 4.3kmph (just over 2 knots) a range
of 22km (11 nautical miles). That's much further than you'd get an inflatable
on the same power, and more than adequate for what most people use this
sort of dinghy for. 

If you need a larger dinghy we also offer:

- 8ft Nesting Pram Dinghy. Only slightly longer, but the fuller bow shape gives
her more capacity.
- 9ft Nesting Stem Dinghy. Only a foot longer, but also wider and deeper,
making her feel an altogether much larger boat. (Volume/capacity in boats
increases by the cube, ie much more rapidly than it might sound.)

Please Note: if you have seen the Nestaway range before, this boat is
a replacement for our original 7ft 10" stem dinghy, which had a finer
waterline and bow, and less freeboard - making her a lovely rowing
boat - but only really suitable for 1 adult with an occasional passenger.
We can still build this model to order, please ask for details.