What is the best inflatable tender

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Molly said:
I just finished my search. Ended up with less than I wanted. I have 1 piece of advise. I wanted Hypalon and a "roll up". I don't like leaving the boat inflated on the deck or on davits. That's a personal choice. I got a good deal on a Hypalon dink, but it has a floor. I hate it.
My advise is, think about the features you want and then go and buy THAT. Do Not Settle for less. I saved a few hundred dollars, but now I am stuck with an expensive mistake.

I would have been much happier with a roll up floor.
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I wonder why you wanted Hypalon if you were going with a roll-up. If you aren't storing the dinghy out in the sun for extended periods, it seems to me that PVC would be a better value?
 
We bought a 10 ft BRIG made from Hypalon and so far, enjoying it. It's less than a year old, though, so no long term results to share.
 
easy answer

As a person who has unfortunately had way to many dinghies. I have found the best, a Highfield. Aluminum hull which is more durable and lighter than the Mercury I had prior.

They have a great warranty, did I mention how my Mercury gave out 5 years and 1 month to the day I bought it? Yep a 5 year warranty..

The tubes are larger, and that is the key, go with the biggest tube for safety and comfort..

Oh and they are almost the same price as a Mercury and much cheaper than an exotic..

I hope this helps..
 
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For live-aboard or extended cruising, a flat floor is essential. Think about trying to carry laundry and groceries in a dinghy that always has a little water in the "V" of the floor. We've got a 12' hypalon Novurania that is 19 years old. It's in the sun 100% of the time the sun is shining, never covered. After 19 years, the hypalon has completely worn away in multiple areas (the black areas in the pics below). I dreaded the thought of having to spend thousands of dollars to replace it since the hull is still in decent shape. Decided to try the liquid rubber inflatable boat paint. Sealed the tubes with Toobseal then prepped per directions and applied the Liquid Rubber. Wow! Stuff can be bought at Inflatable Boat Parts. If you're looking to safe some $$$, consider a used dinghy and a refurb!

Bow-Before.jpg Stern-Before.jpg
Bow-After.jpgStern-After.jpg
 
MOJO said:
For live-aboard or extended cruising, a flat floor is essential. Think about trying to carry laundry and groceries in a dinghy that always has a little water in the "V" of the floor. We've got a 12' hypalon Novurania that is 19 years old. It's in the sun 100% of the time the sun is shining, never covered. After 19 years, the hypalon has completely worn away in multiple areas (the black areas in the pics below). I dreaded the thought of having to spend thousands of dollars to replace it since the hull is still in decent shape. Decided to try the liquid rubber inflatable boat paint. Sealed the tubes with Toobseal then prepped per directions and applied the Liquid Rubber. Wow! Stuff can be bought at Inflatable Boat Parts. If you're looking to safe some $$$, consider a used dinghy and a refurb!

View attachment 82754 View attachment 82756
View attachment 82755View attachment 82757
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Nice work but you're killing me. I already restore old appliances, motorcycles, and other things found around the home. Now I want to go buy worn out dinks and save them. I think I have the lost animal syndrome when it comes to material things, especially if it has an engine. :lol:
 
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I love inflatable dinghies, but I dislike RIBS. I won't have one.

I've always used real inflatable boats with good floorboards, out of wood or aluminum.
We are currently on our second Zodiac Mark 1 classic. Our last one lasted nearly ten years of very hard service. It never had a leak, not once! We are 100% liveaboards and a charter boat, so our dinghy is used somewhere around 350 days a year. And we use it hard! It has a 4 stroke 15 on it and it will run @ about 15 knots with 4 adults and some luggage, more like 35 with my wife alone! We don't like crowds, so we'll anchor out a bit and use the dink, at cruising speed almost always (no, no wake zones down here) from our anchorage to shore.
I don't think anyone who knows inflatable boats would argue that the Zodiac inflatables marketed under their own brand (the ones made in France) are the best-made inflatables. So much so that they come with a 5-year warranty.
Price wise, I find them most competitive, at least from Defender. We paid just over $2800.00 plus shipping to Grenada for our Mark 1 Classic, 11'6" with aluminum floorboards last year.
If we get 9 years of nearly daily use (not seasonal!) out of this one, that would make it one of the cheapest and most trouble free inflatables on the market.
One last consideration. A RIB cannot be deflated and stored below, away from the elements and thieves, as a true inflatable one can. Or rolled up and thrown in the trunk or lick up bed.
 
MOJO said:
Decided to try the liquid rubber inflatable boat paint. Sealed the tubes with Toobseal then prepped per directions and applied the Liquid Rubber. Wow! Stuff can be bought at Inflatable Boat Parts.
Click to expand...

Bixler's, owners of inflatableboatparts, are the people to go to. Inflatable Boat Repair Kits, ToobSeal Inflatable Boat Repair Sealant And SoftChocks Dinghy Chocks. By Bixlers Marine Inc.

Their cleaners are superb. Their repair kits and replacement parts. Most of all their knowledge. If you need to know anything about maintaining or repairing a dinghy, they're the people to call.
 
Just went through this myself. Really liked the AB with the aluminum bottom for lightness but quite expensive new and not many used around. Buddy of mine was at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show and came across a Brig Falcon console model with a 30HP Honda BRAND NEW. Boat and motor weigh in at 485 lbs. Add 100 lbs for battery and fuel and still comes in at 45 lbs lighter than the aluminum AB with same HP. Oh, yeah, $12,500 BRAND NEW! Best boat show price we got on the aluminum AB was $22,400. Check out Sirocco Marine.
Jerry Rogers
Whisky Business
 
Hi Bud and Dawn,

Went through this same dilemma this last year, cost was not an issue but livability, and ease of use was. Wanted it to feel safe in the rough, fun, fast, soft dry ride and be able to pull up beaches and weigh less than 275 fully rigged with motor, gas, lines, anchor, etc.

Picked the new Zodiac 330 alu, it's 11 foot Aluminum deep V with flat floor, big gas tank locker which is a nice seat, weighs about 120 lbs, got it for $2400

We picked a new Tohatsu 20hp, 95lbs, $2700. EFI, 1/3 throttle is about 18 knots, setup feels great all the way from idle speed to 20 knots, over that feels a little too fast but brings a smile, nice to know there is plenty left.

Its very easy to handle, rides really great, feels light, great range, looks very nice. The motor is very quiet and gets a lot better mpg than the old 10.5 Zodiac/yamaha15 it replaced. Having the gas in the locker with the gas line going to the motor under the floor is nice and tidy. Its made of welded PVC which we wanted. We have been through 30+ tanks of gas since last spring and have not had to add air. Its been through the gambit and doesn't have any bad areas. We are always looking forward to our dinghy rides.

>steve
 
Ctsearay said:
Walker Bay Genesis all day long!
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I'd say our Hypalon Genesis is "OK." Not sure its better than anything else, maybe not even equal to some others.

The internal floor is good, the seat storage is good, an optional extra seat (with another of that same storage) is good...

Hull is OK. Weight is OK. The folding transom isn't a feature I need, and I expect it means a weak point (compared to others with rigid transoms).

I would have preferred the console version, actually, but that has eluded my wallet so far, and I'm still debating about whether we could handle the extra weight on our mother-ship's transom.

We've had to have some leaks repaired, and have another one to deal with as we speak. The most recent was partially my fault; we had several near-100°F days in a row and I should have let some air out of the tubes... but the whole thing was down at the outboard repair shop and I didn't think to drive down there or have them look at that...

-Chris
 
foreverunderway said:
I love inflatable dinghies, but I dislike RIBS. I won't have one.

I've always used real inflatable boats with good floorboards, out of wood or aluminum....
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Not sure if your experience does not include "airdeck" inflatable floors,or you found them wanting. I`m on my second dinghy with an inflatable floor deck, it inflates fast, hard as, can be deflated and left in place for roll up or removed and stored separately.
 
Mounting Options

My decision on a tender was contingent upon how it would be mounted on my 31' Camano trawler's aft swim platform. Our previous tender was mounted using standard Weaver davits glued to the tender's tube and, when the tender was pivoted vertically, the mounts put a lot of pressure on the tubes, especially if they weren't fully inflated. We ultimately chose an Achilles (hypalon) HB310AL aluminum RIB so that heavier duty Weaver arc davits could be mounted solidly on the tender's hard aluminum hull and transom (rather than glued to the tender's tube). This configuration is far superior (but costly).

I agree with the previous replies that AB tenders are probably the best but we found that the Achilles brand probably delivered the best overall value, at least where hypalon fabric is used.
 
By the way, we have not found that the painted deck of our aluminum RIB Achilles gets unduly hot as someone in another thread had wondered. Perhaps it might if the deck is completely out of the water and exposed to direct sun, but, once the deck is placed on water, the aluminum's contact with water will quickly dissipate any heat.
 
We went through the same process last year. After having our 40' Mainship painted, the 10 year old Apex just didn't cut it. Ended up with a Highland. Great boat so far, but funny thing . My old 12' Apex planned great with 5 people with the Yamaha F20, but the Highland wouldn't plane with 4 until I put a hydrafoil on the engine. Now it plans great, but I never understood why a boat that is 100 pounds lighter doesn't plan with the same power?
I plan on adding their lightweight console at some point in the future, the aluminum hull comes predrilled and tapped for it.
 
bykpjfk said:
.... My old 12' Apex planned great with 5 people with the Yamaha F20, but the Highland wouldn't plane with 4 until I put a hydrafoil on the engine. Now it plans great, but I never understood why a boat that is 100 pounds lighter doesn't plan with the same power?.....
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Wonder if the transom angles were different. Consider adjusting the rake of the motor?
 
We are very happy with our 9' TUG Inflatable and offer them for your consideration.

I've been told by them that know that you don't need to own a Tug to buy and use a TUG Inflatable.

The large tubes, aluminum hull, flat floor and built in bow locker were the selling features that we were looking for.
 
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