Type of Dingy, Inflatable or NOT?

I need a another dingy. The one I have is too old and the back transom seam is shot.

Having been told it's not repairable, I did find someone to repair it and it leaks less, but still too much.

When I made a change in dinghies two years ago, I did not realize that I was trading relatively new for pretty old.

I do not use the dingy very much. Now, is it bc it always gave me problems? or got me wet?? I don't know. In the past 2 years, it's certainly been less than a dozen times.

OK now I'm back in North America and will have to use it more.

I'm thinikning that maybe a skift, not inflatable, will do what I need.

It must be big enough for 4 people and the 5 hp outboard I have.

Inflatable or not??

Two arguments for inflatables are:
- better stability (at least IMO, but I think generally, too)
- it's just a big fender, if (when) it bounces against the big boat

I've come to prefer RIBs with internal flooring, so things inside stay dry even if the bilge is sloshing a bit -- as from after a heavy rain or whatever.

Our current RIB has a folding transom; not particularly useful, for us... although in the early years (BT: Before Trailer) it meant I could deflate the thing and stuff it into the back of the Suburban.

Our previous situation meant storing that dinghy deflated. In that case, the roll-up floor was likely easier to work with compared to large flooring pieces. An inflatable floor (HPIF) would have been even easier to work with... but at the time I was worried about Big Dog (Pretty Good Pyrenees and a big Golden Receiver) toenails.... which eventually turned out to be a non-issue. I'd guess deflating and foding for storage and so forth probably not issues, in your case.

-Chris

I'd stick with an inflatable. I'm in the same situation. Mine is pretty much dead. Probably go new with sectional plywood floor. I use a 2hp motor which works fine.

I am in the process of contemplating going to a rigid tender. I have a decent RIB with an under powered motor at the moment.

The idea of a tender that rows well and also can be used as a sailing dinghy appeals to me. I have a nice electric outboard that would work great with one and the idea of not having to store gasoline is also nice.

However, I have rarely been in a situation where I feel I need to go long distances quickly in a dinghy. Since my current RIB won't plane with the its motor I can't do that well anyhow.

So, if I am going to go slow anyway, I would rather do it quietly and with with style. If I needed to go quickly then I would need to spring for a larger outboard for my RIB. Either option is going to be expensive.

Having used my RIB to unground the boat, I wouldn't change a thing.

Our 3.1M runs about 17kts. with 2 people and a 15HP engine. I have done over 20nm in it before to pick up a part while I was on the hook.

We've had both and keep coming back to a RIB. Finding a skiff that fits on the boat deck, is stable, easy to get in/out of and for the same weight as a RIB, haven't seen too many.


Richard: You are in an area where you can sometimes buy with no duty. You'll also be passing by a bunch of locations that have Budget Marines, They're better than West Marine, plus you'll have several options when you get to Panama if you can wait.


The Caribbean's Leading Chandlery - Budget Marine

I can tell you that we tried the Livingston hard dual hull. While it had lots more i side space over the inflatable, we HATED IT. Under power, the water coming between the pontoons hit the outboard lower unit and splashed up into the boat. It sucked so much. At trawl speeds, it was inefficient thru the water.

We just bought a used Boss/Rigid hard dinghy. So far we like it better than our old RIB. No air leaks and room to stow stuff. Yes you need to carry a couple small fenders.

Some people have trouble with inflatables. Generally the damage is self inflicted. It might take a bit more care, but for all the reasons stated above, a Rib is the way to go. I switched to an inflatable 12 years ago and have never had a single problem. We cruise year round from FL to NE. We anchor frequently an like to get the dog ashore to run on the beaches. Plus we go on expeditions and have gone off 30 miles exploring with our Rib which cruises at 16-18 KT fully loaded. Some people like the livingston but as Tom said it can be a wet heavy beast. I have two friends who went that way and who went back to a rib in less than 6 months. .

Wifey B: RIB RIB RIB! We use ours a lot. They are easy to handle, nothing hard to hit boat and a good RIB will handle rough conditions better than a comparably sized hard. I'm talking a RIB with a nice V. Much is personal use and need. We go exploring so we like fast...whoa big shock. We've had many days of covering a hundred miles in the RIB.

Now a preference we had too but don't expect anyone else here to have is jets. An outboard will do much the same though.

There's a huge difference in quality of RIBS. The better ones will not have the same leaking issues and will be easier to patch or even replace tubes.

I had an AB290 with an internal floor. I liked the boat a lot. I gave it away after 13 years of hard duty. It is still serviceable. I bought a West Marine 310 with just the single hull/floor. I didn't think the double hull was worth the extra $500 and weight. I was wrong. THe biggest deal is the floor is not flat....it is the shape of the hull. So going from a rolling big boat to a rolling small boat with a non flat floor can be very challenging. If I had to do it again, I would get the double hull. But other than that, the boat is just fine. 20 knots with two people and a Yamaha 15hp 2 stroke.

Dinghys and tenders are a hornet's nest of opinion. Mine is that I like the hard ones. I have a Sterling, made in Oregon and much like a Livingston. Tough as hell and never deflates, not even when attacked by gaff hooks, knives and fish hooks. Lots of interior volume for its 11 ft size. 9.9 hp planes it easily with a couple humans and a border collie. I'll never own another rib.

Bullfrog... 'nuff said!

Utility Yacht Tender / Dinghy 10 - Bullfrog Boats


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Unless you intend to row or sail, get an inflatable.

markpierce said:

Unless you intend to row or sail, get an inflatable.

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Wifey B: Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. That song leaves out a part. You have to come back up the stream. It's not downhill both ways.

One gripe about my old inflatable with the plywood floor- WET FEET. No matter how I drained it, at least some water came back in the drain. Not usually an issue as I have flops on or bare feet. But sometimes I had shoes on, then I was not happy.

There has to be a better way to handle the bilge on these without increasing weight much. I like lightweight as there are times I drag it by myself over the back of the transom into the cockpit. That will be a big criterion when I go shopping.

Our inflatable has an Air Deck internal floor which inflates hard and flat, and has been problem free.
Imo it is worth repairing an inflatable if the issue is obvious and confined, but if everything starts to fail it`s the dumpster.
The most durable dinghy is made of poly(?polyethylene) as used here by houseboat charter coys, but they tend to heavy, often double skinned they can get water between skins making them really heavy and strange steering, as the water shifts about.

BandB said:

Wifey B: Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. That song leaves out a part. You have to come back up the stream. It's not downhill both ways.

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Fortunately, here on the San Francisco estuary, currents reverse 180 degrees several times a day. Just pick the right time!

Wxx3 said:

[...] OK now I'm back in North America and will have to use it more.
[..]

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Sorry, don't mind me for the little correction but you are in France not North America

Baker said:

I had an AB290 with an internal floor. I liked the boat a lot. I gave it away after 13 years of hard duty. It is still serviceable. I bought a West Marine 310 with just the single hull/floor. I didn't think the double hull was worth the extra $500 and weight. I was wrong. THe biggest deal is the floor is not flat....it is the shape of the hull. So going from a rolling big boat to a rolling small boat with a non flat floor can be very challenging. If I had to do it again, I would get the double hull. But other than that, the boat is just fine. 20 knots with two people and a Yamaha 15hp 2 stroke.

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I have the same dingy for the same reasons.

Thinking a simple slat floor will work fine as there are 2 flats on either side of the vee aft of the seat.

Lou_tribal said:

Sorry, don't mind me for the little correction but you are in France not North America

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Me thinks he's in "North America"... Just Sayin'

Flags of North American Countries

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_countries_by_population



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Might as well be talking about anchors.

Walker bay

Ski in NC said:

One gripe about my old inflatable with the plywood floor- WET FEET. No matter how I drained it, at least some water came back in the drain. Not usually an issue as I have flops on or bare feet. But sometimes I had shoes on, then I was not happy.

There has to be a better way to handle the bilge on these without increasing weight much. I like lightweight as there are times I drag it by myself over the back of the transom into the cockpit. That will be a big criterion when I go shopping.

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Walker bays have double floors so three water goes on a bilge and your feet stay dry.

Gordon

Diesel Duck said:

Me thinks he's in "North America"... Just Sayin'

Flags of North American Countries

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_countries_by_population



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Sorry buddy, don't know the source of your web site but Martinique is not a country but a DOM (lookup DOM definition as I do not know the English translation) so its flag is French flag the same way Hawaii flag is US flag.
Same for Guadeloupe that is not even part of their list of supposed North American countries...
It was only a joke for Richard no need to start an anchor thread like mentionned by kev

You are right Lou, Martinique is French, just like New Caledonia is French, but I think Richard was sort of thinking ahead as to where he is going to soon end up, rather than where he was, literally, at the time. But you knew that, I know, and were just having a wee 'dig', and fair enough...

As to Richard's query...I having had 2 inflatables already, the last a sailing all-rounder, called the Tinker Tramp, and would again go for inflatable, but one with the rigid fibreglass V-shaped bottom, as in RIB, I think.

Re a sailing type...the number of times we stepped the mast, attached the tiller, and put in the centreboard and sailed it I could number on less than one hand, so another sailing one I would not bother with. However, being made of hypalon, the damn thing is hard to kill, and even tho it looks horrible now, it is 30 years old, and still going. The only real criticism I have of it as an inflatable is the darned mushroom valves it came with, (replaced once), have always leaked slowly, so it needs a few pumps every day to keep it tight.

Rigids mean potential mother boat hull scratches unless one adds in fenders or gunn'l padding, and rigids are much harder to embark and disembark from with any dignity...and can't be downsized significantly by deflating to transport. Horses for courses I guess.

The 1st pic below is that Tinker Tramp when still quite new, back in 1987. Those kids are now in their forties - get the picture re durability..?

The second pic (what you can see of it) is how it looks now. The pontoons are now the colour of a dead fish, but still won't give up, although I have had to patch the odd puncture. The best use for the mast from the sailing gear was when it became the support for my Airbreeze wind genny... 3rd pic
Hmmm, instead of craning neck, just look at the avatar pic.

Peter B said:

You are right Lou, Martinique is French, just like New Caledonia is French, but I think Richard was sort of thinking ahead as to where he is going to soon end up, rather than where he was, literally, at the time. But you knew that, I know, and were just having a wee 'dig', and fair enough...

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Yeah it was just a joke, not a good one I admit, hard to do a good joke in a foreign language
To be back to the subject, that's funny because I was talking about this a day ago. We have no dinghy at all and we want to add that to our list next year, and we are not decided yet on inflatable or not or even 2 kayak. I am reading this thread with a lot of interest.

I have an Avon Rover RIB 280 with a double bottom and large diameter tubes. With 9hp it runs about 20 with one person and 18 with two. In my opinion, it is a little too short and can be a overly sensitive to steering (twitchy) at speed. I think a 310 with 15 hp would be the ideal RIB for my use.

Lou_tribal said:

Yeah it was just a joke, not a good one I admit, hard to do a good joke in a foreign language
To be back to the subject, that's funny because I was talking about this a day ago. We have no dinghy at all and we want to add that to our list next year, and we are not decided yet on inflatable or not or even 2 kayak. I am reading this thread with a lot of interest.

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Dans ce cas, vous pourriez vouloir prendre note de mes remarques, en particulier celles relatives à la préférence pour un gonflable, mais il doit être constitué de hypalon.

Peter B said:

Dans ce cas, vous pourriez vouloir prendre note de mes remarques, en particulier celles relatives à la préférence pour un gonflable, mais il doit être constitué de hypalon.

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Vous parlez decidement un bien bon francais pour quelqu'un qui vit la tete en bas! Je prend en effet vos remarques avec le plus grand interet et je vous en remercie.

Lou_tribal said:

To be back to the subject, that's funny because I was talking about this a day ago. We have no dinghy at all and we want to add that to our list next year, and we are not decided yet on inflatable or not or even 2 kayak. I am reading this thread with a lot of interest.

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Pardonnez moi sil vous plait, posting in English (worse still in Australian English). We have 2 kayaks for fun,exercise,toys,and going places. Aussi, a 2.6M inflatable with outboard engine.We are working on storage issues, we like all of them.