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04-14-2015, 12:07 PM
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#1
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Guru
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,021
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Lookin' at a new dinghy...
The Sicilian wants to get away from slat floors and get either a wooden or an aluminum floored dinghy. Any thoughts on which is better?
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04-14-2015, 01:29 PM
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#2
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TF Site Team
City: California Delta
Vessel Name: FlyWright
Vessel Model: 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,728
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What size? I have an Achilles LEX-96 that has a wooden floor. Works for me, but I'd rather have a RIB. OTOH, RIBs are too heavy to easily maneuver onboard without a davit. So I live with my little Achilles. It's rated for up to 8HP.
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04-14-2015, 01:43 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 340
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Brig
Best inflatable I ever had was a (310?) 10'- 10" Hypalon Brig rib. wish I still had it. Got about 20 MPH out of it with an 8hp yamaha 2 stroke. Turned on a dime. Great boat
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04-15-2015, 08:34 AM
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#4
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Guru
City: Maine Coast
Vessel Name: Tortuga
Vessel Model: Nunes Brothers Raised Deck Cruiser
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 889
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You might consider a compact RIB. I have a West Marine (Zodiac) 3.11 compact RIB. It weighs under 100 lbs. It has most of the performance of a standard RIB without the weight. The compact Rib design has a wood transom that folds down for stowage in a bag that is less than 8" high with the dinghy in it.
I also have a Great Harbor 10 rowing/sailing hard dinghy. Rows like a dream and sails very nicely too.
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04-16-2015, 02:08 AM
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#5
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Member
City: Elkto, Md.
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 13
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a Portland Pudgy - it's only 8' long but the most stable dinghy i've ever used and owned. I can stand on the gunwale (250#) and not bring any water over the side. It really does row and sail easily and was designed to replace a liferaft.
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04-16-2015, 02:34 AM
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#6
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Guru
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,329
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You can get an inflatable "Airdeck" floor, instead of slats. Popular here, easily inflated, it gives an (ahem) "rock hard" floor, I think there is some kind of construction within the floor envelope. My floor has a small opening so I can access a valve to inflate the small inflatable keel of my dinghy.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
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04-16-2015, 12:00 PM
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#7
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Scraping Paint
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
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If one wants a hardshell dingy Livingstons are very good utility/shoreboats. The smaller sizes don't have the freeboard to be heavy load carriers or rough water boats but for basic shoreboat duty they're great,next remedy stable and pretty much indestructible.
I have no idea how available they are now as their manufacture has moved from Washington to the east coast somewhere.
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04-16-2015, 12:21 PM
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#8
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Guru
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,021
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Agree with you BruceK, that's the one we are lookin' at. Watched a video of two young men with backs puttin' together a wood floored dinghy and decided it was beyond the capabilities of this ol' coot.
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04-16-2015, 12:55 PM
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#9
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Guru
City: Cypress Landing Marina (NC)
Vessel Name: Heron (2)
Vessel Model: '88 Cape Dory 28 Flybridge #115
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,305
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BruceK
You can get an inflatable "Airdeck" floor, instead of slats. Popular here, easily inflated, it gives an (ahem) "rock hard" floor, I think there is some kind of construction within the floor envelope. My floor has a small opening so I can access a valve to inflate the small inflatable keel of my dinghy.
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That's what I just got...A Quicksilver with Airdeck floor. I' had a great ownership experience with my last Quicksilver (Mercury) and decided the Airdeck presented the lightest, easiest to handle set-up. Relatively inexpensive too if you buy non-current models through Defender..
Very nice quality..light, Big tubes, great stability.. I'll be mounting some Weaver davits to it soon and pushing it with a 2hp Honda..
__________________
Steve
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04-26-2015, 10:14 AM
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#10
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Guru
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,021
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We have the same thing from West Marine and are havin' a tough time inflating it. What do you inflate first? The instructions are somewhat lackin' in details.
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