AB Dinghy

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by DotDun

IIRC, Highfield is Swift from AU. Highfield is manufactured in China (I believe Swift is also now).

Highfield yes...Swift still built at the Gold Coast Australia factory.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

Highfield yes...Swift still built at the Gold Coast Australia factory.

Is not Highfield and Swift the same company?

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by DotDun

Is not Highfield and Swift the same company?

Yes! but as you said, Highfields are built in China........

.....but, Swift boats are built in Australia, Highfields are the cheapy Swifts, clear as mud i think

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

Yes! but as you said, Highfields are built in China........

.....but, Swift boats are built in Australia, Highfields are the cheapy Swifts, clear as mud i think

[CampDavid]

I would be interested if anyone has an Apex. I have heard good things about Apex. There is a nice AB UL 10 close to me. It needs a little cleaning ( 1 .5 yrs old) however the price is right. I called AB and they said my 15 HP 2 stroke Yamaha is too much engine. However a 9.9 is ok. The 9.9 is pretty well the same engine just carburetor. Anybody have experience with UL or 15 on a UL

[a64pilot]

My opinion is as long as your within the max weight limit for an engine, HP is irrelevant, your an adult, you don’t have to hold it wide open.
Just cause a car can do 150 mph, doesn’t mean it’s unsafe on the highway, why should a dinghy be different?

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

My opinion is as long as your within the max weight limit for an engine, HP is irrelevant, your an adult, you don’t have to hold it wide open.
Just cause a car can do 150 mph, doesn’t mean it’s unsafe on the highway, why should a dinghy be different?

This is deja vu.

You are correct, don't crack the throttle wide-open with one person aboard and the boat won't flip over backward. This is the real danger with too much hp on a short boat.

The problem becomes a liability if there is ever an accident. It will certainly be noted in any accident investigation report that you exceeded the manufacturer maximum recommended hp. What happens after that when insurance company lawyers get ahold of the report is only a guess.

I know one guy who actually removed the placard on the boat to cover this....I guess he thought no one would be able to determine the boat model after doing so...??

YMMV

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by JayH

I have an unpainted AB 13AL purchased new 2 years ago. My previous dinghy was a 10 year old 12VS. We're a cruising family of 7 and the dinghy gets used pretty hard. My experience with build quality and durability of AB boats has been great.

I would go with the biggest dinghy you can handle. The extra foot and deeper V of the AL was a remarkable improvement for us. We anchor off the beach rather than drag ashore.

+1

I have the same dingy but painted. We love it. I did have a problem with an air leak around the bow seat that took some time to repair. Mostly because the repair technicians couldn't find it.

[Deuces]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I know the which dinghy should I buy has been bet to death a little, so I’m going to be more specific.
My current dinghy at three years is falling apart so badly that it is now beyond my repair capabilities and apparently beyond an experts as well. I have been sitting in an anchorage without a dink for a solid week now waiting for their warranty division to make a decision, and I think they have successfully waited me out, they won, I give up, I need to buy a new dink and get this behind me, we are beginning to lose our minds stuck at anchor with no way ashore and no where to go.

First had anyone heard anything bad about AB, specifically the AL series, the unfinished aluminum hulled ones.
Second, I currently have a 3.10 Meter RIB, and like the bigger size, but the 9.5 foot AB I see a lot, if money weren’t an object and you can carry a 10.5 foot dink, would you go with the bigger one, or smaller.
I also have a 20HP Suzuki, so I have enough motor for the bigger dink.

Smaller is appealing as it’s well, smaller and a little lighter and I’d assume be easier to drag up on the beach, but will it be big enough to haul two American sized adults and groceries and say bikes?
Nice way of saying it’s been a long time since I weighed 130 lbs.

The real important overriding factor though is to not buy another dink that will be falling apart in a year or two, and that is why I’m seeking some feedback on the build quality and durability of the AB AL dinghy.
Also entertain if there is something better out there. I don’t want another budget dinghy though, I want to buy something that if I put chaps on it, will last me ten years.

Oh, and a dry ride is real important to us, would the bigger dink be drier? Tube size is the same.

Bottom Line Up Front, we whole heartedly endorse the AL series of ABs. Ours was the 11 ft version, with the flat floor. 15 hp Long shaft motor on the back. Since we were crossing the Pacific we opted for a second fuel tank and although it added weight, we carried the spare fuel in the dink. The 15 hp was more than enough to get the two of us with all our scuba gear onto a plane. I can distinctly remember refueling in Polynesia with 8 fuel cans wedged inside and bouncing over choppy harbor to get back to the boat. Yes we stayed dry. We really missed that AL, so much so that we searched in the Mediterranean to find one... no luck. So we are currently in possession of a Brig F 360. ... not the same ....

The tender, motor, tank combination was heavier than some may want to hang on davits. While we were in NZ, we installed "the Wheels", essential in order to return a beached tender to the water after the tide ran out. Bottom line, the construction was outstanding. Get the size that fits your boat, The way we were set up worked for us. No leaks, failures, etc.

[kmcshane]

Lifeline inflatables
North Miami
Experts and highly recommended

Sent from my SM-N900V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[HankOnthewater]

A64, AB 10 ft, 53 kg, or about 100 lbs, max engine HP is 20, so good for your Suzuki.
Lammina 10 AL | AB Inflatables
I have one with 15 HP 2 stroke, that is more than enough; next engine will be smaller, next dinghy same size. But... being only 4-5 years old that replacement will be some years in the future.'
Hmmm, next dinghy might have a fixed bowlocker, otherwise no complaints.

[rourkeh]

I had an AB 10 AL with the anchor locker. It was the last of the painted hulls. Best riding small inflatable I have ever been in.. The dealer for AB in Ft Lauderdale is 84 boat works wich is a good company. I have had dealings with Tender Care in Ft Lauderdale and you may find a used one there. Great company, excellent service, the best.
AB has been having some quality control issues, but I would still buy the 10 AL over anything else out there because it is such a great boat.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by DotDun

This is deja vu.



You are correct, don't crack the throttle wide-open with one person aboard and the boat won't flip over backward. This is the real danger with too much hp on a short boat.



The problem becomes a liability if there is ever an accident. It will certainly be noted in any accident investigation report that you exceeded the manufacturer maximum recommended hp. What happens after that when insurance company lawyers get ahold of the report is only a guess.



I know one guy who actually removed the placard on the boat to cover this....I guess he thought no one would be able to determine the boat model after doing so...??



YMMV

So I guess since I removed my 20 HP sticker on my motor to help prevent theft and replaced it with an 8, they will write it up as being powered by an 8 ?

We can live our lives in perpetual fear of the “man” or not. I chose not to.

[DotDun]

Possibly

The only reason I bring it up is so people understand there are aspects generally not thought about to oversizing a dinghy motor.

I have no issues with what others do.

[a64pilot]

Well I am getting an AB 10 Al hopefully tomorrow, it’s rated for 20 Hp, so I guess my 8 will be OK now .

Down South I don’t think I have ever seen a Bass Boat that didn’t have a motor that was way over the placard limit, and I mean way over. They are sold that way, by dealers, and owned by banks, and of course payments made on them, insured etc.
I know the placard limit is a CFR, but seemingly ignored. I’ve seen quite a few accidents with Bass boats, give a half drunk redneck a 90 mph Boat, and what do you think is going to happen? Yet I have never heard of it being over powered as an issue.