How small is too small?

[Ol Dave]

Is 240cm (7' 10") too small to consider for a tender/dinghy for one person?

Other pertinent info ... 5hp motor ... high pressure air floor ... 16 inch tubes ... 155cm (5'1") beam ... 6 months in the Bahamas ... back and forth with groceries ... no long trips ... no fishing tackle or dive tanks ... and deck storage with no davits.

IF NOT ... what IS the smallest/lightest I should consider.

Yours truly,
Scrooge McDuck

[susswein]

Definitely NOT too small. That's about the size of my dinghy, which was a major upgrade from my previous inflatable kayak (which was too small). Consider a smaller/lighter motor (like the honda 2.5). It'll be a lot easier to move between the dinghy and boat.

[Reefmagnet]

Wet ride, will struggle to plane but otherwise should be ok I would think.

[Cheechako]

Should be ok as an inflatable for one person.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Ol Dave

Is 240cm (7' 10") too small to consider for a tender/dinghy for one person?

Other pertinent info ... 5hp motor ... high pressure air floor ... 16 inch tubes ... 155cm (5'1") beam ... 6 months in the Bahamas ... back and forth with groceries ... no long trips ... no fishing tackle or dive tanks ... and deck storage with no davits.

IF NOT ... what IS the smallest/lightest I should consider.

Yours truly,
Scrooge McDuck

It'll do but I bet you after the first month in the Bahamas you'll want something bigger and more powerful. You got a watermaker or are you going to jug it?

[Ol Dave]

Ah Vasco ... you cut to the chase don't you? No ... Scrooge McDuck does not have a watermaker.

And susswein I was hoping to keep and use an existing 5hp Nissan. The previous dinghy that came with the boat (8' 6") Zodiac roll-up, lost its floor ... in a most spectacular fashion.

[colemj]

This…

Mark

[Ol Dave]

I think I just found my new avatar ...

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Ol Dave

Is 240cm (7' 10") too small to consider for a tender/dinghy for one person?

Other pertinent info ... 5hp motor ... high pressure air floor ... 16 inch tubes ... 155cm (5'1") beam ... 6 months in the Bahamas ... back and forth with groceries ... no long trips ... no fishing tackle or dive tanks ... and deck storage with no davits.

IF NOT ... what IS the smallest/lightest I should consider.

Yours truly,
Scrooge McDuck

Davits or not?

If no davits, it is too big and you should chose a kayak. Much easier to live with.

If davits, sounds like plenty. I've been using one like that (hard floor) for years, and just for me it is over kill. I'll take a kayak to the beach or what ever unless someone is going with me. Easier.

[four winds]

Mark, that's how I look in this sometimes.

8' and homemade, 2.5 2 stroke. Very light.

Perfect for me, but regular use with two can be an extra challege.

It's the LBB (little ba**ard boat).

[Simonsays]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Davits or not?

If no davits, it is too big and you should chose a kayak. Much easier to live with.

If davits, sounds like plenty. I've been using one like that (hard floor) for years, and just for me it is over kill. I'll take a kayak to the beach or what ever unless someone is going with me. Easier.

i'd imagine jugging will be interesting with a Kayak.
i'd worry about davits that much on a boomless rig only

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Ol Dave

Is 240cm (7' 10") too small to consider for a tender/dinghy for one person?

Other pertinent info ... 5hp motor ... high pressure air floor ... 16 inch tubes ... 155cm (5'1") beam ... 6 months in the Bahamas ... back and forth with groceries ... no long trips ... no fishing tackle or dive tanks ... and deck storage with no davits.

IF NOT ... what IS the smallest/lightest I should consider.

Yours truly,
Scrooge McDuck

Too small? You could run the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in that:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otis_R...GRCA_2901B.JPG

[reed1v]

Good luck getting into such a small tender from your boat. Ten feet or more, with wide beam and flat bottom would be more practical. Remember you need something that you can stand up in without it going all wobbly. You will be standing up getting into and out of the tender and likely will use it to go around your hull to do odd jobs on the hull.

Heavier better imho. We had a dyer dink that was too light. Finally got a 10' old dink made by Cheoy Lee. Uber stable. BTW: try putting two lines of handholds on the bottom to help handle the tender and also help when its on deck taking up space. Just be sure to anti foul the handholds if they are wooden; otherwise the worms will eat them up. Been there, done that.

[RogerLloyd]

Try an Avon RedStart. Brilliant. But only available second-hand.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by RogerLloyd

Try an Avon RedStart. Brilliant. But only available second-hand.

Did see someone try to use a wading pool as a tender once, down in Aruba. Wish youtube was around back then.