Tenders- what do you use?

[rsn48]

Being the staunch coward that I am, I am in the process of getting an aluminum RIB with 6 hp Yamaha, waiting for the davits to go in during refit. I say coward as I want something relatively unsinkable to double as a life raft. I see anything that is solid in construction not to be as viable in nasty water conditions, if I should need something float worthy quickly, something that even if filled with water will still float. I do know pudgy boats are quite sea worthy, but most aren't as unsinkable as RIB's.

My first priority isn't planing and speed, or money, or sailing the dink, its about stability for my newbie guests getting into the dink, its about an alternative when life boat duties are required, its about barnacle issues in the Inside Passage, its about stability for my enthusiastic young pup who likes to walk everywhere checking out a dink after being lowered into one.

[gmakhs]

Originally Posted by rsn48

Being the staunch coward that I am, I am in the process of getting an aluminum RIB with 6 hp Yamaha, waiting for the davits to go in during refit. I say coward as I want something relatively unsinkable to double as a life raft. I see anything that is solid in construction not to be as viable in nasty water conditions, if I should need something float worthy quickly, something that even if filled with water will still float. I do know pudgy boats are quite sea worthy, but most aren't as unsinkable as RIB's.

My first priority isn't planing and speed, or money, or sailing the dink, its about stability for my newbie guests getting into the dink, its about an alternative when life boat duties are required, its about barnacle issues in the Inside Passage, its about stability for my enthusiastic young pup who likes to walk everywhere checking out a dink after being lowered into one.

Extra stability can be added on hard dinghys too , and still cheaper and more durable than a rib .

[Triumphant]

Originally Posted by SY Kelpie

On the current boat, an inflatable is really the only sensible option (we currently use a Redcrest, and occasionally a 3.5hp ob).

.

We used a redcrest for 4 years years in the Caribbean,

Pro's
very light to lift out of the water/carry up the beach
With 7 foot oars it rows very well

Cons
Really wet if there is any waves or swell
Floor always has water in it

We eventually bought an aluminium AB 8AL and a 4 hp 2 stroke Yamaha. (yes you can still buy 2 strokes in the Caribbean)

Light 80 lbs, (you can get away with a much smaller, lighter outboard), Much drier, and dragging up the beach is no problem. We lift and stow ours on the foredeck at sea

Keep the redcrest as a spare as they fold up small, ours was lent out at least once a year to people who had had their own dinghy "borrowed"

[colinalleck]

I use an archilles with inflatable floor but due to the Hyperion fabric I got long life from it 10 year+
Engine 3.3 hp so it can be started in neutral

I dream of a Walker Bay rigid plastic which can be rowed motored and also has a sailing kit

[DMCantor]

We have settled on a 2.9m aluminum AB dinghy, with an 8hp Yamaha 2-stroke. Lots of cruisers prefer bigger outboards, but we find the modest weight of the 8hp a big plus, and it is plenty to get us back and forth to shore.

In our 8 winters in the Caribbean, most of the time a small wooden rowboat would be just fine. We experienced 3-4 foot waves going ashore from our mooring on Saba, and I wouldn't want anything smaller or lighter than our RIB for that. We also once encountered some 6-foot westerly waves moored off Nevis, but elected to stay home rather than try and get ashore.

[gulfcoastsailor]

Said it before and I will say it again. I have the 8' Porte Bote with a 3.5 Nissan AND oars. Takes up no deck space as it secures to the lifelines when folded. In fact, I can take it below and slide it forward into the V-berth. Perfect on a 32-33 feet boat that can be limited on storage. Plenty out there used and it has a separate purchase sail kit. If buying used be sure to get the latest Porte Bote transom model.

[sailcrazy]

We've been in the Caribb for 4 seasons now, after 3+ in the Medd and Asia for 10 years before that. A lot depends on how many folks you intend to transport. From our experience, the waves are bigger here than any place we've been. And while some trips to shore are short, some are pretty long....a planing boat would be an asset. But, on the other hand, there are lots of places where you need to pull the dink up on the shoe-and a heavy dink/dink+ outboard can be a real challenge to get up out of the water. We see lots of cruisers pulling their dinks behind the boat, and that works, but we prefer to put it on the foredeck when the passage longer or the waves are up. Davits work well if you have them, or use the foredeck. So...lots of variables, and stolen dinks, or dinks+ outboards do occur. We are just 2, have a "custom made " 3.4m dinghy from the Philippines; the hull is f/g, with a flat floor and bow locker, extra big diameter hypalon tubes, and a 15hp Yamaha. And it's about as much as we 2 can man-handle on a sand beach----oh, and the sand is generally to soft for transom wheels (don't ask how I know!).

[Simi 60]

Third one we have tried on our current vessel.
This is the best tender we have had by far
4.2 metres with 30hp soon to be upgraded to 40hp.
We lift it using davits and 3 speed manual boat trailer winch on each arm.


We do several month resupply with the dinghy, we supplement our water tanks with a 200l bladder and often do 20+ nm runs in open water.


We do need to get our 2nd dinghy on board, a fiberglass hull and fiberglass tube inflatable style with 4hp on the foredeck for dragging up a beach

[colinalleck]

“I say coward as I want something relatively unsinkable to double as a life raft. “

Please don’t confuse Dinghy with life raft

Having had the misfortune to spend some time in a life raft I can assure you they are very different beasts

[Glansing]

I just bought a trailerable Hunter 240 sailboat and immediately began looking for a dingy. Our first planned trip was to sail into the Urbanna Virginia oyster festival earlier this month and there were no slips available. The only choice was anchoring out and coming into the Town Marina to the dinghy docks. Searching diligently on Craigslist, I was fortunate to find a used Sinbad fiberglass 8-foot dinghy. Very little information is available on the internet but appears to likely be a 1960s error fiberglass dinghy. It came complete with a sail kit but no Sail. Our experience with it over three days was fantastic. It rows well and towed behind the boat well even with a small craft warning on our return trip. I just need to find a way to minimize the water coming up through the center board slot. Think I will use two c clamps on the dagger board slot cover. Since the Hunter 240 draws as little as 1.5 feet, I do not see myself having to anchor far out. Anyone familiar with this dingy? I would love to find a sail for it.

[Rorzech]

Originally Posted by colinalleck

“I say coward as I want something relatively unsinkable to double as a life raft. “

Please don’t confuse Dinghy with life raft

Having had the misfortune to spend some time in a life raft I can assure you they are very different beasts

Being alive to tell us that tell's us a lot !

[rsn48]

I cruise only in the Inside Passage, so land is fairly close by at all times. If I (we) get into a jam, there is help relatively close by as long as an SOS can be sent out.

Which raises another question, I have a hand held radio that I will be keeping in storage on the RIB, how do people secure there gear on a RIB when at a dock, beach, etc.

And another question, if pudgy boats can be made in life boats, why can't ribs at least have some protective overhead protection, that has ribs that inflate in a jam?

[Akapeterc]

I have just sold my fibreglass hull with hypolon inflation side because I’m sick of patching the holes in it & now bought a polycraft plastic tender. Very stable and will take a pounding

[a64pilot]

My take is it all depends on what you can safely stow and or carry.
I tried towing for awhile and it sucked, it’s amazing how much towing a dinghy slows you down under sail, forget a folding prop, the dinghy is like dragging a bucket.

Took me awhile to figure that out, then I realized I was towing it way past it’s hull speed, but not fast enough for it to plane

[billknny]

We use a 10.5 foot folding RIB.

If I am going to have an inflatable, and make all the compromises inherent in that choice, you can be damn sure I am not going to get one that requires me to store it on deck.

It's a great little boat. With our electric pump it inflates in 5 minutes. Add a 15HP two stroke and we are off and running. The idea of a 9HP with electric start just seems silly. They are so easy to start, why would you even consider such a thing?

We deflate it for all passages and store it in our aft locker. Off deck and out of the way. We never tow it, and do not have davits on our arch.