Dinghy, most popular size and type

[MicHughV]

It should be pointed out, that when I first hit the road...er.....high seas...I was a svelte 160 lb 20 year old capable of floating in most anything.

In the intervening years...and from where I could not say...... a few inches were added to my girth. How many inches, I'm reluctant to admit, but safe to say, more than one.

I think dink manufacturers are cognizant of the portly heft of the likely occupants of their craft, especially when two or three such occupants are trying to occupy a very small footprint, not to mention engine, fuel tank, dink anchor, and other "stuff".

It should also be noted, that most occupants of dinks tend to sit on the tube and not inside the dink.

Taken altogether, stability, form and function of any dink must address all these things, yet keeping the price point attractive.

That's probably why such a plethora of dink sizes are available and choosing the right craft requires much thought before opening a wallet.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

It should also be noted, that most occupants of dinks tend to sit on the tube and not inside the dink.

In Minnesota or Wisconsin you'll get a ticket for that. Local inflatable boat dealers sell them with an extra seat compared to the configuration you get everywhere else.

[MicHughV]

I've got a habit of standing up when I'm in my dink.....
I have a pvc extension on the engine tiller and hold on to the bow rope...
I see a lot of people do this.
Keeps me from getting drenched with spray...

[lifeofreilly57]

Its all based on preference and need.
Some want small and light, others need larger and faster.
In our case we started with a 9' dinghy with a 9.9. Two adults, two children.
The boys continued to grow, so we went to a 15hp outboard.
A cruiser somehow managed to hook our dinghy with their anchor, rip the tube in half and rip it off the hull. Neither he nor I could figure how they did it and probably not replicate the accident. Fortunately the gentleman was a stand up guy and gave us money to compensate the loss.
So, now to a 12' dinghy, which was actually a good thing, our boys were now teens and were growing fast. The 15 hp outboard was OK, but eventually would not plane the dinghy with all of us aboard. So, the final setup is a 12' with a 25hp outboard. It will plane with 4 adults aboard with no issue.
In our case the one we have now is good for our needs, since it can plane with all of us aboard it makes getting around quite easy. Some places we've anchored are miles from a dock or marina so it doesnt take us an hour to get there. The dinghy is basically your commuter car when cruising.
It depends on your needs and prefrences, some want to get their promtly, others are happy to putt along at a slower pace.
All depends on your needs.
A small outboard needs as much maintenance as a bigger one, so theres no advantage there.

[Hhew]

Definitely not the most popular because it’s different, but I’ve been using my Takacat 300S daily for six months now and it’s hands down better than any inflatable or rigid inflatable that I’ve had. Lighter, much more stable, easily pushed, easier to board from the boat and from the water, and it’s drier than you think it would be. I’m pushing it with a Torqueedo so it ain’t winning the dinghy races, but if I put a 9.9 on there, it’s very fast.

[Amapola]

We have a 10' AB inflatable, rigid aluminum bottom with a 20 hp Yamaha motor. It's great for the Caribbean.

[sv_isara]

Originally Posted by lifeofreilly57

...
All depends on your needs.
A small outboard needs as much maintenance as a bigger one, so theres no advantage there.

Absolutely not true for many cruisers. We don't have (nor want) davits, so ask a 130lb woman to hand you your 25hp motor with one hand and see it turn into an anchor real quick

As you say it depends on your needs.

[argonauta1]

All good ideas. Yup variable to requirements and storage method. I always wanted quick deployment so kept a 10 foot caribe RIB fully ready to go. I did not want davits on a 44 foot sloop so always carried it inverted on the foredeck. Deployed with a halyard and had a 15 '& 2 Hp Yamaha. Worked fine for SCUBA and high speed transits or to put put around in with the 2HP. One no no: never buy a polypropylene dinghy. They self destruct in a year in the Tropics. Hyperlon only!

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by sv_isara

Absolutely not true for many cruisers. We don't have (nor want) davits, so ask a 130lb woman to hand you your 25hp motor with one hand and see it turn into an anchor real quick

As you say it depends on your needs.

Not a great reason to get a smaller outboard than needed! Time to work smarter not harder! My wife and I routinely migrate our outboard from the bracket to the dinghy using the mizzen halyard. The entire time it 1. remains attached to something and 2. she can easily manage it using the winch on the mast. Same can be done on a sloop, just need a block to get the halyard where you need it.

[sailcrazy]

Our custom-made 10' f/g RIB(made in the Philippines) is over 14 yrs old, and looking for a rest. Any recommended f/g or alum RIB dealers in the NE Caribb? Or...is it better to buy in the US(Fla?) and ship in to St Thomas, USVI? So far we've not found a big selection locally!!

[Happ]

As I’m in my 70’s I took a different approach. I reengineered my thought process working backwards. I almost never have more than 2 onboard. On the off chance I do I just make it work. First am I going to store the dinghy? How will I be able to get it onboard? For me a light weight 9’ with an inflatable keel was my choice storing it on deck. i can easily keep in on deck when I’m using it. I never leave it in the water overnight. I can easily hoist it onto the deck. I can deflate it for crossings. I wanted an electric motor as it is much easier to handle. When it’s broken down I’m dealing with a shaft that weighs under #20. The battery is also less than #20. Is this the perfect answer? For me yes? Others possibly not.

[sv_isara]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Not a great reason to get a smaller outboard than needed! Time to work smarter not harder! My wife and I routinely migrate our outboard from the bracket to the dinghy using the mizzen halyard. The entire time it 1. remains attached to something and 2. she can easily manage it using the winch on the mast. Same can be done on a sloop, just need a block to get the halyard where you need it.

Of course, you can always rig an extra complication to get whatever done. I'm happy so far with my approach of a large-ish planing dinghy with a small 3.5hp outboard. Less fuel, less complication.

After riding on many dinghys, inflatable, hard, porta botes, I don't understand why more efficient hull shapes aren't more widely used. Perhaps in some areas the dinghy dock sizes are a limiting factor. In our 1500+ miles so far, it hasn't been an issue for us.l, but we aren't marina hopping.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by sv_isara

Of course, you can always rig an extra complication to get whatever done. I'm happy so far with my approach of a large-ish planing dinghy with a small 3.5hp outboard. Less fuel, less complication.

After riding on many dinghys, inflatable, hard, porta botes, I don't understand why more efficient hull shapes aren't more widely used. Perhaps in some areas the dinghy dock sizes are a limiting factor. In our 1500+ miles so far, it hasn't been an issue for us.l, but we aren't marina hopping.

A lot of the challenge with making a dinghy efficient and easily driven is down to getting enough weight capacity and stability without making the dinghy impractically large.

[sv_isara]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

A lot of the challenge with making a dinghy efficient and easily driven is down to getting enough weight capacity and stability without making the dinghy impractically large.

Seems like the 3 ways I know if are:

1: light weight - portabote style
2: skinny - kaboat style (like mine)
3: catamaran, takacat style

takacats looks sweet, but I start to ponder what would happen if heavily overloaded in a heavy sea. While my kaboat gets wet, it feels very secure. Despite its length and larger lateral windage, it tows very straight and easy and hasn't done anything funny up till 30kt winds so far.

...But I do totally understand the desire for something that isnt...deflatable If I had a 50'+ boat I'd probably go for a rib or something more durable

[Tin Tin]

Originally Posted by Jimbo2010

What size is the most popular, I assume 10'

What type,
ridged fiberglass
Ridged aluminum
Fold-able

You mean as a statistic? I would say 3.1m fibre-glass trending to alloy RIB with 15-20HP. Ask a dealer what their highest selling model is. For example from the Highfield site:

"Classic 310

Our best-selling size tender, ideal for up to 5 people and up to a 20hp engine......".