Dinghy Question

[lorenzo b]

I'm looking to buy a 310 hypalon West Marine dinghy and already have a 4 and a 5 hp outboards.
Will an rib that size ride ok with a small motor, assuming I'm not planing, or will I have to get a 10 hp for it to ride well?
I now have a 14 ft jonboat and am fine with small motors, but the jonboat comes real close to swamping in two ft seas.

[capngeo]

I had an 8' RIB with a 6hp... Planed with one person, not with two

[shipofools]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

I'm looking to buy a 310 hypalon West Marine dinghy and already have a 4 and a 5 hp outboards.
Will an rib that size ride ok with a small motor, assuming I'm not planing, or will I have to get a 10 hp for it to ride well?
I now have a 14 ft jonboat and am fine with small motors, but the jonboat comes real close to swamping in two ft seas.

It will ride fine. Is the dinghy a rib or an inflatable floor?

Cheers,

[matauwhi]

G'day, mate, The smaller outboards are sufficient to get the bow of the dinghy up a bit in larger waves to minimize the dinghy getting swamped. It also helps to get the biggest diameter tubes you can when getting the new rib. Cheers.

[lancelot9898]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

I'm looking to buy a 310 hypalon West Marine dinghy and already have a 4 and a 5 hp outboards.
Will an rib that size ride ok with a small motor, assuming I'm not planing, or will I have to get a 10 hp for it to ride well?
I now have a 14 ft jonboat and am fine with small motors, but the jonboat comes real close to swamping in two ft seas.

I have a 10 ft Archilles(hypalon) with plywood floors and it will plane with me at 200 lbs and my wife at 130 with a 5 hp Nissan 2 stroke. The boat weighs in at around 100 lbs and is over 20 years old and still holds air for about a week before some pressure is lost. That being said I'm considering getting an aluminum V utility boat to replace the inflatable and read with interest your comment about towing the jon boat. Not sure if the V bottom will help the situation and most people do not advise towing. The boat I'm considering is 16 ft weighs in at 290 lbs and would be towed behind a 37 ft Tayana on the Cheaspeake Bay.