History of dinghys and a deep think on why we like RIBs

[Ironman162]

Snippet, You will love the new technology! If you can afford a Zodiac or Achilles, grab it and you wont look back I can guarantee it.
Just be aware they do puncture, leak air and get sun tired after a while.
The biggest issue with mine is I have to put UV protector on regularly in the Australian sun.

The cheapest RIB Ive seen is AUD2000.

Just have a look at any marine, inflatables everywhere you look, there must be a reason for it

[Matt Johnson]

Just an observation, but I typically see the people that row their dinghies trying to get as close to the dinghy dock as possible in popular anchorages. They're often squeezing into pretty undesirable space that are noisy, filled with other boat wakes and a poor natural view, all to save having to row too much.

Having an outboard (and RIB) is freedom to anchor out of the weather and crowds... even if that is the next bay away. To me it's like having a powered windlass; if you need to reanchor, you'll do it without even giving it a second though vs. having to huff and puff pulling the anchor to try different bottom areas.

Matt

[Pauls]

HI Guys,

Yeah, I've got line drawings and a table of offsets. I'll pull them out and post them. Regards the question about mounting an outboard, the hull is a double ender at the waterline. Above the waterline there is a small, triangular transom large enough to mount an outboard.

[picklesandjesse]

We have a Chameleon nesting dinghy because I like to row. Many reasons for this. Can sail it or put an outboard on and it will last many years. If I was to build another one I'd go for a PT11 as that is a very beautiful boat and it nests too.Plus I love to build things especially dinghies, maybe made about 30 as we used to make them and sell them at Popeyes in Vancouver. Hope they are still in business !!!

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

And one more thing -- for their size, capable of much higher speeds than hard dinghies.

If you are talking about traditional displacement rowing dinghies...yes.

If you are talking about planing hulls, generally this is not true (of course you have to specify exact models as there are exceptions both ways).

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Pauls

Regarding hard dinks, especially nesting ones, several years ago I did development work on a hull form intended to have very low drag at displacement speeds (ie rowing or sailing) as well as good performance at planning speeds. This was an interesting project.

An outrigger cannoe with quick disconnects is an option.
- 14' main hull is narrow and slippery.
- Arms and 8' secondary hull can be stowed in a spare cabin (obviously there are minimum size limits on the main boat) for passages.
- Leaving a small light weight main hull on the davits (hung upside down to reduce chance of flooding under way). Or you could do a split system, so the 7' sections could also be stored in the spare cabin.

Easily rowed.
You can rig a sail.
A small outboard should get you 10-12kts with good MPG.
Stable for boarding.
Easy to assemble.
No you can't take 8 people and 300lb of gear but for most couples very viable.
If you put a tramp between the arms, you have a nice lounging area.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by captnGD

If a 14 ft aluminum or fiberglass dingy gets swamped, you are done. If a RIB gets swamped you continue. My old Walker Bay 10ft RIB had cracks at the transom stringers and filled with water. You simply turned on the bilge pump and forward motion kept the water out. New 1018 Walker Bay 10ft RIB solved the problem with Walker Bay help.

You pop a tube and the rib isn't going anywhere except in the calmest of conditions.

[Sojourner]

Hey Jammer, my frenetic morning coffee thoughts to add to your database: We excluded small dinghies simply because there are three of us, and three cats. We dive, snorkel, like to bushwhack far from the mothership. I toured 30-odd countries on a big motorbike, and enjoy speed for its own sake. So that eliminated anything soft (cats and cargo), nonplaning, non-rugged-as-humanly-possible, while also being stable (diving), and anything slow. What did that leave us with?

This thing! Oceancraft 3.3 meter all aluminum RIB STYLE boat, with a 20hp engine. The best thing for what we needed: an unsinkable, indestructible fast planing tender as stable as a RIB. It's a proper tiny motorboat, deep V hull to cut through any chop offshore, never worrying about lifted outboards or nails on the dock cutting it up, with a rock solid casting platform up front for fishing and doubling as a locking locker for the gas tank, anchor (4kg mantus ) or dinghy emergency bag....more than enough grunt to tow the mothership if in need. I'm about to get an inflatable donut to tow the girls behind on occasion...they love that chit and maybe some waterski action for me!

It weighs 75kg and cost only a grand or so more than a similar sized zodiac/AB/highfield inflatable. Fits like a glove up front (53ft super maramu), and easy as pie to crank onto the deck... electric winch to a permanent line tied from bow to stern along the starboard side of the boat, which doubles as something to hang and rest from when beside it in the water. It lifts it up on its side, up and over the rail, then we tip it over and done in about 5 minutes start to finish. It has its own foam bumper that flips over (you can just see it under it) to cushion the deck in this position, lashed down like this it is bombproof. And with the handy-dandy machete we keep onboard, if we ever needed it as a liferaft, it would be a quick little lizzie borden chop chop action to free it in 10 seconds. Tie the actual liferaft to her and you got yourself a party

Can you tell we love her?? Anyway, now I gotta go do what too much coffee makes a body do Cheers!

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

If you are talking about traditional displacement rowing dinghies...yes.

If you are talking about planing hulls, generally this is not true (of course you have to specify exact models as there are exceptions both ways).

Yes, this is certainly true.

However, I have never seen a hard dinghy with a planing hull used as a tender.

[Sojourner]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Yes, this is certainly true.

However, I have never seen a hard dinghy with a planing hull used as a tender.

Haha good morning Dockhead, 2 for 2..... see above

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Yes, this is certainly true.

However, I have never seen a hard dinghy with a planing hull used as a tender.

I've known many...not so much small offshore sailboats. Usually bigger power boats where weight doesn't have a big impact.

Of course, big fast RIBs usually aren't hanging off the back of a 30' monohull either.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I've known many...not so much small offshore sailboats. Usually bigger power boats where weight doesn't have a big impact.

Of course, big fast RIBs usually aren't hanging off the back of a 30' monohull either.

Ah, on a big power boat, ok.




Superyachts all seem to carry big RIBs though, these days, at least the ones I've been on.


A friend of mine with a 200' expedition yacht has two or three RIBs on board of different sizes (and a helicopter). One of the RIBs has got a pilothouse, even.




I love the story above about the tender with a bow thruster

[Pacuri]

I prefer a Portland Pudgy!!! One can sail it, its stable, you can keep things dry in its hull!!! Expensive though.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Yes, this is certainly true.

However, I have never seen a hard dinghy with a planing hull used as a tender.

The Octenders harddinks are getting pretty popular in NZ and Aust.

[tp12]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Yes, this is certainly true.

However, I have never seen a hard dinghy with a planing hull used as a tender.

The post just above yours is doing just that and SV delos (same combination of mothership and tender) is also doing the same.

I love these Oceancraft boats but they are reasonably heavy..