New aluminum tender, good idea?

[rourkeh]

I am getting ready to buy a new dingy and have narrowed it down to the AB Alumina 10ALX. Has anyone had any experience with this boat?
I picked this model for the low 143lb weight and the console steering. Is aluminum as durable as fiberglass? What is the ride like in rough water?

[undercutter]

Did you get your new RIB yet Rourkeh?

We are also looking to buy a new tender. We want to purchase something that will enable us to dive from the tender but also that we can carry on the davits. Upgrades will be required for the additional loads and I understand that this will require demounting the engine for separate storage for passage making but we are ketch rigged so can use the mizzen boom to hoist the 175lb engine aboard. The existing RIB doesn't provide comfortable seating for the more delicate member of the crew. It is a hard time to get the better half into a dinghy which takes most of the fun out of any trips to shore for her. We were thinking of the Alumina 13 which has a seat just forward of the console forward with more seating in the bow. This bow seat would also be a good place to brace against with your feet in rougher water while sitting in the centre seat.

We are presently in SEA and will likely remain there till the pirate problem de-escalates some more, so we want to make sure that there is no problem with the gluing, etc. Hopefully someone has had some experience with these AB Alumina RIB's that can give us some feedback. We presently have an Avon which has proven very rugged but they do not make anything with a centre console unless it is with a jet drive. This makes it too heavy for offshore passage on davits and the maintenance schedule/costs are way too high. Also the reliability of a jet drive leaves a lot to be desired I think. Wouldn't want to be stranded at a dive site 3 miles from the boat!

[Whaubner]

We have the AB 11 AL

It's a great boat, handles nice at slow and fast speed

[rourkeh]

I did not buy the AB as I found a set of retractable davits the will hold up to 600lb and decided on a custom dingy built by a guy I know in Ft Lauderdale. He builds the nicest 10' dingy I have ever seen. Rides like a Cadillac and does 42 mph with a 30hp evinrude. It is a bit pricey but as I have to live with the rubber boat every day it is worth the extra money. This is the web site if you want a look.
Skipper 10 Yacht Tender | Tender Care Boats

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by rourkeh

I did not buy the AB as I found a set of retractable davits the will hold up to 600lb and decided on a custom dingy built by a guy I know in Ft Lauderdale. He builds the nicest 10' dingy I have ever seen. Rides like a Cadillac and does 42 mph with a 30hp evinrude. It is a bit pricey but as I have to live with the rubber boat every day it is worth the extra money. This is the web site if you want a look.
Skipper 10 Yacht Tender | Tender Care Boats

Nice looking boat. Similar in concept to the Walker Bay Genesis center console versions.

-Chris

[undercutter]

Originally Posted by rourkeh

I did not buy the AB as I found a set of retractable davits the will hold up to 600lb and decided on a custom dingy built by a guy I know in Ft Lauderdale. He builds the nicest 10' dingy I have ever seen. Rides like a Cadillac and does 42 mph with a 30hp evinrude. It is a bit pricey but as I have to live with the rubber boat every day it is worth the extra money. This is the web site if you want a look.
Skipper 10 Yacht Tender | Tender Care Boats

How do you find the Skipper for cargo capacity? She looks good for sure and must be fun to play on but I can't see any kind of stowage for provision runs, diving gear, tanks, etc.