OC Tenders - Review Anyone?

[sail4evr]

Hi, Just curious, can 2 adults stand on the same beam with no one else in the tender and not take water over the side? I can only think of the lack of stability of a rowboat for comparison.

[teneicm]

We tried one out when we were in NZ 4 years ago. Our Caribe had finally died and we were in the market for a new (roughly) 3.4 meter dingy that would work for our family of 4. I really liked the look of the OC and the lack of tubes (which was the ultimate cause of the previous boats death) was a huge plus.



However, once we took it out for a test run we found the following issues: 1) The bottom of the dink is almost totally flat, and that means with any sort of waves, the pounding is very noisy and uncomfortable, 2) the flat bottom also means the boat is very twitchy on plane, some might call it 'super responsive', but I found having to basically do a 'Tokyo drift' every time I wanted to change direction was not a selling point for us, 3) At that time, the largest model they were making was a (I believe) a 3.1 or 3.2 meter. Even at that smaller size, there were issues with the hull and sides of the boat flexing. We were told that the way to operate the boat was to sit on these "cube" shaped seats that could be moved around the bottom and NOT to sit on the boat edges, as they were not strong enough.


So, all in all, we decided that they weren't for us. Now, this was 4 years ago and Russell had just recently started up his operation. The designs may have been changed and the issues listed above may have been corrected.

[Muaddib1116]

Originally Posted by teneicm

We tried one out when we were in NZ 4 years ago. Our Caribe had finally died and we were in the market for a new (roughly) 3.4 meter dingy that would work for our family of 4. I really liked the look of the OC and the lack of tubes (which was the ultimate cause of the previous boats death) was a huge plus.



However, once we took it out for a test run we found the following issues: 1) The bottom of the dink is almost totally flat, and the means with any sort of waves, the pounding is very noisy and uncomfortable, 2) the flat bottom also means the boat is very twitchy on plane, some might call it 'super responsive', but I found having to basically do a 'Tokyo drift' every time I wanted to change direction was not a selling point for us, 3) At that time, the largest model they were making was a (I believe) a 3.1 or 3.2 meter. Even at that smaller size, there were issues with the hull and sides of the boat flexing. We were told that the way to operate the boat was to sit on these "cube" shaped seats that could be moved around the bottom and NOT to sit on the boat edges, as they were not strong enough.


So, all in all, we decided that they weren't for us. Now, this was 4 years ago and Russell had just recently started up his operation. The designs may have been changed and the issues listed above may have been corrected.

It's hard to tell from just pictures, but the German copy looks like it might have a slightly deeper V to the hull. I wonder if there are any reviews of it available.

[BillKny]

Originally Posted by Hoodsail

Or build your own - the Black fly 8, weighs less than 30 pounds - 8 ft long, 50 inch beam, carry about 480 pounds, costs $120 american to build...
Our Boats - Geodesic AiroLITE Boats
and, no, i dont work for them or own any part of the company, but love their designs.

Beautiful boat, but.... Estimated build time: 125 hours.

Let's see... I charge US$80/hour to work on other people's boats... 125*80= WOW THAT'S EXPENSIVE.

Let's be really honest boys and girls. There is a reason that inflatable RIBS are the choice of 95%+ of people doing long range, full time cruising. They can land on, and launch from, an exposed beach. They bump up against the mothership without damage to either. With proper engine and boat choice they perform well. They can carry a month's provisions for 4 people in one trip. Good hypalon pontoons last many years. One with an aluminum hull can be dragged over pretty rough ground and not care. With a little practice, boarding one from the water is not hard, even without a ladder of any kind. I completely agree they are not perfect, but all boats are compromises, and the modern RIB is a damn good compromise for almost all long range cruising boats.

I love a good aluminum johnboat (aka "tinnie" to the Ozies) and it has it's place, but as a tender to an ocean crossing yacht exploring remote places? Including as a dive boat? and surf boat? Not to my taste. In sizes that work as tenders on most boats (<10 or 11 feet) they are not as seaworthy as an inflatable rib with 17" tubes. Not even close.

I watched from offshore as a couple tried to launch a folding Port-a-Boat in low surf on a steep sandy beach. It was ugly. They were lucky to have been able to walk away.

If all your dinghy rides end up at the local drinking hole's dinghy dock, then just about anything goes. If you are going off the beaten path, you need to choose more carefully.

[Muaddib1116]

I think that's the thing, the holy grail is a boat that has all the features of a RIB but without the fragility of the tubes. Also, there is obviously some appeal to new and sexy design and materials, as well as the cache of having something rare.

I do think OC tenders has come pretty close to meeting that goal... at a price. I am curious if they will eventually make a deeper V design. It will probably have a weight penalty, but it might be more broadly appealing.

I also think Oceancraft has come pretty close as well. Also an expensive product, but it maintains the overall design of a RIB, including the buoyancy inherent to the "tube" design. My biggest problem with the Oceancraft is the weight. Whereas OC tenders has managed to go down in weight per size, Oceancraft is heavier. Their 3.3m boat (that Delos has) is 209lbs. Compare that to 157lbs for a Highfield Classic 340 and 105lbs for an OC tenders 330 (86lbs for carbon). Of course, there are benefits that come with that weight. I am sure the Oceancraft is a more rugged than the Highfield and more rugged and stable than the OC tender.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by BillKny

.

I love a good aluminum johnboat (aka "tinnie" to the Ozies) and it has it's place, but as a tender to an ocean crossing yacht exploring remote places? Including as a dive boat? and surf boat? Not to my taste. In sizes that work as tenders on most boats (<10 or 11 feet) they are not as seaworthy as an inflatable rib with 17" tubes. Not even close.

Is that right?
I linked to these earlier
All the advantages of a deflatable without the deflation
And a small fraction of the price of an octender

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k9k-zQ...ture=emb_title

[Simi 60]

https://boatcollar.com.au/




https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_con...ture=emb_title

[Muaddib1116]

I grabbed these photos off of each company's respective website gallery.

The top is a ASTender (the German knockoff) and below is the OCTender. It definitely looks like the ASTender has a slightly deeper V hull that extends at leas halfway aft and then flattens out towards the transom. The OCTender seems to basically flatten out immediately.

In this regard, the ASTender seems like a better option to me.

[Yihang]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

https://boatcollar.com.au/




https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_con...ture=emb_title

Thats actually pretty cool. Weight is negligible im guessing?

Hows the wear and tear and UV degradation?

Love the aussieness of it all. Simple and effective.

[Buzzman]

Originally Posted by Ifitsworthdoing

....... the smallest petrol engine adapted for remote steering is the Honda 9.9HP (weighs 60kg fully tanked up) and I am keen on electric propulsion (ideally by an ePropulsion Navy 6 with 9kWh Li batteries weighing 127kg). I'd rather not introduce petrol as a third power source alongside diesel and propane, but sadly there's no LPG outboard suitable for remote steering ...
...

Just build a quadrant onto the motor and affix a spring-tensioned, old school double rope; OR a modern push-pull Bownden cable type steering cable.

I've fittted centre-steering to two boats, both if which used an old Seagull outboard, which was NEVER intended for remote steering.

It's do-able. And if you are negotiatiin with Russ at OCT, ask him about glassing in mounts for pulley blocks to take the cables, or figuring out a remote-steering solution.

[TDB1227]

Had 4 tenders (2 Highfields; MAXXON; SmartWave) in 2 years; the OCT is my 5th and had it for 1 year. Great tender; best so far. Highly recommended.

[Errant1]

Are there any other manufacturers that make a similar Dinghy? are there any American brands that do this that ma have these in stock in the US or at least be shorter order time frames?

[Mark424]

Originally Posted by Errant1

Are there any other manufacturers that make a similar Dinghy? are there any American brands that do this that ma have these in stock in the US or at least be shorter order time frames?

All depends on your requirements:
ASTender, German?
Bull Frog Boats Built in WA State, heavy, so more popular with power boaters.
Ocean Craft, Australian.

[MountainKing]

How's a Takacat or TrueKit compare to these options? They look like they'd be great for diving or swimming from. Biggest con being shipping, but Takacat seems to have a US distributor now.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Yihang

Thats actually pretty cool. Weight is negligible im guessing?

Hows the wear and tear and UV degradation?

Love the aussieness of it all. Simple and effective.

Weight is bugger all
Foam is uv stabilised but I have seen them painted in cheap acrylic/latex paint

More here

https://boatcollar.com.au/home/fitting/maintenance-2/