Replacing a rib with a hard dinghy

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

OCTenders OC350
Overall length (m/ft): 3.50 / 11'5"
Overall width (m/ft): 1.60 / 5'03"
Internal length (m/ft): 3.40 / 11'15"
Internal width (m/ft): 1.50 / 4'11"
Hull top side height 0.46 / 1'06"
Overall bow height: 0.60 / 1'11"
Average hull to topside height: 0.54/ 1' 09"
Hull weight (kg/lbs): 54kg / 119lb
Maximum hp: 20 hp

Only thing missing is the price. Certainly one of best dingy around and not inexpensive. NZ made

https://octenders.co.nz/

Cotemar, what ever happened to the catamaran dinghy you developed. The thread seems to have dissapeared??

[rmlarson1098]

Originally Posted by motion30

I think I finally have had it with my inflatable rib. And thinking of buying a hard dinghy.
My current inflatable is 10 foot and I would like something similar in size comma of course the main priority is stability. Thinking of something like a 9 foot Boston Whaler but they are hard to find and expensive. What are the other options something I can power with my current 15 horse Evinrude

Portland Pudgy rules! Very stable, row well, sail ok, and can be used as a lifeboat in a pinch. We bought ours used, but they are hard to find. If you see one grab it quick because they are pretty much indestructible.

[Lance Reynolds]

In Australia a great little plastic boat is the
" Tough Tender" by Polycraft Queensland .
I dont know if they are your side.
They are very stable but a little heavy.
Check the ad with ~300kg on one gunwhale.
I now have a Poly plastic Spindrift by Finn also from Oz another great little boat.
Deflatables are an expensive hoax, I think now you can buy a cover for the cover ,talk about disposable society.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by accomplice

I believe the dry weight of a Whaler 11 is about 460#. Can you davits handle that?

I find pulling a 200#tender like a 3.8meter RIB or Livingston 12 up a beach (plus motor, gas, etc.) can be a challenge.

That's for the 110. The older 11 Whalers run about 280. I've taken one to the Bahamas twice. The first time with a 25. It would do about 30 knots. The second time with a 10. It would only plane with one person aboard. But, stable as hell. I can stand on the gunnel and it barely dips down.

[Mike Banks]

3.00 Tuff Tender | Polycraft

This is mine--and it has another advantage. In Australia it qualifies as a life raft for SOLAS purposes--if it is foam-filled which is available as an Survey option.

Maybe you could have one freighted out, or perhaps there is an American equivalent.

Unlike the Zodiac I used before--this thing rows like a dream and will take a 15 horse power outboard. |
I use only a 3.5. horsepower outboard--and if the landing spot is not too far away I would simply row ashore and leave outboard safe on the parent vessel.

For ease of movement to and from the home to the vessel mooring I bought mine on a trailer, both new and the whole deal cost me somewhere around four thousand dollars--but I already had the outboard.

I fitted mine with a bimini--I like to fish out of it and I can cross reefs and land it on coral without fear of punctures, and screwing a bimini to an inflatable has its own set of problems. Screws and Hypalon do not mix--so the bimini has to be screwed to a timber batten. The Polycrafrt it screws down onto and it fits perfectly. Nice and shady while fishing.

This is not quite as stable as the Zodiac was--but it is stable enough to get into and out of with ease and one can stand on the edge, unlike a hard dinghy.

Also, being plastic, they do not scrape the paint off your hull.

[Fuss]

Ok, we've heard it from the kiwis and Aussie solutions, how about a European one... or don't you have one????

[spearfish3]

In the US you have www.rigidboats.com as an alternative. They are not cheap but look interesting and very customizable.

[Cheechako]

Most rigids I would want about 2-3 ft longer than a RIB. The whaler may be an exception. Whalers are very heavy. Livingston’s are somewhat heavy if that’s a concern. I find Livingstons uncomfortable due to the raised tunnel. You either sit spread legged or try to fit both on one side. I feel far less comfortable in chop in a 9 ft rigid than a 9 ft RIB… not even close.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by spearfish3

In the US you have Rigid Boats as an alternative. They are not cheap but look interesting and very customizable.

In the small tender size they weigh a lot more and cost a lot more than the octenders https://octenders.co.nz/products.html Not sure I see any advantage in the small sizes.

[spearfish3]

Originally Posted by Paul L

In the small tender size they weigh a lot more and cost a lot more than the octenders https://octenders.co.nz/products.html Not sure I see any advantage in the small sizes.

The OC tenders look nice. Personally, I would consider them as an option for the same reasons you mention. The challenge is distribution in the US. You can at least fly down or drive over to the rigid factory. There is also the option for a used boat in the US.

Quality wise, I think both tenders look nice but the rigid does sell more to the yacht type than the traditional cruiser type of customer where weight may be more of an issue.

To me, both options look more attractive than a small whaler or the Livingston cat. My preference. Others will likely have different opinions.

[kimoj529]

Originally Posted by pcmm

I think you got the PVC/Hypalon air needs reversed! PVC inflate it once a season. Hypalon has to be topped up regularly!!


PVC's down side is UV degredation not air leakage!

I'm sorry to tell you this but you are wrong about Hypalon dinghys needing air every day. We have a 1986 13' Achilles that we left fully inflated on a trailer last fall. When we came back from Florida the end of may every chamber still looked fully inflated-if you pushed on it it was a little soft. A few years ago we did have a slight leak and could not find it no matter what we tried. We ended up taking it to a dinghy repair shop and after a few days they found the leak. It was a tiny splinter in the bow. Look up Achilles dinghys for sale any day and you will find many that are from the 80's and still going strong

[Manateeman]

It would be easier to reply if we knew where you are, what kind of boat, where you sail, what you want in an ideal dinghy.
We currently are planning to buy a Marlon 12 foot aluminum.
Welded. Not ideal. We’d love 11’ . They make a 10’ but it’s rectangular.
We’ve talked to a lot of boatbuilders about a custom kit or computer cut dinghy but for aluminum boatbuilders, there is a lot more money to be made in larger boats. We’ve ruled out non welded boats. They work for some people but we’ll pass. We have a Miller TIG onboard so it’s easy to weld.
Our “lifeboat / second dinghy” is a Trinka 10’ with a reinforced hull. We carry it cross the aft deck. Will never sell it for any price. Almost the perfect dinghy.
We’ve owned a Carolina, an AB, a wood frame hypalon custom, a welded SeaArk...all had good and bad points.
For example, our Trinka 12 (which is for sale) is a nice boat but we want something faster and lighter on our davits.
Is there a perfect dinghy ? You can look at a huge number of designs, materials and methods of construction but none are perfect for all sailors.
For example...our crew wants a place to mount their pizza bazooka.
They wanted to enter the Red Bull Dinghy Race too.
Happy trails to you.
Captain Mark and his manatee crew.

[Rumrace]

I have an aluminum hull zodiac with inflated chambers. So it’s half RIB. I bought it at the 2020 boat show. Couldn’t get a hold of either Yamaha dealer re Covid for months so I put a 4hp 4stroke on it from my dead inflatable. Has great options like wheel and remote mount to work with Yamaha 9.9
Lifting rings built into floor. Moveable bench’s V aluminum dry locker.
The boat show deal $500.00 free trade with Europe made it irresistible and cheaper than import junk.
I made sure I disposed of my old Dinghy properly. There a couple clubs look like crap from deserted boats and Dinghy

[Funkydrum]

We LOVE our OC Tender 330!


The build quality is amazing, planes well and weighs 105 #. In the interest of lighter weight, I mounted a 2T Yamaha 8hp that does everything we need to get back and forth to the beach or dinghy dock.


Agreed it is pricey, but it's a 'forever-dinghy', vs a throw-away RIB that is cooked in 5yrs of tropical sun. Tons of storage space you just don't have in a RIB too. Oh, it has full-size REAL wooden oars under the gunnels. I actually will row around the anchorage for a nice workout in the mornings!



They have done a pretty good job consistently shipping boats to the US. In fact, they were looking to fill a couple extra delivery slots to the Caribbean recently.

[Celestialsailor]

I have not seen any mention of a Porta Bote