Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 04-10-2019, 08:00   #31
Moderator Emeritus
 
a64pilot's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,348
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

Quote:
Originally Posted by jmschmidt View Post
And just what do you have against the Chinese? They make great products and they make crappy ones, just like the Americans, Germans, Brits and everyone else. It's up to you to do your homework.


That’s true, about the best aircraft metal work I’ve ever seen was done in China by Chinese, and that takes craftsmanship, you don’t get that with sweat shop labor.
However they will build to the lowest price point that the purchaser will allow. “It’s just business” so you do have to watch for that.
a64pilot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2019, 09:48   #32
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 5
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

I have 2 inflatables, one is an hypalon Achilles with a fiberglass hard bottom, the other is the cheapest Chinese PVC with an inflatable floor that I could find.
The Achilles is awesome, rigid, plains on the water, just fantastic
BUT I cant fold it up in a bag and store it in the Lazaret,
Thus I got the inflatable floor one, which I also love, for its storability, and its cushion...But it tracks awfully...(I don't worry about the sun damage because when Im done going to the Island, I fold it back up.)
Like everything in boats its all a compromise.
Since you have Davits (my boat does not, and I dont like to tow stuff), Id get the hard bottom. Ive had my Achilles for over 10 years, no problems, stored under a tarp, when not in use.
ERON is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2019, 10:17   #33
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: San Francisco Bay area
Boat: Condor Trimaran 30 foot
Posts: 1,501
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

Have you heard of Porta-bote? Folding boat made out of a plastic. Folds to the size of a large surfboard. Tie to the lifelines. Can assemble it in 10-15 minutes. Land on rocky beaches. No holes in inflatable tubes. Planes well. Nothing to come unglued. Excellent price. Tough. Sit on seats. Drier rides. Don’t weight a ton like many RIBs.

Honestly... do your research on this company before committing to an inflatable. These folding boats just make sense to me. The other choice would be a nesting dingy or hard dingy. I’m older guy so weight on my trimaran is important and getting it up on the nets is important. My boat can get up in the teens if there is a decent wind up. Who would tow anything at that speed?
alansmith is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2019, 10:40   #34
Zai
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Athens
Boat: 2011 Bavaria 36 Cruiser
Posts: 225
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

I'll take a look at Porta bote, but I am a little skeptical I'll just keep an open mind.
Up to this point though I am leaning towards either the Highfield or Achilles also I have started to draw up an all aluminum boat with the looks of a standard inflatable.( I have made a few larger ones before) With some sort of permanent fender material on the sides.
Zai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2019, 11:13   #35
Registered User
 
Cheechako's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,744
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

My choice would be a RIB, not double floor, and Hypalon. The double floor add a lot of weight and almost always get water in between. KISS
But a removable hard floor is ok too. Especially if you don't dingy long distances. We used ours as an exploring tool traveling 10 miles etc, and the RIB is nice for that.
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard











Cheechako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2019, 14:52   #36
Moderator
 
JPA Cate's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: aboard, in Tasmania, Australia
Boat: Sayer 46' Solent rig sloop
Posts: 29,730
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

Our Gemini (formerly hypalon, now a few years into a PVC experiment) RIB has a double floor. It has not been a problem for us. It is easy to drain, and always drains before being placed on the foredeck for passages.

Ann
__________________
Who scorns the calm has forgotten the storm.
JPA Cate is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2019, 08:39   #37
Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: New City, New York
Boat: Oday 25
Posts: 165
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

My boat club has a 2018 West Marine RIB 350 (Cost on sale in 2018 of $2700) which was used a very few times and is now excess due to a generous donation of a much larger RIB. For sale at $1500. Tubes, if I have this correct are PVC. Motor capacity is 25 HP. You can look up all the dimensions at the West Marine web site. Condition is near new as its been under cover for nearly a year. Can be inspected at the Nyack Boat Club, Nyack NY by appointment
ebsail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2019, 07:52   #38
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Woods Hole MA
Boat: Sabre 426
Posts: 78
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

Quote:
Originally Posted by JPA Cate View Post
Our Gemini (formerly hypalon, now a few years into a PVC experiment) RIB has a double floor. It has not been a problem for us. It is easy to drain, and always drains before being placed on the foredeck for passages.

Ann
We are also in the middle of a PVC experiment. We purchased an aluminum Oxxean Aluma 275 RIB. It weights only 80 pounds. My original concern was stability with a 10 HP Honda engine weighing 110 pounds. Turns out to be a great combination in a very exposed harbor - (Great Harbor- Woods Hole). I very much like the floor construction which is about 1 inch above the interior of the hull. The company claims to have used a new technology called Valmex® PVC tube fabric with welded seams. All aluminum surfaces a covered with powdered aluminum paint. It has an bow locker and low positioned lifting attachments fabricated into vertical support structures in the hull. So far the performance after a year has been excellent but I realize this is a very short time frame. The only negative concerns the oar locks. I'm unclear about the manufacturer - Some sites indicate the hull is made by AB in Columbia
__________________
SciSail
sogin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2019, 08:03   #39
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Camden, Maine
Boat: Bowman 57 Ketch : Searcher
Posts: 66
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

I owned a plywood bottom Achilles for 10 years. Tough to assemble, but nice to stow on deck of my Lord Nelson 41.
Moved up to a Bowman 57 and bought a AB RIB. Love it Had it for 10 years, sold it, bought another. Had it for 8 years and sold it for half of what I bought it for.
Would buy the same one again.
In the Caribbean where we hop between islands bringing the RIB on deck with the engine removed is advisable. You you have deck space?
Engine. 10 to 15 HP is recommended. You need enough HP to tow or push your big boat into harbor when the engine fails.
I waited until I got to Bermuda where I could purchase a 2 stroke 15 HP outboard. It’s nearly 20# lighter than a 4 stroke.
The RIP planes well.
DHLyman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2019, 08:32   #40
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 4
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zai View Post
I need help in choosing an inflatable dinghy and the internet is full of propaganda.

I would like advice based on experience.

I am looking for about 2.7 meter to 2.9 meter I am undecided about a rib or normal hard floor or even inflatable floor.

It seems to me from the research I have done to date that it is difficult to find a dinghy which is not made in China.

Thanks in advance for the pool of knowledge!
A lot of the inflatables may be made in China, but be careful that just because it carries a recognized brand name, it may be a piece of JUNK. I purchased a Zodiac inflatables and it came apart in short order. The seams separated and I got no help from Zodiac. It was not repairable and went in the trash dump.
Nornor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2019, 08:40   #41
Moderator Emeritus
 
a64pilot's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,348
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nornor View Post
A lot of the inflatables may be made in China, but be careful that just because it carries a recognized brand name, it may be a piece of JUNK. I purchased a Zodiac inflatables and it came apart in short order. The seams separated and I got no help from Zodiac. It was not repairable and went in the trash dump.


That happened to my first dinghy as well a Zodiac Cadet 3.10.
The fabric seemed to be as good as anyone’s, but the plastic bits that were glued on were junk and the glue used to hold the boat together was failing.
I took it to a Pro to try to have it repaired and he couldn’t fix it. Lasted two years and was stored inside in the off season for half the year.
a64pilot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2019, 09:20   #42
Registered User
 
Nicholson58's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Caribbean live aboard
Boat: Camper & Nicholson58 Ketch - ROXY Traverse City, Michigan No.668283
Posts: 6,635
Images: 84
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

We found a good deal on a used fiberglass RIB hypalon Caribe, 9.5 feet with 2-stroke Mercury 15 Hp. It has been pretty good. It does not plane as easily as newer, flatter, wider dinghies. Friends bought an AB aluminum RIB, same length but with a bow locker. It’s wider at the bow & larger tubes so dryer ride than ours. Some aluminum RIBs have had corrosion issues that compromised the glue joint. No such issues with glass.

Since you have a lifting davit I recommend RIB rather than soft or wood/metal floor. RIB rides faster with better stability and seaworthiness.
Nicholson58 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2019, 13:10   #43
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Carlisle, MA USA
Boat: Gulfstar 41
Posts: 59
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

I have had both a hypalon inflatable floor (Achilles) and a PVC (German manufactured Meher-Valmex) FG RIB (Coastal) with a bow locker. I replaced the 12 year old Achilles when it developed a bubble in one tube; it never leaked air, but I didn't trust it. Because I rarely deflated the dinghy, I chose the RIB replacement. Frankly, the benefits of the RIB only marginally outweighed the drawbacks - mostly weight (135 lbs vs 70 lbs) for similar lengths. I had glue problems with the Coastal (handles coming off), but Coastal paid to have them professionally reglued; no hull problems. I am 77 years old and, although I can muscle the RIB onto a dock, the Achilles was much easier. When and if I replace the RIB, I will likely return to an inflatable floor model.
lewisa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2019, 13:22   #44
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Sodus Bay, US (south) side of Lake Ontario
Boat: Pacific Seacraft Crealock 34
Posts: 86
Images: 2
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

I bought an Achilles LSI-290e inflatable floor hypalon dinghy 10 months ago. I’m living onboard and cruising the Bahamas so the dinghy has gotten a lot of use. I have been very pleased with it I love the inflatable floor. Years ago i had a Zodiac with the typical 4-section plywood panel floor. It worked but as others have said it was always a chore to get the panels in while assembling it. I like the inflatable floor because I can inflate or deflate it up on deck of my 34’ sailboat. I use the 6’ long fender boards I carry to help support the dinghy during inflation/deflation. But the dinghy lives most of its life up on davits. And the performance is fine. With just me at 250# and an old Tohatsu 8hp 2-stroke outboard it’s max speed is a scary 28mph on flat water. It feels like it’s going to go airborne. I did that only once. Speed confirmed by GPS. I usually run it at about 20 mph. And my only other comment/complaint is that I found it very hard to get back into the dinghy from the water after swimming. I finally had to buy a collapsible inflatable dinghy ladder from the Up-N-Out people. Expensive but it works great.
BoatBumm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2019, 14:24   #45
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1
Re: The bottom line on inflatable dinghies

Hi...
Just a quick note... Do not buy a (de)flatable dinghy!!!
After 15 years cruising , 10,000 repair jobs, hundreds of hours of unnecessary work, I bought an aluminium 10 ft dinghy and added PVC tubes to the sides.
It's unsinkable and I no longer waste my time repairing deflatable boats and it cost $1000 second hand, but it will outlast me! I have a 15hp Yamaha on the back and it's a great dinghy!!!
felixdacat is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
inflatable

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Cheap Bag for Soft Bottom Inflatable Dinghies AmericanVagrant Auxiliary Equipment & Dinghy 0 15-01-2016 00:54
Inflatable Dinghies - Recommendations ? Mike Sibley Auxiliary Equipment & Dinghy 40 09-10-2015 10:03
PVC inflatable Dinghies - throwaway Mamieliz Product or Service Reviews & Evaluations 0 30-04-2014 15:22
Florida Keys - Renting Hobie Cats / Dinghies townsnda Atlantic & the Caribbean 14 26-04-2012 13:37
Hard Dinghies sjs General Sailing Forum 6 08-05-2004 20:03

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 13:37.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.