The most popular dinghy size

[jeff356]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Just FYI the Tohatsu 4 stroke 6, 8 and 9.8hp all weigh the same, 81lbs
The 2 stroke 6, 8 and 9.8hp are 57lbs

6HP Tohatsu 4 stroke 15" weighs 57lbs here in the states...

[SteveSadler]

10' seems to be the most common but are wet in any wind and will only plane 2 people. 12'/ 20hp ribs are far dryer, plane 4 people, tow easier, and more common among experienced sailors who rarely tie to a dock.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Just FYI the Tohatsu 4 stroke 6, 8 and 9.8hp all weigh the same, 81lbs
The 2 stroke 6, 8 and 9.8hp are 57lbs

I don't think that's quite right. According to the Tohatsu website, the 4 stroke 6 hp weighs 55 lbs, as does the Tohatsu 5 hp outboard. The optional built-in fuel tank adds 2 lbs. The Tohatsu 4hp, which is only available with the built-in fuel tank, weighs 57 lbs.


Suzuki and Yamaha's 4-stroke lineups are similar but they don't offer 5 hp. Honda offers 5 hp but not 4 or 7 hp. Weighs are similar across manufacturers in this size range.

[LoudMusic]

Originally Posted by joelhemington

There seems to be a trend at some of the more popular dinghy docks to limit the size to 12' (330 for all you hinterlanders) - seems they are tired of all the paramilitary assault craft clogging up their docks. Aluminum hulls with Hypalon tubes seem to be the popular choice.

I think they're trying to keep the superyachts out. Somewhat unsuccessfully!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAmZ_HbVvzM

[Vingt-Knots]

Highfield CL310 Hypalon, FC7 Console with a 20 HP O/B for the Moody 45DS. A less than 3m Zodiac FR (soft floor) with a 4HP O/B for the Catalina270. Sorry I forget the actual size and I am away from that boat so I can’t go check. The CL310 is good for 4 adults, the little Zodiac 3 is the upper limit.

[Dave Isom]

Originally Posted by ausaviator

What do you think would be the all-time ever most popular tender size?

I was thinking maybe 2.5 or 2.7m...?

There's so many options now and I notice so many are coming out with aluminium hulls. Aside from them possibly being lighter weight, I'm really not sure what the pro's of aluminium are... would love to hear from the experts?

Is this an academic question or a practical one ? ie. are you just curious or looking to buy? If it’s the latter then much depends upon what you’re going to use it for.
Is it just getting to and from your boat to shore, long trips up rivers,waterways,making a landing through surf, how many passengers are you likely to carry, do you want to use it for occasional fishing, where, ocean or lake, how much stuff are you wanting to carry, do you want it to go fast , plane or just row ? ( some of us like to do that )...get my drift ? Also, and importantly, what size boat do you have and where are you going to carry it ? Dinghys with outboards can be heavy and if carried on davits if it’s on a smallish boat and fills with water if not covered when it rains can bring the stern down too much on a smaller vessel. How many people likely to be on board if you have to lift it ?
I used a very small( 6 foot, 23 kg) FG dinghy on a 4 year circ and could lift it out of the water and stow it easily on the foredeck of a 40 foot yacht. I’d row it which I enjoy doing. My Avon was big and heavy and with a 6 HP OB was hard for me to handle solo, although it would plane when I gunned it. It would also bring the stern down more than I liked if carried on davits but would do this on short inter island hops.
I know this is a long winded reply but the size you need depends upon multiple factors , as stated at the outset. Good luck..... “ He who has choice has turmoil”.

[picklesandjesse]

Originally Posted by akopac

Nested or assembled[emoji16]Attachment 237056

Looks like Danny Greene Chameleon. I've had one for many years. Great boat and fun to build.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by SteveSadler

10' seems to be the most common but are wet in any wind and will only plane 2 people. 12'/ 20hp ribs are far dryer, plane 4 people, tow easier, and more common among experienced sailors who rarely tie to a dock.

My highfield CL290 will plane 4 with its 15 hp. Of course we all weigh less than average compatriots it seems

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Jammer

I don't think that's quite right. According to the Tohatsu website, the 4 stroke 6 hp weighs 55 lbs, as does the Tohatsu 5 hp outboard. The optional built-in fuel tank adds 2 lbs. The Tohatsu 4hp, which is only available with the built-in fuel tank, weighs 57 lbs.


Suzuki and Yamaha's 4-stroke lineups are similar but they don't offer 5 hp. Honda offers 5 hp but not 4 or 7 hp. Weighs are similar across manufacturers in this size range.

It depends on model, MFS6BZ or MFS6D

[DanielI]

Can someone explain to me what the obsession is with planing? For a tender, I fail to see why that is so important.

[marlin driver]

Originally Posted by DanielI

Can someone explain to me what the obsession is with planing? For a tender, I fail to see why that is so important.

A tender that doesn’t plane is fine if your purpose is to get from your boat to shore and return. If you use the tender to explore the surrounding area, a planing hull expands the area you can cover by many miles thanks to speed. Small tenders that won’t plane will max out around 5 mph. A planing hull with some power can run at 20-25mph or more all day long.

[marlin driver]

The most popular tender size is usually the largest one you can fit and carry on your boat. Knowing what is popular is other people is usually only useful if you are comparing the same size mother ship. Bigger is almost always better (dryer, faster, smoother) as long as you can pay for it and transport it.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Paul L

AL inflatables are also the lightest.

I don't think that is accurate anymore.

As an example:

290 Ultralight aluminum Highfield with a weight of 95 lbs. - note the 17" tubes
https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=7077593

300 FX fiberglass Achilles with a weight of 91 lbs - note 18" tubes
https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=7003036

Now there could be other reasons for this - maybe the Hypalon used by Highfield is thicker - but if looking for low weight, aluminum isn't always better. Where AL is lighter is when you start adding bow boxes and other additional items.

Matt

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Matt Johnson

I don't think that is accurate anymore.

As an example:

290 Ultralight aluminum Highfield with a weight of 95 lbs. - note the 17" tubes
https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=7077593

300 FX fiberglass Achilles with a weight of 91 lbs - note 18" tubes
https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=7003036

Now there could be other reasons for this - maybe the Hypalon used by Highfield is thicker - but if looking for low weight, aluminum isn't always better. Where AL is lighter is when you start adding bow boxes and other additional items.

Matt

I guess there are exceptions when you cross brands. At one point you could order an AB with either an aluminium or fiberglass hull and the weight difference was clear in that case.
I still prefer the AL bottoms for beating up the dinghy on rough landings. Where I am now it's about a 15 foot drag over coral rubble to land your tender.

[waterman46]

We've done so much exploring in areas where we have anchored, thanks to the planing ability (speed) of our dink. Many things we would have missed if we were limited to 5mph travel. We have an old 15hp Honda that weighs over 100 lb. I always remove it and clamp it on the stern rail when we sail, using the mizzen boom as a crane, since weight of dinghy and motor creates too much stress on the davits in a seaway. Dealing with the big motor is a real hassle when the anchorage is choppy and windy, so we have a little 3.5hp for short trips.

The dinghy is a fiberglass 9'5" (2.87m) Caribe about 8 years old. I don't worry much about dragging it over rocks, not that I'd do it on purpose. Any real damage is easily repaired - not so easy with aluminum.