Dinghy dilemma

[maury]

I am preparing a pacific sea craft Orion 27 sailboat for a Caribbean island cruising lifestyle. I prefer living on the hook and running around to snorkel and visit islands. I can’t figure out which dinghy would be best for my needs insights are greatly appreciate it.

I will not have davits so assuming I get an inflatable it would need to be collapsed when cruising in.

[Jammer]

The Orion 27 is a tiny boat and due to the cutter rig doesn't have much foredeck space. Think small. If you can find or build a nesting dinghy you could do that. Otherwise your best bet may be an inflatable with a high pressure dropstitch air floor. I would look at the Achilles LSI-310E as a starting point. For one person with that boat I would for a lightweight 8hp motor once in the Caribbean. For a USA motor you could use a 6hp which is small and light and will plane the dinghy with one person aboard and minimal gear. The LSI-310E is still roughly 1'x2'x4' folded up and so you still have to find room for that, and a pump, and the motor, which is not an easy thing to do on an Orion.

[Oohla]

Look at Oru Folding Kayaks.
Store below.
No motor to mess with.
Good cardio.
Anchor close to shore with your 4' draft.

It's what I'm gonna do with my 31' Borrensen in the Bahamas

[CarlF]

I would think about only bringing the inflatable on deck for long passages. For short hops you can take the outboard off and tow it. Tie the dingy stern to your stern lifted out of the water for the least drag.

[Cthoops]

We have a Bristol 29.9 and have gone through a variety of dinghies - inflatable and hard - trying to find the right match. We have finally settled on a Portabote, stored on Magma SUP J hooks. Like all dinghies, it’s a compromise. However, this is the first time we haven’t towed a dinghy in four years of full-time cruising, and we are stunned at how much faster the boat goes now. We were losing a minimum of 1/2 knot by towing. So don’t tow if you can help it.

[maury]

@jammer How would it be assembling the Archille 310 on my smaller boat? I am looking at a 9’6” Saturn inflatable and that seems to be my biggest question. I do prefer hypolan but sensing given present economics may need to settle for 1100 denier reenforced pvc

Unfortunately Nesting dingy doesn’t offer me the hp I want to go exploring with snorkle gear with 1-2 others in dingy otherwise it is attractive.

[svpatience]

Dinghy's are always tough and I've tried different options over the years. I currently have a nesting Eastport Pram and love it. But its not fast - I row it. I'd agree with some of the other posters and try and avoid towing unless you're sure conditions will be mild. I've had 2-3 "dinghy disasters" when towing and in all cases almost lost my dink, or worse gotten myself in bigger trouble!

Tim

[Adelie]

On a 27’ boat you are going to have trouble fitting a dinghy and motor big enough to carry 3 people with dive gear on a plane.

With a very small RIB you probably could get 2 people with gear on a plane using a 10hp motor. You may need to get a flatter prop to get on the plane and that will cost you a couple knots in top speed but you will be on a plane.
https://www.defender.com/product.jsp...579&id=7993705
My guess is this RIB will be about 6’ long deflated.

You may be able to get a slat-floor inflatable on a plane with 10hp, probably with a flatter prop.

With 15hp and a slightly larger dinghy 3 should be no problem but you run into increase storage requirements for both engine and dinghy.

Even if you know you want a 15hp, you can’t get a 2-stroke version in the USA. You can get a 10hp (9.9 or 9.8) 4-stroke here that weighs the same as the 15hp 2-stroke. Or buy a 2.5hp motor for use until you get to the Bahamas then buy the 15hp.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by maury

@jammer How would it be assembling the Archille 310 on my smaller boat?

I have "hard" dinghies so I cannot offer firsthand advice but I too would be concerned. I think your rational choices are:


1) To disconnect the lifelines and get them out of the way and then inflate the boat while it is athwartships across the foredeck allowing either end of the dinghy to hang over the gunwales.


2) To inflate it ashore. Given your stated plans to move rarely this might actually work OK. For example you could pay for a slip for a night and inflate it on the dock, or ask another cruiser to bring you and the uninflated dinghy to the shore, or use a water taxi service where that is offered. For short moves in good weather you can tow the dinghy.

I am looking at a 9’6” Saturn inflatable and that seems to be my biggest question. I do prefer hypolan but sensing given present economics may need to settle for 1100 denier reenforced pvc

The Achilles was just an example. I've been reading rubber dinghy articles and posts for five years. I don't think there's a predictable, enduring difference among brands. While I think hypalon lasts longer, PVC and hypalon boats alike are both ultimately disposable. None of them last forever.

Unfortunately Nesting dingy doesn’t offer me the hp I want to go exploring with snorkle gear with 1-2 others in dingy otherwise it is attractive.

Yep. Those are the tradeoffs you have to make. I can assemble my Chameleon in the water and it will carry 550 pounds but it does not go fast. But I am in the Great Lakes where long dinghy rides are not common, and I have a greater willingness to spend a night in a marina from time to time, and to move the mother ship generally, than many.

[Not a spy]

I would consider a truekit. Sailing Fair Isle has used theirs to transport 3-4 adults. We have the Navigator 350 with a small outboard, Honda 2.2. The dinghy gets towed most time and also deflates for stowage on the bow. Shipping to the US was easy. https://truekit.net/collections/boat...roduct_reviews

[Adelie]

I inferred from the first post that the OP wants a dinghy/motor combo that can plane.

[tamicatana]

My first-gen Takacat planed with weight and an 8hp 2-stroke. The TrueKit is similar, maybe a bit better built, it looks to me

[emilecantin]

I have a Zodiac Cadet 310 inflatable with a hi-pressure floor (it's basically a paddleboard), but I'll switch it to a RIB as soon as I can find one, as I keep it inflated at all times anyway. Inflating it is fine, it's deflating it and rolling it up that's a real PITA.

I'd nudge you towards a nesting pram if you can find one that fits. I looked into it briefly, but I couldn't find one that'll fit my family (I have 4 kids).

[maury]

Has power deflators been of help making the process easier ? Nesting pram is attractive space wise but sometimes I want the ability to go a distance and just doesn’t seem like it will get me there. 8-10.5 range is ideal size with a 6 hp. Pram takes a 2.5 hp so way shy.

[smj]

26 years with inflatables and 4 with a portabote. The Portabote is by no means perfect but way better than the numerous inflatables we’ve owned.