Dinghy recommendations

[roverhi]

If you want a simple dinghy that rows well and will carry 4 people it's hard to beat the Avon Redcrest or Redstart dinghy. Avon's hard rubber oar locks really work for hard duty rowing. Rowed ours all over French Polynesia sometimes as far as 5 miles. Still held air without leaks after 24/7 use in SoPac as they were made from heavy duty UV resistant Hypalon fabric. The other manufacturers oarlocks are largely POS's designed and added as an afterthought and do not last in serious use. One big plus is the inflation sections are fore and aft. Stored ours with the aft section inflated on the cabin top. Made for an inflated air lounge on the deck and really fast to launch only to have to pump up the forward half. The transom inflatables are split down the center so not easy to store except uninflected. Great for diving or swimming. Made for a good fender when rafting up. Unfortunately it seems Avon is virtually out of business and the RedCrest/RedStart dinghies are NLA. They do seem to turn up fairly regularly on Ebay/Craig's List etc but condition varies. Just bought a brand new one that had never been in the water. Avon Inflatable Classic Dinghy Boat Raft Zodiac Avon Hypalon Fabric Wood Ores | eBay

[Don C L]

I sure have to agree with you about the old Avons and their rubber oar locks. Does anybody make dinghies with those (rubber oarlocks) anymore?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

That's funny, as the used Folbot which I picked up actually came with an OB mount.
But the rowing thing, & working on one's health, to me, is a big part of having a hard dinghy.

It's all up to what each sailor needs.

It's been pointed out that a dinghy is really nice for transporting supplies etc back and forth from land to boat for full time cruisers

I'm thinking the extra work of a kayak would be good if cruising just to get the muscles moving again in a semi aerobic fashion. Plus you can go exploring with it

You can also row one much faster than a dinghy

I used mine this weekend to scrub the crap off my boat near the waterline.

Then went site seeing. I paddled over to look at a Formosa 46 that is for sale which had dinghy davits etc

It also has tons of freeboard as compared to my boat. Launching the dinghy from my boat is lots easier with it's low freeboard. Plus I don't really have room for a dinghy, and I removed the dinghy davits when I bought the boat

Boat size is another consideration. It's nice on a small boat to have a folding kayak because you can disassemble it and store it below if necessary.

My 16'6" Folbot Cooper though fits on the side deck of my 27' boat. (it has a height of 12" and is only 24" wide)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRccc0PBkkI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cBq087bIAE

[Seaslug Caravan]

Just came across this dingy choice article by Alan Lucas in Australian Sailing Magazine.

When Alan speaks we should all listen.

Getting ashore - what tender should I choose? - MySailing.com.au

A few exerpts'.....

With so many marinas dotted along our coast, it is sometimes forgotten that cruising is about sailing to remote, exotic places where facilities are scarce and getting ashore can be difficult - if not impossible - with all that that implies regarding the choice of a tender.

Should it be inflatable, rigid inflatable or just plain rigid: and if the latter what is the best type and material?

There is nothing more utilitarian than a plain aluminium punt for all-terrain ship-to-shore commuting.



Rigid inflatables
Well-heeled sailors typically favour rigid inflatable (RIB) tenders powered by outboards of maximum horsepower. However, once divorced from facilities, disenchantment can follow as the type’s shortcomings quickly become apparent even in the most basic challenge of hauling it ashore.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Seaslug Caravan

Just came across this dingy choice article by Alan Lucas in Australian Sailing Magazine.

When Alan speaks we should all listen.

Getting ashore - what tender should I choose? - MySailing.com.au

A few exerpts'.....

With so many marinas dotted along our coast, it is sometimes forgotten that cruising is about sailing to remote, exotic places where facilities are scarce and getting ashore can be difficult - if not impossible - with all that that implies regarding the choice of a tender.

Should it be inflatable, rigid inflatable or just plain rigid: and if the latter what is the best type and material?

There is nothing more utilitarian than a plain aluminium punt for all-terrain ship-to-shore commuting.



Rigid inflatables
Well-heeled sailors typically favour rigid inflatable (RIB) tenders powered by outboards of maximum horsepower. However, once divorced from facilities, disenchantment can follow as the type’s shortcomings quickly become apparent even in the most basic challenge of hauling it ashore.

I have to agree that a 10-12ft aluminum rowboat or punt is great, but who can carry one? Towing one is fine for local cruising maybe. Below 12 is not that common and below 10 is very uncommon.... at least here in the states. Sure if those boats worked that well... hell... we'd all have them as they are only about $300 used and indestructible.

[Paul J. Nolan]

Many decades ago our family cruised on a Vitesse 40 (later Block Island 40). We had an 8' aluminium hard-chined pram for our tender. It worked well with a 3 HP Johnson outboard. But the really great aluminium tender was the 8' or perhaps 10' Grumman rowing/sailing dinghy. Round-bilged and riveted, I think, it had a dagger board case on the centerline, plenty of freeboard, and a pointed bow. It looked just the thing for rowing an anchor out or landing on a rocky beach. There must have been a distributor in Chicago because there were several around the club even though they had gone out of production years earlier. Good looking, tough, almost indestructible little boats.

Paul

[Delafontaine]

And for a long dinghy's life, here is a detailed video from Sailrite on
How to Make Dinghy Chaps:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1q7o4zcR8E

[Hudson Force]

I have developed a less than favorable attitude for the "dinghy chaps". They may be suitable for those that cruise by the season and putting everything away for much of the year, but they don't seem to be a good idea for full time cruising. This may just be my attitude that comes with a penchant for avoiding work. All these flaps of cloth in my cruising areas would be hideouts for spiders, mold, salt deposits, abrasive grit and dirt. I'm more in favor of a painted on protective coating that doesn't set me up for more cleaning and tending parts.

There not for me, but they can be well-suited for others.

[Sailor Jer]

..."what dink" is a harder/more subjective question than "what boat" LOL...

My opinion for OP/thread author would be a ROLL-UP INFLATABLE. preferably hypalon material with roll up slat floor non inflatable keel/floor versus inflatable keel.
Small enough to tow behind. tie it off the stern rail so nose up/less drag/less likely to swamp. Make a lifting harness so as you can use a halyard to raise it onto deck/raise outta water at night for security/helps keep it cleaner from marine growth.

ideally 8ft Avon Rover R2-50 model, has wood transom/roll up slat floor. Put a Honda 2hp/2.3 on it and you're golden, I bought/pieced together this very setup for $600 used off craigslist in the Florida keys. I built it for a girlfriend who wanted to move aboard my boat as its trouble free.
keep in mind not a boat for careless/caviler types as this setup needs to be operated with caution. Little wet when fetch/chop is going on but that's the price you pay for having a little dink in a big fetch/chop. No bailing just lift it up on a dock/shore with motor on it (fuel valve shut off) and twist it to pour the water outta it, small boat the smallest person can man handle it with somewhat ease.

Good 2nd choice 8ft Avon Redcrest is almost same boat, but has wood panels for floor and no solid transom, it's essentially a rafting design raft meaning it's chambers encircle the boat solid, it has a add on motor bracket you attach if you wanna use a motor/again Honda 2hp/2.3...or without bracket it looks like a mini river rafting raft.

Both these boats row reasonable well, busted the shear pin on the Honda prop and had to row cuz I forgot to replace the emergency extra shear pins LOL. There is also a aftermarket kit with Co2 carriages you employ into the air chamber filler valves that convert it to a instant inflatable life raft...never had the kit myself just seemed like a neato idea IMO.

These are Small/light/quality, roll up into a carry case/stores nicely in lazerette/quarter birth. DO NOT GET A PVC BOAT!!! They tend to form creases (PVC material) when folded which become the place where they leak/rip apart...

I am a stanch Honda guy as far as the little/micro dink motors go b/c they're air cooled (no impeller so no sucking mud into the motor when you ground it (which you will) you'll break the shear pins before you break the plastic prop..the oil drain plug is worst thing about these motors, above the tiller handle by the sight glass and you gotta tape off the tiller handle or oil pours onto the tiller handle when changing oil-holds about 1/2 a quart. Pretty quite until you open them up then you'll wake people up LOL. great little motor hardest problem is keeping ethanol free fuel in the gas can...easy to pull, starts first pull every time...best girlfriend/wifie motor ever!!!

Side topic...If you want 8hp or more for bigger RIB boats then only settle for yamaha IMO, ideally yamaha 8hp two stroke small light bullet proof, or a Yamaha 4stroke 9.9 cats meow....watch craigslist and you'll see deals on dinks/motors...

Only down fall in this setup (Avon Rover R2-50/Honda 2hp) I built from my experience is you're not going anywhere in it after 15knots or a small craft advisory which makes them totally a fair weather dink.
You're gonna need some skills, understanding about seamanship to operate it 10plus knots wind, mild fetch/chop. Makes a great 2nd boat for cruisers/couples but worst primary boat for people "cruising" with variable conditions/needing to go long distances (they don't plane to do so you'll destroy it sooner than later)

Again, this is my suggestion based on what you shared...

[Sandero]

Type relates to use and how far you dink. We anchor off... moor far from the landing and so need a faster and drier boat... That equates to large tubes, larger motor. Presently we have a 10' RIB with a Yamaha 8 4stroke. For a passage this is a problem unless it can be stowed upside down and lased to the bow... but our inner forestay for offshore says NO... so we take a non RIB for passage and cruising in say the Caribbean. Towing local sailing though not ideal is OK as long as conditions are agreeable.