Dinghy thread

[capn_billl]

I bought a used Dinghy, and it fell apart in under a year in Florida

Seems to be a common problem in PVC dinghies.

Now I'm in Florida, and need a new one.

Any brands?

Types?

I have davits for a 8-9 ft.

The local classifieds go fast, or are way overpriced.

West Marine has a few Hypalon dinghies for under $3,000.

What is the best dinghy, and what is the best deal on one that will serve as a water taxi, take a 10HP outboard, and be rugged enough for a relatively long trip if needed.

[Jammer]

Something aluminum, perhaps. I got this for $450 on Craigslist last summer, though I've painted it since then. We'll tow it behind the Hunter.

I looked into PVC and hypalon dinghies of various configurations and came to the conclusion that build quality is inconsistent for all manufacturers. If you ask around there are wildly differing personal accounts of dinghy lifespan and they appear to me to be mostly unrelated to purchase price. They hypalon ones do last longer than PVC, usually, though again there are some early failures.

Warranty service is consistently poor.

That's one of the main reasons I opted out.