Inflatables V's Tinnies as a tender

[Dave_S]

Hi

I have a 3.1m inflatable and for its length it has very little room. I'm looking for a tender, a crabbing, a fishing, and an exploring boat rather than just a tender. I was thinking of a 12' tinny and some fender material attached to it.

Not many use tinnies for tenders from the boats I've seen is there a good reason for this.

I understand that it will be harder to get in and out of and may make noise lapping in the water but is there any other drawback?

Thanks
Dave

[Seman]

I have a 3.1m Tinnie, just now looking at replacing it with a 2.9m Highfield.
The Tinnie is a pain in the arse. Hard to get in & out, very unstable.
After swimming climbing back into the dinghy always loose some skin.
When visiting other boats have to be very alert to the tinnie trying to attack the mother ship, despite a 32mm hose fixed all around the top sides of the tinnie.
After 2.5 years of battling with the bloody thing I've had enough. Cheers.

[Dave_S]

Originally Posted by Seman

I have a 3.1m Tinnie, just now looking at replacing it with a 2.9m Highfield.
The Tinnie is a pain in the arse. Hard to get in & out, very unstable.
After swimming climbing back into the dinghy always loose some skin.
When visiting other boats have to be very alert to the tinnie trying to attack the mother ship, despite a 32mm hose fixed all around the top sides of the tinnie.
After 2.5 years of battling with the bloody thing I've had enough. Cheers.

I hadn't thought about visiting other boats, that's a good point. I imagined I could protect contact points on my boat but that might not work for other shapes.

Thannks

[Reefmagnet]

I have one of each - a 10 foot tinny and 9 foot inflatable. I do prefer the tinny for most things, but many of the things that seman says above applies. It will bump and scrape your boat and is difficult to snorkel from. A high sided tinny is all but useless - those with low sides are much better, imo. A light weight car topper is the best choice and crocks won't wreck them with a taste test up north. Mind you, an inflatable is much more preferable if storing on deck and when the weather gets really wet and rough you don't need to worry about it filling with water and sinking.

Sent from my SGP521 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[JPA Cate]

Dave, if you can swing it, get the tinny for fishing, crabbing, etc. And if you like skin diving, which you may as you get to cleaner waters, keep the inflatable for that. They are lots easier to work out a way to get back into. If you go to the Kimberleys sometime, you will again want the tinny, because sometimes crocs "test taste" the tubes on inflatables.

If you're staying around here, fender the gunnels and bow of the tinny, and also carry a couple of larger fenders lashed alongside horizontally, to keep it off boats you visit.

I suppose another option would be a larger inflatable, or a RIB, our RIB is 3.5 m. It was a Gemini, but Gemini's hypalon turned out not to be durable (too thin), and last year, we put German pvc tubes made in China on it. Did make chaps for it, but it's too soon to say how well it will hold up.

Ann

[Seaslug Caravan]

Depends where you intend to sail.

On the Norther coastal regions of Australia, only a goose would own a crocodile teething ring.

Freedom Express, a sistership to yours has an 11' Tinnie with a custom thicker bottom. Ross is a keen fisherman.

His original tender many years ago was a rigid inflatable from memory.

If your sailing in isolated areas with no outside assistance on hand, then for safety you want something that will row (motor failure will eventually happen).Good luck rowing a rubber ducky with plastic paddles , any distance against the trades.

[Dave_S]

Thanks all. All good points.

Tinny it is with some fender work and I'll keep the inflatable.

I'm not sure I'm convinced about the crocks bitting boats, I think this might be a northern myth that has come from the Sweetheart story ?

[Sea Life]

Dave, I have both. Not part of the plan, but ran out of money during refit. So have a 13yr. 270cm Mercury inflateable with the high pressure inflateable floor and a 3.3hp motor(left over from last boat). I also have a 4 meter tinnie with pilothouse and steering wheel, etc. that I used seperately from boating so to speak. So I brought both. The inflateable is fine for short jaunts to the dock, visiting other boaters, etc. but that's it. The tinnie is awsome for exploring, distances, spearfishing(cant pop), etc. I did try a massive foam collar similar to a rib, but lost too much performance.

The reason I bring it up is the airfloor boat rolls right up and stores easily, so deck space isn't an issue with both boats.

Its on our blog as the Aluminum Princess. My wife os still working on transferring the photo links to google from Picasa. So pics may be scarce for another week or two.

[oldsalt_1942]

Idiots can't puncture a tinny with a pocket knife...

Thieves are more interested in stealing an inflatable than a tinny.

[Lambretta]

This might be another option
Yacht Tenders, Utility Boats, Dinghies - Rigid Aluminum Hull Boats

Basically the same shape as an inflatable ..... but all made out of aluminum
Still might be a problem bumping into your boats and others .... not sure of the size and the effectiveness of the rub rails

but solves the maintenance and sun issues of a RIB

[kelbylinn]

We went half way inbetween with a Bullfrog tender. It is a rigid boat, all aluminum. Check out Yacht Tenders, Utility Boats, Dinghies - Rigid Aluminum Hull Boats One tough little boat but easy to load on our davits and is pretty darn stable. Just another choice out there.

[Mike Banks]

I have a Polycraft yacht tender--I think it is 3 metres--check them out. It is more stable than a tinny and does not scratch the paintwork so badly--but for hauling crab pots it would be quite stable and not prone to punctures.

I picked Safety Yellow for the colour--and as another bonus--if you buy the foam-filled model it will qualify as a life-raft for those requirements for offshore yachts.

Worth a look anyway--will take up to 10HP outboard. My previous tenders were inflatables. I just fell out of love with the constant damage repairs. Polycraft are somewhere in between the inflatable for stability and the tinnie for durability.

AND they row like a dream--something most inflatables do not--plus I have a canopy on mine for shade while fishing--and they have holes for rods--

http://www.polycraft.com.au/model-range/300-tuff-tender

[Sea Life]

Octenders.com is another site for hardshell tenders. You guys down under get all the cool boats!

[buzzstar]

Wanna buy a metal embedded croc tooth?

[downunder]

Dave,

Seriously consider a Spirited ripple tender.

The 3.6 built in foam only weighs 41kg and will do the job.

Ask about a modified 3.6 such as the one on top of this car.

http://www.spiriteddesigns.com.au/ripple_tenders1

Cheers