Tell me about your dinghy and what you like about it

[Sailorman97]

Highfield 340 pushed with 20hp Tohatsu. Pretty dry. We are on our second one as the first had an accident.

You need to protect the PVC tubes on these. After 6 yrs our tubes were really showing their age. I would think that at 10 yrs they would have been done

For the new one we have built chaps an when it is on the davits it will have a bottom cover too to stop the reflected UV.

[MicHughV]

I've had good success with an Achilles dink with plywood floors and a 15 hp Suzuki (see pic)....the 15 hp was a bit too much for it and tended to buckle the floors, so I learned to stand up and ride it so I could stand on the plywood floor and press it down with my weight.
Despite years of abuse, the dink served me extremely well. It was quite lightweight. I think the Suzuki weighed more than the dink did.

Nonetheless, I yearned for a RIB, as it would be better suited for the 15 hp Suzuki. I found a used Zodiac RIB and this was my next dink.

Eventually, the 15 hp Suzuki proved to be too much of a problem due to it's weight.

From there I downsized to a Yamaha 8 hp 2-stroke....probably my favorite engine of all time with a WM 310. Suited me as well as my original Achilles.

A new RIB will set you back several grand, but there seems to be quite a number of used one's on the market. Worth a shot to take a look around.

I know you are working your way north. St. Augustine has a nicely stocked sailors exchange a short distance from the ICW worthy of a looksee.

[Chotu]

I like how you have pictures of the past. You and that guy Tomas from the Chesapeake. You guys have some good old pictures.

I used to have an Achilles rib and I was very happy with it. But of course in Florida it was stolen. Like everything else I owned.

And stealing the melody from Justin Bieber‘s song: “ I got my dinghy out in Georgia… oh yeah sht “

“I am way past Saint Augustine… and that bridge ”

I am looking to get out of Georgia pretty soon.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ0yjYUFKAE

Yeah, I definitely have a case of the intercoastal crazies going on. I hate Georgia. I wanted to go outside. I mean it’s beautiful. But I don’t like going in circles.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by Chotu

I like how you have pictures of the past. You and that guy Tomas from the Chesapeake. You guys have some good old pictures.

I used to have an Achilles rib and I was very happy with it. But of course in Florida it was stolen. Like everything else I owned.

And stealing the melody from Justin Bieber‘s song: “ I got my dinghy out in Georgia… oh yeah sht “

I am way past Saint Augustine. I am looking to get out of Georgia pretty soon.

Yeah, I definitely have a case of the intercoastal crazies going on. I hate Georgia. I wanted to go outside. I mean it’s beautiful. But I don’t like going in circles.

Nice song [emoji846]

[SailFastTri]

My current RIB is a Highfield 340 "light". I'm using it with a Tohatsu 2-stroke 9.8 and it planes well enough. I also have a Torqeedo 1100 as backup.
In terms of dryness it's light years ahead of the Achilles 310 "light" I had before, and it's also drier than the AB VS360 with a 4-stroke Yamaha F20 I also own.

The Highfield is my cruising RIB it stays with my boat. I keep the AB at the home port dock (it's bottom is painted). There's over 150# weight difference between them.
The Torqeedo has its pros and cons. Beyond the range and speed limits. The weight is great the wife loves it and I like it (super quiet, no fumes, easy forward/reverse and no violent pull start required). The electrical connectors suck and if any of it fails you can't take it to the nearest outboard shop for repairs. I have a spare prop and shear pin. It's also a great (easy to stow) backup motor if I have troubles with my Tohatsu in the middle of nowhere. However, I like The Torqeedo enough to use it as primary because I also have the Tohatsu. I think the repairability concerns rule out the Torqeedo as the one and only motor to have when cruising.
Which is easier to stow? Torqeedo. Which is more capable all-around? Tohatsu. That's why Torqeedo is the backup.

[JPA Cate]

Ya know, Chotu, CF member <Franziska> has a thread on a redo of a trashed pvc RIB. Found glue that would work. If you're interested in a somewhat intriguing project at the moment, maybe you'd like to resurrect your current RIB.... https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...le-273017.html

Here in Oz, people with big cats often have davits, and carry "tinnies", aluminum skiffs, for dinghies, especially in the north, where the croc population is spreading. Not too hard to make a tinny unskinable using spray in closed cell foam, or buy one with flotation already in it. Don't know about GA.

We bought a Gemini RIB, have had it 20 yrs. It has had 2 sets of hypalon tubes, and most recent, has PVC tubes, which came out of China, but were made with German PVC, and they are now 15 yrs. old. We have made chaps for it it's whole service time, and the PVC is in good nick. The last 5 years have been south of 40 south, so not in the tropics except for it's first 10 yrs. What we like is the lightweight aluminum hull, the stability, and the 20 " diameter tubes. We use a Yamaha 15 on it, but your Tohatsu could probably plane it with 2 up, or 1 up with a person's weight of provisions in it. It is big enough to be easy to snorkel or scuba out of.

Ann

[Sailorichiban]

My favorite dingy
Of course one of the ones I built
Check out the images on my profile
Used to have a 2 stroke 15hp merc for power before it gave up the ghost
Approx dem: 7’4” x 4’6” ( I would have to measure to be sure, but recall accurately I believe)
Handles up to 4 adults and one dog
3/8” ply bottom, 1/4” ply sides , 5/4 pine transom and bow
Stainless screws and gorilla glue
Oil paint
Never leaks
Getting old now
I believe constructed in 2009
Time to design and build: 60 hours

[Pegu Club]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

If you want a dry ride #1 is Highfield (by far), #2 is AB, rule out Achilles. I have experience with only those 3.
I did own a Portabote at one time and sold it because:
- cheap seats and transom that will not hold up
- difficult to board over the bow which is flexible and narrow, a disadvantage at a crowded dinghy dock when you can’t board from the side.
- the black seams left marks on my topsides.
- when you factor in the seats and transom it’s not really a space saver when folded.

The Portabote is not for everyone, but, they no longer leaves mark on the mothership, they corrected that and the transom thing, I can not speak for everyone, but crowded dingy docks are not a problem for myself or my wife, as to taking up space, it works well on our boat, and being we are 29.9 LOA, it works way better than an inflatable when underway, being that it sits nicely in the “J” hooks on our Stanchions, the seats fit nicely in the quarter berth, which for the most part is everyone’s garage, like all boats there are always compromises, one just needs to determine what works for themselves,

Fair winds,

[Franziska]

We have currently two dinghies. A bit much for a 35ft cat, unfortunately we will have to part with one eventually.
I'm leaning towards keeping the hard one:

A) Spindrift 11 hull with Laser 1 deck.
+
Sails nicely
+
Rows very nice
+
Motors with 4hp and one person at up to 8kn
+
Has a huge forward luggage compartment to lock groceries away or ferry stuff dry to the mothership
+
Very robust
+
Lasts long, easily fixed
-
Tippy
-
A bit heavy


B) Zodiac Cadet 290 RIB
+
Very stable
+
Tubes are gentle to the mothership
+
Carries more people
-
No real storage space initially (we retrofitted a big storage box)
-
Motors with 4hp and one person at up to 7kn
-
Not fully self draining when outboard and external tank are onboard
-
Will have to be replaced earlier than the hard dinghy because of UV
-
Not puncture proof

[argonauta1]

Lots of good ones out there BUT if you want it to last more than a year without repair, ensure the fabric is HYPERLON NOT PVC

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by argonauta1

Lots of good ones out there BUT if you want it to last more than a year without repair, ensure the fabric is HYPERLON NOT PVC

CHAPS!!!!!!!!

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

CHAPS!!!!!!!!

& paint!

[hpeer]

Big Porta Boat fan with some caveats.

[Cheechako]

A 10ft single floor RIB in hypalon is a good choice. A 9 ft+ might work for you, after a 10, a 9 was a bit squirrely for me but I had 15HP.
The AB I had was superb, but that was long ago.
I found the Achilles to be great quality I had one that was 15 years old and still held air fine long term.
Things change though, so see what's popular.
West Marine inflatables are known to fall apart.

[Journey II]

Dinghies.... Dinghies ... Dinghies.....
Gone thru a few..
#1 If you are cruising the islands a RIB is the only way to go.
PVC Rib
Pros.. Light, easily repaired, smaller OB.
Cons..Short life, easily punctured on docks.
Hypalon RIB
Pros.. Heavy, durable, takes years of abuse. Docks, Coral, Coral Beaches. No problem ..
Smoother ride.

I've had roll ups and wood/alum floors.
Best Bet is Hypalon Rib... AB or Caribe..
I currently have a 9' Caribe with a 15hp Johnson ..
23 mph. Disconnect fuel line and run it dry if parking for more than a couple days. It is by far the fastest, driest most comfortable dink I've owned. Will carry/ferry 3 easily will space for provisions
I found my dirty used 9' Caribe for $250 on craigslist spent $170 for new hand rails, top coat, and sealer. Have used it 8 years, wintering in the Caribbean without a problem.
Just make sure you carry 15' of chain to anchor and the motor.
Tip . Put an Airtag or Android equivalent onboard as someone borrowed our dink 2 miles out in the middle of the night.
We recovered our dink and motor 22 miles away after alerting Police and taking them to it.
So.. Buy what you can handle Hypalon is heavy but durable.. Us old timers have to count the coin now a days...