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31-05-2020, 04:48
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 16
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Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
We have an Etap26 and need a good dinghy for it before we put it in the water. Does anyone know where we can get a good one for a fairly cheap price? We have been thinking about getting an inflatable dinghy with a motor and seen a few for $2,500+
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31-05-2020, 05:40
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2018
Boat: 50ft Custom Fast Catamaran
Posts: 11,832
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
They’re all very expensive. There’s no way around it. This is the one place you should spend your money, because a broken outboard or leaking, problematic dinghy can ruin the entire boating experience.
To save a little on the dinghy, maybe look at extremely high quality, but used ones on Craigslist. Look for “inflatable” and “RIB.”
I’d say buy your outboard new so you’ll start with something reliable and can keep it that way.
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31-05-2020, 06:02
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Cabo Verde
Boat: Bruce Roberts Spray, 36' Steel Junk-Rigged Schooner
Posts: 1,245
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
If you're cruising rather than daysailing, I fully recommend a solid tender, rather than inflatable. There are plenty of designs online for you to build yourself, and tutorials on YouTube. You will regret an inflatable in 3 or 4 years time.
__________________
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." Robert E. Howard
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31-05-2020, 06:11
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Boston area
Boat: Sabre 402
Posts: 39
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
Where are you located and how will you be using the dinghy? If you’re somewhere that gets a lot of sun and the boat stays in the water year round, you’ll want a hypalon dinghy, which tends to be significantly more expensive (but properly made can last for decades); definitely scour Craigslist for one, and if you can find an old Avon or Mercury from 20 years ago it could still be perfectly good. If you’re somewhere more seasonal and the dinghy will be in and out of the water, then PVC should be fine; you can get a new PVC inflatable from several different companies that will suit your needs for only $1000 or so, and be out the door with a new Merc 2HP for under $2k. We bought an air floor PVC inflatable from North Atlantic Inflatables in Portland, ME last year (our dinghy is only in the water for a month or so a year, as the rest of the time our boat is just used for day sails) and it works great for us, plus it came with a 5-year warranty.
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31-05-2020, 08:54
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Point Richmond, CA
Boat: Hunter 46
Posts: 777
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
Quote:
Originally Posted by YourMomma
............need a good dinghy for it before we put it in the water. Does anyone know where we can get a good one for a fairly cheap price? We have been thinking about getting an inflatable dinghy with a motor and seen a few for $2,500+
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I bought a PRU-3 Performance Roll-Up Inflatable dinghy from West Marine for $630 and a Torqeedo Travel 503 CS Electric Outboard Motor - 915 Wh Battery from Defender for $1700 (Defender has an exclusive to sell the Torqeedo 503 with a long range 915 wh battery).
https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-...boat--14272488
https://www.defender.com/product.jsp...310&id=4386372
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31-05-2020, 09:07
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Ocala FL
Boat: 1979 Bristol 35.5 CB
Posts: 1,962
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
First of all- where you gonna put it on a 26 footer? I assume no davits. I assume very limited deck space for either a RIB or hard dink. Either tow it- OK for local, but not for long trips, or store it below, in which case a roll-up or donut are choices. That may greatly restrict your choices.
__________________
John Churchill Ocala, FL
NURDLE, 1979 Bristol 35.5 CB
Currently hauled out ashore Summerfield FL for refit
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31-05-2020, 09:08
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 971
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
For a 26 foot boat not cruising every day for months: Roll up with inflatable floor $1050. and Honda 2.3 $1050.
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31-05-2020, 09:10
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Fredericksburg, VA
Boat: Nonsuch 354
Posts: 159
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
__________________
You miss 100% of the shots you never take. (Wayne Gretzky)
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31-05-2020, 09:11
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Cabo Verde
Boat: Bruce Roberts Spray, 36' Steel Junk-Rigged Schooner
Posts: 1,245
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
Quote:
Originally Posted by sanibel sailor
First of all- where you gonna put it on a 26 footer? I assume no davits. I assume very limited deck space for either a RIB or hard dink. Either tow it- OK for local, but not for long trips, or store it below, in which case a roll-up or donut are choices. That may greatly restrict your choices.
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Good points, our inflatable dinghy died and we're currently living with a Sevylor 2 person kayak until I can build a solid tender. We got it for $100 in good condition, but they're only about $350 new. Pretty happy with it, fits into a 100ltr size bag, and is a good work-out for the arms
__________________
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." Robert E. Howard
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31-05-2020, 09:15
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Ocala FL
Boat: 1979 Bristol 35.5 CB
Posts: 1,962
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
West has a roll up for $420 on sale today
I picked both a 5 Nissan 2 stroke (craigslist) and a essentially new 2 Honda (car swap meet) less than $300 each.
__________________
John Churchill Ocala, FL
NURDLE, 1979 Bristol 35.5 CB
Currently hauled out ashore Summerfield FL for refit
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31-05-2020, 09:33
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#11
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Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Solent, England
Boat: Moody 31
Posts: 18,458
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
Quote:
Originally Posted by dadster3
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How would he store this on a 26 foot yacht?
We will buy a 2.5m Honda inflatable next time, if we can't find a really good small Avon with a transom.
These are interesting, very light at 14kgs so easy to launch or retrieve, but just not sure about the colour, black which does get hot.
https://www.tcschandlery.co.uk/aquaf...e-tender/c1025
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31-05-2020, 09:37
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
Boat: Tayana Vancouver 42ac
Posts: 1,201
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
Quote:
Originally Posted by YourMomma
We have an Etap26 and need a good dinghy for it before we put it in the water. Does anyone know where we can get a good one for a fairly cheap price? We have been thinking about getting an inflatable dinghy with a motor and seen a few for $2,500+
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Go onto craigslist and buy a used one. I bought a Walker Bay 8' hard dinghy for only $300.
~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH
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31-05-2020, 09:37
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Morro Bay, CA
Boat: Herreshoff 28 modified ketch- wood
Posts: 379
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
We went with two person inflatable kayak for tender and liferaft. On sale 4 years ago for one boat buck.
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31-05-2020, 09:40
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Morro Bay, CA
Boat: Herreshoff 28 modified ketch- wood
Posts: 379
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
Previously we used a foldaboat which worked pretty well but I had to modify the interior of my then Columbia 29 to fit her down below in the quarter berths.
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31-05-2020, 10:03
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Puget Sound, WA
Boat: Nauticat 43 ketch
Posts: 794
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Re: Affordable dinghy for small sailboat
Some good ideas and alternatives here, but all depends upon your budget and use of your boat.
I've seen many smaller boats do well with just a kayak, inflatable or rigid. I've seen many smaller boats with a sizable dinghy that they tow all the time, fine for inshore but not offshore.
Fully inflatable dinghys, even the better ones, are not great under way without a rigid floor, which increases the cost and complexity in assembly and stowage.
Personally, I spent big bucks on a West Marine RIB w/folding transom on a previous boat (Catalina 27) and it worked well but was expensive and took up the entire foredeck when not towed.
Portabotes are great, but not cheap.
So... more info about your budget, boat and cruising plans?
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