Need a Bigger Dinhy

[lifeofreilly57]

I posted this in another section but this forum tends to get more traffic.
I need a new RIB. The boys seem to be growing faster than we can keep up with.
Looking for something around 11 ft. Aluminum RIB with hypalon tubes.
I've looked at AB, Highfield, ZAR, etc, etc.
I'm looking for feedback on dryness, construction quality, longevity and overall ease of use. How does it ride in chop? Is it a dry ride? How does it hold up to daily use?
Any owner feedback is appreciated.

[Nicholson58]

Bigger tubes = dryer
Higher broader bow is dryer
AB had trouble with separation of the fabric from the aluminum. May be OK.
Hard bottom will plane easier
At 11 feet, you should have a bow locker for gas at least
I’d guess 20 hp if you have four people. More for planing with groceries.
We have an older Caribe with glass bottom, hypalon, 9.5 ft, 15 hp 2-st. It’s wet in rough sea. 15 is OK no groceries.
A SS prop with correct pitch is better.
If you go 4-st larger tubes and aft extension is better.
Preferred amenities, hooks, eyes, cleats for lifting and towing. Lots of hand grips.
You won’t need chaps with hypalon.
Raised dry floor.
Easy transom drain.
Broader square bow is dryer.

In the Caribbean price various places. Include St Martin. Make your best guess and look for reviews.

A RIB sourced and popular in your cruise zone will be easier to service if necessary. In the Caribbean, Yamaha Enduro is everywhere.

[a64pilot]

We have an AB 10.6 so far we are happy. I believe it was the year before mine that they had the glue issue, I may be wrong but I believe for some reason they didn’t prime some number of boats.
I would have bought a Highfield but they don’t sell a bare aluminum one, and it’s my opinion that powder coat on aluminum in salt water the bond will fail. Maybe not? Would have saved money on a Highfield.

Do not buy a Zodiac, it actually was extremely well designed in my opinion was much faster than our AB, but fell apart at two years old, the glue was failing.

The AB has a steep dead rise and the bow is very deep, both make for a good ride in chop and dry, but slow the boat down. The bow locker and they way you can put a fuel tank and an anchor and two vests and run the fuel line under the floor is great. Plus that steep dead rise and deep bow make for a very large interior, and big, deep bow locker. The boat will hold at least half as much again as the Zodic did even though they are the same size.

I have chaps on ours as I think it a good idea, bunch of money for a blow up boat.

We have a Suzuki 20 HP with a Solas 11” SS prop, but for four people you will need a 10” prop, which is what the Suzuki comes with.

[LoudMusic]

If you're not married to the idea of an inflatable ... I haven't used one myself, but the advertising and reviews are great for OC Tenders. There are a few people importing them to the States, but they're made in NZ and are definitely not the inexpensive option.

[sailcrazy]

following.....our 9-yr old custom dinghy, made in the Philippines, is developing a steady stream of tube leaks. It's just a matter of time. We're running a Yamaha 2-stroke 15hp Enduro (also from the PI), and it's worked well for us so far. But we're looking! Interestingly, I saw an article about the NZ OC Tenders, and how a shipment was coming into St Martin. I wrote to them.....and never heard back!

[Hoodsail]

have you some time on your hands?? then you could build a lite tender...
Geodesic AiroLITE Boats - ultra lightweight SOF canoes and boats; plans, projects and tutorials
I have no connection to this company, but am entertaining an attempt at building Black Fly 8, as in 8 ft..125 hrs to build, weight 28 pounds, capacity 475 lbs, cost for partial kit $100 given your needs obviously look to one of their larger boats...maybe a good winter project here in new england...good luck in your search.

[Simi 60]

Have you considered an actual aluminium tender and a foam collar?

All the advantages of an inflatable but none of the disadvantages

https://boatcollar.com.au/

[KP44]

Originally Posted by lifeofreilly57

Any owner feedback is appreciated.

I have a west marine RIB with glass bottom, just under 10 feet. I use an 6 hp 4s, that barely planes the RIB when I am alone. I strongly recommend a 10hp or more.
In all but the wildest weather the RIB has been a dry ride.

I like to fish. And every fish around has sharp fins, teeth, chutes, and spines that will slash an inflatable. I have done some fishing from the RIB and immediately put the fish into a bucket, away from the tubes. But I consider fish to be very dangerous. Also, fish hooks and gaffs are dangerous.

When we return to the boat in a couple weeks, I will have my port-a-bote as a second dingy. Maybe we will even leave the RIB in storage. The 12' port-a-bote is lighter to carry and it is tougher than just about anything else. It has more room and planes easily. Fish, shells, and barnacles do not bother it. But it is a wetter ride in chop.

Just some thoughts.... I know that young men like to fish and explore.

[KP44]

Also....
My RIB is Hypalon and about 12 or 15 years old. Ten years on Puget Sound and five years on the Sea of Cortez in brutal sun half the year and in storage the other half. I had some tiny leaks from beach shells last year and coated the inside of the tubes with stuff that sealed the leaks. At 15 years old, that's the only problem so far.

[Ibetitsthisway]

I went through an intensive decision making this summer. I wanted a very stable (seaways) and sturdy Dinghi which one can handle alone on land (at least cm for cm) which is cheap and can carry a strong engine.

after many weeks of intensive Research I ended up with a Mercury Ocean runner. no high tech, no premium Price, noch fance stuff.

but plain and simple very big bang for the bucks. I bought 3,40m Long. rated for 25hp from Mercury. I put on the tohatsu 40hp and abused the boat badly during 7 weeks of boat travel.

(diving, towing the Yacht, water ski, full throttle (30kn) etc

the Ocean runner performs great in the waves, is very stable due to its wide beam and has not one single hair fracture in the gel coat!

it Costs half of the alu hypalon boats. - thus… buy a new one in a few years!

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by KP44

When we return to the boat in a couple weeks, I will have my port-a-bote as a second dingy. Maybe we will even leave the RIB in storage. The 12' port-a-bote is lighter to carry and it is tougher than just about anything else. It has more room and planes easily. Fish, shells, and barnacles do not bother it. But it is a wetter ride in chop.

Had many porta botes and it was just ok. Max wt. for an OB on the 10-14' models is 56lb. So, if you have a 4s then the 6hp is about your max, while a 2s ~8hp. Biggest issue we had besides a wet ride was storage of the boat and parts when folded up.

Originally made windsurfer type mounts on the stanchions which again was ok. It was out of the way on the outside of the stanchions, but caused additional windage and was a liability during storms. We were able to take it down below for storms which then needed another mount to secure it.
On our last aft cockpit boat, we made some mounts that would lock and hold the boat parallel to the cabin top. These were patterned off the RV mounts and made in SS. This configuration eliminated the windage and allowed the folded boat to stay up on deck in storms.
The second part of the storage issue was the large amount of space the transom and seat when out of the PB. We stored them down below and were large and clunky.

Eventually the transom cracked in the folds and we were told it was not a replacement item. Tried various repair tapes and none held (if you wanted to fold up the boat). Could make a rigid transom but then it defeated the purpose of the design.
We now have a 10' nesting dinghy that is superior to the PB in many ways, but there are always mods to be done for the ultimate dink.


Bill O.

[Eleuthera 2014]

You don’t need a bigger dinghy, you need a better one. We have a double bottom AB 9.5 UL with 15 HP Yamaha Enduro 2 stroke. Goes like snot and surprisingly dry and smooth. Easier to stow and either held in the davits during coastal cruises or on the fore deck on Oceanic passages. Does not plane with 3 heavies or more... :-). GF is on a diet. LOL

[admiralslater]

We have a Zar 310 with a double floor. The tank is mounted in the forward locker. We use a 9.8 nissan /tohatsu 2 stroke it needs to be a fifteen . What sold us on the zar was the extra piece on the in side That keeps sand away from the hull/ tank joint . I would always by chaps not for the sun but for chafe etc at the docks .