Dinghies.. What's the Current Wisdom?

[MANUIWA]

West Marine makes an 11 foot hypalon rib that might fit your needs.. it has over 1000 lbs. capacity and a storage locker in the bow. White hypalon lasts the longest in the tropics...but get dirty unless covered....
Hope this helps...

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

Aluminum is light, but the people I know that have them are not pleased.

Any idea what the reasoning is?

Part of my reasoning for alloy is I look at the vast majority of commercial fisherman and expedition boats out here and what their tenders/dories are.
De-flatables 0%
Tinnies, almost 100%
This says a lot to me.

Add some form of soft foam flotation collar and it wont damage topsides and pretty much has the stability of and is more unsinkable than the de-flateable because it cant deflate..

[mbianka]

I still love my Porta Bote after ten years. Very light weight and I can carry it on deck folded or unfolded:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: REPORT FROM ANNAPOLIS: PART 5: A PORTA-BOTE IMPROVEMENT
Handles rocky shores better than an inflatable and also easy to pull up on shore. I can almost lift it with one hand. Very easy to hoist on board too.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by mbianka

I still love my Porta Bote

The op has a CT54
I dont think it needs a portable anything

[CSY Man]

Of course, it was made in China, but the warranty was excellent. I have no connection with Mercury and no knowledge of the quality of this product. I was wondering if anyone here has owned a Mercury dinghy and what their experience was like.

I have owned a mercury 310 hypalon airfloor since 2007.

The dink is fast and stable.
The quality is crap.
The warranty is crap.
The customer service is crap.

Do a search on this here forum and mention my name as well:
I have done numeorus posts on the above subject.
Mercury's customer support policies and their agents really should burn in hell as they are useless and no good.
I will be happy to spread the word the rest of my life as I have been burned and other's should be warned.

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Vic,

Ask a simple question, and look at the divergent answers that appear!

Well, here's one that hasn't yet emerged: We have a Gemini 3.5 Meter aluminium hulled RIB. The hull is now 8+ years old,the tubes 6+ (difference being that the dink was stolen and the tubes burned at around 2 years). The hull for these is made by Swift up in the Gold Coast, and the hypalon comes from South Africa. Don't know if they are available in the States, though.

At any rate we are very happy with the performance of the dinghy (15 hp Yamaha 2/s). The hull has a flat internal floor, separate from the actual hull, integral transom supports and welded attachment points for tow line/painter, lifting bridle and (should it be of interest) skiing things. Contrary to what others report, after all these years the powder coating on the hull is still good... save the scrapes on the bottom where we've mistreated it. And even those now bare spots have not corroded. Even the areas where the powdercoat was burned off have survived fine! The final really good news is that the bare dinghy (remember, 3.5 meters long) weighs 47 kilos!

The bad news is that the Hypalon is of fairly poor quality, and it has worn in high use areas. The attachments for the "safety line" and oar storage were made with fabric loops which died from sun exposure in less than a year. The seat and rowlocks are so far forward that when rowing the stern blows downwind pretty easily. Bottom line is that we might not buy another one, but will have new tubes installed before long (about half the cost of a new dink).

On the other hand, the Swift company (which obviously uses the same hull) provides better Hypalon and a pretty similar design for the tubes. It weighs a bit more because of this, but seems to have a better longevity factor. Again, I don't know about availability in the states. For me, the big deal for these dinks is the light weight for the size... and Vic, you will be happier with a bigger dink... trust me on that!

As others have said, when cruising, your dinghy is a really important part of your life so a good choice, one that fits your usage is a big deal.

Good luck, mate!

Jim

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by cat man do

The op has a CT54
I dont think it needs a portable anything

Oops, I forgot. Bigger and heavier is always better when it comes to dinghies. Right?

[Sandero]

Good discussion here. RIBS seem to be a good idea but there are all sorts of variables. I purchased a NZ made RIB AquaPro which was super. it was stolen and replaced with another. It was not. AP licensed a Chinese maker who exported to the US and had the usual mfg problems. Great design, and the brand got trashed by this Asian maker.

The boats have epoxy coated alum double hulls. Alum is not a good material if the coating can get scratched and then you get some creeping nasty corrosion and it's a pain in the butt. Won't happen with glass.

I can't worry too much now... the boat doesn't leak air but I have to deal with a corroded bottom this winter. YUCK. I'll be looking for a GRP hypalon RIB in a few yrs. I got that much figured out.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by mbianka

Oops, I forgot. Bigger and heavier is always better when it comes to dinghies. Right?

It is if you can carry them.

What would you rather take out to fish that reef several miles from where the boat is moored.

The 4m tinny with canopy, sounder and a 20hp on the back like I have
or your port a bote?

What would you rather use to bring back several cartons of beer, 2 weeks groceries, the washing, gas bottles, fuel and a couple of people in?

The dinghy is more than just cheap means of reaching shore for me
It is my car, my ute, my 4x4

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by defjef

Alum is not a good material if the coating can get scratched and then you get some creeping nasty corrosion and it's a pain in the butt. Won't happen with glass.

And it wont happen with a straight ally hull either.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by defjef

Good discussion here.
The boats have epoxy coated alum double hulls. Alum is not a good material if the coating can get scratched and then you get some creeping nasty corrosion and it's a pain in the butt. Won't happen with glass.

Well, if you were to refer to my post 36 above, you would see that at least one brand of aluminium hull does indeed survive with MANY scratches, gouges and other indignities to its exterior. Don't know what alloy yours (or mine for that matter) is made of, but they don't all have corrosion problems.

Cheers,

Jim

[VirtualVagabond]

The dinghy will be on the davits, and I can go to 10ft +.
Weight isn't a problem for the CT 54, but we're redoing the lifting mechanism because what the boat has is ridiculous.
Trying to wind the thing up using the the mizzen winch was a nightmare. The old dink weighed a ton, partly due to the water between the floor and the hull!

I'm seriously considering using a 12 v winch with 1500lb pulling power. I could ride up in the dink and just step onto the deck! The winches are built for the outdoors... trailers, 4 WDs etc, and only cost about $100.

From the information here it's looking like I may have to spend a bit more than I wanted to, but will end up with something that lasts.

Vic

[Bash]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

We're not even sure of what size, but not less then 9ft and probably short of 11 ft, I would guess.

Yeah. The two dinks most "out there" cruisers seem to be using are a 10' Caribe or a 10" AB. Not much difference between the two. Usually with a 15 hp outboard.

Having owned seven dinks over the years, I look fairly exclusively for three features:

1. Hypalon
2. RIB
3. Oversize tubes.

Because of where I cruise, I tend to want either a light gray or white dink. Red and black are just too hot. And it's got to be davit-friendly.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by cat man do

It is if you can carry them.

What would you rather take out to fish that reef several miles from where the boat is moored.

The 4m tinny with canopy, sounder and a 20hp on the back like I have
or your port a bote?

What would you rather use to bring back several cartons of beer, 2 weeks groceries, the washing, gas bottles, fuel and a couple of people in?

The dinghy is more than just cheap means of reaching shore for me
It is my car, my ute, my 4x4

Not big on fishing myself but, do carry cases of beer, provisions, laundry, fuel, ice and cooler at the same time in my 8 foot Porta Boat. It holds quite a bit. The bigger models even more. Have not had to put an outboard on it in several years as I usually row it. But, yeah a 20 HP would not be wise choice for my 8 footer. Never saw the need for the canopy option but, one is available for it. As for people I use my boat to get away from them so I tend to not bring more than one person on board anyway. I guess the choice in dinghies all depends on ones needs. For me it's travel light, travel right. I want something I can handle easily by myself and the less I need to use an engine the better. The Porta Boat works for me and my needs and has for the past ten years. Never wished I had another type of dinghy since I bought it.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by mbianka

As for people I use my boat to get away from them

Well you cant be going far if using a portabote
Its not as if you will be rowing 5 miles to get those supplies now is it.

Never saw the need for the canopy option

This large glowing orb in the sky and fair skinned maidens dictates the need for shade.
Plus its just plain sensible.

For me it's travel light, travel right.

A meaningless saying based on what exactly?
A paper boat is lighter still but it doesn't make it right

I want something I can handle easily by myself

I put it in and take it out regularly by myself
Never an issue.
Just need to get the right systems in place.

I guess the choice in dinghies all depends on ones needs.

Absolutely
Once the big boat is parked its easier to move around in a 10nm radius using the dinghy rather than rowing, or even using a 2hp engine on an 8ft flattie like I had previously..
Like I said, for me, the dinghy is the car, the ute, the 4x4.
Using a bicycle just won't cut it.

But, if it works for you, great.