Tenders- what do you use?

[Kiwi.]

Originally Posted by Akapeterc

I have just sold my fibreglass hull with hypolon inflation side because I’m sick of patching the holes in it & now bought a polycraft plastic tender. Very stable and will take a pounding

Love the Polycrafts and they are made in my wife's (the Admiral's) home town of Bundaberg. But they are heavy and they need a motor about one size bigger (say 20hp not 15hp) to drive them onto the plane; I think it must be because they flex quite a lot. But they seem to be completely indestructible and the bright yellow ones can be seen from outer-space.
My new favorite is from my home country see https://octenders.co.nz/ . I think I can get permission from the Admiral to buy one; particularly after last week when something very sharp on the side of a marina in Mooloolaba put a 40cm cut into the side of our current Brig IRB and deflated the port side and the bow compartments.
My requirements:
Seaworthy, Very hard to slice and penetrate, Planing with four adults, Two adults can pull up a beach with a ten foot tide. The OC350 with a 15hp (lightest possible probably 2-stroke) fills the requirements. Unfortunately the fundamental rule of boat choice: Safe-Fast-Inexpensive, Choose Two seems to apply to tenders as well.

[SY Kelpie]

Originally Posted by billknny

The idea of a 9HP with electric start just seems silly. They are so easy to start, why would you even consider such a thing?

Just trying to be considerate to my other half. She can't start the brushcutter here at home so I'm guessing an outboard might be a struggle as well.

[Franziska]

We have a Spindrift 10 which I built in spring.
It's modified and has a Laser deck and Laser Radial rig.
Some pics are on http://www.ladyrover.com/photo-logbo...ive-la-france/

The huge forward locker is great to carry supplies dry or lock groceries in until returning from the beach.

If you sheet it with glass, use 4mm instead of 6mm plywood.

Building it was fun too.

[Kim Gregory]

11 foot Danny Green Nesting Dinghy
- 9 page thread: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-156370-8.html



front half 35 lbs, back half 50 lbs, rows really easy!

[nic26]

Originally Posted by SY Kelpie

For those who cruise the Caribbean, what do you find necessary in the way of a tender?
I've been looking at getting a 2.9m alu-hulled RIB with Hypalon tubes, and an electric start 9.8hp outboard. That's going to cost a heck of a lot though.

At the other end of the scale, I could build a plywood tender that rows well, and if feeling lazy use my existing 3.5hp 2 stroke on it. Total cost: about 3% of the cost of the RIB/9.8 package! And I wouldn't worry too much about it getting stolen either

I'm sure people will be using all sorts of different tenders- what works for you?

Chose!

Plans by designer

[KP44]

Originally Posted by SY Kelpie

For those who cruise the Caribbean, what do you find necessary in the way of a tender?
I've been looking at getting a 2.9m alu-hulled RIB with Hypalon tubes, and an electric start 9.8hp outboard. That's going to cost a heck of a lot though.

At the other end of the scale, I could build a plywood tender that rows well, and if feeling lazy use my existing 3.5hp 2 stroke on it. Total cost: about 3% of the cost of the RIB/9.8 package! And I wouldn't worry too much about it getting stolen either

I'm sure people will be using all sorts of different tenders- what works for you?

We have the same worries about theft whether it is an older rowboat or a RIB with outboard. Chain and locks and hoisting out of the water EVERY evening reduce the worry. The only real security is a second dingy.

Since I travel around in the dingy, a RIB makes sense for us. I use a 6 hp 4-stroke but a 9.8 is a good choice. I also carry an electric trolling motor in case we want a quiet motor in a quiet harbor.
I have a folding port-a-bote and we might bring that next season as a second dingy - only because I don't like to fish from an inflatable.

Since we are in the Sea of Cortez with no ocean swell, I am installing a stern arch with davits. No more foredeck dingy-dance.

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by gmakhs

Extra stability can be added on hard dinghys too , and still cheaper and more durable than a rib .

I've not seen a hard dinghy with manufacturer made tubes that comes to anywhere near the weight of a decent rib though. And prices are within 5% of each other.

The Walkerbay dinghies for example are very heavy compared to an aluminium rib, and can't carry anywhere near as much payload.

[owly]

Originally Posted by gulfcoastsailor

Said it before and I will say it again. I have the 8' Porte Bote with a 3.5 Nissan AND oars. Takes up no deck space as it secures to the lifelines when folded. In fact, I can take it below and slide it forward into the V-berth. Perfect on a 32-33 feet boat that can be limited on storage. Plenty out there used and it has a separate purchase sail kit. If buying used be sure to get the latest Porte Bote transom model.

An interesting design..... It pisses me off when a company refuses to post their prices so you have to write for them.... My automatic reaction is to look elsewhere.......


H.W.

[owly]

Originally Posted by colinalleck

“I say coward as I want something relatively unsinkable to double as a life raft. “

Please don’t confuse Dinghy with life raft

Having had the misfortune to spend some time in a life raft I can assure you they are very different beasts

The Portland Pudgie is supposed to serve as both...

[Peterbreit]

Don't get an aluminum dinghy, too hot... use what the charter companies in the BVI use. RIB inflatable about 9.5-10.5 in length with a minimum 6ph outboard. I bought a 15hp 2 stroke Yamaha in the Bahamas when my small Suzuki died. A bit of overkill but weights the same as the 9.9hp ~83 pounds.
There are plenty of used dinghies available. As long it hold air it will give you many years of service and if it does not look too expensive it will not get stolen.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by owly

An interesting design..... It pisses me off when a company refuses to post their prices so you have to write for them.... My

I totally agree. For some reason the parent company site doesn’t list prices. But the Canadian seller does.

https://www.portaboat.ca/allproduct

FYI, when I bought directly from the US maker I got mine at about 1/3 off the standard price using a “boat show special.” That’s probably why they don’t list their prices — b/c they discount them through various special offers.

[danielamartindm]

I am a seasoned citizen, and for me the most important attribute of a tender is stability when I get in and out of it. I have a Hypalon Achilles RIB with a fiberglass hull, and when I board or exit it, I can sit on the tube with a confidence that a hard dink's gunwale could never inspire. Hypalon's UV resistance is needed here in Florida, but the glued seams do leak a tad and the tubes require periodic topping off- no biggie.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by danielamartindm

I can sit on the tube with a confidence that a hard dink's gunwale could never inspire.

Don't be so sure.
I'm a big guy and can happily sit on the gunwale and stand on the foredeck of our ally tender. (yes its a big beamy 14ft x 6ft far from tender tender)





https://boatcollar.com.au

And yes, I realise most can't carry a tender our size but the boat collar works just as well on small dinghy's.
With a solid buoyancy foam collar installed it will have all the upside of an inflatable but with none of the downside.

[Jim Krause]

I’m not in the Caribbean but have cruised extensively in the PNW and am currently in the Great Lakes. We are very happy with our 10’ RIB Hypalon (Mercury Quicksilver) dinghy. With just the two of us, she’ll plane at close to 25 knots with our 6 hp outboard. She won’t plane if there are more passengers or gear. For towing, we take the engine off and she tugs along quite nicely for all but the roughest crossings. In rough seas, we must deflate it and squeeze her onto the deck of our 38’ sailboat (where she barely fits). Without the engine, she’s easy and fun to row. I like tenders with rigid shallow v-hulls, as they seem to row and motor better than soft or flat bottomed ones. Muscling the 60 lb engine up and down is not fun and is prompting our next upgrade: installing either dinghy davits or an engine hoist.

[apirate]

Originally Posted by Akapeterc

I have just sold my fibreglass hull with hypolon inflation side because I’m sick of patching the holes in it & now bought a polycraft plastic tender. Very stable and will take a pounding

We are seriously looking into having a polycraft tuff tender exported to the US. Only hesitation is the weight limit. 390 pounds isn’t much for provision trips to shore. Any experience with more weight in it?