What is the Best Type of Dinghy?

[seasalt]

I have put off getting a new dinghy because I can't decide what to buy. Hi Spirits came with a set of St. Croix removable davits...about 350 pound capacity, I think.

My last dinghy was an AB RIB 9.6 with a 15hp 4 stroke Yamaha. It weighed nearly 300 pounds but my 42' Nordic Tug had a roof mounted electric crane that handled it nicely. The negative issue was that I had to climb up on top, unstrap it, hook up the cable and then swing it over the side to lower it. This took a few minutes and a rolly anchorage did not help. Once the hoist's electric motor died with the little boat stuck about half way up. How I got a 300 pound boat unhooked and back down to the water is a long story.

Given my last experience I do not want another heavy dinghy...especially one hanging off the transom full time.

My choices:

AB makes an aluminum RIB which is lighter but unless I put a cradle and crane on my home dock it would stay on the big boat. I don't think that I want to take it with me every time I go somewhere. This option would have a much smaller and lighter outboard.

Several high pressure floor roll ups are on the market. This type could be stored in my garage when not needed on the boat. I have not heard any good reports on this type of dinghy. Every one I know that has one says it will leak sooner or later.

I would really appreciate knowing the experiences and opinions of the group.

[jleonard]

I have a 10.4 Achilles RIB (double hull) hanging off transom davits. Total weight is 239 including the 2 stroke 15 HP Yamaha plus gas . Not a problem for my boat. Alittle tought to pull up with only pulleys, but doable.
I had a lighter, shorter RIB previously, a Mercury, but we both like the bigger heavier fsater dinghy for the kind of exploring we like to do.
So a lot depends on your intended usage.
Most of the folks at my marina use inflatable floor dinghys, there are not a whole bunch of reports about leaking floors. But I think the ride sucks compared to a RIB or even a wood floor dinghy. But they have the advantage of being light weight, most carry them on their bow.

[RobS]

I have an inflatable floor style dinghy and it's perfect for our setup since we flip it over on the top of the pilothouse so weight was crucial. It's an Achilles LSI260 (8'6") and very well made. I bought it new in 2011, zero issues, and we use it quite a bit. But Jay is spot on, it all depends what you want to use it for, the ride does suck compared to a RIB, it makes a perfect tender in most situations but we have gotten our share of spray when the conditions kick up in some of the bigger harbors, etc. My Achilles is a little better than some as it has an inflatable keel down the center under the inflatable floor that gives it a slight V configuration to the hull and makes it track better. But still no comparison to a RIB.

[Halcyon]

I use a Livingston catamaran. 10' by 4' beam all useable room. Nice fiberglass construction super dry. I keep it on Weaver davits.

[Mariner]

There are as many answers to this question as there are boaters. The reality is that it will depend on how you intend to use it. Will you be using to explore? Fish? Or will it simply be used to get you to and from shore in a quiet anchorage? There are other factors as well: What is the mother ship (an Albin, I assume)? How many people? Do you have a dog? Where do you like to take the boat? What is the shoreline like where you are (rocky, sandy, etc...)?

I will say that there is a reason that, when you walk around a busy marina, you see a heck of a lot of aluminum-hulled rigid inflatables. They offer the best ride and durability in a weight class that can be handled by most cruisers. They are, however, not cheap.

[seasalt]

Mariner,

We have a dog. We don't anchor. We might explore and fish a little. The mother ship is a 35 TE SF. Two people and the mutt.

For these reasons I have been putting it off. I probably don't really need a dinghy.

I am leaning toward the AB aluminum RIB and putting a cradle and hoist on my dock to keep it off the boat when not in use. If we decide to go to the Bahamas next year this will be the dinghy.

[tego]

I'm old fashioned I guess. I LIKE to row my dink. We have a Dyer 9' FG dink that I love. It rows very well, sails well, tows well, and scoots very well with a 2.5 HP outboard. I also have a dog and he loves to head to shore in the dink when we drop the hook in a nice anchorage (which we most often do). It's very stable for a hard dink, and the exercise is good for me! I hang it on fixed davits or tow it when underway. The dinghy usually reflects the personality of the owner-some are always in a hurry and some like to smell the roses.

[Mariner]

If you don't anchor out, that changes things considerably. You don't really need an inflatable, in my opinion. I would look for a nice older 11' Boston Whaler if I were you.

Inflatables offer two main advantages; they generally weigh less for their size, and they are soft, meaning they don't go bump in the night, or damage your gelcoat. Weight is more of an issue when the dinghy will be hoisted up and stored high. It's an issue on the swimstep as well, but not as much. And I don't know where you'd store a dinghy on a 35' TE other than the swimstep. The weight of an 11' Whaler is only marginally more than a 10-11' inflatable, but the utility of the boat is far greater for dock-based boating. Also, inflatables and dogs don't go well together. Dogs have claws. Inflatables don't like claws. They don't like fish hooks either. And if you're going to spend the entire afternoon on a 10-12' boat, you'll be more comfortable in a Whaler than an inflatable.

That's just my opinion.

[DougSea]

Mariner and Tego both make an excellent case for a "hard" tender over an inflatable. It goes back to your original "best" question. The best one is the one that most effectively meets the majority of your needs. A quick list of needs, wants, pros and cons for the various types should point you in the right direction.

[wpcv1776]

We currently have a 9ft zodiac with inflatable floor. The ride is fine for its size and no leaking problems so far. The space below the floor and crevasses around the inflatable keel are great places to grow things if you don't take the floor out often to clean below. The floor itself doesn't clean up very well and always looks like poo poo. Pumping air into 4 different valves is a small annoyance and more valves means more chances for leaks.

Next round I believe we will go back to a wood floor flat bottom dinghy. We like to explore, and have a tendency to beach the dinghy in some pretty out of the way places, so picking it up to carry it through the surf and over the rocks is just easier with a lighter weight flat bottom boat. Also, if you damage the flat bottom during the process it's an easy fix. The drawback of course is that the flat bottom is slow and not the best ride if you end up in a lot of wind chop. Our 4 horse Yamaha is the perfect size for us; my 120 lb wife can manhandle it with ease and we're usually not in a big hurry to get anywhere.

[Hopscotch]

A blonde one.

[Mark Deeser]

Wow! An age old discussion summed up with three words. I'd say make a run for President. Thanks. Mark.

[whwells]

The hard bottom? dingy
Howard

[DesertAlbin736]

This same question came up at a monthly meeting of our Lake Pleasant Sailing Club in Phoenix not long ago.

Some key points of hard vs inflatable were:

Inflatables are more stable and depending on type can take a larger size outboard and can go faster. They can also be packed up small when deflated, but are also more vulnerable to damage, including UV degradation for those made of PVC material, and air leaks. Hypalon inflatables are more resistant to UV sun damage.

Hard fiberglass dinghies are roomier but at the same time more "tippy", are limited to smaller outboards of 4 HP or less, some limited to motors as small as 2 HP, and can't go as fast as some RIB inflatables. They are also more durable and one doesn't have to worry about tube punctures. They row better too, and some can be set up as sailing dinghies, usually with a small cat rig.

Either can be towed by slower displacement hull trawler type boats, and either can be stowed on davits or roof tops.

The dinghy we have that came with our boat is a Boatex 8 lapstrake hardshell dinghy which stows on the swim platform via Weaver snap davits and standoff rods.

This article came out on Cruising World back in 2004. It's a bit dated, as our Boatex 8 model is listed among the ones reviewed, but the Canadian builder went out of business in 2006 and the Boatex 8 is no longer in production.

http://www.cruisingworld.com/tenders-hard-vs-inflatable

[Hopscotch]

Had the same question as he did. Glad
I was able to bring his back to life.
(PS ) will pass on the run for president
But one with a good since of humor
would be nice.