Kayak as tender/dinghy?

Nov 13, 2013
723
Catalina 34 Tacoma
Up here in Eskimo land swimming to the boat is not an option! Getting much gear into a kayak is difficult but I often take the dog ashore in one.
A kayak would have been nice when I was anchored in Boot Cove last summer but not so good in Lydall Hbr on a windy day.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
:) The little things you learn on SBO!
Honestly I placed mine just inside the cockpit well so I could lay my paddle across the beam and the doughnuts would help keep the paddle from sliding off of the kayak. So they did no good stopping water from dripping in since I had them placed so far inboard they were basically in my lap.
 
Jan 5, 2017
2,263
Beneteau First 38 Lyall Harbour Saturna Island
Boot Cove can be a bad place to be in a strong S.W. Lyall Hbr. has better holding but is more open to wind from the N.W. and W.Most of the boats in Boot Cove move to Lyall in the winter because of the strong winds that come through from Breezy Bay.
 
Feb 5, 2009
255
Gloucester 20 Kanawha River, Winfield, WV
How do you like the inflatable kayak? How long does it take to setup and stow?
At least 15-20 minutes for me to unpack and inflate. I have the expedition, which is 13 feet long and kind of wide. It paddles like a similarly proportioned rigid kayak. Getting in and out is a little less tippy than most rigids, but it's not foolproof. The air layer tends to make it a little more comfortable in cold water. They offer a rudder kit which I'd like to have, but it's kind of pricy.
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,041
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
I have a Sea Eagle inflatable and it is easy to setup and stow. I don't time it but anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. I never hurry through it as others might. I use a foot pump and also have a 12v pump but don't feel the need to use the 12v pump. Sea Eagles seem to be pretty durable, inexpensive but not cheap, and I like the comical way it looks like a great white shark! Sue and I fit in the single (330 model). We would have more room in the double version (370) but I didn't want to have a double if we found that it isn't useful as a tender (which it isn't), so I bought the 330 for a try out.

I bought an Advanced Elements for my son to use in Utah. He loves it and uses it quite a bit. It is technically a much better kayak, but still inflatable. He finds it very easy to set up.

https://www.seaeagle.com/SportKayaks/SE330
 
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Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I have a Sea Eagle inflatable and it is easy to setup and stow. I don't time it but anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. I never hurry through it as others might. I use a foot pump and also have a 12v pump but don't feel the need to use the 12v pump. Sea Eagles seem to be pretty durable, cheap, and I like the comical way it looks like a great white shark! Sue and I fit in the single (330 model). We would have more room in the double version (370) but I didn't want to have a double if we found that it isn't useful as a tender (which it isn't), so I bought the 330 for a try out.

I bought an Advanced Elements for my son to use in Utah. He loves it and uses it quite a bit. It is technically a much better kayak, but still inflatable. He finds it very easy to set up.

https://www.seaeagle.com/SportKayaks/SE330
That is comical.... you need to paint some eyes on it.
 

BarryL

.
May 21, 2004
1,000
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 Mt. Sinai, NY
Hey,
I have a Walker Bay 10 and a West Marine 13/4' sit on Kayak. I use both.

Dingy Pros:
Can fit 2-3 people and / or lots of gear
Has a floor so everything stays dry
Has a 2.5 hp outboard engine, so it's quick and can cover long distance
Decent rowing performance
Pretty stable
Fairly easy to get from dink to boat and back again

Donghy Cons:
Heavy - well over 150 lbs
When it rains it holds a lot of water which needs to be pumped out / bailed

Kayak Pros:
Pretty light - easy to move around the beach and can haul aboard the boat
Easy to paddle to the boat
Fun at anchorages, beaches

Kayak Cons:
Very limited cargo capacity. I will wear a back pack to take a few items, and maybe can stow one bag
Can get wet
Difficult to get from Kayak to boat and back again
Not very stable

My boat is on a mooring. My dinghy stays on a dock about 1/2 away. It's too far to easily and quickly row so I usually take the dinghy to the boat. My kayak is in a rack on the beach, about 100 yards from my boat. So if it's just me going to the boat I will take the kayak. But then at the end of the day I need to drag the kayak up the beach and put it back in the track, which is a pain, especially if I get back at low tide.

Hope this helps
Barry
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
I just stumbled across a used Bombard AX1. It's like a mini Zodiac that rolls up for storage. Not sure if I could store it on the dinghy rack in Chicago harbors. If not, how concerned should I be about rolling it up a little wet? How long do you think it'd take to inflate it with an electric and with a foot pump?

https://www.inflatableboats.com/Bombard-AX1-Inflatable-Boat-BOMAX1.htm
Overall length of 6'7" (2 meters)
Overall Beam 3'9" (1.15 meters)
 
Sep 20, 2006
2,912
Hunter 33 Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
Bought an Advanced Elements last year, but only for exploring while anchored. We had hard kayaks previously, but got tired of tripping over them on deck and my wife could never keep up with me. This way no matter how hard I paddle or how slow she paddles, she's always right there. I still like to go much faster on a supply run or a sunset run. But, yes we get wet while paddling.

IMG_20180812_0845423.jpg
 
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Oct 26, 2008
6,041
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Nice looking double kayak. They are pricier but the best inflatable kayak, for sure!
 
Sep 20, 2006
2,912
Hunter 33 Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
Nice looking double kayak. They are pricier but the best inflatable kayak, for sure!
Picked it up on Kijiji, a free ads site, for $750 with paddles. He bought it to use with his son, but only used it a couple of times. Also has the stiffer floor for rigidity. It is so stable I can stand in it while getting in. Seats rearrange for single or double.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
An interesting inflatable option for a boat. Nice light carrying weight compared to a fiberglass or plastic kayak. folds up smaller then my inflatable dingy. Priced similar for the two seater to a good hard shell kayak and a dinghy. Now this has me thinking. And that is a terrible thing to do... Anyone have experience with these boats? How do they hold up?
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,399
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Anybody here ever capsize a sit-in recreational (not skinny sea kayak) kayak? I find that practically impossible. They are wide and your CG is low. Only in white water.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
When I was in summer camp as a kid they had us roll the kayaks all the way around. From what I remember they were hard plastic single seaters that we sat inside
 
Nov 1, 2017
635
Catalina 25 Sea Star Base Galveston, TX
At the Sea Base in Galveston, we would take week-long trips with kids who signed up to take the "Texas Coastal Expedition". This expedition consists of sailing our 53 foot schooner "Gazelle" up the ICW, anchoring in safe harbors along the way and kayaking once we reach the marshes for biological exploration (fishing and crabbing, mostly). The kayaks we used were 16 foot inflatables, and they were fantastic! They were really easy to stow because, once deflated, they could be rolled up and shoved into a lazarette. When we wanted to use them, the kayaks could be blown up with a foot pump that would only take around five minutes to completely fill the boat with air. Highly recommended!