Inflatable dinghies

[borjecla]

I plan to bay an dinghie.
What are the max size if I want to have it onboard.
Anyone who have expirience?
I want to have it just after the mast.
Regards
V1614
Borje

 

[bobnlesafloat]

On Spring Fever, we\'ve got a 2.3m XM Inflateable, it\'s comfortably big enough for two plus the shopping, three\'s OK too, but only for four in VERY sheltered water. The big plus of going for only 2.3m (the old one was 2.7m) is that it fits, fully inflated, between mast and forestay on the foredeck.

Börje Classon <borje.classon@...> wrote:
I plan to bay an dinghie.
What are the max size if I want to have it onboard.
Anyone who have expirience?
I want to have it just after the mast.
Regards
V1614
Borje

 

[pelagicasd]

Hi Borje, Do you mean on after the mast from bow to stern or after the mast
from stern to bow.
If you mean on the cabin top, we carried our inflatable there but it was
deflated and in its bag.
We looked at hard dinghys and even had an old SportYak which is about as
small as dinghys get.
It was to big for the cabin top. We carried it on the bow but it blocked the
forward hatch. We might have got it to fit the on the cabin top if we didn't
have a dodger. Have you thought about any of the two piece dinghys? Walt

 

[chris_v339]

Hi Borje
I have had a Bombard 2.4m inflatable with a 2 hp outboard for the past 18 years in the Med, its a perfect size to keep on the coachroof behind the mast when underway and it will store in the cockpit locker when ashore for security. I keep the outboard locked on the pushpit
hope this is some help
regards
Chris
Farniente 111

 

[pelagicasd]

Hi Chris, What is the fabric on your Bombard? We have a Bombard with the
inflatable floor. Very easy to inflate on the foredeck but after our second
season in Mexico it was coming apart at the seams. It' a PVC fabric boat.
Does any one have any experience with the West Marine Mini Dinghy? Think it
would work for Borje?
Walt

 

[wxt8981]

Hi Walt;
I have a West Marine 8 foot Dinghy (with the roll-up
bottom). Actually, it's my second one, the first one
started to leak within a year, and the second one is now
doing the same. I use it with a 3 1/2 HP Mercury outboard.
I usually drag it behind me when sailing. I wouldn't buy
another one
(it's price of almost $ 1000 is a bit high- for one year's
use!).
Wilhelm, V-257

 

[alan_critchlow]

Hello, I am also researching a new dinghy. We have a doughnut style
Achilles dinghy that is over 20 years old. It is still in good
conditon but I would like a transom to put on an outboard. I went to
the dinghy guy in Marathon Florida. He recommended an Achilles LSI
88. An inflatible floor with an inflatible keel. I suppose you could
put it acroos the coachroof but the dinghy would be longer than the
beam of the boat.

Alan Critchlow V1639

 

[pelagicasd]

Hi Alan. When I can no longer get the pvc to hold air I will be getting an
Achilles. Is the LSI 88 the smallest? Does it have an inflatable floor? If
so, friends had one and found it a bit small. Our Bombard is about 9 1/2
feet. We could carry it inflated on the fore deck. For short trips we towed
it. For moderate trips we put it on the foredeck and for longer ones
deflated it and lashed it to the cabin top. Defender has the 9 1/2 Achilles
on sale now until Apr 2nd. They are asking $1388.00. We have a 3.5 Nissan
but next time I think I'll go with a Mercury 5 hp long shaft. I'll build the
tansom up by 5 inches and if the Yanmar is acting up I'll be able to put the
Mercury on the stern.

We always kept a small grab bag in the dinghy when we lashed it to the cabin
along with a knife to cut it free just in case. When we towed it we towed it
empty as we had an occasion where it caught some wind and flipped. Had the
same problem at anchor with the motor mounted. That was a bad experince.
finding it had flipped during the night and the prop was in the air! In all
fairness to Nissan it was pretty easy to get it running again. When we were
anchored in fifty knots of wind the dinghy spent about equal time right side
up as upside down! On several occasions it was flying instead of floating!
We also towed with a bridle that attached to a couple of ring bolts in the
transom. The painter was led from that under the grab rope on top of the
bow. There has been more than one boater that got to where they were going
and found that the dinghy had parted from the tow ring.

Zodiac bought Bombard and Avon. They are also the ones who make the West
Marine boats. I don't think that the Mini Dinghy is made by Zodiac though.
It's probably made in China like everything else nowadays. At $199.00 it can
almost be considered disposable. We have a friend who is slowly
circumnavigating in a Vancuver 25. He's halfway around the world now and
uses cheap plastic dinghys like you buy in the discount store. He started
using them after he had two good dinghys stolen. Walt

 

[alan_critchlow]

Hello Walt, The fellow from Marathon told me that the samllest one,
the LSI 77, was really too tiny.

http://inflatableboats.com/achilles/lsi.html

I am pleased that the Bombard 9 1/2 foot fit on your foredeck. That
is how I stored our small 8 footer in the intracoastal.(Offshore we
always deflated and stored it.) I was worried that a bigger one would
not fit. I want something that is easy to deflate and store on the
cabin top or in the lazarette. I will be getting a 2 to three
horsepower motor outboard. I mentioned to my father in law that we
did no go to the Bahamas this year as we did not have a good dinghy
and outboard. Well, my wife and I are getting birthday presents of a
dinghy and outboard.

Alan & Felicity V1639 Voila

 

[bbach1949]

I have the Achilles LSI 102. It's too big for on deck (unless deflated, of course) but a nice size for exploring and tows well. I bought it on sale from BoatUS a few years ago when they were in the process of merging with West Marine and it was reasonable ($1500). I've had a 9.5 Evinrude on it (fast, but not necessary). A 6 would be about right. The air floor makes it light and easy to inflate/deflate. Achilles is the best in my opinion. Bill Bach V 1071

 

[chris_v339]

Hi Walt
I am not sure what the fabric the Bombard is made of, I have been trying to
find the original brochure to no avail.
The model I have is the AX2 2.4 mtrs ( about 95 inches long) with slatted
floor. It is a perfect size to roll up and tie down on the coachroof and
fits easily into the locker. It carries 3 people, If buying again I would
opt for a 3 or 4hp motor.
Bombard and Zodiac are the two most popular tenders in France. Once when my
engine overheated (impeller problems) I was becalmed about 6 miles of the
Sth France coast. The weather was hot and the sea like a millpond and the
little tender towed me home with no problems at about 2 knots. It was a long
night but a bottle of cold Provencal rose helped. I have only good things to
say about the AX2. The size is perfect for a Vega and the price is about
Stg£350 is good, you could opt for the AX3 2.6 mtrs for a little more room,
but I am not sure if it would fit easily in the locker.
regards
Chris
Farniente 111

 

[neyorolf]

Hi Chris,

I'm looking for a tender as well because this summer we will make a trip
along the northern coast of France and/ or the south of England (depending
on wind and weather). Next week I'm going to visit a friend in the south of
France. He keeps his boat (a home made 22 ft) in Port Camargue.
I hope we can go sailing but I definitely want to visit the Port Camargue
second hand boat show (14th -17th April) where a lot of local companies sell
new and second hand items e.g; tenders and outboards.
Is your boat anywhere in that area?

Kind regards,
Flor Oyen
Mohana V566

 

[stevebirch2002]

Hi All

As an answer to the inflatable, have a look at the Tinker Tramp. Not
cheap but what a boat! It can sail, it can hold an outboard, rowns
fantastic and can be a liferaft! As I said they are not cheap, I bought
mine secondhand for £700 but it came complete with all the sailing gear
and liferaft option.

I hate tenders and they scare me but I feel safe as houses in the
Tinker.

Cheers

Steve Birch (Technical)

 

[pelagicasd]

Hi Alan, Im sure it was the LSI 77 that our friends had. Went to the website
you sent and don't see the 9 1/2 ft one. I wonder if Achilles is
dis-continuing it? Maybe I should order it now. I would be happy with the 8
1/2 ft one though. The 2 - 3 HP motor is probably big enough. Is it 2 cycle
or 4 stroke? I know many of the states are banning 2 cycle motors. They're
cheap enough in the beginning but the 4 strokes get much better fuel
consumption. I could plane the Bombard with the 3.5 if I was the only one
onboard but I'd have to lock the engine so it wouldn't swivel and kneel in
the bow. I could steer it by leaning. I'd still go with the 5 HP and would
prefer the 6 but they cost $200 more.
Walt

 

[coonhopper2000]

flooding mail forum dingy stuff go private......

walt/judy brown/allore bestvega@... wrote: Hi Alan, Im sure it was the LSI 77 that our friends had. Went to the website
you sent and don't see the 9 1/2 ft one. I wonder if Achilles is
dis-continuing it? Maybe I should order it now. I would be happy with the 8
1/2 ft one though. The 2 - 3 HP motor is probably big enough. Is it 2 cycle
or 4 stroke? I know many of the states are banning 2 cycle motors. They're
cheap enough in the beginning but the 4 strokes get much better fuel
consumption. I could plane the Bombard with the 3.5 if I was the only one
onboard but I'd have to lock the engine so it wouldn't swivel and kneel in
the bow. I could steer it by leaning. I'd still go with the 5 HP and would
prefer the 6 but they cost $200 more.
Walt

 

[emmajen5]

I disagree. It's all interesting and on subject. And
since when have you become the site policeman?

Garry
"Raven" V2427

 

[coonhopper2000]

No need to be ugly, just stop flooding forum...

JenCluff~GarryMcKevitt Garry_McKevitt@... wrote: I disagree. It's all interesting and on subject. And
since when have you become the site policeman?

Garry
"Raven" V2427

 

[pelagicasd]

Excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssseeeeeeeeeeee Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[baviaan69]

So what's wrong with flooding the forum with dingy items

I guess most of us need them at times.

The guy who uses cheap plastic supermarketdingies was quite a
revelation to me.

Paying 10 euro instead of 1000 is an attractive idea.

Leaves 990 euro to spend on other things, like the mortgage!

 

[vegatern]

I appreciate the diverse opinions. Walt, where will you berth the
boat when you bring her up the coast? I'm in Monterey.
Craig, Tern #1519

Wolfgang wolfgangamadeusbach@... wrote: