:dance::stirthepot:)... and the least you can do is hang some jumper cables from your shrouds into the water during a storm. What I actually do is similar to that.... I have four pieces of older chain with snap hooks on them. I attache one each to each of my shrouds and toss them over the side. I hope that it provides a good path to ground in the event of a strike. I guess I could add one to the front stay and back stay as well. Some sailboats have a grounding strap from the mast to a ground plate through-bolted to the bottom of the boat. Then you are also supposed to run a ground wire to any metal chain plates and backing plates to that same ground strap. In theory a well grounded mast will provide a cone of protection around the boat with a radius equal to the height of the mast. Fortunately, I've never had the opportunity to test that theory.
Oh yes, i have 3 anchors. That is a good point tho.
I would of recommended something a little better but since you have history with it and it has been working I'd say go for it. As long as you swim well you could pursue other options if it didn't work,
At two years old it may be coming close to living on borrowed time. I have serious doubts that it would survive day in and day out use over the course of a summer. My experience with this type of inflatable is they seldom die from puncture wounds but somewhere a seam will get a small split and these are almost impossible to make permanently airtight again. You can try and patch this and it will slow or temporarily stop the leak enough to make the boat somewhat usable and then a week later another small split somewhere else or the patch will leak. I have used inflatable kayaks over the years and have gone through three of them, each one dying by seam split. Two cheap ones and one decent one I spent 300 dollars on but I also had the Achilles for the main dinghy. Aside from durability the main drawback to this type of boat is that you cannot stand up in it. Assuming you have a boarding ladder on the stern you have to climb down ass first and drop into the dinghy. Boarding the boat from the dinghy is also challenging. Sitting on your butt in the dinghy you have get your feet out onto the bottom rung then grab the boarding ladder and pull your self up. Now there might be two of you in the dinghy so double the fun.
This is not too much of a problem if you are under 45, slim, and trim. My wife and I did it for many years with the kayak but she is 61 now and it has been 8 years since she last got into or out of the kayak. It no longer comes along on our trips. We liked the kayak as it would paddle very well. Your boat .....not so good.... especially in the river current. I understand the budget issue but just keep an eye out for something better at a price you can live with....you have time. Later we got the better Sevlor kayak and it was a bit larger and more durable. But even so if you add up the actual amount of time over the several years it was in use it may be 2-3 months of day in day out use. Age plays a part too. Even with light use after 4-5 years they are shot. I think this photo is from 1986 at the Sand Island caves in the Apostles.
It seems that you are looking at the dinghy as a "lifeboat" and while this is a necessary function it's main purpose will be going ashore, visiting other boats, fishing, setting a second anchor, exploring backwater channels, etc. It's an all purpose auxiliary vehicle that will earn it's keep and make the trip more interesting. You need something up to the job.
You make some really good points. I'll keep my eye out for a good dingy/motor, but idk if i would want to drop more than 500. And coming across one in that price range seems unlikely. however, i do know someone that is trying to unload a late 90s jet ski for around that price 0_o less practical, but cheap and it could definitely tow the sailboat if i had motor trouble. I think I'll sit on this one for a couple months, and see if anything good pops up in the twin cites area.
Good advice! About how many barges will i see per day? 3-5? 6-10? Also how many locks? I figured about 1 per day.
I am really feeling like i should keep my eye out for a dingy/motor then. Mostly because of the possibility of my main outboard breaking down...