(Which) Dinghy for the Mac?

[kurz]

Hello

Has anyone use the EZRaft dinghy?
starts @12kg


My question is:

Can you row the Q240, having in total 3 people

Ore would you need the the q270?

Both have stowing bad 85x30x30cm

Important: I will not have a motor... So it will be rowed...

https://www.ezraft.com/shop

it looks quite smart. Rudders stays connected and goes inside the bag... No spare parts but the battery pump...

[tuxonpup]

Look at the video section of their site, in the rowing video it shows a single person rowing the Q270 and it doesn’t look like there’s much room for a second person when sitting in the center to row, let alone a third. The Q300 and Q330 pics show multiple people sitting on the pontoons, but rowing takes up more space as your whole body has to stay centered on the floor of the boat to move effectively.

[Russ]

It does not look very sturdy. The video shows it rolled up very small. The thickness of the material appears weak.

It is also costly for a dinghy. You can buy a proper inflatable for half that price.

https://www.svb24.com/en/category/dinghies

[NiceAft]

I am questioning the construction, and here is why.

I have an Achilles inflatable. Its length is 290cm. Its weight is 35 kg. Capacity is 498.95kg.

It has an air inflatable floor, an inflatable keel, with one seat (I added a second).

It uses Hypalon for its construction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Compare this to the T280 which weighs 12kg. Capacity is 400kg. Length is 280cm.

[kurz]

Why the EZRaft: It goes about weight, others are 3 times heavyer. And you get a smal bag.

In my storage space is quite rare

[NiceAft]

I also have an , so I understand your concern about storage space. My concern is about quality of product.

The difference in weight is because of the material the dinghy is made of. My inflatable is twenty years old. Because of the Hypalon, the sun has not degraded the fabric. It is not brittle, and is highly resistant to abrasion and puncture.

I tow it behind my Mac. If you’re going to row, having an inflatable keel helps to keep the dinghy on track.

[Russ]

I agree with Ray. The quality of this does not seem good. If I understand the price €1385 seems very high.

For the same amount of money, you could buy a very high quality inflatable dinghy.

I understand the storage concern. Our boats are limited in space. I own a West Marine inflatable, and it stores on the foredeck.

As Ray noted, towing will require a sturdy dinghy. Towing a dinghy at higher speeds requires a bridle.

https://www.boote-magazin.de/en/dinghy- ... ew-design/

[kurz]

important question for me:

How big has a dinghy to be (ROWING! not motoring).

Should take 3 people.

So can you do it in 240cm/7.87" or is it too small?

I don't know yet the brand will win. The technique from EZraft ist interessant for me: Outside dacron/sewed, inside the tubes that holds the air. They can be repaired like bycicles tires. Even you can change them one by one...

[Russ]

Rowing an inflatable can be difficult. Especially difficult if there is a strong wind.

Another thing I do not like about the EZ boat is the oars. They seem poorly designed and unfold to create a surface.

I would search for reviews of owners who have actually used the boat.

[kurz]

Rowing an inflatable can be difficult. Especially difficult if there is a strong wind.

Another thing I do not like about the EZ boat is the oars. They seem poorly designed and unfold to create a surface.

I would search for reviews of owners who have actually used the boat.

Sorry what do u man with the OARS?

[OverEasy]

Hi Kurz!

Rowing an inflatable dinghy is a task even in the best of circumstances never mind with wind, waves and people/pets. The lack of a keel means virtually no directional stability so coordination of the oars is the only aspect that might keep you on a path… a constant need for adjustment and compensation. The lighter the dinghy the greater the variability with each stroke.

Then there is the general stability… like keeping the contents(people) inside and not floating away independently. Sitting on the tubes sounds easier than the actual practice. One person sorta works out ok without a free swimming lesson (generally) …Two people takes communication and communication but sometimes that doesn’t quite work as planned and a free swim lesson can ensue …. Three people that really does take a fair amount of communication and coordination or there can me multiple free swimming lessons happening concurrently

( Yes I speak from personal experiences )

Might I suggest that you might be happier with an inflatable ding/yak and double ended paddle(s) or a pair of Hobie inflatable paddle boards that have a ‘combiner’ kit that allows two of them to joined together which makes a pretty stable platform and has a seat Kit option and kayak paddles and/or “peddle” options. Personally for the price you’re willing to spend the paddle board might’ve something to look into.

https://paddleboard.hobie.com/

https://lightningkayaks.com/products/li ... 9YQAvD_BwE

Just an opinion… you need to find what works for you and your purposes.

Best Regards
Over Easy

[NiceAft]

As I stated earlier, my dinghy is 290cm in length. While rowing, the maximum I have in the dinghy is one other than me. In spite of its length, a third person is in the way of my rowing. The only place anyone could sit is on the bow; sitting on one side is off balance for rowing. Two are possible, one each on the port and starboard sides, but they need to be far aft so as not to interfere with the rowers arms and feet.

I do have an inflatable keel on my Achilles. It helps.

Remember, because of those large inflated tubes, the outside dimensions are not an indicator of the available space inside the dinghy,

These are the dimensions of 290cm Achilles. You can see the interior is 85cm smaller than the length.

I have two seats on my dinghy. The second is at the stern in front of the transom, and there is not enough room for someone to sit there when I am rowing.

[kurz]

good thoughts. thanks @all

I allready had a try with a inflatable Kayak. But it really was not that a dinghy shall be. so I brought it back.

[Slartibartfast]

Our boats draw as little as 12 inches and are able to get right up onto almost any shore, so here's a question: how often do you absolutely need to have more than 1 person in the dinghy, at least for more than a few feet?

For the use case I think you're describing, I'd just drop the admiral and other crew off using the X itself, go anchor out, then row myself in using a $30 ozark trail inflatable. It weighs 10 pounds and I can buy 40 of them for the cost of one of your EZrafts. For an extra $10, you can upgrade to "boston valves" to use bigger, faster pumps for inflating/deflating. We haven't done it yet, but this is our plan for taking the Mac to NYC.

Our other dinghy options are 1) 12-foot Porta-Bote for normal dock-to-mooring use and 2) an inflatable kayak or paddleboard for mountain lake trips where quiet exploration is an event of its own.

[Ixneigh]

The dinghy is certainly a topic of endless debate among cruisers. I finally had to build my own Mac specific dinghy, since i needed one with certain parameters namely, towing at speed (although now with my 20 HP engine I wont be doing that any more) and still rowing extremely well and being dry. Sails like a dream. Wont store on board though. Or not this version. Its possible that making one in two halves lengthwise could store on top deck for trailing.

Ix