When it comes to a dingy?
I've been looking at all this talk about a rowing inflatibles. But, I have been watching the AFFORDABLE INFLATIBLE auctions ever since they were mentioned here the first time.
Specifically, I've been toying with the idea of buying their 14' dingy. Yeah, I said "14"... Yeah, I know, well more than half the size of the mothership...
My reasoning:
1 - One that is small enough to easily bring aboard and stow would just not accomodate the whole crew, much less fit aboard comfortably with all of us... So, I'd most likely be talking about towing it anyway...
2 - The 14' is the only one that is rated for a 40hp motor. Well, that's what I just ahppen to have on the mothership right now. We've been talking about upgrading. So, I'd have a 40hp to either sell at a loss, or...
Now, the thing ain't as light as an 8 footer, but it looks like it could be handled with some help... But, more likely, I'd buy a good used trailer for a jon boat or something and treat it like another trailerable...
The other issue is that it has a wood slat floor. I know this isn't a really good thing, but wouldn't the issues associated with that be somewhat negated by the 40hp?
Finally, wouldn't that <200lbs boat FLY with 40 hp? Wow! Actually, I suspect the actually keeping it on the water might be a real challenge... While tracking might be a significant problem, I bet we could turn it into a fun watersports boat...
Ok, have at it!!! Please do tell me just exactly how crazy I am... Frankly, no not you Frank, part of me would like you guys to talk me out of it...
How big is too big,
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ssichler
- First Officer
- Posts: 342
- Joined: Thu May 04, 2006 9:22 am
- Location: Redondo Beach, CA 06 M 60hp E-Tec
Geez how big is your crew? 
In a pinch with calm waters you can hold 4 on the 8.5 or 9.5. In Catalina I even saw dinghies towing smaller inflatables with the kids in them.
The wood floor isn't a performance issue it's just a real pain to put together. That one has four side stiffener joints you have to lock into place. All the boards must match up and be straight. Not an easy task. The air floor is ridiculously easy to use. I would never buy another wood floor boat.
My father-in-law has an 11 foot RIB with 15HP that just flies. 40HP seems way too much.
You probably have more storage than I do but having another trailer just for a dinghy seems like a hassle.
-Scott
In a pinch with calm waters you can hold 4 on the 8.5 or 9.5. In Catalina I even saw dinghies towing smaller inflatables with the kids in them.The wood floor isn't a performance issue it's just a real pain to put together. That one has four side stiffener joints you have to lock into place. All the boards must match up and be straight. Not an easy task. The air floor is ridiculously easy to use. I would never buy another wood floor boat.
My father-in-law has an 11 foot RIB with 15HP that just flies. 40HP seems way too much.
You probably have more storage than I do but having another trailer just for a dinghy seems like a hassle.
-Scott
This was my point. Anything that would be easy to inflate would be too small for our crew. Anything big enough for the crew would bee too big to mess with inflating/deflating and trying to wrestle up onto the boat. So, we'de be stuck with twoing it... So, 10' would probably be on the small side, for us. 14' would certinaly be big enough, but maybe too big...jetta01 wrote:Unless you always inflate it at the docks and then tow it back and forth to where you are going, then I would say that anything over 8.5 is too big. The reason being that trying to inflate the thing is a comical adventure with our limited amount of deck and cockpit space.
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delevi
- Admiral
- Posts: 2184
- Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 1:03 am
- Location: San Francisco Catalina 380, former 26M owner
- Contact:
Do you really want to tow a dinghie with a 40hp motor on it? ... in addition to the weight of your new motor? Sounds like a mess. You might be better off just beaching the Mac. I have a 6' row dinghie which is barely enough for two, but fits into a bag when deflated. I think anything bigger is just going to be a pain. Unless you really need the ability to get to shore and the bottom isn't such that the Mac is beachable, I probably wouldn't bother. Just my 5 cents' worth.
Leon
Leon
I recently picked up one of the last of last year's 8' <short> Avon/Hypalon-West Marine folding transom RIBs for the Elana Ninas primary tender.
This year the little W.M. RIBs have gained a foot or more in length and have moved from Avon Hypalon to Zodiac PVC, a downgrade IMO.
I'm not sure I'd ever own a non-RIB inflatable. For towing you are always pulling on fabric. That's an issue, particularly at speed or in heavy weather. I've always upgraded the towing eyes of my fiberglass RIBs with massive stainless U-bolts heavily back-plated. Not possible with an all-fabric hull.
The wood floored boats are relatively flimsy & floppy in any kind of sea, don't really have a keel, and are all-around higher maintenance items. They are not particularly good sea boats as compared with RIBs.
Neither can their fabric bottoms be beached with impunity.
I once had an aluminum bottomed Naiad 3.8 RIB with aluminum gunwales as well. She shipped a 30 H.P. Yamaha two-stroke on her transom. Really flew but absolutely required doelfins. In weather I tow RIBs with their transom plugs open to allow self-bailing.
My previous Avon RIB was a 10 rigid transom model. It was rated for 9.9 so of course I shipped a 15 as it was the same transom weight. It flew with 3-4 aboard. That sharp V GRP hull makes all the difference. That boat got some serious work in Alitack Bay retrieving the red Naiad after she broke her tow from the Leah Maya in 50 knot November winds.
The seas were such that the shallow-draft 51 Leah Maya could not readily come about to chase the red boat without fear of being turned over.
The 10 RIB saved the day. Weird moments as Slim approached the Leah Maya from astern with the Naiad in tow and the Leah Mayas twin 30 screws being repeatedly lifted clear out of the water before his face.
Sheer adrenalin hauled Slim and both RIBs on deck. (scroll down for the Leah Maya http://homepage.mac.com/blanton/PhotoAlbum6.html )
Towing the Naiad solo back to Seldovia http://www.seldovia.com/ later that November after the worst night of my life weather/survival-wise I entered Seldovia channel at dawn with no 30 h.p. Yamaha on the transom of the still upright Naiad.
sh~t. But upon closer inspection as I tie up in my slip I see the motor dangling four feet below the Naiad.
Spent the next few hours resuscitating her after being punished at the helm 16 hrs. straight during the night and she came back to life good as new.
This year the little W.M. RIBs have gained a foot or more in length and have moved from Avon Hypalon to Zodiac PVC, a downgrade IMO.
I'm not sure I'd ever own a non-RIB inflatable. For towing you are always pulling on fabric. That's an issue, particularly at speed or in heavy weather. I've always upgraded the towing eyes of my fiberglass RIBs with massive stainless U-bolts heavily back-plated. Not possible with an all-fabric hull.
The wood floored boats are relatively flimsy & floppy in any kind of sea, don't really have a keel, and are all-around higher maintenance items. They are not particularly good sea boats as compared with RIBs.
Neither can their fabric bottoms be beached with impunity.
I once had an aluminum bottomed Naiad 3.8 RIB with aluminum gunwales as well. She shipped a 30 H.P. Yamaha two-stroke on her transom. Really flew but absolutely required doelfins. In weather I tow RIBs with their transom plugs open to allow self-bailing.
My previous Avon RIB was a 10 rigid transom model. It was rated for 9.9 so of course I shipped a 15 as it was the same transom weight. It flew with 3-4 aboard. That sharp V GRP hull makes all the difference. That boat got some serious work in Alitack Bay retrieving the red Naiad after she broke her tow from the Leah Maya in 50 knot November winds.
The seas were such that the shallow-draft 51 Leah Maya could not readily come about to chase the red boat without fear of being turned over.
The 10 RIB saved the day. Weird moments as Slim approached the Leah Maya from astern with the Naiad in tow and the Leah Mayas twin 30 screws being repeatedly lifted clear out of the water before his face.
Sheer adrenalin hauled Slim and both RIBs on deck. (scroll down for the Leah Maya http://homepage.mac.com/blanton/PhotoAlbum6.html )
Towing the Naiad solo back to Seldovia http://www.seldovia.com/ later that November after the worst night of my life weather/survival-wise I entered Seldovia channel at dawn with no 30 h.p. Yamaha on the transom of the still upright Naiad.
sh~t. But upon closer inspection as I tie up in my slip I see the motor dangling four feet below the Naiad.
Spent the next few hours resuscitating her after being punished at the helm 16 hrs. straight during the night and she came back to life good as new.
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Mark Karagianis
- Engineer
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2005 1:29 pm
- Location: Still trailering from Northridge, CA to MDR. 2005 M Suzuki DF50 "Definite Addiction"
DLT, sorry, but you're nuts.
Or you need a bigger mother ship. How many people do you need to ferry to shore from a boat that holds 6 people? Refer to the thread "Rowing Inflatables", as there are many good suggestions.
Many people seem to be overloading their Macs with everything you'd expect in a boat (yacht!) 10' longer. Then of course everything else has to be scaled up (90-140hp!) as well. This is the same thing that is happening to the passenger car industry.
Light is not only intrinsically good, but it is faster.
Mark
Or you need a bigger mother ship. How many people do you need to ferry to shore from a boat that holds 6 people? Refer to the thread "Rowing Inflatables", as there are many good suggestions.
Many people seem to be overloading their Macs with everything you'd expect in a boat (yacht!) 10' longer. Then of course everything else has to be scaled up (90-140hp!) as well. This is the same thing that is happening to the passenger car industry.
Light is not only intrinsically good, but it is faster.
Mark