MacGregorSailors.com

Pros and cons of both. Clearly, hard boats row much better. As pointed out, some double as sailing dinghys which is nice. When not sailing your Mac, the dinghy is a lot of fun.

At this moment, my West Marine (made by Zodiac) is deflated on the deck of my boat. It has a hard slotted floor that is very sturdy. My lifelines have a break so I can lift the dinghy on/off the deck for launching. It's pretty easy to do.
The 2.5 Suzuki is mounted on the stern seats of the Mac ready to go. At 13kg it's easy to take on and off and it's a 4 stroke so I can fill it from the Mac tank.

This weekend we sailed and didn't worry about towing the beast. It is there if I want to use it, otherwise it's out of the water. We sailed unencumbered by dinghy following us all weekend. That was nice. I hate towing a dinghy. When I do, a poly line that floats is a must. Make a bridle between the two outer attachment points. Tow it where it has the least resistance. Sometimes, that's on my stern wave.

I've been in both types of boats. Personally, I feel inflatables are more stable and less likely to tip and easier to get out without tipping.

A hard dinghy just won't work for us. I like deflating this thing and sticking it in the back of the car and taking it to wherever I want. Hard dinghy means loading it in the truck and probably with a helper.

I've heard the horror stories of punctured and torn inflatables. I suppose that's a valid consideration. I've also been in a hard dinghy with waves splashing over the side. I really feared capsizing it. I once snapped an oar bracket rowing a glass dinghy in heavy wind. That was scary.
Many now have lots of flotation which makes capsizing less of an issue.

I agree with not needing a motor for 25 meters. Weigh your options and the info above and decide what works best for you.

We car top the Watertender. I've never been able to tip it. I can actually chin on the gunwale and climb back on board without tipping it over...when my arms are in shape ...I'm 220# ( down from 235#. )

The model who is cutting our lawn vaults out of the water in one smooth motion and lands in the boat on her feet...

Catigale wrote:We car top the Watertender.

Thanks, I was wondering. Not sure I could get it up there by myself, getting old

Catigale wrote:...The model who is cutting our lawn vaults out of the water in one smooth motion and lands in the boat on her feet... :

Do you ever give her a break . Here you are packed and ready to go and she still has to cut the grass ,

Sum

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Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

I used to get it up there solo but with 6 foot Hope Solo in crew now it's a lot easier...

When we deck built she got tired of handling the 40 pound cement bags so she loaded the 80s.....d* near ki led me moving the on job site...

Check out those arms....

I have the same boat as RussMT if he's talking about the West Marine RU-260. I personally think it's the perfect tender for a Mac. We keep ours rolled up in the V-Berth but it can also be kept deflated and folded beneath the aft berth.

It weighs about 50 lbs. I can quickly inflate it in the cockpit with the included footpump (faster than my 12V inflator) and toss it over the transom with the painter tied to the mast carrier. We board by snugging the bow of it between the motor and the stbd. transom, and I keep the painter taut by hand (I'm the first to board. It's cramped with myself, wife, and three kids (8, 10, and 12) but I can row it with everyone in the right place. It'll be considerably easier for you with two kids, although I'd like a boat that's a 9.5 rather than an 8.5 as long as it can still roll up. I'd also consider the high-pressure inflatable floor models although the slats work just fine.

To bring it aboard, I just haul it into the cockpit with the painter over the gunnel deflate it. If we're using it for a couple of days I'll do it. It fits perfectly upside down on the focsle and doesn't interfere with sailing (except when I forget to tie it down and it becomes an additional sail).

Thus far I just row it, but I'll be getting a Suzuki 2.5hp for it soon. My plan is to put a jackplate on the port stern for that motor and will mount and dismount the motor in the water. We'll see how well that works out I suppose.

I think they're perfect for a Mac that is generally used for day sailing. If I was cruising, I'd consider other dinghys.

I've also been noodling around an idea for a hard fiberglass "camper top" for the cockpit that would do double duty as a dinghy.

I have been looking at this model... something small with a motor mount on the back.

http://www.dowsonusa.com/goods.php?id=272



Haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Erik Hardtle wrote:I have been looking at this model... something small with a motor mount on the back.

http://www.dowsonusa.com/goods.php?id=272



Haven't pulled the trigger yet.

I guess it depends on how you would use it. We gave ones very close to that a lot of consideration and decided against it for our intended use. If you see using it to just go a short distance too and from shore in good conditions and the 388 lb. load capacity isn't an issue it might work.

Personally I decided that I wasn't happy putting an outboard on a transom like that and using it much. Also I was warned against the flat bottom. A "V" bottom is much better handling wise.

The boat looks to be less than 8 feet long and that is overall length so remember that the tubes take up a lot of that. The same on the width.

We've used ours a couple times...



.. to go a few miles from the boat and plan on doing quite a bit more of that to explore more in Florida. If you want to do something similar or want to motor much at all or need the boat to carry more than 2 people I'd look further. I mentioned the other day that...



..... we got ours used, but in very good condition, for $600. That might be an option and one to maybe consider. I'd also consider the one Russ posted. It has a flat bottom, but still way more capacity, a hard transom, and more space inside and not all that much more than the one you posted. I see WM has them on sale now for under $800.00 and maybe some place else for less,

Sum

===================================
Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

Without a "V" bottom of some sort, you will find it difficult maintain a straight course when its windy.

As stated previously, it all depends on what your use for it is, i.e. anchored boat to shore. I have spent hours at a time in our inflatable, and spaciousness becomes appreciated really quickly.

Ray

I have one of the Sevylor inflatables and paid about 350 for it.

Functional for short distances only. British seagull works on transom. Very difficult
to row any distance especially in wind

Got a 3-person Seahawk ten years ago, for less than $100, oars and shipping included. Worked very well on the local lake: rowing distance, 300 yards at most. Once we got to the Apostle Islands, we tried to row around Devil's Island (more than 2 miles) and it was back-breaking, even when we took turns. The dinghy was getting pretty ratty, yet it never lost air or got puctured. It held two adults and two kids easily, or two adults and plenty of equipment. Last year, before leaving for the Bahamas, we bought a bigger one (4 person). Now we had two pairs of oars, so we thought that things would work even better. Boy, were we wrong. Even with two sets of oars, rowing from the mooring buoy to the dock was a major PITA. We went against the incoming tide and by the time we had to return from the dock, we had to row against the outgoing tide again. We almost didn't make it. People would stare and pity us. We were the only fools rowing in the Bahamas. Everybody else had little engines, and for a good reason, too.

The dinghy was a major PITA during the storms, too. We would tow it, but when stronger winds started to blow, they picked it up like a kite and slammed it against the solar panels. It was way too large and too light. We almost lost it twice, but we didn't have the heart to fold it and store it away: I guess it was more for psychological comfort than for utilitarian reasons. We finally reasoned that the "unsinkable Mac" would make a better life raft than an unstable dinghy. As far as Ocean Faring sailors were concerned, the Mac IS an oversized dinghy, taking us to beaches that no other keeled boat would even dare approach. Towing a dinghy is okay, but when you try to dock, it always gets in the way when backing up. Slapping it across the mid-section of the boat cuts off the visibility, too, especially if it's large

The lessons learned: larger is not necessarily better. The thing better be heavy or will fly away in gusty winds. Like people pointed out above, rowing a cheap dinghy works only for short distances. It is fun, too, in the same way an inner tube might be. We were never worried about anyone stealing it in the harbor. Cheap and easy to replace. But the right thing for us would be, getting a hard-bottomed dinghy (2-3 persons at most) with a 3 HP engine that can be attached on the other side of the transom, opposite to the ladder, as a back-up engine, for longer trips.

For the local lake, the Seahawk works just fine

I have a 6HP Merc. four stroke on mine, and I use it most of the time I'm in the 9.5' Achilles. For short distances, or for exercise I row, but most of the time I use the Merc. It sips gas, and is super quite. Life is too short. Have fun.

Ray

Thanks for all the info. I like the Porta Bote but even second hand they sell for well over£1200-£1500. They make a similar dinghy called Seahopper here but its all wood, which to me means more work and upkeep and less sailing. Portland Pudgy is not(yet ?) available here. The Tinker Traveller is high on my list. Inflatable and as such deflatable - fits in a bag, can be rowed, motored and sailed. 12 feet long and they do come with main and furling gib, so the kids can have fun with it as well (thanks for planting that idea, Cat ). Again, they are not cheap. I'll also have a look at other options at the Southampton Boat Show which is coming up. Again, thanks for all your posts. I very much appreciate it.

These guys have some cool boat building plans. How handy are you?
http://www.woodenwidget.com/origami.htm

After reading this thread and discussing with sailing friends we've chosen this route: A SOAR 12' inflatable canoe.
This is an expedition proven boat made of hypalon. I have a friend who runs an outfitting/tripping business and she uses them on trips around the world.


The rationale is we want a boat we can explore with once we've docked/anchored. We come from a canoe tripping background and feel this boat will allow us to paddle better than a dinghy rows and we can add a motor mount if we feel the need to have an OB. It is stable enough to step into it from our and has enough cargo capacity to act as a tender. at 52# it is a managable weight. The only concern I've got is towability under sail and power. Time will tell.

Hugh

I have a pvc Soltice 9ft 6 inch with 700 lbs capicity with air froor and seperate air keel and has 14.9 inch tubes.
This has the sepearate outboard bracket and I have a 2.5 hp Suzukie pushing it.
I have had 5 adults on board and no problems exceeding the limit over 150 lbs.
I have gone over 4 miles on a trip with a 1 ft. head chop and stayed dry with 450 lbs aboard.
For $400 it's a good boat as I have made over 6 trips with it and at 32 lbs it is easy to tow (8 ft. scope) and haul aboard.(ck. West Marine)
I have a new used Kodiak 7.10 Ft with ridged transem that I bought used only one time. I will use this for a 2 person short trip to travel as we are only two.
Both boats are light to haul on deck and tow. (Soltice says no tow but it does tow excellent with a very short line.)
Here is the Soltice and Kodiak. http://bustersmarine.com/240dinghy.html
http://www.westmarine.com
Look at the reviews of other and mine I posted back in 2009 on the Soltice.(most gave a 5 star, I gave a 4 star)

Dave

FinallySailing wrote:So I am thinking about buying an inflatable dinghy as tender to accompany "Rockhopper" on our adventures. I have no experience with inflatables whatsoever. So where do I start ? Size, its four of us (2 adults, two kids 8+10) ? Used or new ? If used, what to look out for and which manufacturers should I avoid, if at all ? Are there any differences at all ? Small outboard or is getting max 25 meters from boat to pontoon o(pd $300k to do with oars ? If you tow your dinghy, how long should the tether be ? Size/strength ?
Really value your thoughts on this.