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All the previous posts recommending dinghies were too expensive ($300 - 1000). The following 4 man dinghy only costs $163 including 2 pairs of oars and air pump. Does anybody have any experiences with this inflatable dinghy?
http://www.brandsonsale.com/itx-68374.html

Thanks.

I have a 8 1/2 foot Sevytex inflatable boat with oars and outboard motor mount that I picked up, used, last year for around $100. You might consider one of these. It will roll up pretty small and fit in the area under the cockpit of an X or M. There is one currently for sale on eBay. Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-8-6-Sevytex-Inf ... dZViewItem

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Rich Plumb, "Plumb Crazy"
26X, Covington WA

I've got this thing you're supposed to use in your swimming pool. Got it at a neighbor's yard sale for a buck seventy five.

I can only describe it as a thin vinyl inner tube glued to an air mattress underneath. Hollow plastic oars/paddles that clonk together, a rubber duck, the whole works.

I don't use it. Chip scared me about the inflatable he launched in the wind while visiting the Bahamas. Said if he hadn't tethered the thing to the boat he would have washed up on the southern coast of England

These are usually toys and not very durable. If you do not mind swiming back you are OK. There some execptions.

You can get a Sevylor inflatable dinghy for about 350, which is a big step up from the pool toys - we use ours for moving our 4 person crew to shore from a mooring.

You can get one with a real motor mount for a 3 HP motor or so

Its a nice price point compared to the 2 boat bucks for a real dinghy

Actually my 'Real' dinghy only cost one boat buck. Maxxon PVC 10', HP air floor, does great with our 6hp outboard yet rolls easily and stores on the bow.

I have a couple of these vinyl boats and while we used one briefly with our previous boat I quickly decided I would never trust them for dinghy service. The edges of many docks are high danger zone for these cheap boats, not to mention barnacles and shells on the beaches. As soon as we had the money we moved up to 8' slat floor Hypalon dinghy. This gave us great service for many years but as my family of 5 grew we needed more capacity. The Maxxon is rated for 1100lbs and easily carries the 5 of us along with two small dogs.

tomasrey88 wrote: ... The following 4 man dinghy only costs $163 including 2 pairs of oars and air pump. Does anybody have any experiences with this inflatable dinghy? ...

Everyone has experiences with it. We all have a $100 dinghy stowed somewhere in the garage. A few have actually blown it up in the living room, but nobody really uses it. I've got one you can have, for free (locus San Francisco).

Your $160 will be totally wasted. Save it for two years & double it. Then spend $350 for the Sevytex linked above. It's the least expensive "hard airfloor" dinghy that's worth the breath to blow up.

It's the least expensive "hard airfloor" dinghy that's worth the breath to blow up.

Sage advice

maybe follow this one's auction.. at least it is starting out reasonable.....



EBAY

or back to my fav

baltik type

The old addage you get what you pay for sure seems evident for $163!!
It all depends on how you plan to use it, including 5 years from now. I read many of the dinghy posts here and everywhere and finally bought the same dinghy Duane has. It costs more but has much more versatility (like the Mac) and will provide many more years of service. With the 5hp honda I am into it for two boat bucks, but I can do a lot more than just dock service with it. It is like having a second boat and can be used for extensive exploring once the Mac is anchored. I chose not to limit my options with a cheapo and instead invest in the future, a wise investment.

Frank C wrote:Then spend $350 for the Sevytex linked above. It's the least expensive "hard airfloor" dinghy that's worth the breath to blow up.

i've owned my Sevytex 250 for over two years. paid over $400 for it right after they became available, so from my perspective it's an excellent value today.
it's a great dinghy for a Mac. let me tell you why...
- small enough to place on deck when inflated
- only 40#'s. very lightweight
- Zodiac material. like the expensive ones
- a 28# Honda or Suzuki 2-2.5 hp outboard fits nicely on the rear end

remember...with a Mac, the goal is to keep your weight to a minimum. most dinghy's weigh upwards of 100# plus motor.
with this lightweight beauty, you can use the extra pounds you saved on something more important, like beer!

Bob T.
"DaBob"
'02X w/ '04 90-TLDI (14" x 11 pitch)
Dinghy Motor: '06 2.5-Suzuki