Dingy to get out to mooring????

[Cruisingdad]

I got an old log that floated up on the shore that you can use. Hands for paddles, drill a hole in the middle to hold your beer, you will look like Gollum flapping that thing to shore. HAHA.

Honestly,

Without making this into another "What dink to buy" thread that will be 100 pages long, if you do not need to get there fast and want to save the most money and not motor, just go get a roll-up floor inflateable. They suck motoring and suck rowing... but they are cheap and stowe well. If you want something that will still stowe well but will motor pretty well, go get a HPIB and put a 6 or 8 hp on the back. It will plane. If you could notcare less about stowing it... get a RIB. A good RIB will last 10 years or better if you remember to lock it up at night and on the dock.

- CD

PS All of thesed can be purchased from any major outfitter, including defender, west, and I think even sailnet. If they are all the same price, give the dough to sailnet. They host the site and let you ask questions for free.

[sailortjk1]

Dad,
what about the constant launching and retreival of an inflatable?
Will they stand up to it?
Like I said, in my neck of the woods, you are launching on a concrete slab, than dragging the dink across concrete, and placing it in a rack.
I would not think an inflatable would stand up to that type of abuse.

[Cruisingdad]

Well, depending on how you are getting it off of that slab: are you dragging it? I mean, those all-inflateables are pretty light and tough. We used to drag ours across everything. That being said, I do not like the roll-ups.

Would a RIB be better?? It would be tougher in the bottom, but it is heavier so will cause more damage.

However, TJK, there is NO boat made that will not get scratched up and banged up by being drug across concrete. But yes, the inflateables are pretty tough if you take care of them. I like the looks of the "hard-sided boats" better, but the inflateables are better boats for cruisers as they are safer on the mother boat.

My opinion.

- CD


- CD

[SimonV]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

What sailormann means is that he has a dinghy that is mostly all patches and still leaks air, and that the outboard doesn't work...and that he needs $400 in beer money... but can't find a sucker to buy his dinghy locally....

Offer Sailermann $200 buy a case of spray cans of expandable foam use that instead of air, and you will have an unsinkable mooring tender

[T37Chef]

These two companies regularly have something used:

Inflatable Experts
Annapolis, MD
410-263-1496

The Air Works
42 Hudson Street, Suite 213
Annapolis, MD
410.268.7332

or have you tried Ebay:

eBay - inflatable boats, Canoes, Kayaks, Rafts, Wakeboarding, Waterskiing items on eBay.com=

[maddata]

I was going through the same calculus on a dinghy for a new boat that is on a mooring. I ended up buying a Walker Bay 10 for $400 through Craiglist. It is about 50 lbs heavier than the 8 but the extra space is nice and it seems pretty stable. The wheel in the stern is a nice feature as well. I would go rigid and you can always add floats, or even a sail kit, later.

[dohenyboy]

how far do you have to go to reach your boat, and where will you store the dinghy?
I have to bring it in the trunk of my sedan, and only have 50 feet to the boat. So I got a westmarine minidinghy, an electric trolling motor, total cost about $260, and I inflate it when I get to the dock. Quite durable