SeaEagle dinghy

[brak]

Anyone has experience with SeaEagle dinghies? I figure based on "you get what you pay for" they can't be perfect, but are they good enough

I need a light minimal air-floor thing to tow after my boat and occasionally use to get to shore.

Here is the one I meant:L http://www.seaeagle.com/YachtTenders.aspx (They make a lot of other kinds that don't look very suitable for my purposes)

[RickLaPaz]

Originally Posted by brak

Anyone has experience with SeaEagle dinghies? I figure based on "you get what you pay for" they can't be perfect, but are they good enough

I need a light minimal air-floor thing to tow after my boat and occasionally use to get to shore.

if I were you, I'd just go over to the Navy Surplus and pick up one of their low mileage used training dolphins. Environmentally safe, water proof, zero maintenance and smarter than their owners.................






























(Translation---I got nothing).............

[billangiep]

looks like a decent bang for the buck....but I wonder what the longevity is? The 17" tubes are nice but they say it's made of 1000 denier fabric? Whats that? After a goggle search denier is only the thickness of the material. (Definition: A unit of weight expressing the size or coarseness of a natural or synthetic fiber or yarn. The lower the denier, the finer the yarn.)

[CapnHand]

Zodiac's are 1000 denier as well. Longevity is related also to the type of elastomer used. PVC doesn't last as well as Hypalon.

[billangiep]

Capn, agree to all but PVC does hold air better....also after looking on the sea eagle web site could I find what they are actually made off?

[sailingdog]

The heavier the fabric, the more wear and puncture resistant it is. 1000 Denier is pretty typical for high-abuse usage.

[camaraderie]

They are awful, and cheaply made. That said if you can keep it out of the sun and understand the limitations and just need to get it to and from shore over short distances, it will work for you for a while.

[sailingdog]

Personally, I'd spend the extra money and get a Hypalon Achilles... and use that instead. Price difference isn't all that big if you shop around...and I'm willing to bet the Achilles has a much longer working life.

[RickLaPaz]

Unless you really baby the hell out of anything PVC, and I mean like treating it like a '63 Ferrari, go with the Hypalon. The extra percentage in cost will be well worth the additional longevity.........

[ChicagoNewport27]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

They are awful, and cheaply made. That said if you can keep it out of the sun and understand the limitations and just need to get it to and from shore over short distances, it will work for you for a while.

I highly disagree!

I LOVE my SeaEagle 8.
(Granted, its not the same exact dinghy you're considering.)

I have this one:
http://www.seaeagle.com/MotormountBo...=SE8#OrderArea

I have the floorboard kit and motor attachment kit, which makes it row and motor (trolling motor) a bit easier. Easy to inflate and deflate, and tows well. Mine has been dragged up on more rocky beaches than I care to count, and never has had a puncture (granted, after only two seasons use).

I deflate mine and store it indoors when not in use. On the boat, I deflate it and stow it below rather than tow it. I can easily inflate it and pop in the floorboards on the foredeck of my sailboat in the space between the mast and bow pulpit.

Its pretty stable to climb in and out of. My SeaEagle 8 has a rated capacity of 950 lbs, and me (310), my friend (300) and my girlfriend (180 lbs) have all piled into the thing without it feeling overloaded.