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Final Dinghy Choice - does this make sense?

19K views 73 replies 18 participants last post by  souljour2000 
#1 ·
So... I've read all the threads I can find and understand there is no right answer here but some input to my decision logic would be much appreciated.

Parent Boat: Bristol 38.8
Use: Extended coastal cruising inc Caribbean and perhaps Newfoundland
Requirement: Basic tender but capable of supporting snorkeling and perhaps Scuba diving
Pax: Normally 2, max 4
OB: 3.5HP

Remaining options:
Porta-bote 10' 8" with ladder
Achilles LSI-260

Here is my logic (not in particular order of importance):

Parameter_________Porta-bote______________Achilles____________Winner

Length:___________10' 8"____________________8' 6"_____________A
Listed capacity:____3________________________4 _______________A
Weight:___________67lb (w/o seats ladder etc.)_66lb all up________A
Max motor wt:_____56lb______________________66lb_____________Draw
OB protected?______No (hull damage potential)___Yes______________A
Cost:_____________$2,359 (w req accessories)__$2,046 all up______A
Deck assay/infl?____Possible__________________Possible__________Draw
Towing?___________Questionable______________Possible__________A
Diving etc?________Possible (with acc ladder)____Easy_____________A
Packed size:_______V small and easily stored____Moderately large___PB
Rowable?_________Yes______________________Barely____________PB
Sailable?_________Yes ($849)_________________No______________PB
General robustness___________________________________________PB?
Stability during boarding_______________________________________A?
Confidence in company / warranty etc.__________________________A

Looks like the Achilles is winning this one pretty easily for me (despite Porta-bote's ads of sinking inflatables :)

Is my logic remotely sound?
Am I missing anything important?
Can you do tables in this thing?.......:confused:

Thanks a lot
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Your logic seems very sound to me as well as the earlier statement, "There is no right answer". What tipped the scales for me to choose the RIB was the carrying capacity (laundry, bicycles, groceries) and stability,- my wife's desire to step on the edge of the dinghy for boarding. My response to her was, "you must be right" and we bought the Carribe, but I see great advantages in other choices too.

I do like some of the features of that Kaboat,- weight, stability, capacity. I'll make a note to look at one in use. As of yet I have not seen one on the water.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I've only seen one, and looked at them one line. Never driven one. I liked the one I saw, it was the big 16 foot " special forces model" in black. It had four people in it, and they were zooming across the bay with an 8 horse. The guy said he loved it for cuising because it fit nicely in a bag and put together quick. Useless if you use davits. Works well as a kayak and a little engine pushes it along pretty good. I don't know much about it's pay load. I love the price! Cheap enough to buy and keep in the bag for a back up if I don't like the way it handles chop on a plane. How else can you have a 16 foot skiff while crusing on a modest size sail boat?
 
#11 ·
GrahamO,
Neither of these boat fit your requirements:
1. Four people is four people not "maybe three". Can you visualize the 6'1" X 2'2" (inside dimensions) Achilles with four people in it? Certainly no gear or supplies and somebody is going to get their butt wet as they will be sitting on the floor.
2. You probably will go faster rowing four adults in the Portabote than in the Achilles with a 3.5 hoursepower motor. How many horsepower does it take to plane a Portabote with four people? The Achilles will be a pig with 3.5 horsepower.
3. Inflatables support diving better as in and out is easier. However there are inflateable collars for rigid dingys that accomplish the same thing.
4. Shallow water over coral, rock and oyster shells are the kiss of death for inflateables and can do pretty good damage to some types of rigids.
5. Soft bottoms and hard gear are also problematic.
No easy choices, but you probably will do better with an inflateable for diving, they seem to be ubiquitous for this use. But the model of Achilles you listed does not meet your requirements.
Hope this helps.
John
 
#12 · (Edited)
Yes, that is a sea kayak. I have one. The kaboat is ment to be propelled with kayak paddles if not by engine, which I understand it does quite efficiantly. Rather than rowing, which your run of the mill, standard inflatables don't do so well to windard. I've cruised with sit on top kayaks, paddle boards with kayak paddles, even a canoe that I used a Kayak paddle and sat in the middle. I've had inflatables, deflatables, hard bottom inflatables, Buldgers, Dyers, prams, homemades, sinkables, unsinkables, whalers, a livingston, a ganoe, a dug out canoe, when I anchored off Miami Beach in th early 90's I paddled out on a surf board and changed into dry clothes on land,( balanced a plasitc bag on the back of my head) I've had no dighy and swam out to my boat. I've used white water Kayaks, even had an inflatable kayak and the Kaboat is essentially that on steroids. Hence the Ka in Kaboat. You can put four people and gear in the biggest of the Kaboats and hand each of them a kayak paddle. You'll be the envy of the anchorage. When that dude came zooming through our anchorage in his Kaboat, we all wanted one. You know how silly 4 adults in a little inflatable with one guy rowing up wind look's. You'll get more push out of your 3.5 as well.
 
#14 ·
Yes, that is a sea kayak. I have one. The kaboat is ment to be propelled with kayak paddles if not by engine, which I understand it does quite efficiantly. Rather than rowing, which your run of the mill, standard inflatables don't do so well to windard. I've cruised with sit on top kayaks, paddle boards with kayak paddles, even a canoe that I used a Kayak paddle and sat in the middle. I've had inflatables, deflatables, hard bottom inflatables, Buldgers, Dyers, prams, homemades, sinkables, unsinkables, whalers, a livingston, a ganoe, a dug out canoe, when I anchored off Miami Beach in th early 90's I paddled out on a surf board and changed into dry clothes on land. I've had no dighy and swam out to my boat. I've used white water Kayaks, even had an inflatable kayak and the Kaboat is essentially that on steroids. Hence the Ka in Kaboat.
Understood - just playing.... Looks like it would be a blast in surf.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Ya, I saw video of a guy going down white water with gear and then out to sea with a 2 horse when he got to the mouth of the river. It's a tough, versatile little boat. Why don't you make the plunge and get a hard bottom zodiac, fast rescue model. center console, hang it on davits or nest it on deck, use your hallyard to launch? They make a 10 footer I think.
 
#18 · (Edited)
No way Ii would ever go with another HPIB as a LA or cruiser. Been there done that. And BTW, I have punched a hole in a HPIB (hit a chunk of coral) and luckily I was close to shore. When you get south, you will find almost all FT cruisers carry RIB's becaues they can take a better beating, can go faster, and you aren't always airing them up.

I have a 10'2 AVON HPIB that is nicely rolled up in storage. I pull it out at times for the kids to toodle around on because I couldn't care less if it sinks.

Do not underestimate the need for speed (well, at least we don't). The ability to get out of an idiots way or when you anchor a long way out and need to get to supplies or any other number of reasons we have found the ability to plane out and go "fast" was a big characteristic. Contrary to what HPIB's tell you, they simply cannot perform like a RIB. And the first time your floor gets a hole in it (happened frequently to us) you will hate that boat. You will put a lot of wear in a tender for cruising and LA. It is your car. ANd when you beach it, and get back in, you will bring with you pieces of shell and gravel that starts really wearing into the floor and other parts.

The thing about RIB's I hated was the weight. I think the most awesome RIB is the aluminum AB's. THey are not cheap!! I warn you. But a solid RIB from what I have seen. I personally did not buy this RIB. I bought a WAlker Bay Genesis (not to be confused with teh cheap junk they sell). This Rib actually has a floor in it so the water sits under your feet in a bilge. This is good because clothes and groceries do not get wet in your travel between boat and shore. Also good because all the shells fall down into the bilge and do not constale chafe the inside of the boat. It has great compartmens to store stuff and is lightweight. My only negative of it is that it does not perform quite as well as our older Avon RIB 10'2 (not the POS inflateable). But since it weighs in around 100-110 lbs IIRC, its is a great option.

For an engine we begged and finally found a 2 stroke 15hp Yamaha. Best engine I have owened and it will fly and it is very light. If you shop hard you can probably still find a 2-stroke. If you can, I would reccomend buying it even if used. Just so you know, we also have a Mercury 6hp 4 stroke which is as reliable as our HPIB.

So there you go. Those are just my opinions. For weekending or small trips, I would buy a HPIB. But I would not for anything serious.

I have not owned a Portabote or the other, so will let others comment on them that have owned them.

Brian
 
#19 ·
For serious cruising I wouldn't own anything other than a hard bottom inflatable, unless I had the room to carry a solid boat. After 8 years down island our RIB's bottom had been so abused it looked like someone had drug it down the road behind a pickup, but it just kept running long after an inflatable floor would have died. We actually started with a soft bottom, and ripped a unreparable gash in it six months into the voyage. Something about a coral finger as we pulled it up on the beach.

I would also really recommend getting as large an engine as you can. You won't be anchoring near most dive sites, and while it is nice to think you won't mind the slow trip to them, when those trips are over even remotely open water a fast dinghy is a safety issue as well, since getting back before storm break can be critical. It also means you will be much more likely to take dives since it changes a Day trip to a couple of hours. Finally in the event that you need to use the dinghy as a tow boat, which we had to do a number of times, a larger engine will make a world of difference.

Finally carry the biggest boat you possibly can. While island cruising they are often the only way to get water, provisions, fuel, people, parts, ect onto your boat. A small dingy that requires multiple trips makes all of these thing much more difficult. I remember having to reprovision 250 gallons of water, and 100 gallons of fuel by dinghy. As is it took us all day, in a smaller dinghy it could have taken 3 days easily.
 
#21 ·
Agree completely.

I would love to hear from anyone that has actually gone cruising that would reccomend a HPIB. I suspect if there are any, they are few and far between.

Tom Neale (All in the Same Boat) even said to get a hard dinghy, RIB in the least. I have found most of his adivce right on target.

Brian
 
#20 ·
Stumble and Cruising Dad are on the money. Once you get a hard bottom inflatable and get used to the speed and stability, it's impossable to go back. I alway's have a good a rowing or paddling something on deck as a back up. I to own a 15 horse yamaha 2 stroke which I purchased new in Guanaja Honduras, love it. I loved my Livingston, cat hull. Stable, very fast, light. and handled a chop better than any dinghy I ever owned. Half throttle I was at full speed. I still like those kaboats though. You just have to be tender, don't drag it up a coral beach, I owned a soft bottom Avon for ten years and never put a whole in it. The kaboat is light enough for two people to cary up on to the beach. You can drive a hard bottom up the beach at full speed though!
 
#22 ·
I wanted to add one more thing...

While cruising a dinghy is not just a way to get you back and forth to the boat, that is the least difficult of its jobs. Dinghys are work vehicles, pressed into service as everything from a resuply vessel, to a work platform, dive boat, gear retrieval system (stuff floating away), a taxi, a pickup truck, and anything else you can think of. They need to be strong durable, stable, and have the power to move people plus gear with ease.

Just as an example, when we were in Bonaire, friends and family would routinely fly in to meet us. This would mean at least 3 people plus two peoples luggage would have to make the 3 mile trip from the dock to the anchorage. If your dinghy can't do that and keep things dry, it won't work long term.

As for HPIB's, I have one on my power boat. It works fine with a 6hp on it. Kinda slow but it will get you to the dock and back. But the floor is not really rigid, and keeping it filled is a daily problem. For weekending around its fine, and doesn't weight anything, but for serious cruising... No way.

Finally carry a sea kayak, or small sailboat, we did and had a blast on it. But that doesn't make it a dinghy.
 
#23 ·
Yet another example of Sailnet thread "needs inflation."
The OP starts off with a simple premise, by the second page he is getting reccommendations that far exceed his needs, with dire warnings that his original premise will be a complete failure.

Seriously, lots of folks cruise with dinghies without hard bottoms, and do just fine. Who the hell cares about planing in a get-to-shore dinghy and dive platform?
an RIB is at least twice the cost of a hard floor inflatable of the same length, and weighs twice as much, requiring a bigger O/B, and they are very nice, but require davits (more $$$) and the benefit is?
They plane and handle coral better.
Hell, one could sacrifice a soft bottom inflatable to coral every year and still be money ahead three years later.

Somewhere along the way , the original spec of "Normally 2, max 4" occupants got extrapolated into needing to accomodate 4 regularly.

Our 6.5' (yep, it is real short) inflatable regularly carries two unlight adults, a hyperactive dog and 10 gallons of water comfortably, easily propelled by a 2 hp OB. Yeah, the boat doesn't plane. So what? neither does my sailboat.
 
#27 ·
Thanks Brian,
I must admit I was starting to spin on this one.... Anyway, all input adds something to the body of knowledge. There are some Surprisingly light RIB's that I was not aware of (at a price....).
I think we are going to start off with a Walmart tub and work it out after some time on the boat. We will know what will or will not fit the foredeck and what we can comfortably lift by then.
 
#24 ·
I've owned several types of dinghy and messed about in many other's small craft. Despite all their advantages and popularity I HATE inflatables because when the motor dies you can NOT row them home unless it is the most favorable of conditions.

I don't think people talk about this failing enough, but I can tell you that when you can't paddle against 1.5-2kts of current and you find yourself getting swept out to sea and away from your boat, it makes you think.

I really like the looks of the Kaboat. I've also liked the looks of the portaboat though it's one of the few craft I've never used I would take note of how fanatical the owners of them are. Most all of them LOVE the boat. I've also seen them rowing well.

We had a lot of conflicting needs, but we ended up with the best compromise we could find. We wanted stable (for small kids), rowable, sailable, able to mount a small OB and most of all abusable. We also were attracted to the "proactive liferaft" component of our choice, the Portland Pudgy.

We love it! (they're not cheap new, but they pop up on craigslist for a few hundred dollars pretty often)

Portland Pudgy safety dinghy, inflatable boat, or fiberglass dinghy?



MedSailor
 
#52 ·
We had a lot of conflicting needs, but we ended up with the best compromise we could find. We wanted stable (for small kids), rowable, sailable, able to mount a small OB and most of all abusable. We also were attracted to the "proactive liferaft" component of our choice, the Portland Pudgy.

Portland Pudgy safety dinghy, inflatable boat, or fiberglass dinghy?



MedSailor
Damn, a hard dinghy weighing 130 lbs empty, you're a far braver (not to mention stronger) man than I... (grin)

Just curious, how do you stow that thing aboard?
 
#25 · (Edited)
I cruised for two years with a dug out canoe and a paddle I made with a machette. I cruised all ove C.A. with an old wind surf board and a kayak paddle I made out of a plastic trash can lid and a closet pole. I've cruised with a hard bottom inflatable and 15 horse engine. I built a plywood dinghy in Venezuala when some French dude stole my Fancy hard bottom. I swam in and out when I had nothing. You'll alway's find a way and there is alway's a better way. I've eaten caviar with royalty and dumpster dived with hippies in Mexico. I want the best working, fastest skiff/ dinghy that will carry Grandma, the kids and a dog just as much as the next guy, but, engines break. deflatables deflate, my arms get sore from rowing. The wind is alway's against ya, there's water in the sh#$ty gas you bought in Belize, so on and so fourth. I've never been NOT able to get out to my boat. Expect the worst and hope for the best.
 
#28 ·
Re: Final Dinghy Choice - does this make sense? THANKS

Thanks everyone for the input. There are some interesting ideas here.

Given that it appears to be one of the trickier decisions we are going to get on the boat and think about it for a while. We are a couple of years away from long distance cruising (got to pay for the darned thing first...) so we have some time to sort this out - and we have LOTS of kayaks.....

Thanks again
 
#30 · (Edited)
If you're serious about cruising get the biggest Hypalon RIB you can afford and at, at a minimum, a 15 hp 2 stroke Yamaha.
Vasco,
That is all well and good. I enjoy fast inflatables and prefer RIBs and buy into many of the practicality issues

BUT

Where do you stow it when underway?
How do you get it on and off the boat without getting (another) hernia?
Come to think of it where do you get a 2 Stroke Yamaha?
 
#33 · (Edited)
To me this breaks down into a few separate issues. The first is

1) where you are going to store any dinghy. Of any type. If you want to put it on the bow, there are some real hurdles you have to address to do this reasonably well. First is how to get it out of the water. The normal answer here is to use a spinnaker halyard and winch to pull it up, swing it onto the deck, and then manhandle it into a set of fixed chocks mounted to the bow. Even wi a small light boat this is not an easy operation, and is almost impossible to do in strong winds, without a significant number of hands. Yes it is possible and I have done it, but it is a pain.

The other option is to flip the boat over and put it on the bow. This is more secure as sea, doesn't require the chocks, and makes visibility a bit better looking forward. However flipping over the boat is a pretty big time commitment, and a real PITA.

The other option is to store it under the boom... I have never done this so I won't comment except to say it just looks like a bad idea.

Finally you can put whatever boat you buy on a davit system on the back. This is probably the most expensive option, since these davits run about $1,000. But once they are there you just grab a line with multiple purchase blocks on it, and pull the boat out of the water. No work, no real loads, no fighting with it. And it takes about a minute to pull my dinghy out of the water. This means you can do it every night, so you don't need bottom paint, and don't have to worry about it getting stolen. In addition, if something goes wrong in the middle of the night the dinghy is already stowed for sea, or can be dropped in the water in moments to help out.


Once the storage solution is decided on, then you have to decide what dinghy you want. I have used them all, and have cruised with them all, and I have determined for me when I would use one versus the other.

1) for a boat that lives at the dock, will be provisioned at the dock,, and just needs to put people ashore to go drinking, the cheapest option available. This is the weekender boat that leaves on Friday night and return to port on Sunday.

2) If the dinghy is oing to be used for anything else, I would always buy a hard bottom. Both for the speed, and the durability. And the longer you are crusing the more important a hard bottom and speed is. Everyone thinks of beaches as pretty sand flats that taper gently into the sea. And if you happen to be in destin that's pretty much true. But I have pulled dinghys up on everything from shale to rocks to coral, mud, sea grass, logs, pieces of junk beaches that are destined to rip, scratch, and tear anything they get there hands on. Adding a soft inflatable bottom to the mix is just asking for trouble, and a ripped open dinghy.


And yes I recognize that people have and do use pretty much everything as dinghys. Heck I saw a yacht with a 40' Hatteras onboard as a dinghy. And I have seen boats that swim ashore, and use intertubes, all sorts of things. But just because something can be pressed into service doesn't mean it is the best tool for the job.

For me the extra money spent on a boat I can rely on, and will have for years is a easy decision. Because going from a boat that plans on using a dinghy to get to shore, back to a swim aboard (I did this thanks to a ripped out bottom) really sucks.
 
#35 ·
To me this breaks down into a few separate issues. The first is

1) where you are going to store any dinghy. Of any type. If you want to put it on the bow, there are some real hurdles you have to address to do this reasonably well. First is how to get it out of the water. The normal answer here is to use a spinnaker halyard and winch to pull it up, swing it onto the deck, and then manhandle it into a set of fixed chocks mounted to the bow. Even wi a small light boat this is not an easy operation, and is almost impossible to do in strong winds, without a significant number of hands. Yes it is possible and I have done it, but it is a pain.

The other option is to flip the boat over and put it on the bow. This is more secure as sea, doesn't require the chocks, and makes visibility a bit better looking forward. However flipping over the boat is a pretty big time commitment, and a real PITA.

The other option is to store it under the boom... I have never done this so I won't comment except to say it just looks like a good idea.

Finally you can put whatever boat you buy on a davit system on the back. This is probably the most expensive option, since these davits run about $1,000. But once they are there you just grab a line with multiple purchase blocks on it, and pull the boat out of the water. No work, no real loads, no fighting with it. And it takes about a minute to pull my dinghy out of the water. This means you can do it every night, so you don't need bottom paint, and don't have to worry about it getting stolen. In addition, if something goes wrong in the middle of the night the dinghy is already stowed for sea, or can be dropped in the water in moments to help out.

Once the storage solution is decided on, then you have to decide what dinghy you want. I have used them all, and have cruised with them all, and I have determined for me when I would use one versus the other.

1) for a boat that lives at the dock, will be provisioned at the dock,, and just needs to put people ashore to go drinking, the cheapest option available. This is the weekender boat that leaves on Friday night and return to port on Sunday.

2) If the dinghy is oing to be used for anything else, I would always buy a hard bottom. Both for the speed, and the durability. And the longer you are crusing the more important a hard bottom and speed is. Everyone thinks of beaches as pretty sand flats that taper gently into the sea. And if you happen to be in destin that's pretty much true. But I have pulled dinghys up on everything from shale to rocks to coral, mud, sea grass, logs, pieces of junk beaches that are destined to rip, scratch, and tear anything they get there hands on. Adding a soft inflatable bottom to the mix is just asking for trouble, and a ripped open dinghy.

And yes I recognize that people have and do use pretty much everything as dinghys. Heck I saw a yacht with a 40' Hatteras onboard as a dinghy. And I have seen boats that swim ashore, and use intertubes, all sorts of things. But just because something can be pressed into service doesn't mean it is the best tool for the job.

For me the extra money spent on a boat I can rely on, and will have for years is a easy decision. Because going from a boat that plans on using a dinghy to get to shore, back to a swim aboard (I did this thanks to a ripped out bottom) really sucks.
One of the advantages of the HPIB is you can throw it down below on passages. We did. Getting the thing to deflate was never a problem. Getting it to hold air was. Hehe!

To the OP:

I have a 10'2 Avon HPIB in SW Florida. You can buy it if you want. I will even sell you the 6hp engine. I just had it overhauled (a recurring problem on those 4 strokes, btw). You can get out cheap and see if you like HPIB's. It needs some glue work, but that is not that expensive. I think it still holds air. There is a nice gash in the bottom (patched) where a coral head caught it. I really wasn't joking about that.

This is not a sales gimmick because I really couldn't care less about that boat and keep for the kids to screw around on. You keep that boat for 12 months cruising and you will be on here telling me about your new RIB. Or maybe not??

Serious offer. I just think it is a mistake.

Brian
 
#34 ·
Guys,
Thanks for the enormous effort here. We may need to turn this thread into a book "bl%$#y dinghies" or similar......

This really has helped me in a way I had not expected. It has convinced me I should really slow this process down.

This is a complicated and potentially very expensive decision. We are going to keep the boat in a slip for the first year anyway, and only cruising locally (Maine) with the goal of getting more adventurous next year and going cruising long term the year after. So - we are going to start ultra-minimalist low cost and simple, maybe even a second hand rowboat only (we have a life raft as well :) ).

That way we can work out what we really need, what will fit on the boat and how we are going to handle it before we spend a bunch of money that might be going in the wrong direction.

Spending deferred is always good - more electronics needed?..:rolleyes:.....
 
#38 ·
All the dinghys at the dinghy dock in the photo shows a "Poll of choice",- 'sure are a lot of RIB's. I've have a 5hp 4stroke on my Carribe 10L so I'm never on a plane. 'not really very heavy without the double hull. I have big stainless steel 2.5" diameter davits whipped up in a friends garage for zero bucks beyond the raw stock pipe. For me it's all a choice of stability and capacity. I can put two bicycles, laundry and groceries aboard with my wife and dog and myself and I can perch my 200lbs on the edge when it's empty. I think this is why you see so many RIB's at the dinghy docks, but there's nothing wrong with other choices that fit other's needs!
 
#42 ·
I bought a new HP air floor Achilles a couple of years back. I wouldn't do it again. All the sand and grit from the beach ends up around the edges of the floor and just grind away at the floor and the tubes, and the whole boat needs re-inflating every couple of days. I see a RIB in my future, love the stability of an inflatable. Sure wish they still sold 2-strokes here, one of these days mine (8 hp bought used) is going to die and I don't want a 4 stroke.
 
#45 · (Edited)
As for me..I'm not sold on any particular kind of dinghy...but hard dinghys have alot to offer IMHO.I think they all have their pros and cons though....Myself..I needed a dinghy and ran across this one a few years back for $125 with oars included on craigslist....needless to say I bought it and it's been through alot with me...nothing that a little fiberglass repair couldn't fix...I lost this boat in a storm in Cedar Key...was missing for three days...5 hp Tohatsu was still on her when I found it by the airport...she broke off a cleat in a midnight storm.
I added some teak slats for the seat (and some weight) but it rows really well...I row facing forward these days...using the rowlocks that most folks only use when setting an anchor. This way I can see each oncoming wave and adjust the angle of the little 8-footer with my weight and slide between or up and down waves,etc as needed to make way into chop a little easier...each wave is different...I can plane with my 4.5 hp Johnson but I have to add weight forward to keep the nose down (usually water jugs,anchor and some chain in the bow compartment). Even with the weight forward you are still leaning back uncomfortably in your seat so I may add a removable plastic "bucket" seat to help me counter that and support my back when planing. And since my mothership has only 4 1/2 draft..I am never so far from shore that I need alot of speed it seems...so I usually putter along at 6-7 knots off plane. She holds whatever you can stack in her and If I ever make or buy a sail rig...well..she's ready for it. I know this topic has been about RIBS,and so forth but I for one like the durability of a hard dinghy...to each his own...
 

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#46 ·
I'm not a fan of Kayaks, they have humiliated me more than once. I own a couple of Archilles though and along with my kayaks -one that's inflatable, they are all still around. Made of Hypalon (sic) they last longer. I have had the task of saving a Cape Dory on a reef off Belize once. That Archilles was so impressed I keep her at the ready with motor when I am traveling in hazard.
That said, I am guessing with a pointed bow the Kaboat is less stable for pushing the big boys but looks great for getting through surf or making way through high seas.
And then again I have a friend who still has his rigid GRP hull and he has pointed out to me how great it is as a wash machine /bathtub / butcher block and so on. Like all questions to do with boats there is always something more to be said.
 
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