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Hard vs Soft

5K views 30 replies 23 participants last post by  PAULCR1 
#1 ·
I know everyone has one but I would still like to hear opinions on inflatable vs. hard dinghies. We are trying to decide and would like to hear pro/cons from folks that know.
Thanks in advance for any input.
 
#2 ·
Hard dinghies
Pros
easier to row
less expensive
do not deflate

Cons
harder to stow
can bang against hull

Inflatables (RIB)
Pros
can be easier to stow
do not bang against hull

Cons
harder to row
difficult to repair
 
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#3 ·
Nice summary.. and I agree.. have had both, liked the row-ability of a hard dinghy, and their oyster/rock/barnacle proof nature. Didn't like the hassle of fending them off alongside overnight, though eventually found that pipe insulation along the gunwales worked well...

Have sliced an inflatable open on an oyster shell.. not fun and rather inconvenient, but carrying capacity and quiet wins out IMO, esp if you're doing a lot of ferrying ashore. Small motor is pretty much a necessity, though.

We use a small roll up inflatible with 3 hp engine when we have guests, otherwise mainly use a couple of plastic kayaks.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the replies. Food for thought that I will munch on for a while.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I'm not absolutely convinced about inflatables being easier to stow. A decent sized one is big, bulky and surprisingly heavy. While they'll stow in a cockpit locker getting the bloody thing in and out is a damnable nuisance, to such an extent that we now leave ours permanently stowed on deck presumably meaning that one of these days it is bound to get nicked. A smallish (say 8') non inflatable stows quite easily on deck and to some extent is less of a nuisance than an inflatable. Smaller than 8' and solid dinghys lose their rowing qualities.

Smaller boats than say 40' will have problems stowing the hard dink up front but then they also tend to have less capacious cockpit lockers. Its no good thinking about stowing a hard dink aft of the main mast cos you then lose your vang.
 
#8 ·
Porta-botes bridge the gap, stowable, lighter, rowable and resistant to damage.

on the other hand they are ugly.

All boats are compromises
A recent story, this past summer.. One of our club members had bought a portabote over the winter, and was very happy with it.. rowed alright, stable, stowable etc etc. On the July long weekend they were departing for a little jaunt to a nearby beach in company with a few other dinghies. One of the RIBs accelerated past the portabote a bit too close, I suppose, and before anyone knew it the portabote was upside down, two people and a dog in the water. No warning, not a big wave really, just a bad catch..

However the swimmer still owns it, so I guess he's still OK with it. SNer erps has been using the portabote for quite some time and seems satisfied too..
 
#9 ·
It's all about compromises and what works for you. For me I wanted a good rowing dinghy that was lightweight. I bought a used nesting dinghy so i can tow it or store it (nested) on deck behind the mast. It rows beautifully, and I'm happy not to have to deal with an outboard and carrying gasoline on board.

The downside is that it's a pram style and its flattish bow can be noisy (slapping) at anchor.
 
#10 ·
I'm not absolutely convinced about inflatables being easier to stow. A decent sized one is big, bulky and surprisingly heavy. While they'll stow in a cockpit locker getting the bloody thing in and out is a damnable nuisance, to such an extent that we now leave ours permanently stowed on deck presumably meaning that one of these days it is bound to get nicked-TDW
We stow ours on the foredeck when not on davits. It has a full Sunbreela cover the Admiral made with elastic hem while in the davits or on the deck fully inflated. We also have a smaller one for when it is stored deflated. Takes a minute to cover All this so it doesnt get nicked or catch the UV Rays

Dave
 
#11 ·
More food for thought. I don't like the thought of rowing. That is like physical labor. I'm old and retired and gave that foolishness up. Seriously though, you all have given us a lot of great input. Thanks.
 
#24 ·
Well, then your decision is a no-brainer - it's some form of inflatable for you...

It would help to know what sort of mother ship you're talking about, but if you've eliminated the joy of rowing from the equation, you've eliminated one of the primary virtues of a hard dink...

IMHO, a RIB with a folding transom offers the ultimate single solution for most cruisers, and most boats...
 
#12 ·
Depending on where you'll use it, think about getting in either from the water and plan for it. Especially important if you're going to be snorkeling or diving from it. Different designs of both hard and inflatables have different pros and cons with regard to this, so it's not a clear decision one way or the other.

FWIW, we've used hard on charters, but for our own boat we first had a roll-up inflatable then switched to a RIB. RIB is harder to stow, but the planing ability won out. Would get the RIB all over again.
 
#13 ·
Another point in favor of an inflatable. In an MOB situation you can roll the MOB into an inflatable.
 
#14 ·
As Carolyn suggested, how will you use it? We were incredibly happy with our Walker Bay, rowing out to the mooring or rowing in the creek our house backed up to -- until we moved aboard full time. Then, the stability and planing ability of the "gray rubber boatie" (as our Bahamian acquaintance called it) won out. 10-ft Brig RIB with 10 hp outboard. Mandatory for cruising where current and distance is an issue. Rowing is fine for lakes, but just won't get you far enough on big water.
 
#15 ·
Inflatables are not alike. Probably for the OP, one with an hard bottom will tick many cases.

For me, after having researched a lot and having considered as priorities lightness and easy motion trough the water I have chosen these ones:

Plastimo Fun Series Pi320vb for Sale. Row Boat, Dinghy, Tenders - Boat Sales 8217 - Yacht & Boat

http://www.yachtandboat.com.au/uploads/assets/user_documents/1166.pdf

They are not normal platimo tenders and these ones unfortunately (for me) are expensive.

Their advantages: a 3.2m tender weights 33kg, has a high pressure V bottom (actually the interior bottom is not plane but in V) and I am not talking about the ones that have a normal pressure bottom, this one is really hard and the bottom is made with a heavy plastic material, can handle a 15hp outboard and can carry legally four adults or 736kg. The bottom has flaps to make it easy to plane at speed.

As it is light it also offers less resistance when towed.

And of course, can be folded for the winter and stowed inside the boat.
 
#17 ·
We've had everything from a plywood pram, fiberglas pram, fiberglas dinghy with stowable sailing gear, roll-up inflatable, and now a hard bottom inflatable. The plywood pram is long gone, but we still have the rest of the fleet.

Here's my take: the hard dinghies are easier to row, but are tippy and can be a problem at a crowded dinghy dock. I've seen then swamped, apparently by thoughtless inflatable folks who weren't careful. You can drag them over shells without concern except for cosmetics. The roll-up was convenient, but a lot of work to stow and reinflate. It was hard to row, especially against the wind and needed the 4 hp motor to deal with currents. We sliced it unexpectedly once and barely got it from the beach to the mother ship in time to remove the motor and dinghy from the water. We subsequently got retractable wheels that were great.

We eventually got a 10.5 ft hard bottom inflatable with a 10 hp engine with a total weight of about 300 lbs. (All of our other dinghies are in the 140 lb or less category.) We are resigned to towing it and dragging it up on the beach or anchoring just off the beach. We put up with the drag because this dinghy is noticeably drier, more stable and can more easily handle extra gear, like folding bikes. With the 10 hp motor it can be a tug for our 35 ft sailboat if needed. To avoid having to use bottom paint, we haul it up on a fixed dock via a small crane when we're in our home port.

If you intend to beach a dinghy where there is some wave action, the inflatables are clearly more suited than hard dinghies, especially when heading back out from the beach. An inflatable is a lot less likely to get swamped and capsize especially when boarding.

Walker Bay has a hard dinghy that can be equipped with an optional flotation ring that might represent a middle ground, but we passed it over as being too small for our needs.
 
#21 ·
Ask yourself what kind of cruising experience you want to have, rushed or relaxed. Every boat has its pros and cons. I have had years of using both. While in Port Townsend not long ago I had the pleasure of trying out a PT 11 nesting dinghy and wish I had known about it a long time ago but then, this is a pretty new design which is probably why it has such nice modern lines. I have discovered that rowing is a joy and not a drudgery and being able to sail it too, adds a whole new dimension to cruising and exploring. :)
 
#22 ·
It is not a clear decision and depends on the type of cruising you are doing and what the mother ship is like. We have vane steering and hence no davits (ugly things anyway). We don't have room on the aft deck for a RIB and on the foredeck we have a removable inner stay so for offshore passages when we might want to have the staysail available we have no where to put a RIB even if we wanted to deal with the weight. We have used Walker Bay air floor dinghy with a 6 hp on it and it has met our needs - except that it is a piece of crap in terms of build quality, which does not negate the basic idea.
When we get home I am thinking of building a large (11') nestable dinghy so that I can motor, row or sail. I have no need to plane, I am a retired sailor and in no particular hurry.
 
#23 ·
+1 for the nesting dinghy. I'm going to build Danny Green's Chameleon nesting dinghy. It weighs about 75lbs (each piece about 35lbs) and can easily be manhandled on deck by one person. It also takes up little room on deck and I'll store mine behind the mast. I want something rugged and that can be dragged up on a beach and that rows well. I enjoy rowing and I don't want an outboard and all the hassles that go with it. I also want something more rugged and durable than an inflatable and lighter than a RIB (both of which don't row well anyway).
 
#26 ·
I have a 14 foot portabote that works great for us. But we like to fish and explore with it. Its big comfortable to sit in while fishing and I don't have to worry about the kids putting a hook in it. I do love the looks and idea of the PT 11 nesting. Sailing magazine has a Bob Perry review on it this month. Might have to build one when the kids out grow their little 8 foot sailing dinghy.
 
#27 ·
Just thought I would add to the discussion.... I have a friend with a chameleon that looks nice enough but they weighs over 100lbs. I have to say too, the easy assembly in the water of the PT11 is impressive. Also...in terms of the life boat potential comment, ever read Steve Callahan's "Adrift"? or "The Bounty"? If I were to get stuck without an official life boat, I would rather have a hard dinghy with oars and better yet, a sail. I might still prefer the latter even if I had an official lifeboat. Then again, for somebody who does not like rowing... :)
 
#28 ·
The problem ith most hard dinghy's if all boat passengers aboard in an emergency, you lack freeboard and stability unless you have a very large one. We're coastal inner water sailors, not blue water sailors nonetheless we carry a liferaft in a canister and have a hard dinghy which we can put on deck. Here the problem is as much hypothermia as anything else so while you may be able to stay in a swamped hard dinghy you'd have difficulty keeping enough of your body out of the water. Even with a raft you'll need some insulation. The most time limiting abandon ship situation for us is a fire.
 
#29 ·
Lin and Larry Pardey have an interesting chapter in one of their books on the hard dink/lifeboat kit. They have an inflatable collar around theirs and a canopy for protection from the elements. It's easy to build positive flotation and sealed compartments for survival gear into a hard dinghy. With a sailing rig, chart and a handheld compass, you become your own rescuer as you can head to the nearest land. Personally, I'd rather put my trust in a modified hard dinghy/lifeboat that I can visually inspect every time I use it than something that pops out of a canister (which may not inflate, may inflate upside down, may rip or come apart and may be impossible to board with wet clothes, may drift by land as I helplessly wait to be rescued).

Happycamper, the Chameleon has a design weight of 80lbs if I'm not mistaken. I'm going to build mine with thinner, but better, ply to get the weight down even further. Even at 80lbs it is the weight of an inflatable dink of similar length.
 
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