Visit our Popular Forums

Nickodemus · 17-07-2018, 09:05

Hi all - Long time reader, some-time “replier” but first thread I have initiated. We are in the market for a new dinghy. Presently we have an AB which we have been extremely happy with, but my husband wants something with an aluminum floor and a bigger motor to go back and forth to dive sites. He has been looking at the Grand. A friend has one, and he is happy with it so far, but he has only had it for a year.

I am wondering whether anyone has any experience with the Grand as far as it holds up over time. It says it is made out of the same material as the AB and it costs about $2000.00 less for the same size dinghy. We sail in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, so it will need to hold up in the hot sun.

If anyone has one or has had one, we would love to hear your opinion. Thanks!

Cheechako · 17-07-2018, 09:27

"if it ain't broke don't fix it" Might apply here. Never heard of Grand. Also, aluminum is noisy and doesn't hold paint well sometimes. Your results may vary.

HopCar · 17-07-2018, 10:50

I had never heard of Grand either so I looked them up. Nice looking boats. I see they are available with pvc or Hypolon tubes. You want Hypolon if they are going to be in a lot of sunlight.

I see they also offer a fiberglass step end for the tubes on some of their boats. This would be very nice to have as it will make it easier to get in the boat from the water. It will also function as a fixed trim tab and help the boat get on a plane a lot easier.

Aluminum Line - aluminum RIBs GRAND ALU270D, ALU300D, ALU330D

boom23 · 17-07-2018, 12:07

I am not sure I like the GRAND RIB bottom. The "V" portion is very narrow and the bottom is mostly flat, especially at the bow. That's a lot of flat surface for waves to hit on... I prefer a deeper/wider V bottom.

On the other hand, flatter bottom boats require less HP to go fast, but is has to be in calm waters.

stormalong · 18-07-2018, 09:38

You say you have an AB but not which one. My first question would be where are you going to store it?

IMO if you tow it you will eventually loose it.

If you have a good place on deck or davits that will handle it then look at other factors.

alansmith · 18-07-2018, 13:29

Nice looking dingy. I looked at the website. I was surprised at the weight of these dingys versus the length. Quite heavy. Always a compromise when considering wants versus availability. I also do not like the undercarriage of this design. In surf...I would prefer a much deeper V. But the boat looks sturdy and probably would be an excellent dive platform due to it’s flatter surface. With engine and boat you are pushing 200 lbs. That is a lot when trying to drag it up the beach to avoid tide changes...or dragging it back down to the water.