Dinghy dilemma

[PirateBarnabus]

I would strongly recommend that you don't buy a pvc dinghy for this area (Caribbean). The heat doesn't agree with them. My neighbour recently inflated his roll up which looked in great condition. He popped his new 3hp engine on the back and went below. Soon, it started sinking so he retrieved it and sent it off to the dinghy specialist for repair. When he got it back, the same thing happened, only he nearly went down with it as we battled to get the engine off which by this time was partially submerged.
The seams had melted I believe. My conclusion?
Bloody dangerous. Maybe OK for swimmimg pools, but not here.

[Sidney777]

Maybe an Aquaglide inflatable kayak with dropstitch floor (hard).
Or other brand with dropstitch floor.
--Easier to stand up to get aboard sailboat.
Of course inflatable to fold & ease of use.

[maury]

I strongly appreciate your comment. I have basically decided to search for a used hypalon 8-9’ dingy so your comment is very supportive of my goal.

[emilecantin]

So, to go back to the "persons aboard" issue: I just bit the bullet and got a new RIB with aluminium floor that says "6 people" on the capacity plate. The old one was in very poor shape, so we were thinking about a replacement anyway.

We don't have davits either, but we never deflated the old one and always kept it on the foredeck when sailing, so I guess we'll just keep doing that with the RIB. Hope the thing actually fits, though, as it's a foot longer than the old one (which did have about a foot of room remaining). I guess we'll see pretty soon!

[Pegu Club]

You may want to consider a “Portabote” they come in an eight foot model, and can be stowed in “J hooks” on the stanchions, we do this with a ten footer on our 29.9, works fine, and it keeps the side and fore deck clear, set up is simple enough, and it will row better than an inflatable, and motor faster with a small displacement outboard than an inflatable will. Lots of positives when cruising on a smaller boat.

Fair winds,

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by PirateBarnabus

I would strongly recommend that you don't buy a pvc dinghy for this area (Caribbean). The heat doesn't agree with them. My neighbour recently inflated his roll up which looked in great condition. He popped his new 3hp engine on the back and went below. Soon, it started sinking so he retrieved it and sent it off to the dinghy specialist for repair. When he got it back, the same thing happened, only he nearly went down with it as we battled to get the engine off which by this time was partially submerged.
The seams had melted I believe. My conclusion?
Bloody dangerous. Maybe OK for swimmimg pools, but not here.

I find myself in the awkward position of defending a dingy I don't much like.

It is probably unfair to generalize and judge all PVC dingys as alike. We have a 13 year old PVC dingy (Zodiac) which has lived its entire life in the tropics.

We've had plenty of issues with this boat but it has not melted.

If you consider a PVC dingy take a look at the warranty and be sure you register the boat to validate the warranty. I would think that a two year warranty should be considered the minimum.

A final thought: Most dingy problems can be 'DYI" fixed, so if you are confident in your MacGyver skills possibly the lower cost and lighter weight may be make a cheaper PVC dingy worth it. If you have to have "the best" and your budget can take it, go for the $5000 RIB but don't be disappointed if it has problems too, none are immune. (but wow, look at AB's 10 year warranty)

[Ken Goodings]

Originally Posted by maury

I am preparing a pacific sea craft Orion 27 sailboat for a Caribbean island cruising lifestyle. I prefer living on the hook and running around to snorkel and visit islands. I can’t figure out which dinghy would be best for my needs insights are greatly appreciate it.

I will not have davits so assuming I get an inflatable it would need to be collapsed when cruising in.

Get a 10 foot long rigid bottom inflatable dinghy with at least 9.8 hp outboard motor.
Rigid dinghies do not have the cruising load carrying capability that a rigid bottom inflatable has... e.g. two passengers, fuel tank, outboard motor, groceries, laundry bags, water and fuel jerry jugs are quite safe in a 10 foot rigid inflatable dinghy.
The Highfield aluminum bottom dinghies are now the standard charter yacht dinghy in Caribbean.
We stow ours inverted on the foredeck of our 35 foot monohull for long passages. We to the dinghy behind our yacht on shorter trips less than three days long. The dinghy tows nicely on twin 50 foot lines for redundancy. We completely empty the dinghy when towing. Remove all gear and the outboard motor when towing.
We've safely towed our dinghy this way in Caribbean for 8 years.
A rigid inflatable dinghy is much easier to record when you're snorkeling.

[tomtriad]

Originally Posted by maury

I strongly appreciate your comment. I have basically decided to search for a used hypalon 8-9’ dingy so your comment is very supportive of my goal.

That's exactly what I did, purchased a lightly used Avon, 9'6" with inflatable floor which I've used for 6 years now. I power it with a 3.3 hp Mercury 2 stroke outboard. It planes with my wife and me plus our dive (snorkel) gear. You can still purchase 2 strokes used in the US or freely available in the Bahamas/Caribbean; I bought a used one in the Bahamas for $50! It needed work, but still. A good used one in the US might run you $500. Weighs 28 lbs.

I removed the fixed seat, and replaced it with a cooler which wedges in tight - great for storing all the kit you "should" have aboard, like anchor, tool kit, inflator pump, etc. and still has room for laundry/groceries/anything that needs to stay dry - makes a great seat.

Avoid cheap Chinese knockoffs. Also PVC as it has a short life.

My first Achilles inflatable lasted 20 years!

[singlespeed]

You will have to accept that you can't do everything you want and find your best compromise. Portabots are great if you are storage space restricted, but very difficult to get into after snorkelling by yourself or with novice snorkellers. Towing a dinghy seems attractive, but even with careful weather planning, it only takes one inter island ferry or inattentive sport fisherman to ruin your day. People make kayaks work for them, but try getting in and out of one from your deck in a rolly anchorage. We have found making friends among fellow cruisers easy in the Eastern Caribbean. We do a lot of sharing and small group trips. Just don't be the one who only takes and doesn't contribute. A smile, a hello and a friendly wave go along way.

[David McDowall]

Originally Posted by maury

I am preparing a pacific sea craft Orion 27 sailboat for a Caribbean island cruising lifestyle. I prefer living on the hook and running around to snorkel and visit islands. I can’t figure out which dinghy would be best for my needs insights are greatly appreciate it.

I will not have davits so assuming I get an inflatable it would need to be collapsed when cruising in.

Hi, I have an S&S 6.6 (basically a 30ft Swan, built in Finland in the early 70's) - so she's not much bigger than your Orian, and has a very small stern as they did in those days. So I can't use davits, and I don't like having a tender on the foredeck when sailing so I have a similar requirement to yourself.
I recently bought a small inflatable tender from 3D Tenders - they have a range for very small and light folding tenders that pack up easily - as I sail alone, being lighter makes it easier to manage on my own, and packing up so small means I can fit it in the port locker, so a real bonus. They are made in China, but so far it looks pretty good - it was fairly cheap, so i reckon if I only get three seasons out of it it will still be worth it, but am hoping for more - one season under the belt so fat.
I did think about an inflatable kayak - which I think is a great idea - but I wanted the option to add a small outboard, which 3D tenders have.
https://www.3dtender.com
Good luck !

[BluePeter]

Dragging a ten foot dinghy and a ten horse motor around in (or on or behind or whatever) a 27-foot boat is insane. Why on earth do you need to plane, anyway? Imagine putting all that crap on deck? Hoisting a ten Horse motor onboard for open crossings? Or pulling it--wrecking your sailing performance? And forget putting that big dinghy on deck! (Unless your'e crazy enough to deflate it every time). On a receent 12-week trip from the Berrys to Great Inagua and then around Cuba, we used an eight foot Zodiac rib with a 2 horse Honda and it was more than enough for freight and 2 people. And forget kayaks. Not only limited passenger and freight wise, ever try to get out of one while lying next to the hull? It's not so easy.

As ever. Think small, think simple. You'll be so much happier....

[BluePeter]

Not to mention the tides. If you get seriously involved in snorkeling, you'll want to tether yourself to the dinghy--to avoid being swept away helplessly. Try that with a ten foot boat and ten horse motor--and you'll be dragged. Yes, you'll be going with the current, but you've got to consider wind also. If you want to experience pure terror, snorkel in and around cuts without a dinghy...

[gcaws]

Hi. This is a great question. I’ve had my sailboat for 26 years, have done the Bahamas to Trinidad run, and I live aboard in the Bahamas, north of Staniel Cay during the northern winters. Like you, I prefer the hook and running around up to 6 miles radius in the dingy.

I’ll start backwards, you need a motor that is going to keep you comfortably planing. I would by a NEW 2-stroke in the Bahamas or Caribbean - new because you will have no issues, 100:1 oil ratio means no smoke or pollution, and you can depend on it, even as a secondary motor if you tie the dingy to the side of the boat. An 9.9 is recommended because if you have one guest it will still plane. Yea it’s a little expensive but it is your most critical piece of safety gear.

Dingy. You need to bring it on deck for passages. I’ve had all the types of dingy’s The port a bote was the most interesting although you need room on deck to unfold it. Inflatables of all types are good. Make sure it’s Hypalon material for the hot Caribbean sun.

Cheers and congratulations. My advice is to just get out there. You can buy what you need anywhere. FedEx and Amazon work anywhere, even on remotish islands.

[maury]

Originally Posted by Pegu Club

You may want to consider a “Portabote” they come in an eight foot model, and can be stowed in “J hooks” on the stanchions, we do this with a ten footer on our 29.9, works fine, and it keeps the side and fore deck clear, set up is simple enough, and it will row better than an inflatable, and motor faster with a small displacement outboard than an inflatable will. Lots of positives when cruising on a smaller boat.

Fair winds,

I like the J hook idea for stanchions. I know of an older portabote 12’ I can buy for very little but couldn’t figure out how to haul it underway. I will reassess to see if the stanchion idea will work with this. Do you hang it on the inside or outside? Wondering if 12 is too big?

[maury]

Originally Posted by gcaws

Hi. This is a great question. I’ve had my sailboat for 26 years, have done the Bahamas to Trinidad run, and I live aboard in the Bahamas, north of Staniel Cay during the northern winters. Like you, I prefer the hook and running around up to 6 miles radius in the dingy.

I’ll start backwards, you need a motor that is going to keep you comfortably planing. I would by a NEW 2-stroke in the Bahamas or Caribbean - new because you will have no issues, 100:1 oil ratio means no smoke or pollution, and you can depend on it, even as a secondary motor if you tie the dingy to the side of the boat. An 9.9 is recommended because if you have one guest it will still plane. Yea it’s a little expensive but it is your most critical piece of safety gear.

Dingy. You need to bring it on deck for passages. I’ve had all the types of dingy’s The port a bote was the most interesting although you need room on deck to unfold it. Inflatables of all types are good. Make sure it’s Hypalon material for the hot Caribbean sun.

Cheers and congratulations. My advice is to just get out there. You can buy what you need anywhere. FedEx and Amazon work anywhere, even on remotish islands.

Regarding room on deck to unfold, can bow hang over stanchions while unfolding?