Recommendation on Dinghy - Solid Floor vs Wood Floor

[dick auge]

Looking for a 9.5 foot dinghy. Any recomendations on solid vs air floor?

Aldo drr domr good reviews on Newport dinghies- any thoughts?

[Boracay]

If storage space and weight is not a problem go with a RIB and a big enough outboard to get it up on the plane with your usual crew.

9.8 hp could do the trick.

It's what I wish I'd brought anyway, looking at those that wizz past me, nose in the air.

[CarinaPDX]

Most cruisers eventually end up with a RIB if they have space. In places with large tidal ranges it is possible to drag a (light) RIB up a beach above the high tide - dragging a boat with an inflatable bottom is not a good idea. (Wheels can help if sufficiently large - the small ones just cause more drag.) And I agree on a 10hp to plane with 2 people. When my current RIB gives up the ghost (soon) I will probably get an aluminum one (the AB Lamina 9'). The downside is that the RIB really crowds my foredeck, affecting access to the foresails and obstructing the view (particularly of mooring balls approaching...).

It seems that most Europeans would rather not have a RIB cluttering their boats - they are not as popular there. If the appearance of your boat, and a clear deck, are important enough to continually inflate/deflate the dinghy then by all means get the HP floor. Just remember that if stored below it will take up a lot of space, and potentially bring in salt. And don't forget to buy a quality 12V inflator/deflator - it makes a huge difference.

[Sailmonkey]

throw a conch on the air floor and see how well it works
It took three to make it through ours.....we bought a folding transom avon rib after that.

[CarinaPDX]

Sailmonkey - nice image. That confirms it - I'm sticking with a RIB.

[Wandering]

We have a 9ft Caribe. A 10hp two stroke Tohatsu gets it on the plane with two up. Rib weighs 45kg and engine is 26kg. The rib has large tubes so is very dry.
It isn't easy to drag up a beach due to weight but it is durable. We wouldn't be without it.
We store it on the rear deck of our cat