True Kit/ TakaCat Experience Requested

[daletournier]

I purchased one of the early Hypalon takacats.

The inflatable floor was incredibly non durable and the transom pulled of in less than 18 mths.

I would never buy one again. I spend $1,000 fixing it up in Phuket and sold it with my last boat.

[alansmith]

Tomfli, you can go to the porta-site and see how the bow loading ladder works with entry into the boat. I bought a used 10 footer for about 400 dollars and it is in good shape. Had to buy a set of oars as his were missing. My model probably could be adapted if i was gung ho for it...but i’m Not....so.....

Tom, any one who has been boating for a decade or so has been though the drama of selecting a dingy for the first time or replacement of their dying/deceased dingy. Even plastic porta-botes have a shelf life.

All dinghies have compromises. And then there are dinghies that i wouldn’t own even if you gave them to me...ok, i lied there, but i would donate them to a poorer sailor as a gesture of good will...or a curse depending on the nature of the sailor.

For me Porta-bote is one of the best bang for the buck dinghies you can buy. Many tubed dinghies row like hell. They get leaks and handle surf landings on rocky or coral beaches with sometimes disasterous results. You have to pump them up and deflate them...stow them in places that could be utilized with other things that also have importance. You can collapse a P/B in minutes and tie to your stanchions. They don’t rot in the sun like tubed dinghies. They have very dry rides and plane quite well. My 10 footer is amazing how much shizzle you can load in it. I can’t say never...but i never want to deal with tubed dinghies again. P/B works well with my trimaran nets. Right now i have a 4 hp Johnson. If i ever make it over to the Bahamas i will go to another 2 stroke but bigger displacement. A planing hull like a P/B uses less fuel than a tubed dingy.

Different strokes for different folks...as always...i never critique another skipper’s choice in dinghies...but i feel it is always efficacious to inform others about something that has worked well for yourself...Love your boat Tom...well chosen.

[Seasickandbroke]

Thank you very much for all your feedback. Interesting point on Hypalon vs PVC. I found this research on the differences:

http://falconinflatables.com/wp-cont...lon-valmex.pdf

Our AB looks very good after almost 10 yrs of age. Our old Zodiac (PVC) looked like cra&Q*%, a number patches over the years, but it would not die and held up to the bitter end. Mostly South Pacific, NZ, AUS and SE Asia for several years.

Comfort of getting in and out would be our main preference. Followed by weight and smaller engine. I am not too concerned about UV exposure. Half the year it will live in a sail locker when we do not sail. And a dinghy cover appears to be a lot easier to sew than for a regular RIB.

I think I prefer the closed transom of the TrueKit over the TakaCat.

The Porta-bote was not well received by the other captain on our boat. I guess the optics of huge, inflatable pontoons left a better impression. Purely subjective, no negative technical feedback. Just a very firm NO!

Cheers, Tom

[tomfl]

Maybe a little OT but while I have considered chaps I have never got around to getting them. On the other hand I am sure I use more 303 than boats two or three times the size of my boat.

First thing I did with my TakaCat, and my Achilles as well, after I inflated them on land was to put a couple of coats of 303 on them and continue liberal use of 303 on a regular basis. One thing I have noticed is every inflatable I have had over the past 20+ years would be what I call inflated to the point it made an obvious sound when I thumped it out of the water but as soon as I lowered it off the davits it would get a little soft and need a few pumps to get it as hard as I like.

Point is even a top tier Hypalon inflatable will not last if you let it get soft and don't care for it.

[fxykty]

We’re in the process of making chaps for our TrueKit dinghy using Sunbrella and PVC and the Sailrite instructions. Those will take care of protection from UV and from general wear.

What is 303, a paint?

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by fxykty

SNIP

What is 303, a paint?

Depressingly expensive but the gold standard. Kinda like ArmorAll but they make an array of products to clean and protect. Amazon is one source but likely cheaper from other places.

This stuff works shockingly well on clear vinyl.

[Cattle Dog Oz]

Originally Posted by tomfl

I currently own a Hypalon TakaCat but got it just before COVID-19 hit so have only used it for day trips in fresh water and store it in the back of my van. So not much UV exposure..

Hi tomfl
Could you give the model you got a 2.8 or a 3.3 or some other ?
have you found it adequate size wize or small /large ?
TIA

[Earth sailor]

Originally Posted by Seasickandbroke

Hello,
I’m looking for feedback and experiences for True Kit Discovery or TakaCat on a sailboat. Especially on a catamaran.

Driving comfort, handling in choppy anchorages, wetness of the ride, stability with one/two or passengers and luggage/shopping, getting on and off the boat, and securing on the davits, etc.

Thank you

Three years since this post but might be handy info for anyone else looking: we had a 3,5 true kit navigator (closed bow) for roughly a year cruising between cairns and Gold Coast. It was great when weather was fair, extremely stable ride, very fuel and speed efficient. We had a 15hp on it which could at times get 4 average size people on the plane. It is also super light and for an ocean crossing it is handy that you can deflate and roll it up to stow away. On the negative side: I don’t regard it as a safe long term cruising tender.. the lifting points are ok… wouldn’t lift it with the outboard on.. if you got dogs like we do, or people sitting forward in the dinghy, expect to nose dive when slowing down.. it’s a pretty darn wet ride in choppy conditions. And when you do take on a wave, the drain plug is a **** of a design, clogging up if you got any hair/debris in the dinghy and ours also seized…. We are very happy to have a different tender now)

[Maldwin]

I have a 3M Takacat with a Torqueedo on a powercat, and I like it for it's stability, and the fact that is weighs less than 100lbs with the engine. I got the PVC model reasoning that the by-along ones don’t look great after a few years, and at $2,000, I would be happy if it lasted 5 years. I only put it on the davits when I go cruising. The rest of the time it is in the laz. I also only use it in anchorages, so speed is not important. If I need to go faster, I can use the mothership.
Best,
Maldwin

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Earth sailor

Three years since this post but might be handy info for anyone else looking: we had a 3,5 true kit navigator (closed bow) for roughly a year cruising between cairns and Gold Coast. It was great when weather was fair, extremely stable ride, very fuel and speed efficient. We had a 15hp on it which could at times get 4 average size people on the plane. It is also super light and for an ocean crossing it is handy that you can deflate and roll it up to stow away. On the negative side: I don’t regard it as a safe long term cruising tender.. the lifting points are ok… wouldn’t lift it with the outboard on.. if you got dogs like we do, or people sitting forward in the dinghy, expect to nose dive when slowing down.. it’s a pretty darn wet ride in choppy conditions. And when you do take on a wave, the drain plug is a **** of a design, clogging up if you got any hair/debris in the dinghy and ours also seized…. We are very happy to have a different tender now)

Not our experience with our open-bowed 3.3m Explorer - after 5 years we still love it dearly. YMMV

Lifting points: on the stern we put two eye bolts on the transom. Rock solid with the outboard in place. We also glued large lifting eye patches low on the inside of the tubes forward. Solid.

Nose diving - can’t slow down quickly without the bow dropping. Just something to get used to.

Wet ride - no more so than a solid-floor RIB. Come off the plane and let the bow rise really helps to reduce water spray.

Drain plug - we switched out the little rubber flap for a proper venturi drain fitting. Easy modification.

[nfbr]

Taka and Spirit 1kw as “extra” dinghy

Bum gets wet sitting on pontoons most trips
Bags on floor get wet sometimes

Primary OC means mostly dry bums sitting on sides.

Kids steal my OC leaving me with their Taka

[westernspirit]

Reading this older post because needing to replace a Takacat 300(PVC). We've liked this dingy and so am looking at True Kit.
Takacat:
Good: light weight/easy to lift/matches well with a Torqueedo 1300- we wanted to get away from gas small outboards and wanted a light dingy for electric OB. Also easy on and off diving/snorkeling/shore. Very stable afloat, we didn't experience wet rides but also never took it out in big chop/waves
Bad: PVC. Used only in PNW, never tropics; estimate it spent 75% of it's life in storage bags but now after 6 years is throw away. One pontoon developed unfixable seam leak, other pontoon and floor hold only for 2-3 days but no specific leak point. Fabric is deteriorating, top surface of pontoons gets sticky/tacky in the sun.
It bothers me that people are making and I'm buying "disposable" inflatables that last only 5 years.
True Kit claims better PVC and seam welding. Takacat made claims as well. Anyone with an older True Kit?

[silvercreek]

I have been happy with my True Kit product, however their customer support leaves much to be desired.

I inquired about which size ePropulsion shaft length would be best for their 3 meter dinghy, and they promptly responded, so I ordered it along with the motor. When they arrived I hooked everything up and did a test drive – only to discover that their recommended shaft length was too short and was cavitating.

I emailed True Kit again to let them know and request an exchange based on the 7-day return policy stated on their website during the checkout process. They promptly replied and said that I am free to sell my dinghy and purchase a smaller one from them, but that they "don't have a return policy" despite it appearing on their website. And they did not address the fact that they gave me bad advice, putting me into this situation in the first place.

Overall I wouldn't buy from the company again due to not honoring their return policy, though the dinghy itself is quite nice.

[PhilC]

Check out Youtube 'Sailing Fairisle'. Talk very positively about their Truekit, but have just had it replaced by the manufacturer after 3-4years. That's in the Med where the UV can be quite low compared to some places (like NZ). The bottom line is PVC is PVC. No matter what manufacturers claim. Once you put them in the sun the clock starts ticking. Chinese made PVC boats (Takacat, Truekit etc) just do not last. If you want longevity get Hypalon.

[PhilC]

Interesting commentary by Falcon Inflatables.

http://falconinflatables.com/wp-cont...lon-valmex.pdf

Similar claims were made by Zodiac.

However I have to say these claims are completely inconsistent with my experience and that of the longest standing inflatable boat repair and custom build shop in NZ. I have had numerous Hypalon Inflatables from Aquapro, AB, Red Knight, Nimrod, Lancer and Achilles and a set of custom Hypalon tubes on my Rib. Many of them have been more than 20years old when I owned them. Some have had slow leaks (fish spines or leaky valves), some were ugly from UV degradation of the outer layer, some had UV damage to the valves. None have had fabric failure or seam failure. All have been glued. All have been in NZ UV which is intense. When I have visited the inflatable repair shop I have seen the huge pile of dead <10year old throwaway PVC boats. The owner of this shop has really annoyed numerous people (including some friends of mine) when they show up with their PVC boat that is literally coming apart at the seams (or in the case of welded seams) losing it's transom (usually glued on even if a so-called welded boat). He simply says, see that pile of boats out back? Take it away or throw it there.