True Kit/ TakaCat Experience Requested

[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

[Heathenly Twins]

Also considering one of these, it's very odd that there are zero reviews online (that I've seen). Would be nice to plane with a 5hp outboard.

[LLCoolDave]

I've a cruising friend with one. They are on a cat. They said it's often a wet ride. Great for diving and snorkeling. They said if they had to do it over again they'd get a traditional RIB. Not a pita enough to switch though.

[tomfl]

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

I have a TakaCat. So far I have only used it with a Torqeedo in fresh water springs/rivers. COVID-19 has made a mess of my plans to go cruising in my Seawind catamaran.

First time setup required using a big sharp knife to cut a slit for a pad eye to go through, but after that it was not an issue. Mine came with paddles while the ad showed it with oars. When I contacted TakaCat they said it was a design change by popular request but at no charge they sent me oar locks to glue on and oars. Have to say support was pain free for that. I also spoke to customer support about lifting it on davits. Putting it together is not as straight forward as I expected. You really need an electric inflator and even then inflating takes a while (but the same is true for conventional inflatables). The order is also important and straps are used to secure the high pressure floorboard. You are suppose to run a strap under the bow, and through a pad eye and other holes to secure it and use eye bolts in the kinda transom to lift it using davits. The second time was very easy for me to do, after stops and starts the first time. Especially with the light weight Torqeedo (even lighter if you remove the battery and controls) it is about half the weight of the Achilles with outboard and gas tank.

I suspect I will keep both inflatables in the short term. Also would like to put the Yamaha on the TakaCat and see how that works (it is rated for a 10HP outboard).

First big shock was the torque from the Torqeedo; it can be a real neck breaker if you twist the speed control like on a gas motor. Took a couple of tries to get use to it; but once I got that dialed in I was very pleased with the speed and ride on flat water, both with and against the current.

I really loaded it down with gear (a Gator Gill hookah) and went to a spring maybe 3/4 miles from launch. I got the wheels that flip down off the transom and I used to launch it at a boat ramp and loaded it up on a small floating dock. Easy to flip up once in the water. Solid as a rock, no problem with the hookah, hose, ect., and Battle Born battery to run it. Really like the exit/entry from the bow when diving; in fact that was a major factor in my getting one and it did not disappoint.

I also have an Achilles with a 9.9 Yamaha (same as the two outboards on my Seawind). Definitely a difference in an inflatable flat bottom TakaCat and a fiberglass Vbottom. Truth be told I have had wet rides in my Achilles in a chop and can see how that could happen, maybe easier with the TakaCat. But one of the main reasons I got it, aside from diving, a lot of times I am only in an inflatable five or ten minutes going ashore. Even a lot of my diving is less than a mile from where my boat is anchored. While I have three batteries for the Torqeedo (got super deal on the whole package which also included a 12 volt cigar lighter charger and a 110 one as well) I am sure the Achilles with the Yamaha has a much greater range.

I paid extra for the Hypalon but have not had it long enough to assess how long it will last.

At least for the short term I will keep both. Having a third 9.9 Yamaha just in case is a big OK. Last big cruise I took was from BKH to DT and back; spent three months. I used more gas in the inflatable than the big boat. Only time I would be tempted to use the Achilles/Yamaha was when I went to Little Africa on the far side of Loggerhead, a little over three miles one way. Everything else was a ten or fifteen minute trip at most. I have charged the Torqeedo using the 12 volt cigar lighter option off my solar charged battery bank with ease. So even if I carried two inflatables I could definitely save on how much fuel I needed.

I have also been able to deflate and store the TakaCat in one of the quarter berth on the Seawind; along with the Torqeedo. While I am a big fan of davits in general once in the Tongue of the Ocean I would have been happy if the Achilles was in a quarter berth instead of on davits.

I made my decision based on how I do things on my boat. A lot of it has to do with my experience that I only take short trips in the inflatable, and many of them are in no wake zones in flat water. I also go months where fuel may not be easy to get and not as clean as I hope. Not to mention the Seawind is a relatively small cat and I can't really carry a big heavy inflatable. If I had a fifty footer I would likely make a different choice. Not to mention during hurricane season my Seawind is probably in a hurricane hole while I am in my condo in the Florida Panhandle frequently freshwater springs to dive in.

YMMV

[Seasickandbroke]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I guess I should have mentioned we are really looking forward to experiences on the TrueKit Discovery 3.4m with a gas engine. I figured there are not many of either model around, being the reason I added the TakaCat.
Realistically we use our dinghy for less than a mile 90% of the time. Longer rides occur mostly in good conditions. We don't have expectations for a dry ride in choppy conditions.
When I ride alone against the swell / wind in our current dinghy, even with a deep draft aluminum bottom, the thought of flipping over crosses my mind.
I have found some videos on Youtube for both models, all of them in pretty favorable conditions. None of them being used on a sailboat.
With the TrueKit Discovery we would 'loose' some 60kg over our 12ft AB, plus increasing the clearance when stored under the davits. Short shaft vs long shaft, all very compelling reasons.

[fxykty]

We have had a 3.3m True Kit Discovery for coming onto 2 years. This is the one with the open bow.



Previously we had a 3.1m AB Inflatables AL double hull aluminium RHIB.

Why we like the Explorer:
- Open bow is amazing. Easy to get in and out of the water, onto a beach, or a dock via the front. No need for silly flips or power lifts to get from the water back in over the tubes - swimming, snorkeling and diving from the dinghy is a pleasure. The bow is raised high when moving and no water gets in.

- Completely stable. I can put all my 95kgs on one foot on any point of a side tube and the dinghy barely moves. Very stable in waves. Awesome platform for fishing

- High pressure inflatable floor. Effectively forms a double floor so some water in the boat doesn’t cover the floor. We’ve even used it on its own as a super-wide SUP, or to layabout on.

- Relatively light and very high carrying 500kg capacity (though a bit less than the Discovery with closed bow). It has large 50cm diameter tubes.

- We can completely deflate it and pack it away for passages - no dinghy hanging off our davits. Setup and take down do not take very long - about 20 minutes when using a double-barrel hand pump.

- It’s a red catamaran, and we have a white and red catamaran. C’est naturel!

- It’s a little brother of the Thundercats, what’s not to like about that? https://www.thundercatracing.co.nz/Get-Wet.php

Problems with an inflatable catamaran dinghy (we have no issues with our True Kit Discovery itself)

- It skids when it corners

- You have to be active on the throttle when planing in big waves (though air time can be fun at times), no cutting through the waves

- No natural protection underneath against beach debris/rocks/oysters. With a 9.8hp motor or bigger it’s too heavy to easily lift with two people, so decent beach wheels are needed.

- Cavitation more likely

- Lots of back splash - this is more of a problem for open-transom boats unlike the True Kit closed transom, but still happens



We originally had a 2-stroke 9.8hp motor on it - planed with 2 but not with 3. We now have a 2-stroke 15hp and it planes with 4. We put a hydroplane onto the motor to avoid bow rise when throttling onto the plane.

[Seasickandbroke]

How ironic ... awesome. You are on a 55L, we have a 49. If I remember correctly, some of the 50's have been extended to 55. Ours has been extend to 52.

Our AB is a 3.5m, started out with a center console and 30hp 2-stroke. I removed the center console and downgraded to a 20hp 4-stroke EFI. Getting in and out of the dinghy is cumbersome in swell, ranging from a very small to a very big step. Once underneath the davits, the long shaft gets occasionally caught in following seas, down right scary, it looks like the while thing shears off.

Outremer suggests the OC tender. A truly fine tender, stiff in price, the shipping to Europe alone is more than a TrueKit Discovery.

I am considering a 10hp 4-stroke but I really want to have a 15hp 2-stroke EFI. Lighter, more gas efficient and more environmentally friendly.

Which engine have you mounted?

Can you elaborate more on the 'likely cavitation'?

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by Seasickandbroke

SNIP

Can you elaborate more on the 'likely cavitation'?

I got the impression cavitation was more of a problem with this type of flat bottom hull shape/flex than a Vbottom with less flex. In any case this vid may be of interest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgojcjBk_50

[PhilC]

I’ve owned or operated a number of different takacat models including their largest model in pvc and hypalon with and without fibreglass floor. I have also used smallest inflatable model. Many people like these boats because they are comparatively cheap, the PVC versions are light weight and they have higher initial stability than a v bottom monohull. I Have also owned several Thundercat and although the TakaCat appears superficially similar they do not have the handling characteristics of a Thundercat and cannot be compared. As a tender to a yachtI I would take a hypalon Rib such as those made by AB or Caribe any day over a TakaCat. My reasons are listed below.Note that many of these concerns are not just related to TakaCat but many other alternatives as well.
The light weight comes from PVC construction which will not last.
They have multiple glued seams which will not last.
The absence of hijackers underneath the pontoons mean that the ride is very harsh and the directional stability is poor
They are very wet.
They are more difficult to row than a monohull (width and lack of directional stability)
There is no protection underneath the pontoon if you want to pull up onto the beach
The equipment that they are supplied with Ie oars, pump bag etc are cheaply made and will not last. If you consider oars to be safety equipment and then the oars are not safe (Although the same could be said for many supplied with inflatable dinghies.)
If you have room for a monohull rib on davits and can afford it, then go for a hypalon rib or an octender.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by PhilC

I’ve owned or operated a number of different takacat models including their largest model in pvc and hypalon with and without fibreglass floor. I have also used smallest inflatable model. Many people like these boats because they are comparatively cheap, the PVC versions are light weight and they have higher initial stability than a v bottom monohull. I Have also owned several Thundercat and although the TakaCat appears superficially similar they do not have the handling characteristics of a Thundercat and cannot be compared. As a tender to a yachtI I would take a hypalon Rib such as those made by AB or Caribe any day over a TakaCat. My reasons are listed below.Note that many of these concerns are not just related to TakaCat but many other alternatives as well.
The light weight comes from PVC construction which will not last.
They have multiple glued seams which will not last.
The absence of hijackers underneath the pontoons mean that the ride is very harsh and the directional stability is poor
They are very wet.
They are more difficult to row than a monohull (width and lack of directional stability)
There is no protection underneath the pontoon if you want to pull up onto the beach
The equipment that they are supplied with Ie oars, pump bag etc are cheaply made and will not last. If you consider oars to be safety equipment and then the oars are not safe (Although the same could be said for many supplied with inflatable dinghies.)
If you have room for a monohull rib on davits and can afford it, then go for a hypalon rib or an octender.

True Kit uses a German PVC (Valmex) and the seams are welded, not glued. The supplied equipment is fine, though who cares, those are just accessories. The oars are very basic, just as on any other inflatable. The pump is not so good, but we have RED inflatable SUPs and their double pump is great and has the same valve attachment. In general the True Kit boats seem to be an upgrade to Takakat.

We added a good set of beach wheels so that takes care of bottom protection.





The other negative points are maybe yes, maybe no. The True Kit is not any wetter than the AB Inflatables we had. It goes over the waves rather than cutting through, so that is a bit less comfortable, though it planes slower so that moderates the movement. Directional stability is not great, but that’s OK as we actively steer all the time anyway.

But you’re ignoring the biggest benefit of the open bow - super easy to enter from the water. No other dinghy type even comes close.

We would not replace our dinghy with another kind of RHIB. An OC Tender maybe once they offer a good sailing model, but the cost of those is crazy and the water access is crap due to the lack of static stability.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Seasickandbroke

How ironic ... awesome. You are on a 55L, we have a 49. If I remember correctly, some of the 50's have been extended to 55. Ours has been extend to 52.



Our AB is a 3.5m, started out with a center console and 30hp 2-stroke. I removed the center console and downgraded to a 20hp 4-stroke EFI. Getting in and out of the dinghy is cumbersome in swell, ranging from a very small to a very big step. Once underneath the davits, the long shaft gets occasionally caught in following seas, down right scary, it looks like the while thing shears off.



Outremer suggests the OC tender. A truly fine tender, stiff in price, the shipping to Europe alone is more than a TrueKit Discovery.



I am considering a 10hp 4-stroke but I really want to have a 15hp 2-stroke EFI. Lighter, more gas efficient and more environmentally friendly.



Which engine have you mounted?



Can you elaborate more on the 'likely cavitation'?

We have a 2-stroke Suzuki 15hp short shaft, carburettor model. I’ve never considered that a 2-stroke even with EFI is more environmentally friendly than a 4-stroke, is that true?

Only a bit of cavitation. The addition of a plate has really helped. I think the cavitation propensity is due to the raised deck and less water pressure relative to a submerged hull.

The first generation Outremers have higher angled davits AFAIK, so the dinghy sits higher. When pulled right up the dinghy tubes are level with the midpoint of the rear beam and the short shaft motor is still above the bottom of the beam.

[PhilC]

It may be a function of the high UV we have in NZ but PVC just does not last here. Sure seam welding help but a fully welded boat is not possible. German PVC is still PVC. If you want some good independent advice on tenders go see a tender repair shop. My local one literally has a pile of dead PVC boats, of all makes and models.

[alansmith]

There is a wharram cat couple on YouTube that uses the takacat dingy. Think their handle is “LuckyFish”. Believe he is an Aussie and she is Mongolian. They do have an email address on their channel so shouldn’t be hard to track them down. He seemed to like it.

Have you even looked at Porta-bote? IMO it is a much better platform than what you are looking at. Can even find them used on Craig’s list. cheeper, don’t rot, don’t puncture, and tough as hell. They collapse to the size of a paddle board and can be stored on safety lines or tied between headsail and mainmast. Excellent for rowing, plane well, steer well , and plastic boat is not heavy. My 10 footer had three seats and once boat is folded I can pick it up with one arm. I’m no guerrilla either.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by alansmith

SNIP

Have you even looked at Porta-bote?

SNIP

More than one poster in this thread has mentioned one of the biggest attractions of a TakaCat/True Kit is the open bow that allows easy entry/exit from the water. I have seen some vids of a sorta boarding ladder attached to the bow of a Porta-bote but have not been convinced how well they work. Another big advantage of conventional inflatables and the TakaCat/True Kit is they can be easily used with davits while Porta-bote is more of a take off the motor and get it on deck some how.

I have had several friends who have, and still do have, a Porta-bote and none of them dive off of them or use davits with them.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by PhilC

I’ve owned or operated a number of different takacat models including their largest model in pvc and hypalon with and without fibreglass floor.

SNIP

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.

Can you comment on how well the TakaCat Hypalon lasts when exposed to UV.