Best new or old stable inflatable tender? - not pvc disposable...

[doug748]

Strongly disagree with air floors being better. We've had two and both didn't stand up to daily use with abuse such as folding bikes, which punctured the floors. OTOH, a ply floored Waveline and an aluminium floored Arimar (which we have now) are far sturdier. Whatever the type, all tubes last longer with chaps.

Yes. If you do a lot of lugging of outboards, chain, anchors and people with sketchy shoes, a solid floor is good. The standard Avon jobs are very fussy and very heavy. It's quite easy to make a folding alternative, out of quarter inch ply, that only covers the important centre section of the floor.

PS.

Later Avon's did have larger diameter tubes, that would be my pick.

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[wonkywinch]

For anyone looking at the 3D Twin V Shape with inflatable floor, it has quite a decent rubbing strake. Our deck isn't big enough to store it long term nor do we have davits so the ability to pack away and store below was very important.

Powered by ePropulsion Spirit, it won't beat Hamble tides but great for trips to the beach and pub.

PS the patch is not a repair but part of their manufacturing process as 3D go to great lengths to explain on the packaging.

 

[Tranona]

To provide further information the dinghy required is for a friend who is living part time aboard his yacht.

1 week to 10 days at a time. He will be single handing a lot and does not have the intention of deflating it.

He needs something that can be dragged up a beach without worrying its going to be deflated when he returns.

The slipway he will be launching it from is equivalent to a rasp with barnacles. cheapo PVC dinghys wont last a season

If it was me I would buy a second hand avon rib for that duty, but he does want to make some trips to ireland from scotland so thats not practical for him

View attachment 195232

I did spot this, the tubes look the right size but its not a brand I've heard of. There is 2 of these in the dinghy park so maybe its the best option so far.

I never thought about the water under the airdeck but the same can be said for alu floor models

Seems like your friend might have unrealistic expectations of what is possible with an inflatable. However as I said before, what you describe as "cheapo" PVC are far more durable than you seem to think, and the use of transom wheels will significantly reduce contact with abrasive surfaces when launching. Adding rubbing strakes to the bottom of the tubes will also help. The boat you link to looks OK - one of many brands that come and go. They are almost all made in China and a marketing company in Europe has them made under contract , but it is a crowded market and few brands last for long unless they have strong captive distribution or are part of a bigger business like Honwave.

 

[steveeasy]

Really new tenders are cheap as chips. You can buy a 2.6 with blow up floor for under £400. Look after it by not leaving it sat in the sun all year and don’t fold it too tightly and it will last 10 years. That’s £40 a year. My 2.3 with an inflatable floor and oars was not much more than £300 and it’s light. Bargain.

Steveeasy

 

[lustyd]

I did spot this, the tubes look the right size but its not a brand I've heard of. There is 2 of these in the dinghy park so maybe its the best option so far

The valves and rowlocks look like good ones. The fabric is standard but the colour will mean it’s always dirty (trust me, mine is that colour). Add some dinghy wheels for moving.
Transom may be an issue as it seems to be wood with aluminium plate like the zodiac, neither of which are good choices for the job.

 

[ashtead]

On basis need to store in a locker isn’t important maybe the smallest possible one with an aluminium floor -say a 2.7m version like a Highfield. Air deck are fine but not for rough treatment so aluminium floor is ideal where no storage issues - I guess a folding aluminium floor might not be easy to find.

 

[Hoist]

Seems like your friend might have unrealistic expectations of what is possible with an inflatable. However as I said before, what you describe as "cheapo" PVC are far more durable than you seem to think, and the use of transom wheels will significantly reduce contact with abrasive surfaces when launching. Adding rubbing strakes to the bottom of the tubes will also help. The boat you link to looks OK - one of many brands that come and go. They are almost all made in China and a marketing company in Europe has them made under contract , but it is a crowded market and few brands last for long unless they have strong captive distribution or are part of a bigger business like Honwave.

I don't see why its unrealistic when better dinghys than the run of the mill are available.

 

[dunedin]

To provide further information the dinghy required is for a friend who is living part time aboard his yacht.

1 week to 10 days at a time. He will be single handing a lot and does not have the intention of deflating it.

He needs something that can be dragged up a beach without worrying its going to be deflated when he returns.

The slipway he will be launching it from is equivalent to a rasp with barnacles. cheapo PVC dinghys wont last a season

If it was me I would buy a second hand avon rib for that duty, but he does want to make some trips to ireland from scotland so thats not practical for him

View attachment 195232

I did spot this, the tubes look the right size but its not a brand I've heard of. There is 2 of these in the dinghy park so maybe its the best option so far.

I never thought about the water under the airdeck but the same can be said for alu floor models

You are looking in the wrong direction for solutions then.
A decent standard tender plus decent WHEELS on the transom would be the better answer.
Spending a fortune on a brand name then neglecting is a waste of money. Risk of damage or vandalism just as high for fancy brand. So wheels and replace every 5 years or so seems a solution.
Waveline 2.7 airdeck with big wheels works for us, recommended

 

[seeSimon]

I don't think I agree with your categorising of 3D. They do do light cheap tenders but they also do very capable ones.
As I said earlier in the thread, I also strongly disagree with Zodiac being in any kind of premium category, they are objectively terrible from almost every perspective. Certainly no premium materials or parts are present.

I agree with the principal of your post though.

Agree,

The 3D superlight twin air model (not particularly cheap, to me...i think you pay for "lightness"?) wins a place on my UK coastal only 26ftr...because it's light, and folds compact. I find it useful, and good value. Obviously it needs looking after, and won't stand being dragged up the beach regularly, or tied to a rocky wall for days. I haven't seen their heavier models.

My old Honwave (slightly smaller in size, and seemingly far more robust? ) lives in the shed "in case". Nowadays, I struggle to carry it! Even MT.

Imho zodiac, like many modern big/historic brands (eg..VW/Audi, levis, Russell hobbs, hoover etc etc) appear to trade on what they once were. Not all of their current products justify "premium".
On the other hand...my latest new car is a Skoda. See above re VW Audi.

 

[fredrussell]

…On the other hand...my latest new car is a Skoda. See above re VW Audi.

As an avowed racist, I prefer VWs as they were a product of the third reich.

Re flubber: just get a large tube PVC generic one, and add wheels. Even those plastic folding ones you bolt to transom will stop much damage, even better are the stainless ones with inflatable tyres.

 

[Graham376]

You are looking in thevwrongvdirection for solutions then.
A decent standard tender plus decent WHEELS on the transom would be the better answer.
Spending a fortune on a brand name then neglecting is a waste of money. Risk if damage ir vandalism just as high for fancy brand. So wheels and replace every 5 years or so seems a solution.
Waveline 2.7 with big wheels works for us, recommended

Our last Waveline 2.9 with ply floor lasted 8 or 9 years before fittings and transom started falling off in hot high UV area. Would have bought another but post Brexit deliveries to EU would have almost doubled the price.

 

[Tranona]

I don't see why its unrealistic when better dinghys than the run of the mill are available.

But unless you spend 3 times the price (if buying new), PVC are all essentially the same material - I thought I had made that clear. The difference in price is mainly to do with design, fittings and perceived "quality". If buying used then you can only buy what is available at your price point and if it is £500 like the example you gave you can get (hopefully) a 20+ year old Avon which has the toughest material but falls short on dynamics and to an extent weight or the best PVC you can find. Equally you can buy a new Waveline or similar and add wheels (as others have suggested) to deal with the rough launching site.

There is nothing out of the ordinary about your friend's requirements except that as a liveaboard, presumably on a swinging mooring he will use it far more than typical weekend sailors so inevitably it will have a shorter life. The current PVC have been around for 40 years or so with very little change other than better design floors and still seem to satisfy the majority.

 

[dunedin]

Our last Waveline 2.9 with ply floor lasted 8 or 9 years before fittings and transom started falling off in hot high UV area. Would have bought another but post Brexit deliveries to EU would have almost doubled the price.

One of the (few) benefits of British drizzle

 

[Hoist]

You are looking in the wrong direction for solutions then.
A decent standard tender plus decent WHEELS on the transom would be the better answer.
Spending a fortune on a brand name then neglecting is a waste of money. Risk of damage or vandalism just as high for fancy brand. So wheels and replace every 5 years or so seems a solution.
Waveline 2.7 airdeck with big wheels works for us, recommended

I don’t think it’s a hard question to ask what’s a good solid dinghy with decent tubes.

I’m just asking to see what’s out there for somebody else’s requirements.

Hard wearing and toughness are high priority along with big tubes.

. Folding, locker storage how easy it is to inflate etc - these are not his requirements. It’s going to be inflated pretty much all summer

He needs a dinghy he can put a suitcase and shopping in and it doesn’t get wet. That he can leave in the dinghy park and it’s still inflated after 2 weeks

There’s a vast range of dinghy’s available but it’s a minefield on what’s good and what’s not.

There’s a reason so many redcrests and avons have survived. It’s called hypalon!

One thing I have learned from this post is the availability of the seago hypalon dinghy’s. That’s good info and considering my zodiac futura from my childhood is dead but my parents hypalon tinker and my hypalon 1973 Avon are still perfect I know which I would choose for myself.

 

[doug748]

I think if you want long life there is no discussion, further to post 21, advise your friend to get a used Avon. Compared to PVC, they are more durable weight for weight, withstand UV better, are often lighter size for size and fold better, especially when cold.

A good used one will last 20 years and still be usable if not abused. Sone 34 footers may even be able to accommodate the folding transom Avon RIB, but other designs come up regularly on Ebay, often in almost unused condition. This one is too small but you get the idea:


Pardon our interruption...

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[tidclacy]

Honwave or Excel
Went for the Excell as a bit cheaper then the Honwave

 

[dunedin]

I don’t think it’s a hard question to ask what’s a good solid dinghy with decent tubes.

I’m just asking to see what’s out there for somebody else’s requirements.

Hard wearing and toughness are high priority along with big tubes.

. Folding, locker storage how easy it is to inflate etc - these are not his requirements. It’s going to be inflated pretty much all summer

He needs a dinghy he can put a suitcase and shopping in and it doesn’t get wet. That he can leave in the dinghy park and it’s still inflated after 2 weeks

There’s a vast range of dinghy’s available but it’s a minefield on what’s good and what’s not.

There’s a reason so many redcrests and avons have survived. It’s called hypalon!

One thing I have learned from this post is the availability of the seago hypalon dinghy’s. That’s good info and considering my zodiac futura from my childhood is dead but my parents hypalon tinker and my hypalon 1973 Avon are still perfect I know which I would choose for myself.

And my suggestion was tailored to the stated needs. Air deck floor brilliant for keeping bags and feet dry.
Wheels (in our case SUPROD 200) massively better than dragging any dinghy up a beach.

Each to their own but I would think spending double or more on a hypalon dinghy to then abuse by dragging on beaches and leaving on shore unattended for periods is throwing good money away.

 

[chris-s]

3D Federlight aluminium hulled tender or does it really need to be flat-packable? Big tubes, solid, lightweight, not cheap but ours is worth it.

 

[Tranona]

And my suggestion was tailored to the stated needs. Air deck floor brilliant for keeping bags and feet dry.
Wheels (in our case SUPROD 200) massively better than dragging any dinghy up a beach.

Each to their own but I would think spending double or more on a hypalon dinghy to then abuse by dragging on beaches and leaving on shore unattended for periods is throwing good money away.

Agree - nothing about the intended use that a decent PVC plus transom wheels can't cope with at not a lot more than the price of a second hand more premium boat. The "market" has decided that as hypalon went out many years ago because of lack of demand and the more recent introduction of the Seago has not led to huge sales even though the price differential has shrunk a bit.

 

[lustyd]

I think for good reason too. Hypalon might last longer but ten years in it does still look a bit shabby and I think most of us prefer a new dinghy. Plenty of cars would last 20 or 30 years but how many people actually keep them that long?