Cheap, simple, light weight boat to shore vehicle for cruising. Suggestions?

Got a Bic 245 with electric outboard- You need to leave it on your mooring when sailing. Could be a solution, but a bit pricey - I did alright on Ebay.
 
nickd said:
You dont say where your cruising ground is.
If you are in the med then I would say the absence of an out board is not a problem. If you are in for example in my cruising ground of N Wales, I would only consider not fitting the outboard if going out on slack water - when the tides running at 5 knots its virtually impossible to row against it and would be so 2 up - I know it nearly killed me, three times, once from being washed out to sea and once from the near heart attack at the effort involved, and once from overheating because the tide was that strong i dare not pause to take all of my heavy weather gear off.
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No tidal currents worth mentioning here (Sweden, Norway, Denmark) but against strong winds and big waves rowing a small inflatable can be quite challenging too.
But for the OP, who considers replacing the inflatable plus outboard with kayaks, I figure a smaller, more easily handled inflatable with oars would be a better option.
Should take care if visiting N Wales or similar, though.
 
BabaYaga said:
Or alternatively, Achilles LT2 or LT4. They are also tough hypalon, roundtail inflatables that row reasonably well with the right (long) oars. They will typically have long lives and might be found second hand.
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They are indeed a good alternative to an Avon. However they never really made much impression here because the Avon was so dominant so very few around now to buy second hand.

The latest lightweight dinghies such as the O2 are potentially good (hope so anyway as I have just bought one!) but way outside the OPs budget and probably won't be as durable as even a newish PVC - but ideal for occasional use and easy to pack and stow.

On balance, though I still thing a Redcrest offers the best compromise at a price well within the OPs budget.
 
Fantasie 19 said:
Bug*er that, just get a new girlfriend, problem solved... :D
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Beat me to it!

Actually, no-one seems to have mentioned the option of a hard tender, which can be rowed much more easily than an inflatable, and can be towed astern or lashed down capsized on the foredeck for longer passages - as I've done with a cheap second-hand 8' ply pram dinghy for the last few years.
 
Thanks for all the great advice, everything is really helpful!

A few pointers:

We are cruising south wales with deep draft so are frequently a long way from shore, or in a fast flowing tidal area so the outboard feels necessary but really isnt ideal. I know Im asking for a none existing ideal solution just trying to weigh up each compromise.

I have seen a few smaller inflatable dinghies with fixed oars which in my previous experience I found made rowing a lot easier but I still feel vulnerable trying to get ashore against a current or in a stiff breeze.

As for a solid tender, It appeals but I really want the foredeck clear when sailing, was one of my biggest frustrations so ultimately I think I would rather get a better rowing inflatable, keep the outboard for when its necessary and find a better fuel storage solution. Thanks for talking sense in to me though, its always so helpful to read personal experience.

Old dinghy will go up for sale, hunt for a lightweight smalller dinghy, any input still appreciated.
 
Tranona said:
Redcrest type dinghies have been the tender of choice for nearly 50 years and [...] have never been really bettered.
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On the other hand, the small tubes and floppy floor rather demand the classic yottie-rowing-ashore rig of seaboots and oily trousers if you want to avoid a wet bum and waterlogged shore shoes.

I prefer my AX4 with airdeck floor, and preferably the 2hp 2-stroke Suzuki but it does row acceptably with the upgrade stainless-steel rowlocks rather than the basic plastic ones. Enough that I've been known to go for a morning or evening row in it for fun. I blow it up the foredeck with an LVM pump and dedicated socket with serious wiring, fit the outboard on deck, then hoist the boat over the rail with a bridle to the spinnaker halyard. I can manage that reliably alone although it looks smarter with help.

Can't really advise the OP as it's a problem with no good answer - I've been through half a dozen candidate tenders in as many years and none are perfect. But it does seem a bit dubious that you can smell petrol while sailing - surely the can should be closed tightly enough to avoid that.

Pete
 
As for the petrol smell, its inevitable - any fuel tank will have a breather, this one has a breather in the top of the filler so when the boat heels a bit of smell inevitably gets out. Im not talking petrol sloshing all over the place but you can usually catch a whiff of fuel wherever you store the cannister (outside on deck) and as a result of this obviously wont store it inside. maybe swapping for a smaller (2hp) aircooled outboard with integrated tank might alleviate some of the problems?
 
searj said:
unfortunately budget wont stretch that far!! Ideally would like to spend no more than £200, other wise will have to make do with what I have. So kayaks are out, and there are big money lightweight inflatables. Whats a good middle ground?

Ive seen a tinker tramp just a little over my budget, possible contender?
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I bought a used bombardier 2.3meter inflatable for £200. Lightweight, can be rowed and has a hard tra some for an outboard.
 
searj said:
fixed oars which in my previous experience I found made rowing a lot easier
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I absolutely cannot stand captive rowlocks. Perhaps there are some good versions out there (PRV mentions a stainless upgrade), but all the ones I have used have been very flimsy.
At the risk of sounding a bit arrogant, can I ask how much rowing you have done? Just that when I first started out I did find captive oars a bit easier, but before long was a convert to the far more robust Avon type.
 
The only rowing i have done has been in junky dinghys with junky oars, borrowed a brand new 2 person dinghy with captive rowlocks and was amazed but maybe theres even better solutions than that! Fair question tho, the current dinghy has horrible row locks which the oars always pop out of so most of the time was spent paddling when not using the o/b
 
What about an inflatable that sails? I have a small inflatable that has a centerboard slot and rudder fittings on the transom so I reckon it would be easy to make a rudder and centerboard then add something like a topper rig and voila - a sailing inflatable. I am thinking of selling mine ...
 
I did look briefly at a tinker tramp with a sailing rig, would make down wind trips easy but no help against a strong wind in your face when you're trying to get out to the boat, but perhaps a tender that sails is likely to row at lot better as well. What the locks like on a tinker for rowing?
 
searj said:
The only rowing i have done has been in junky dinghys with junky oars, borrowed a brand new 2 person dinghy with captive rowlocks and was amazed but maybe theres even better solutions than that! Fair question tho, the current dinghy has horrible row locks which the oars always pop out of so most of the time was spent paddling when not using the o/b
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I'm sure people would let you have a go rowing various tenders. The AX3 is fairly row-able, the oars are captive.
Personally, I would find not having the option of a proper outboard quite limiting, due to the places I like to go.
With the AX3 and a little Yamaha, SWMBO and I can easily carry the whole lot up the beach, I lift the stern by the motor, she takes the bow.
We couldn't do that with a substantial 'leisure battery'.
If you are careful filling and clean the motor, there is very little smell of fuel, and we mainly only use it when there's enough breeze to disperse any fumes. Frankly, you're going to get a certain level of fumes from other people's outboards. Check everything seals properly and wash any spills with fairy liquid. Think about making sure herself is upwind of it whenever possible, if you are going downwind, maybe you don't need it?

I think a sailing tender would be cool, but the '2 can carry it easily' bit is non-negotiable to me. And it would need to sail to windward like a proper dinghy. It would be fun in places like Salcombe.

I don't rate electric dinghy inflators, I'd rather get the exercise than flatten my batteries just when I'm leaving the boat. And they make a silly noise and don't seem much quicker than a foot pump.
 
lw395 said:
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I don't rate electric dinghy inflators, I'd rather get the exercise than flatten my batteries just when I'm leaving the boat. And they make a silly noise and don't seem much quicker than a foot pump.
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The LVM is very noisy, the less powerful ones aren't bad. I have never noticed any effect on my batteries but did tend to stay in the habit of inflating the dinghy whilst the yacht's engine was still running. It became part of the anchoring routine- dig in the anchor, prep the dinghy whilst checking transits, then 2mins on the electric pump followed by a quick call to SWMBO to turn the engine off.

I don't consider myself particularly lazy (I row rather than use the outboard about 95% of the time) but the electric pump wins every time.
 
I had a Tinker Tramp for over twenty years.

Upsides: strong, long-lasting, seaworthy, row better than any other inflatable I've been in, sail tolerably well (but get weight forward before trying to tack), great performers under engine, good load carriers.

Downside: relatively heavy and bulky.
 
I would vote for two sit on kayaks. It is dependent on your level of agility getting from the boat down but is pretty straight forward with care. Also given your fairly anti outboard stance I would rate kayaks as infinitely easier to deal with strong counter currents than rowing an inflatable. And exploring your anchorages becomes a pleasure. However your budget may need to be nearer £400 for two. Dry bags for whatever you transfer about. There is no one right answer but a kayak is often a pleasure in itself. They are pretty easy to lift aboard and lash along the guard rails if you have a bit of space.
 
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