clever tender idea

Nick_H

Nick_H

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www.ybw-boatsforsale.com
I'm looking for a superlight tender, that can be lifted onto the bow manually for inflating and deflating, and packs up as small as possible for storage.

The choice is between a round tail or transom. The round tail packs up smaller, but it's a bit of a hassle to fit the outboard bracket, and doesn't handle very well with the outboard hanging right off the back. For those reasons i'd decided to buy the Lodestar superlight transom model.

However, browsing through one of the chandlers catalogues, I found this new model from Plastimo, which is a mixture of the two, and I think probably the best of both worlds.

57460.jpg


It only weighs 20 kgs, which is pretty light, will take my 3.3 hp outboard, and with the mini transom, it should pack up nice and small.
 
Looks ok.

For me lightness was the most important issue, I just got rid of an avon with slatted floor and transom and bought a Redstart, much much lighter.

I'm not taking the outboard this year either.
 
I plan to have the outboard on a bracket in the engine bay (there's room), but only use it for longer distances or areas with tides. For getting to and from the beach I think i'll just row it.
 
Well, if light and small are your requirements, I don't think you can find anything better.
I'd just double check that transom, it looks pretty light even for a small o/b, judging only by the pic.
On a side note, are you thinking of it as a second tender?
You should be able to handle a much bigger rib on a P57...
 
Be very careful of storing the outboard in the engine bay, as it will be very difficult to stop petrol leaking form the tank, plus the added opportunity of the tank overheating, with the consequent thermal incident.
 
I think we need John100something for a safety assesment on this one /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif,regards m m 1.
 
sent two young things off rowing the dinghy to Priory Bay, from just offshore. About an hour later they arrived.
You might need the outboard more than you think /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I bought an overnighter for UK use, but I don't want to have the tender on snap davits, so I want something that can be lifted onboard by hand, and inflated and deflated only when its needed, then stored in a deck locker.
 
The idea is good and the tender looks much better than a round tail but stowing a tender is not that easy and chances are you will not use it.

Are you going to stop off at the beach for 2 hours knowing that when you get back to the marina you have to rinse it with a hose, wait 2 hours for it to dry before you deflate it, roll it and stow it away until next week .

thats why Snap davits are so popular on small boats, when you get berthed if it is in the way just pick it up and sling it in your neighbours berth !
 
I think you just need to set the boat up ready, which means a decent capacity 12V socket on deck, a powerful 12V inflator, and a superlight tender. The important thing is to deflate the tender with the 12V inflator as well, so you suck all the air out, and it fits easily back into it's bag. All the problems I see with people trying to use a tender in this way, is them trying to get the air out by rolling it up, or lying on top of it, and get the damn thing back in its valise.
 
I used to use your method, in my case the only available space was the master bed ( massive) so the dinghy had to be dry before I put it away ( wife was very insistent on that, made me wash the jerry cans on a regular basis too /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

On a small petrol boat without a life raft it is also reassuring to have a little dinghy blown up ready for when the big one blows up /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif.
 
I have used all my tenders that way for 30 years. Models include a Beaufort 9', a Metzeler 2.80 & 2x XM240. Inflatable or slat floors are good, solid floors (the Metzeler) are heavy, but goood for inexperienced passengers.

To get it aboard, remove engine, seat, oars etc then use the painter to lift the bow high with the transom still on the water, taking the weight of the boat. Then pull the bow down over the rail & slide the dink forward onto the deck. It's easy to deflate & roll it up then.

For launching, unroll, inflate & flip over the rail then add all the required gubbins. As you can see from the avatar I am not in the first flush of youth, nor am I a six-pack hero.
 
I'd stick with the Lodestar.
Had a Plastimo with a wholly inflatable transom once. When you opened the throttle rapidly it felt as if the outboard was about to become an inboard /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I suspect that you might still have a lot of flex in their newer version.
 
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