Dinghy recommendations

[alisdair4]

A HNY to all.

I am looking for recommendations for a replacement tender for our LM 32. The requirements are:

a. No bigger than 2.6m.
b. Transom stern, capable of taking up to 5 HP motor.
c. Slatted or inflatable floor.
d. Light (<40 KG - so comfortable one-man lift).
e. Must fold up small enough to go into the lockers - I don't like towing!
f. Less than £600.

The background is that we inherited a very large (3.8m) dinghy with the boat. It is too large to fit on the fore deck inflated, and to be easily pumped up and deflated. Thus it never gets used, and as it won't fit into a cockpit locker is a darned nuisance. It is also way to heavy!

The Seago range looks cheap - but is it cheerful? The dinghy might be used about 5 times per season, as we keep Nordlys in a marina.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Irish Rover]

If you were following a thread on trawlerforum.com http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/list-things-you-need-bring-your-dinghy-36516.html you'd be thinking your 3.8M is too small. Here's what one guy carries on his dinghy: -
One with: 1 a storage compartment below the helm seat, 2 another in the bow above the fuel tank, 3 a third in the console, possibly 4 a forth under another seat.
In those compartments:
1 Fire extinguisher, air pump, room for spare PFDs
2 Anchor and ample rode, fuel tank key
3 In, on and under the console; more rope, electric horn, GPS, Fishfinder/plotter, VHF, Nav lights, bilge pump
4 CG approved Bailer kit with whistle, heaving line, flashlight. Flares, fishing license in a ziplock, 303, rags, sponge
5 stowed alongside the console, at least 1 paddle
This is what I leave in my 12' Caribe with a 40 Honda. It never leaves my boat without all that stuff and whatever the excursion requires in addition.
and a few posters took him to task saying he needed all those things and what about the essential things he hadn't mentioned

 

[seumask]

How about the 3 d tenders, very light the 270 twin air seems to be around £600, if your not using it often and packing it away then durability is not the big issue and weight is more important.
here's an example:
https://www.marinesuperstore.com/tenders-accessories/tenders/3d-superlight-tender-twin-air

 

[Laysula]

We were in the same situation as you. We had an Avon 2.7 with a wooden floor and it was far too heavy for the two of us to lug about and took far too long to assemble and disassemble. However it was a very comfortable and dry dinghy. We changed this for a 3d dinghy Very lightweight and quick to deflate. we bought the 230 though and wish we had gone for the 270. We did find that the 3.5 four stroke outboard a bit on the heavy side for it so we also swopped that for a 3.3 merc twostroke which was far lighter and also had the bonus of being smoother and much easier to transfer from boat to tender. The 3d is not quite as dry as the avon but it does the two of us for what we want.

 

[GrahamM376]

I don't think there's much difference between the better makes but know a couple of very disappointed Seago owners who've found the thin fabric punctures easily. One of OP's thoughts doesn't add up, 5HP engine with slatted floor is a waste of power. Definitely go for biggest tubes to keep dry and inflatable keel for speed and ease of rowing.

 

[kalanka]

The 3D is certainly light, compact and convenient. But, the adhesives used on my 220 are seriously sub-standard.

Both rowlocks tore off the hull in normal stiff rowing - in a potentially dangerous situation with a chop and an offshore wind. Company did not respond to my complaint. I will not be buying another.

 

[alisdair4]

I don't think there's much difference between the better makes but know a couple of very disappointed Seago owners who've found the thin fabric punctures easily. One of OP's thoughts doesn't add up, 5HP engine with slatted floor is a waste of power. Definitely go for biggest tubes to keep dry and inflatable keel for speed and ease of rowing.

Fair point about the waste of power - we in fact have a 4hp OBM. SWMBO is very unhappy with "wobbly floors" - I suppose an inflatable floor may be OK instead?

 

[Pete7]

Fair point about the waste of power - we in fact have a 4hp OBM. SWMBO is very unhappy with "wobbly floors" - I suppose an inflatable floor may be OK instead?

We bought the waveco 260 slatted floor dinghy because it was cheap and light and now wish we had bought am inflatable floor type. Yes it will take you to the across to the harbour wall, you just don't know which wall as the steering is non existant, think Ford Capri on ice. The previous 20 year old Suzumar with inflatable floor and a shallow v hull was much better. Lesson learnt.

Pete

 

[pvb]

Fair point about the waste of power - we in fact have a 4hp OBM. SWMBO is very unhappy with "wobbly floors" - I suppose an inflatable floor may be OK instead?

If you want an airdeck tender with decent-sized tubes, the Aquafax 2.5 fits in your £600 budget. It has 42cm tubes.

Or there's the Excel Volante SD260, also with 42cm tubes, but a bit over your budget.

 

[dunedin]

Our Seago 270 has been used and abused for 12 years now - including being left inflated all summer for the last 6+ years.
Been excellent, though started needing repairs in the last year or so. But at less than £40 a year been a brilliant buy.

Would be happy to buy another - though also considering a more expensive Excel Volante 260, which comes pre fitted with davit points (I believe). Whilst weight is an isssue for stowing, personally decided not to go that route, as feel less robust, and more likely to flip if towed

 

[GrahamM376]

Fair point about the waste of power - we in fact have a 4hp OBM. SWMBO is very unhappy with "wobbly floors" - I suppose an inflatable floor may be OK instead?

Airdeck floor and inflatable keel make a hell of a difference from slatted.

A 6 year old pvc Waveline 2.9 with ply floor and inflatable keel is daily transport for us for much of the year but too heavy for what you want.

 

[GrahamM376]

Our Seago 270 has been used and abused for 12 years now - including being left inflated all summer for the last 6+ years.

The complaints about easy holing I heard were from liveaboards about dinghies purchased in the last 3 years or so. Could well be lighter fabric than used 12 years ago.

 

[C08]

We have a Plastimo 2.6 inflatable. Whilste it has done it job well for 4 years I would not recommend one of this type as :-
it has a ply transom which being ply has a limited life and is heavy - alu or GRP would be better
it has heavy ply floor boards whick take in water & crack
the seat is ply hung on a couple of brackets which clips onto a pair of webbing straps. The seat is heavy and the webbing straps is a poor way of seat fixing and is showing signs of wear.
The Plastimo Logo Patches at the bow go sticky in sunlight.
The oarlocks (swiveling bar type) are not strong and I have one broken and one cracked and ready to break.

Apart from that it holds air perfectly and is a a very good tender.

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

I've got a roll-up Zodiac which I'd guess is 2.60 ish ... and slatted floors which you can leave in when you roll it up. This is the best solution because they're very difficult to insert when it's either inflated or deflated but ... either way it's as heavy as hell to carry! I've been pondering a 3D having read about them and seen the video etc so would be interested to know if they're as easy and as light as claimed.

 

[Goldie]

A HNY to all.

I am looking for recommendations for a replacement tender for our LM 32. The requirements are:

a. No bigger than 2.6m.
b. Transom stern, capable of taking up to 5 HP motor.
c. Slatted or inflatable floor.
d. Light (<40 KG - so comfortable one-man lift).
e. Must fold up small enough to go into the lockers - I don't like towing!
f. Less than £600.

The background is that we inherited a very large (3.8m) dinghy with the boat. It is too large to fit on the fore deck inflated, and to be easily pumped up and deflated. Thus it never gets used, and as it won't fit into a cockpit locker is a darned nuisance. It is also way to heavy!

The Seago range looks cheap - but is it cheerful? The dinghy might be used about 5 times per season, as we keep Nordlys in a marina.

Thanks in advance.

HNY to you too. May I suggest that some of the requirements are a bit contradictory in that the stated requirement for a transom stern is a little at odds with:

d. Light (<40 KG - so comfortable one-man lift).
e. Must fold up small enough to go into the lockers - I don't like towing!

Is a rigid transom essential, especially for your estimated use of 5 times per year? A round tail dinghy such as the Avon Redcrest is rated to 4 h.p. which is what you have, is lighter and stows more compactly plus it's Hypalon which seems to last forever. This wasn't meant as an advertisement but if it's of interest, I have such a dinghy sitting in my shed, only been in the water once or maybe twice and being the later (last?) model, it has the slatted floor and bigger tubes, in fact I think I have a (used) inflatable floor for it somewhere as well (we used it on our other Redcrest but as this one refuses to die after 34 years of ownership, the newer one may as well go).

If you really do want a transom for whatever reason, then fair enough, but maybe a round tail is worth a thought for the ease of handling?

 

[Coaster]

PVB mentioned Excel. We used and abused one for about 8 years. Eventually some of the glue used in the original construction started to weaken, which we attributed to UV damage. The dinghy usually spend about 5 months each year sitting on the foredeck.

We recently bought another Excel, the 260SD, and are very pleased with it. However, unless you are Hercules, some good transom wheels are likely to be invaluable, especially if an outboard is attached.

I see the Excel website currently quotes £659 fro the 260SD.

 

[alisdair4]

HNY to you too. May I suggest that some of the requirements are a bit contradictory in that the stated requirement for a transom stern is a little at odds with:

d. Light (<40 KG - so comfortable one-man lift).
e. Must fold up small enough to go into the lockers - I don't like towing!

Is a rigid transom essential, especially for your estimated use of 5 times per year? A round tail dinghy such as the Avon Redcrest is rated to 4 h.p. which is what you have, is lighter and stows more compactly plus it's Hypalon which seems to last forever. This wasn't meant as an advertisement but if it's of interest, I have such a dinghy sitting in my shed, only been in the water once or maybe twice and being the later (last?) model, it has the slatted floor and bigger tubes, in fact I think I have a (used) inflatable floor for it somewhere as well (we used it on our other Redcrest but as this one refuses to die after 34 years of ownership, the newer one may as well go).

If you really do want a transom for whatever reason, then fair enough, but maybe a round tail is worth a thought for the ease of handling?

Fair point, Goldie. I will broaden my parameters to include a round tail. I specified a transom, only because I had never used an OBM with a round-tail dinghy.

 

[Seajet]

I have a Seago 230 round tail - because they stow in much smaller spaces than hard transom jobs, I use a Mariner 2hp on mine which is fine, but the bracket is very cumbersome to stow.

It has an inflatable floor and adjustable wooden thwart - rowing position and oars are adequate.

It isn't a patch ( pardon the pun ! ) on my old Zodiac 240 which was wonderful and had much bigger tubes, but modern Zodiacs are silly money to put it mildly, also said not to be as good now, and I only use the inflatable occasionally.

When I bought my Seago 3 years ago I made up a table of all the budget dinghies comparing weight, stowed size, inflatable floor etc and as one would expect they were much the same, but the Seago was slightly ahead on both features and price - for the money I'm happy with mine, the material doesn't seem particularly thin.

 

[Laysula]

One problem that seems to occur with airdeck dinghys is that the rowlocks are not high enough and make them awkward to row.

 

[andsarkit]

I'm with Seajet after ending up with a Seago 230 roundtail for much the same reasons. I tried a Seago 240 transom but with less leg room inside, it was impossible to row. My Mariner 3.3 is probably too powerful for the OB bracket which must be why they don't do larger roundtails. My previous hypalon Lifeguard roundtail was superb and lasted 35years and rolled up very small but sadly not made any more.
As I usually row to my mooring I was wary of the pin type rowlocks and prefer the Avon style rubber ones that accept any type of oars. Seago now seem to have changed to the pin style on their new models.
Whatever you choose make sure you can row with passengers on board as no engine is 100% reliable. Where do you put 2 passengers when rowing a small transom dinghy?
If you have room to stow it, then bigger is better if you have to make a choice.