Dingy dilemma

J

jambaman

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Malta, moving west
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Which of the following would you recommend. We realize that the price difference is a serious matter of 300-400GBP, but is the Avon really worth it? The outboard is presently an old heavy Suzuki 4hp. We do not want a RIB. The first year will be spent in the Med and then….we really don’t know yet.

Avon R280 air deck
Avon R280 wood floor
Zodiac FR285 air floor Acti -V
Zodiac C285 LR air floor
Zodiac C285 wood floor

Thoughts and experience would be most welcome before we part with such a large amount of dosh.

thanks
 
Get the one that is least likey to be stolen by the locals or even fellow yachties.
 
yeah, there is that. We are now on our third dingy, all have been second hand and all have had leaks (not seen at time of purchase, we are still wondering if it was our desperation or stupidity!) so we want one that we don't have to patch up every week.
 
From our limited experience the Avon is great if you will be using it a lot day in and day out in very hot sun. Otherwise the Zodiac is good - have had a 285 with air floor for some ?? seven years. Have not tried the new Activ but having looked at one at the Boat Show it should be even better. The only snag is that the air floors lose pressure over a few days and require pumping up; not the easiest of exercises. They are also liable to damage from sharp objects - I am several hundred pounds poorer and wiser. If weight and size are not problems, I would go for the solid floor, if not practical then the cheaper air floor unless you have lots of cash to apply to this matter. However, in my opinion the Zodiac is a good piece of kit and "worth the extra".

Good luck.
 
hear hear.

Our Quicksilver with Honda was stolen last summer...sh*tsh*tsh*t......
We were given an old donut type Avon, just as old as Heerenleed. Has a small leak, but we are repairing this as we know where it is located. I will never ever want a new or newish dinghy anymore, let alone 4-stroke modern outboards. The more tattered they look, the bigger the chance you will find it when you wish to get back to your boat. I even consider giving the dinghy an extra pair of patches in a contrasting colour to make it look worse than it actually is..

btw the old new dinghy is a 1979 Avon redstart. Will probably outlast me....
Much easier to stow than the Quicksilver or any modern dinghy with a hard stern board.


cheers
 
thanks David. So for the long term and confidence in not puncturing the floor, you would recommend a solid floor? i feel more comfortable with a solid floor, however the weight raises by approx. 5-10 Kg with both the Avon and Zodiac. Yes, we intend to be in hte Sun most if not all of the time, so would you still recommend the Zodiac?
many thanks, Julian
 
Jambaman,

I don't think that there is a right or wrong answer.... but, if I was going to use the dingy every day for ever I would fork out for an Avon. They seem bombproof. You might find a second hand one. However, nobody I know uses one that much all year round. Even time on the anchor in the W'indies usually only lasts part of the year.

My own choice would be a Zodiac, probably next time with a hard floor but for lots of time in the sun fit a cover that remains in place when you use it. The sun can chew that up and it can be replaced at reasonable cost every couple of years.

Have fun.
 
I have the Zodiac FR260 Acti-V. I got 20 years out of my last Zodiac and expect to do better with this one. However, I do have a cover over the tubes that stays there all the time and takes the wear and dirt, and the cover has extra webbing aropund the bump places in order to further reduce the chance of puncture. The cover is much nicer to sit on when the boat has been out in the sun for a long time.

My only whinge about this boat is that it is very difficult to hold in the davits at an angle that the majority of the water will drain out, the V keel holds a lot of water much lower than the drain, so you really need to work hard to drain excess water out of it.

Rows well, but the 4 hp will only achieve a putter rather than a plane (I use a tohatsu 3.5)
 
I had a Zodiac with a wooden floor. It was rather hard to get the boards in, although with regular practice it gets easier. The boards were painted black and got awfully hot in the sun. You could consider painting them white.
 
I have old Avon 'doughnut' - cant be beaten, the OB bracket rusts away and has to be replaced every 20 years, though i see they are ss now.
 
Ever thought of the slatted Rollaway floor type? I have an Avon Redstart with one and it is much easier to assemble and lighter than my old one with a solid wooden floor.
DK
 
cheers guys. i think that it will have to be one of the last items to buy on the shopping list. If there is enough funds left over then it would be a Avon R280 wooden floor, and if not, then a Zodiac FR280. (there is logic in there, i promise!!) if the Zodiac, then i can see our daughter jumping up and down on the air floor in a few years time, or even myself!!
thanks for the advice.
Julian
 
Have you considered a LodeStar?

Ours is an air floor - that pumps up as hard as wood - with a ribbed bottom. I only wish we'd though more of security and had the Union Jack version - or they do PINK as well!!!
 
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