folding tenders

[Gazza]

I am considering upgrading our very ancient Avon inflatable (many patches and single skin floor) to something a little more comfortable.

Has anyone any experience of folding ply tenders that could help? I'm looking at a Seahopper, and they seem to be pretty robust and well constructed, but perhaps a little heavy.

Any help gratefully received.

 

[Metabarca]

There was a thread about this a couple of months ago (which I started) which may be a useful start for you.

 

[Forbsie]

I bought a folding tender yesterday. Light as a feather and about the size and shape of a big electric guitar case. It was made c.1930 out of wood and canvas and cost me....

£6

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/forbsie>My Project Pics</A>

 

[tcm]

That's not a folding tender - it's a big electric guitar case!

 

[Forbsie]

Aw well, it only cost me £6 so I won't fret about it. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/forbsie>My Project Pics</A>

 

[tcm]

Re: groan! nm

.

 

[richardandtracy]

My father owns an 8ft Sea Hopper & I've used it quite a bit. It planes well on a 2hp outboard, sails well and is fairly easy to row. It can take 4 at a pinch. I like it lots - unfortunately so does he, so I can't get my paws on it permanantly.

I'm a little dubious about the price of a Sea Hopper new. It seems like a huge amount of money to me - but there again I'm not as well paid as a trainee teacher, so it's all relative.

Regards

Richard

 

[shamrock]

Saw a folding plastic tender in the USA earlier this year, called the porta-bote, people had great things to say about it and apparently it's sold over here, but I don't know who by. The website is http://www.porta-bote.com and a web search reveals lots of comments, prices etc in the US.

 

[steve_cronin]

Most undertakers....

..charge a minimum of £600 and that is made out of chipboard.

You have bought your coffin well!

Steve Cronin

 

[Rabbie]

Fancy building your own?

Have a look at www.microcruising.com/

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Rabbie on 09/10/2002 19:14 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Metabarca]

I think the European distributor (certainly for manland Europe) is the following:
www.kalkuhl-gmbh.de
They quoted me Euro 125 to ship one of these to northern Italy. I'm thinking along the lines of a folding tender; I live on the Adriatic so vertical bits of sea aren't really an issue, whereas sharp Dalmatian rocks are. I like the sea-hopper as an object but foresee bruised elbows and boat in trying to put it together in the cockpit. As for portabote v. bananaboat, the former wins hands down in terms of seaworthiness from what I have gleaned from other users. Of course, all of these are great if you need to row out to your boat and would prefer to take your tender home rather than leave it hitched to the shore somewhere.

 

[brian_neale]

There are two sets of prices for the SeaHopper - the list price and the price at boat shows. The owner prefers to sell at a good discount at the shows, build a good backlog of orders in the bag, and then buy materials in bulk and build a good size batch. Downside is that delivery depends on your position in the list, but they only take an initial deposit and you do not pay the balance until delivery. Mine is due for collection any week now, having been ordered at London Boat Show... Still, I only paid (will have paid) half list price, with an outboard bracket/pad thrown in.