Good quality tender suggestions?

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Matata

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Hi All, as ever thanks for all the help so far. I'm looking for a simple inflatable tender that can be blown up or deflated quickly and stowes away compactly. Preferably with the facility to put a 2 or 3 horse on the back.,engine that is! Two man capacity. It needs to be of good quality. Best suggestion will be allowed to buy me as many pints as they like on Paddy's Day. Cheers Nik
 
I did this research earlier in the winter. I have a 4 man Zodiac which has its vertues but I wanted a small inflatable to take cruising with the same qualities as you mention. The small Avon seems to fit the bill for me and I found myself an old Redcrest. It isn't very rigid without an inflatable floor or if it's not inflated hard, and too much power and the removable transom flexes about as it sits on the stern tube. The tubes are fairly small compared to my Zodiac. It does fold away well though without a built in transom and they last for decades.
 
I'm looking for a new tender and like the Honda, (as small as 2m for 2 person, but 2.4m seems ideal). Also Excel look quite good quality.

Cheers

Richard
 
Having had a number of different tenders over the years, may I offer a few observations.

Speed of inflation depends on the pump & your energy (electric are usually slower).

Speed of deflation requires that the valves can be unscrewed (most do). Removeable floors etc slow down packing to minimum size but increase useability with inexperienced passengers.

Compact stowage; look at the packed size for a minimum, you will need to work hard to acheive the minimum size when working on deck, but it can be done. In general, I look to roll with floor slats in place (removed solid floors provide another storage problem) and stow on deck, either in front of mast or over aft cabin.

In use, small sponsons will mean more frequent wet bums, I have 2x inflatable seats to keep the ladies' pants dry. Inflatable or slatted floors add a great deal to the useability of the boat and keep feet drier, but increase pack/unpack times & size.

There is no ideal perfect rubber duck, you must select the features that will be most important to your intended use. And don't be surprised if it is less effective when used differently.

Good luck, you are better using your own brain on this than picking other peoples' - unless you are lucky enough to follow the guidance of someone who mirrors your use pattern.
 
I think speed isnt just manual/electric. I have a £20 electric thats very quick, though you do need to finish off with the pump.
I also like the add-in inflatable floor;that means any water collects underneath, and not swimming all over your feet/clothes.
When I looked at LBS, it seemed to me you tend to get what you pay for. Cheap ones, were clearly cheap, and the top marques might last for years, but cost, in some cases,multiples more.
In the end we bought a Tohatsu. Seemed to be punching above its price in terms of quality.
One thing, check where the grap ropes lie.. if its exactly where you sit your bum, its a bit uncomfortable!
So, in the end, I reckon you get pretty much what you pay for.
 
Regardless of other features the Avon's are neoprene and will last much longer than any PVC one. PVC will degrade in sunlight.
So for quality buy Avon. For value look at Seago.
 
If you need really compact dimensions when folded then the Bombard AX2 is hard to beat - 75x45x28 cm.. It also weighs only about 18Kg. That's with a slatted floor [slats left in place when folded] and a good solid transom. We've had one for 2 seasons now. Carrying capacity is marginal for 3 people but then you can't have everything.
 
Seago (Wetline) 230 R with the inflatable floor is the budget option, ours works well had it for 5 years now, lives in the boat, folds up small, no hard transom or floor and inflates in about 5 mins with foot pump, deflates with you rolling sitting on it in about 5 mins. It seams to be reasonably hard wearing if not left continously exposed to uv, two adults and two small children in ours usually.
 
Have had 10 years out of a Bombard AX3 and still going strong.
There is a lot to be said for a tender that is small enough to be carried inflated, if you do the kind of short hop day sails I enjoy during a cruise. The AX3 would live on our foredeck, unless we were doing a longer passage. It was originally chosen because it seemed to be the biggest inflatable that would go in the cockpit locker of an impala, at a good price. In real terms rubber boats are cheaper now, and there is more choice.
 
Hi I have been very pleased with the lodestar dinghy that we have now had 4 years. Still in very good condition even though we have been in the med. We try and clean it once in a while. It is has an inflatable floor, keel and big tubes, rows well and goes well with a 3.3hp. It is the light version and 2.3 long. I was worried about the light version but it has tuned out well as we can man handle it easily and quickly. For us it has been brilliant, and it was not the most expensive. Definitely worth a look.
 
I too have had a Wetline230R for 6 years now. It spends all summer outside and doesn't seem to have suffered unduly from the sun, but then it is in Argyll.
I was very impressed by the light weight and dry feet of the inflatable floor. Soon after I got it, I pulled one of the towing eyes out (it was very windy and I was towing it behind the boat). I thought this suggested it was soon going to fall apart but nothing else has gone wrong with it since. It was selected on low price at a time when funds were stretched -we had just bought the boat. The bridle is now attached where the grablines are.
I don't use an outboard and I think it may not be very well suited to that; I have heard that the supplied outbord bracket rusts quickly in sea water. As Searush says, it depends what you want from a dinghy - but there's no harm in collecting other people's experience when you make your decision.
Derek
 
We've had a suzamar for the last 2-3 years in very harsh UV and lots of usage (livaboard). It has been great. Big tubes so no wet bums, robust and packs away reasonably small. We were on the milk run to NZ and fellow sailors with Avons didn't seem to like them at all as they seemed to fall apart.

Good luck and happy drinking.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you need really compact dimensions when folded then the Bombard AX2 is hard to beat - 75x45x28 cm.. It also weighs only about 18Kg. That's with a slatted floor [slats left in place when folded] and a good solid transom. We've had one for 2 seasons now. Carrying capacity is marginal for 3 people but then you can't have everything.

[/ QUOTE ] I agree that the AX2 is a very handy little tender but the tubes are small so it's for sheltered waters only.

I tend to think that unless it's reasonably sheltered you won't be wanting to bob around in a tender anyway. The other point is that it's easy to handle, use and stow so it will actually get used when a bigger one might put you off.
 
I agree with the Avon enthusiasts - they do go on for ever.
But I'm prejudiced - I have an Avon Redcrest in excellent condition for sale!!
It has pump, oars, outboard bracket and removable floors. Any interest out there?
 
Avon, because of Hypalon is the built to last option. But expansive compared to the PVC alternatives.
 
[ QUOTE ]
But expansive compared to the PVC alternatives.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's the reason I'm selling - it's too big to store under a bunk.
But is that what you meant???
 
Just bought one of these

tender

I bought the 2.7 metre version with airdeck, great value, make an offer substantially below the asking price and keep it covered to avoid UV degredation
 
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