Hard dinghies vs inflatables

[geem]

I will be interested in the answers to this - our 3m Caribe rib is now 10 years old (or possibly more) and although I love the solidity for getting ashore on rocky Greek and Croatian beaches, it's much too heavy and with 2 of us plus shopping it's more than we need unless we have a boatful of guests occasionally.

AB and Caribe do small ribs. AB do aluminum floor types and Caribe mainly do GRP types. We stow our 9ft rib on the foredeck when sailing but we use the rope drum on the anchor windlass to hoist it with the engine on straight onto the deck. We can lift it like this more quickly than most people can hoist theirs on davits. We leave the engine on unless we are doing a long passage.
The 9ft Caribe lightweight is wide. AB do smaller ribs that are narrower and easy to stow but not as stable or as easy to get on the plane but they are very light compared to our 'lightweight'

 

[TQA]

There have been a number of AB Ali ribs that have suffered major corrosion along the floor where it joins the tubes. The two I have seen in person were less than 4 years old.

Also I have seen a number of ali RIBS with serious cracking on the transom. An easy fix for a good welder.

 

[geem]

There have been a number of AB Ali ribs that have suffered major corrosion along the floor where it joins the tubes. The two I have seen in person were less than 4 years old.

Also I have seen a number of ali RIBS with serious cracking on the transom. An easy fix for a good welder.

Yep, thats why we went GRP. Not as light but easily repaired if necessary. Also, i think thr hull designs on most of the ali ribs are not as good due to the way they are made and the restrictions that this imposes. Our Caribe hull design is excellent.

 

[TQA]

I have had both Caribe and AB RIBS.

My current RIB is a GRP Aruba. Very nicely made, considerably lighter and has the stepped bottom design of the Caribe which seems to give a better ride at speed in a chop.

Worth checking out the Aruba range if you are in the market for a dink. In the Caribbean they are a few hundred dollars cheaper than Caribe or AB.

 

[geem]

I have had both Caribe and AB RIBS.

My current RIB is a GRP Aruba. Very nicely made, considerably lighter and has the stepped bottom design of the Caribe which seems to give a better ride at speed in a chop.

Worth checking out the Aruba range if you are in the market for a dink. In the Caribbean they are a few hundred dollars cheaper than Caribe or AB.

They do look good. I understand some Caribe employs left and set up Aruba. very similar designs.

 

[Sybarite]

This must be a serious contender if you have the space.

http://www.portlandpudgy.com/review-portland-pudgy-pudgy-owners/press/

Or, if you haven't:

https://nestawayboats.com/shop/nestaway-9ft-clinker-stem-dinghy/

 

[RichardS]

We have a Highfield 260 with an aluminium hull which is extremely light and can be carried by one person although it's a bit large physically to handle easily when inflated. If I remember correctly they also do a 240 which will be even lighter. Ours is hypalon for the Med but they also do the same sizes in PVC.

Richard

 

[TQA]

This must be a serious contender if you have the space.

http://www.portlandpudgy.com/review-portland-pudgy-pudgy-owners/press/

The Pudgy is a truly horrible bit of kit for a cruising yotties. Heavy slow and seriously ugly.

It also needs a small longshaft outboard which have to be specially ordered.

 

[wazza]

RIB defo the way to go imho. The only thing I miss vs a hard dinghy is the abiility to put a sail on it for messing about. As a liveaboard workhorse though they can't be beaten.

I have a RID from Walker Bay... fantastic bit of kit. I can sail it when nobody feels like leaving the anchorage. Easier to row than our inflatable and motors well too. Stable...

 

[RupertW]

We have a Highfield 260 with an aluminium hull which is extremely light and can be carried by one person although it's a bit large physically to handle easily when inflated. If I remember correctly they also do a 240 which will be even lighter. Ours is hypalon for the Med but they also do the same sizes in PVC.

Richard

That's interesting - are there suppliers in the Adriatic?

 

[Gwylan]

We have had a PortaBote for a couple of years. Beats the socks off the inflatable.
Less space, quick to deploy, stows on deck and all the other bits go in the cockpit locker.

Can drive up the beach, whatever it is and not worry.

Motors very well and rows well too! Made a bridle and now it tows very well.

Does wobble a bit, but once you are used to that then everything is fine.

 

[RichardS]

That's interesting - are there suppliers in the Adriatic?

There are certainly a lot of them in Croatia as Sunsail/The Moorings in Croatia have a sole supplier agreement with Highfield and they have hundreds of them, which is where I first came across them. We actually bought our 260 in the UK and took it down in the back of the Mondeo Estate.

They all come from NZ originally so if you email the NZ company I'm sure they will give you the Adriatic contact.

Found it! http://www.highfieldboats.com/dealers-locator/

Richard

 

[RupertW]

There are certainly a lot of them in Croatia as Sunsail/The Moorings in Croatia have a sole supplier agreement with Highfield and they have hundreds of them, which is where I first came across them. We actually bought our 260 in the UK and took it down in the back of the Mondeo Estate.

They all come from NZ originally so if you email the NZ company I'm sure they will give you the Adriatic contact.

Found it! http://www.highfieldboats.com/dealers-locator/

Richard

Looks like no dealers in Croatia or Eastern Italy, just Slovenia but if Sunsail are now using them we may see if we can get a second hand one like our existing Caribe we got from Sunsail in Kremik back in 2010. At the time Sunsail was all Caribes but they were getting on a bit. Change of plans means we're back in Croatia next season instead of Sardinia as originally planned.

 

[RichardS]

Looks like no dealers in Croatia or Eastern Italy, just Slovenia but if Sunsail are now using them we may see if we can get a second hand one like our existing Caribe we got from Sunsail in Kremik back in 2010. At the time Sunsail was all Caribes but they were getting on a bit. Change of plans means we're back in Croatia next season instead of Sardinia as originally planned.

I'd be delighted to meet up for a beer if we're in the same area. That would mean 3 meets with different Forumites in 3 years. It's getting a bit like the Solent down there.

Richard

 

[RupertW]

I'd be delighted to meet up for a beer if we're in the same area. That would mean 3 meets with different Forumites in 3 years. It's getting a bit like the Solent down there.

Richard

Be delighted to. I think we nearly met up when we were at Kremik and you (I think) were at Marina Frapa. This time we are likely to be based at Murter but it's all just a days sail away.

It will be a bit of a culture change after being at Sani ( http://www.sani-resort.com/en_GB/sani-marina ) which was the most extraordinary marina, with berthing costs far lower than Croatia but shops and restaurants for resort guests all around us including some total bling. But I still prefer Croatian sailing.

http://www.sani-resort.com/en_GB/sani-marina

 

[RichardS]

Be delighted to. I think we nearly met up when we were at Kremik and you (I think) were at Marina Frapa. This time we are likely to be based at Murter but it's all just a days sail away.

It will be a bit of a culture change after being at Sani ( http://www.sani-resort.com/en_GB/sani-marina ) which was the most extraordinary marina, with berthing costs far lower than Croatia but shops and restaurants for resort guests all around us including some total bling. But I still prefer Croatian sailing.

http://www.sani-resort.com/en_GB/sani-marina

When it comes to a fabulous evening out, the restaurants and bars of the Piazza offer all you need. What kind of marina is that? It's not like any one I've ever been in.

Probably when we were at Marina Agana before moving to Kremik in 2014 after Agana went 100% Sunsail.

Funnily enough our meet-up this year with Vic and Chrissie happened when we both anchored in Murter right in front of the marina and town. We've never anchored there before but Vic told us about it and it was very good. Very well-sheltered and not busy even in July with quick access to shops and restaurants and free! Sea not clear in the bay but you can't have everything.

Richard

 

[RupertW]

When it comes to a fabulous evening out, the restaurants and bars of the Piazza offer all you need. What kind of marina is that? It's not like any one I've ever been in.
Richard

It's a high end resort with all bars and restaurants part of the package or chargeable to the rooms with a marina and boats as scenery only. So hotel style service to boats but requirement to keep pontoons squeekly clean as resort guests are encouraged to wander up the ends and look at the pretty boats (and the podgy scruffy people doing unspecified jobs on them who can't possibly be owners). Loved it but it wasn't real.

 

[Hardmy]

I was considering moving my tub from the Ionian to the Halkidiki for one or two seasons. Thessaloniki airport is not far away and there are lots of flights all year, whereas the Ionian completely shuts down in the winter. Did you do some winter sailing when you were based in Sani? I see also that Sani has no travellift? They do not seem to publish their prices either. I suspect them being on the high end side with the prices compared to the rest of Greece...

 

[RupertW]

I was considering moving my tub from the Ionian to the Halkidiki for one or two seasons. Thessaloniki airport is not far away and there are lots of flights all year, whereas the Ionian completely shuts down in the winter. Did you do some winter sailing when you were based in Sani? I see also that Sani has no travellift? They do not seem to publish their prices either. I suspect them being on the high end side with the prices compared to the rest of Greece...

Very cheap compared to Croatia and were definitely cheaper than Gouvia which we were at the year before.

The resort itself shuts down and became a building site from November to March but we stayed on the boat for a few days at a time in February and March. Marina staff friendly and available. Even with a hire car everywhere on the peninsula seemed shut for eating out although village shops and Lidl obviously still open. If you were at Thessaloniki marina then you could enjoy that vibrant city with open air bars and a busy night and day life even in February. But you'd be a further 6 hour sail South even to get to Sani.

Sailing wise - mixed. Sithonia peninsula and the Sporades are wonderful sailing but 40 miles to reach Sithonia and 60 to reach the Sporades. Anything but a dawn to dusk sail would be in and out of the same marina. So we did Sithonia once and Sporades 3 times with a long sail at either end of the week, but I miss have more local destinations. Finally I will not miss the patch of sea between Sani and Sporades at all. I have never known such a continuous patch of totally confused seas for hour after hour after hour even in totally calm weather.

 

[BobnLesley]

Back on thread:
We recently bought a secondhand rigid 8' Walker Bay, I was fed up with the leaks, punctures in the inflatables and ribs that we've had over the years and it was so cheap, we felt we could 'give it a lash' and if we decided that we didn't like it, we could just give it away somewhere. After three months - admittedly in the sheltered waters of the ICW & Chesapeake Bay, we've been really pleased with our decision, it's lighter/easier to stow on the foredeck than our old AB rib, you can bounce it onto a beach, rough dock or anywhere else without worries and yes it felt a tad unstable for the first couple of weeks, but we soon got used to that; it's now second-nature to be sure and step in/out from the centre. However, just yesterday I went snorkelling and discovered the BIG downside of the rigid compared to an inflatable: unless there's someone else in/beside the dink to counterbalance the weight, you can't get back into it from the water - it tilts and floods before I can haul myself back in and I tried via beam, bow and stern.