inflatable advice

[Guest]

I did a bit of sailing/canoeing as a lad but always fancied something with power, now as a dad with 3 kids my thoughts are returning to this.

I am thinking of buying a boat for weekend and holiday use but a bit more fun than a rubber dinghy. I dont want to trailer a boat around and I have no storage room at home for either, hence, an inflatable. It needs to carry 1 adult, 3 kids - but it would be nice if 4 adults could use it comfortably. I was thinking of an inflatable floor from considerations of space. I want something that we are not going to grow out of (size/speed) but neither do I want something that is going to be too much for a beginner.

So what I would like is advice on make, size and engine size. Or what are the pros/cons of a 2.4m with 3Hp v a 3m with 8Hp? Also what pitfalls might there be buying 2nd hand either private or from a boatyard? - my TBD budget may be the deciding factor.

many thanks

 

[graham]

My 2.3m inflatable has a wood transom to take an outboard but sensibly it only carries 2adults and one child though I believe it is advertised as a 3 man boat.

I think you would need a 3m boat.

 

[andrewhopkins]

rigid floor

I dont think you'll be happy with any kind of inflatable floor or sem-rigid floor (e.g. planks). They just dont plane in the water so with 4 adults, you'll merely have a boat to get you pottering along a river for 1/2 mile.

If you want to "have some fun" then a RIB is the answer but stowage then becomes a problem.

The answer is a rigid floor dinghy which will allow you to get some speed up and when deflated is only the size of a table top. However, It wont cope with big waves.

Go speak to a dinghy specialist and ask their advice.

 

[Guest]

We bought an Avon 3.1 rib to play around (paid 700 quid 2nd hand), strapped a 25horse Evinrude on the back (400 quid 2nd hand), and it planes at about 25 knots with 4 adults.

Deflated it sits on the roof rack of the car (minus engine of course) and we rigged up a sling to store it in the roof of the garage.

PS Avon says max hp for this boat is 15hp but who pays any attention to that?

 

[rich]

i have just sold my 320 tropic 10 yrs old, with new 6 hp merc,\to long to hang on back of new boat,bought a new wetline 265 and yamaha malta 3.1/2 with inflatable floor and keel. it does the job.

 

[peterg]

We have a 3m Quicksilver which takes 4 adults (or 3adults + 1 kid and a very big dog) with no problem - it has an inflatable floor and keel and has no problem making 5 knots up the Hamble 'against the tide' with just a Yamaha 4hp 4stoke and I have seen similar boats planing with 8-10hp engines. It also folds up easily and would fit in the boot of most family cars (mine's a Passat).

 

[bedouin]

How about a Tinker Traveller? It is has a hard (foldable) floor which gives it the handling characteristics of a RIB while still folding-up small enough to fit in the boot. With a 4 HP engine I can get it on the plane with one person on board.

It will take 5 adults with relative ease and it also makes a pretty respectable sailing dinghy. All-in-all an excellent product.

 

[Guest]

1. Decide on your budget.
2. Go to www.rib.net and look at their s/h boats
3. Buy as much boat as you can afford (they've got RIBs and inflatables)
4. Don't forget to budget for buoyancy aids for your kids and a lifejacket for yourself (if you don't look after yourself, then you won't be able to look after them)
5. If you plan to go in the sea rather than rivers & lakes, BUY A RIB! if you only want to stay inshore, then a s/h dory probably better.
6. Don't let storage space limit you to an inflatable - you could probably find a caravan storage place for storage.