Inflateable weight

[vic008]

The f/glass dinghy is just too hard/heavy for me to get on deck. What sort of weight would I be hoping for if bought an inflatable? Something that is easy to get on deck

 

[MoodySabre]

Depends on size of course. Standard ones here Crewsaver Tender Air Deck

I bought a lightweight AX2 but it was light because the tubes were small = wet bum. Everything is a compromise.

 

[Neeves]

If you sail a yacht then you should be able to lift a fibreglass dinghy onto the foredeck using a halyard and the appropriate winch. You would need to attach pad eyes (or rings) to allow you to make up some cordage to allow you to lift the dinghy 'flat' - so that when you reverse the procedure the dinghy arrives at the water horizontally - or it will simply fill with water.

We use a 10'8" Portabote. It weights in at 35kg, without the seats, and maybe 40kg with the seats. I can carry the boat with seats resting the centre seat on my shoulder. This means I carry it vertically and I find it the easiest way to move it. Carrying it with 2 people, one bow, one stern is a bit clumsy as you cannot see your own feet. Carried vertically in strong wind is an issue . We have been using one for 22 years. We have been using a 2hp O/B but they row quite well. The 10'8" version, there is one smaller and one larger, takes 3 adults in comfort. We hang it on davits between the 2 transoms (with the O/B removed, but if we are making a long passage and do not expect to need the dinghy I hoist it onto the foredeck using the spinnaker halyard, disassemble, store the hull tied onto the top of the davits or to the stanchions (we also carry 2 kayaks) with the seats and transom in the aft cabin (which we use for 'general' storage). I can simply unbolt the O/B with the dinghy tied to the stern of our cat and lift the O/B (I'm on the cat transom) onto our transom platform.

I believe there are other manufacturers of folding boats and another option are wooden boats, sometimes supplied as kits or just plans, that split into components parts, 2 or 3, that bolt together.

I have been tempted by the Aircat Aqua marina Aircat 11´0´´ Inflatable Catamaran Boat Grey, Waveinn but my wife does not like the idea - and I'm not strongly motivated to change.

Jonathan

 

[fredrussell]

The f/glass dinghy is just too hard/heavy for me to get on deck. What sort of weight would I be hoping for if bought an inflatable? Something that is easy to get on deck

Do you row the dinghy or use an outboard? If it’s the former you can save a bit of boat weight by using a ‘round tail’ inflatable like this: WavEco Roundtail Inflatable Dinghy 2.3M
25kgs but, like all flubbers, not much fun to row. There are probably lighter ones out there…

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We use a Zodiac cadet aero 270. It weighs about 30kg, and carries 4 adults, as long as they are good friends, theres no social distancing!

 

[johnalison]

We have an Avon Redstart which is about 20 yrs old and as good as new, I see that it is rated at 41lb weight with slatted floor, but we abandoned the floor as being not worth the bother for occasional use. I can fairly easily get it back on board on my own by hand. It will take three people in 'comfort' and rows well for a flubber. The disadvantage over a transomed dinghy is the weight distribution when using an outboard, but it folds up smaller than most, which was a prime consideration for me.

 

[rotrax]

We purchased a Talamex Superlight and are so far very pleased. Only 14 kgs in weight, same size tubes as the previous but much heavier SunSport.

We took a half hour trip up the Medina to Newport, and then back. Conditions were good, so we stayed dry,

We store it inflated on the pilothouse roof. The light weight is a real bonus in doing this.

 

[Plum]

Do you row the dinghy or use an outboard? If it’s the former you can save a bit of boat weight by using a ‘round tail’ inflatable like this: WavEco Roundtail Inflatable Dinghy 2.3M
25kgs but, like all flubbers, not much fun to row. There are probably lighter ones out there…

I have the same round tail model and very satisfied with it as I do not use an outboard. I made a lighter weight thwart and removed the forward sole board which brought the weight down to a measured 21Kg. I then fitted a pair of 1.6m long wooden oars which make a significant improvement to the rowability.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[vic008]

Wow, 14kg would be easy as. Cant use a halyard if singlehanding. Would 40kg be too heavy to be manhandling over the lifelines? I'm talking drag up and over, then flip upside down.

 

[emmalina]

Davits ?

 

[fredrussell]

Would 40kg be too heavy to be manhandling over the lifelines? I'm talking drag up and over, then flip upside down.

In a word, yes. Unless you’re twenty years old and get down the gym a lot.

I occasionally lift my flubber onto the foredeck using the spinny halyard (single handed). It’s certainly easier than hauling it over the guard wires.

 

[lustyd]

Cant use a halyard if singlehanding.

You only need to lift it 2m so a couple of blocks could easily be used. Even the smallest yachts have masts 4x as high as their guard wires. Hoist one block with a halyard and attach the second to the mast base and your dinghy will be 1/2 or 1/4 the weight and you can pull the rope from the bow.

 

[doug748]

Wow, 14kg would be easy as. Cant use a halyard if singlehanding. Would 40kg be too heavy to be manhandling over the lifelines? I'm talking drag up and over, then flip upside down.

Blimey, that's a big tender or maybe a rib? With anything up to about 30kg it's generally possible to use the halyard method. Just hoist up the bow of the dinghy on a halyard, cleat it off and then lift the stern onboard. A rope or some sort of hold on the stern helps. The essence is that you are only lifting part of the weight at any one time, which makes it easy.

I have an Avon Redcrest, at around 25kg, and just pull it up over the guardrails and onto the coachroof unaided, however I do have low freeboard.

.

 

[Neeves]

Educational thread - I had not appreciated that a basic tender all weighed much the same at 25kg-35kg, apart from a stunning exception.

Jonathan

 

[seumask]

There is a Weight V's Durability consideration to manage. We had a tough longlasting Excel SD 290 that took 4 adults for the last 12 years, it weighed 42 KG and was only just possible to manhandle over the guardwires with one person, no eninge! We now have a 3D twinV 290 that wiehgs around 22 Kg and that is a lot easier to get on deck single handed, however its made of noticibly thinner and less tough fabric and I consequently need to be much more careful with it! Both have V shaped floors and large diameter tubes for thier size which makes them much dryer than the previous Wetline 230R that was very light but max 2-3 adults!

 

[Bodach na mara]

The f/glass dinghy is just too hard/heavy for me to get on deck. What sort of weight would I be hoping for if bought an inflatable? Something that is easy to get on deck

I feel your pain. I gave up on rigid tenders years ago as none of my boats were big enough to carry one on deck unless it was too small to be any use. I used an Avon Redcrest with Aerodeck floor for many years after first trying a Redcrest with the four panel wooden floor. A floor of some kind is essential in an inflatable, otherwise all the water soaks the first foot you place in the dinghy. I now use a Waveline type roundtail with inflatable floor for which I have made a wooden stern seat. I also have a Redcrest with wooden floor and GRP stern seat for when the family are with us. The first is easy for me to bring on board but I can't carry, or even lift it, from the car when packed in one valise. I keep it in two packs, hull and floor in the valise and oars, seats and pump in a big bag. The Avon lives for storage in three parts, hull in valise, floor panels with strongback and box of bolts in a plastic fertiliser bag, and oars, seat, pump and anything else in a third bag.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

It’s one of the less well known advantages of small trimarans. On those occasions that we want to take our tender with us, I just pull it, single handed with perfectly manageable effort, over a rear beam and onto the trampoline, until the outboard leg stops it. Then I tie the painter to the cabin top hand rail, and sail away. Outboard and tender must be over 50kg. But I only have to lift the bow, and only 2ft or so. I have observed other people’s efforts, but not appreciated what a hassle it all was. I will look at monohull sailors wrestling with their tenders with a new respect. I think my best advice here is not to extol the virtues of my own tender, but, as above, tell you it’s the mother ship causing your problems.