Minerva
Well-Known Member
I need to buy a new tender before the start of the sailing season and need to know what is the optimal size is?
For the background - boat is kept on swinging mooring in the Oban area - Cold water, circa 0.5m waves are quite common and boat is a good few 100m from the shoreline - boat is not used for day sails, minimum usage is 2 night aboard so always have couple of holdalls, bags of food etc. Loading via alongside a pontoon is not really practicable. The set up will be propelled by a lightweight 5hp 2 stroke OB. Also boat has a babystay so distance between 'stay and anchor locker is only 1.8m
When I single handed, I had a Seago 230, which was just OK.
When my wife to be joined it was too small and wet. I upgraded to a second hand Seago 290. This was much better - drier, could cary more stuff so fewer shuttles back and forth etc, but
1) It takes an age to inflate after a 3hr drive.
2) It weighs circa 40kgs which is pretty heavy to manhandle and tie across the transom and
3) The tender is *just* wider than the transom so the sponsons often drag in the water.
The 290 is now dead so needs replaced.
Further complication is that we're soon going from being a couple to having a baby. This will mean having to carry more stuff, but at the same time, all dinghy manhandling will be done alone. So I need light weight, stable, dry and rugged enough to manhandle alone over rocky foreshore.
At face value, not an easy set of criteria!
I've narrowed selection down to;
Boatworld 250 - this is 28kg but has the floor protruding out the back of the transom precluding the use of transom wheels, but its cheap @£600, in stock and will be quicker to inflate. Should fit onto foredeck with the nose chamber deflated.
Boatworld 270 this is 29kg but has the floor protruding out the back of the transom precluding the use of transom wheels - also not in stock - hopefully back in late April...
3D tender Superlight twin air 270 - this is 16kg, this has transom that can take wheels but I fear it will be a tattered, punctured bit of landfill after the first weekend due to rocky foreshore landings.
3D tender Fast Cat 280 - should be very stable, its self draining, has a transom that can take wheels, but at 36kg may be awkward to manhandle
SeaGo Spririt 270 - known entity, will last a good while, can take transom wheels but will have same issues as current tender - heavy, awkward & take a while to inflate.
So, YBW fora - what other tenders' have I over looked? What criteria should I rate highest and what of the above options should I spend my money on? I would prefer not to buy the wrong thing then have to buy another new one after a season when my sailing budget will be somewhat diminished!
Thanks
For the background - boat is kept on swinging mooring in the Oban area - Cold water, circa 0.5m waves are quite common and boat is a good few 100m from the shoreline - boat is not used for day sails, minimum usage is 2 night aboard so always have couple of holdalls, bags of food etc. Loading via alongside a pontoon is not really practicable. The set up will be propelled by a lightweight 5hp 2 stroke OB. Also boat has a babystay so distance between 'stay and anchor locker is only 1.8m
When I single handed, I had a Seago 230, which was just OK.
When my wife to be joined it was too small and wet. I upgraded to a second hand Seago 290. This was much better - drier, could cary more stuff so fewer shuttles back and forth etc, but
1) It takes an age to inflate after a 3hr drive.
2) It weighs circa 40kgs which is pretty heavy to manhandle and tie across the transom and
3) The tender is *just* wider than the transom so the sponsons often drag in the water.
The 290 is now dead so needs replaced.
Further complication is that we're soon going from being a couple to having a baby. This will mean having to carry more stuff, but at the same time, all dinghy manhandling will be done alone. So I need light weight, stable, dry and rugged enough to manhandle alone over rocky foreshore.
At face value, not an easy set of criteria!
I've narrowed selection down to;
Boatworld 250 - this is 28kg but has the floor protruding out the back of the transom precluding the use of transom wheels, but its cheap @£600, in stock and will be quicker to inflate. Should fit onto foredeck with the nose chamber deflated.
Boatworld 270 this is 29kg but has the floor protruding out the back of the transom precluding the use of transom wheels - also not in stock - hopefully back in late April...
3D tender Superlight twin air 270 - this is 16kg, this has transom that can take wheels but I fear it will be a tattered, punctured bit of landfill after the first weekend due to rocky foreshore landings.
3D tender Fast Cat 280 - should be very stable, its self draining, has a transom that can take wheels, but at 36kg may be awkward to manhandle
SeaGo Spririt 270 - known entity, will last a good while, can take transom wheels but will have same issues as current tender - heavy, awkward & take a while to inflate.
So, YBW fora - what other tenders' have I over looked? What criteria should I rate highest and what of the above options should I spend my money on? I would prefer not to buy the wrong thing then have to buy another new one after a season when my sailing budget will be somewhat diminished!
Thanks
