New tender - inflatable or Bic?

[Stemar]

I need a new tender and had pretty much decided on the Excel 230, as reviewed in PBO, but Vid's recent rescussitated thread mentioned a BIC 245. I'm getting to old & feeble to lug a heavy dinght around, so I was planning on getting a set of wheels for the Excel, which brings its price up to near that of a discounted Bic.

Jissel's only a 24-footer, so there's nowhere to carry an inflated flubber. I either roll it up behind the mast or tow it, which slows down Jissel's less than scintillating performance even further. Unrolling it & inflating it on the foredeck and manhandling it over the side then back on board is a royal PITA, as is carrying a soggy rolled up flubber up several steps and through the club basement, dodging beer barrels, to its slot in the storage room. Storage for the BIC would be in a rack in the compound, so significantly easier.

What are the pros and cons of the BIC compared to a decent flubber?

Obviously, I'd have to tow it, but how would the drag compare with the Excel 230, which has an inflatable floor?

 

[dartmoor]

I had a bic 245 - despite the adverts showing someone standing up on one side, I thought it wasn't quite that stable! The main issue, however, was the extremely low free board. Anything more than an millpond, and you smack into even small wavelets and get a bit wet. However, they do have their fans, and I suppose they won't tear or puncture like an inflatable...

 

[mrming]

I have a 245. It's a great no-maintenance tender, but the freeboard is very low. It's pretty sheltered where we moor so it's not a problem, but if any sort of chop is likely, an inflatable will be much drier.

 

[simonfraser]

Bought a bic, free to you for collection, mersea island.

Why, it has a small hole, so now the double skin fills up with water, can't repair them.

Piece of carp.

Oh, and the plastic rollocks broke, second time in my life I had to call the RNLI.
yes I did have a spare one with me but could not get the broken stump out

It's perfectly stable, my Avon on the other hand is perfect

 

[lynall]

I like the look of the bic.
Any idea of the weight of the 245 compared to an inflatable?


Lynall

 

[simonfraser]

Yep, it weighs more than an Avon, I'm not biased

 

[dartmoor]

I like the look of the bic.
Any idea of the weight of the 245 compared to an inflatable?


Lynall

Depends on size on inflatable. But definitely a Bic 245 would be heavier than one the same size. On the other hand, the Bic does come with wheels....

 

[simonfraser]

Wheels, perfect, roll it around on shore, no need to worry about holing it and it filling up with water, sorry you hit a sore spot !

 

[dartmoor]

Apparently they make superb sledges!

 

[gordmac]

Have a look at a Plastimo PRD.

 

[VicS]

I like the look of the bic.
Any idea of the weight of the 245 compared to an inflatable?


Lynall

The Bic 245 weighs 39kg according to their website


An Avon Restart weighed 16kg plus another 8kg for the floor and 3kg for the outboard bracket

You can get the weights of current inflatables from the manufacturer/distributor's website.

 

[longjohnsilver]

I have a 245. It's a great no-maintenance tender, but the freeboard is very low. It's pretty sheltered where we moor so it's not a problem, but if any sort of chop is likely, an inflatable will be much drier.

About sums it up. + if towing it its almost certain to fillmupmwith water and slow you down even more, as well as the problem then of emptying it. I had one about 6 years ago, very pleased to see it sold. They must be popular somewhere as I had close on a hundred enquiries!!

 

[Stemar]

Thanks, everyone.

One of my beefs with my current Zodiac is that even a bit of chop in Portsmouth Harbour sends splashes over the bow. No problem in summer, but no fun in winter. Flubber it is, then!

The other beef with the Zodiac is the rowlocks. I've had no end of problems, to the point where I wonder what's the point of carrying oars, and the recent review in PBO panned them, so the Zodiac stand is one place I won't be visiting at SIBS

 

[dartmoor]

Ah, but if the Zodiac gets you wet, the bic will drench you....

 

[Stemar]

Ah, but if the Zodiac gets you wet, the bic will drench you....

Which is why I'll be going for the blow-up job (+wheels - at low springs, the water's a looooooong way down the pontoon!)

 

[JimC]

I'm in a similar situation to the OP and am currently fancying one of these: http://www.piplers.co.uk/3d-marine-superlight-inflatable-tender.html

 

[selkiedancer]

I have had a BLUE Excel SD 260 for 13 months here in the Mediterranean. I was very happy with it until I left it upside down on a beach for 4 hours. It now has three leaks from the seams by the cone at the bottom. I purchased it because the seams are guaranteed for 5 years. The snag is that you have to return the tender to the UK for seam repairs. This is not practical when the tender is in constant use.
The manufacturer is being slow to respond to my request on how best repair to it without returning to the UK.
The tender has a cover but I do not put it on when ashore.
So my advice - if you are away from the UK buy a tender that has an international support service and avoid dark colours.
If you see a man with a tender pump in a bag over his shoulder, you may have found the Selkie Dancer.

 

[C08]

I had a BIC tender, given to me by a boatie who had become frustrated with it leaking water in between the inner and outer skins. I drained out the water and sealed the leaks and it was ok for a little while but then it leaked again unknown to me and the water in the skin unbalanced it so it suddenly capsized with me in it. They are quite heavy, made of a plastic that becomes brittle and very hard to mend, do not tow nicely behind the boat so I gave it away also.
In contracst I have had an inflatable tender that has given sterling service for about 15 years despite a number of dogs clawing in and out of it and it has also been pretty consistently abused by dragging up beaches. Always feels safe and a dryer ride than a hard dinghy whether rowing or motor. If you do get an inflatable get the longer oars that are available as this makes an enormous improvement when rowing.