Plastimo dinghy

[Captain_Chaos]

Does anyone use a Plastimo dinghy and if so would you recommend it?

I am moving from a marina berth to a swinging mooring and need a cheap rigid dinghy to get me from the boatyard slip to my boat.

I have been looking on ebay for cheap dings but I have seen nothing suitable and may have to shell out £250 on a Plastimo.

Any comments gratefully received.

 

[VicMallows]

I don't know the Plastimo you refer to, but having made the same change from Marina to swinging mooring 10 yrs ago I would urge you to get the most stable/load-carrying you can. It's amazing just how much stuff you (or at least I!)need to transport each time you go out for a few days. Have you checked all the local notice boards...even the local paper?. I picked up a double-skin cathedral hull type about 3m which does an excellent job.

Vic

 

[peteandthira]

I have a plastimo rib 2.65m and we think it's great. Very heavy though - we have to winch it onto the transom using the topping lift for stowage, doubt if I could get it on deck. We can get both folding bikes in it plus ourselves. The GRP floor can take a lot of stick!

 

[oldharry]

'Plastimo dinghy'? Do you mean the little 6 footer with a wheel in the back - like I've got? Super little dinghy, light and easy to handle, but useless in anything above a F3 - particularly in the Emsworth channel where you will get very wet, and probably end up swimming sooner or later if you use one.

You need a minimum 8 footer out there, and one that has adequate freeboard, is a good load carrier, and can take 3 people safely (even if you never do!). Its essential too that you can row it properly, loaded. Sooner or later you may have to!

If you plan to keep it on the chains at Emsworth, don't get anything too posh. a) it will not stay posh for long, b) it could catch the eye of the light fingered brigade.

Local papers rarely have dinghies round here - look on Ebay (theres a quite decent 8 footer going out today - was £60 last time I looked), try also websites http://www.friday-ad.co.uk/home.asp http://www.freeadmart.co.uk/freead/index.cfm
<a href="http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/[/url]</a>

Expect to pay between £75 and £150.

Look round local boatyards and yacht club for sale boards. But you have to move fast, dinghies are snapped up pretty quickly as a rule!

 

[Captain_Chaos]

Thanks for the info.
I did mean the rigid jobby with a wheel.
I was thinking of getting the smaller one but given your comments, I'll look at the larger one which costs about £350 new I think.

I'll keep on looking on ebay just in case there are any bargains.
I noticed a number of dings for sale but the prices seemed to be being ramped up by "buyers" with no history.....always wondered if this was how how vendors got the price up!

 

[simonfraser]

i am in the same predicament, inflatable would be the most stable ?
but would it get pinched / puncture
but then again is that better than going for a cardiac arrest after you swamp a small rigid dinghy?
has any one tried the 252 bic job ?

 

[ex-Gladys]

Bigger is better in rigid dinghy terms. Comparing our 10' GRP job with anything buyable through swindleries except maybe the Walker Bay 10' you are on a hiding to nothing. There is a guy who advertises GRP dinghies that I looked at before we found our 10'. Something like £195 for a 8' substantial moulded dinghy

 

[Poignard]

A man who keeps his boat on my pontoon has a dinghy made in Finland [Terhi, I think is the make]. He reckons it is extremly stable. It looks like the biz and has facilities for locking the oars etc. into it. The snag is the price, they are very expensive.

 

[Nigel_Ward]

I have the plasimo 240 which has 2 wheels on the transom. I use it on Ullswater to get to my boat about 100m from the shore. I would agree with the comments about "bigger is better", and also the difficulty of rowing in any wind or waves. It is very stable as you can stand near the side without tipping it over. It will carry 2 adults and some kit, but 3 up would be pushing things a bit.