Plastimo inflatable?

[NUTMEG]

Thinking of getting a little inflatable that will stow below. Found some small Plastimo 2/3 man solid transom jobbies at around the £300 mark. Any one know if they are any good? Occasional use/2hp Honda/sheltered waters?

Thanks

 

[NUTMEG]

What about...

...aWetline 260 ECO at the same price?


Anyone?

 

[VicS]

I reckon they are all probably much of a muchness.

For your use it might even be worth looking at roundtails. We used an Avon Redstart often enough with a small outboard . A roundtail may be easier to stow in a small boat. Need to be a bit careful when sticking the outboard on the bracket while afloat but I never fell in and never dropped the outboard either!

 

[Seajet]

The Wetline's seem a touch above the rest in this price range from looking at them, but no experience of using either.

I did try an XM 230 once and was distinctly underwhelmed by the quality.

If you're going to stow it away on a cruiser, beware these solid transom boats roll up almost larger than when inflated ! A serious pain on a small boat, I have a fairly big dinghy locker which takes a large tube Zodiac 240 round tail quite well, but friend's tiny-tube XM230, though a fraction of the boat when inflated was near impossible to stow.

If this is a consideration I'd strongly suggest a round tail, you can easily get outboard brackets.

Another clue to stowed size is a lot of thin floor slats rolls up a great deal smaller than a few big ones.

When I shopped around a while ago for a cheapish round tail Piplers of Poole were doing by far the best deal - no connection etc.

 

[NUTMEG]

Thanks chaps

Never really thought about stowage, good point. Back to google

 

[vyv_cox]

Never really thought about stowage, good point. Back to google

When the family first began cruising several decades ago I asked an experienced friend for some advice. His No.1 was ' buy the biggest tender you can cope with'. We took him at his word and bought a bargain Zodiac 310, which was way over the top for a 27 ft boat and, worse, it could not be disassembled anywhere except on land. However, we soon found that his advice was excellent and we managed to live with the dinghy by towing it everywhere.

Keeping the Zodiac for getting to the mooring, we bought various others to carry aboard. First was an Avon doughnut type - what a dreadful thing. It would backflip at the drop of a hat, was unrowable and we all hated it. It soon went. Then we had a little Compass, small enough to stow but the tubes were so tiny that it filled with water in the smallest chop. That didn't last either. Finally we gave the Zodiac away and bought a Quicksilver 260, although by this time the boat was up to 35 ft. It's still a little too big to stow on the foredeck, will fit in a locker but we have to hang the fenders outside and generally we tow it. It has hung off the transom most of the way from Holland to Greece.

In your situation I would buy the Wetline 260 and either stow it on deck deflated, or tow it. I have always thought the Plastimo ones looked rather flimsy.

 

[VicMallows]

Need to be a bit careful when sticking the outboard on the bracket while afloat but I never fell in and never dropped the outboard either!

Me neither. But the wooden part of my old round-tail bracket split and dumped the O/B into Creek Rythe (Thorney Channel) !. Did retrieve it at low-water and O/B recovered. I do though much prefer a solid transom dinghy even if a bit more difficult to stow.

I've looked closely at most of the 'cheap' dinghy's on the market and would swear they all come from the same factory in China. My Wetline has made it to 4 years and looks good for at least another 4.

Vic

 

[doug748]

I would advise against the Plastimo lightweight job. I bought one new and it let me down in short order.
As you intend to fold it up regularly, few things are as tough as an Avon (hypalon), the Redcrest would be best at 9ft. Loads around secondhand but the tubes are on the small size and a new one would be £1000.
This place is great for checking out alternatives:

http://www.ronhalemarine.co.uk/superbasket/category/11/New_Inflatable_Boats_&_RIB's

The relative weights of the PVC craft will give you some idea.

 

[OGITD]

They are OK.

Mine (Plastimo) is in its fifth season, takes three adults without a problem, is inflated and deflated on my foredeck, is stowed partially deflated on the foredeck when sailing, is OK is a slight chop, and we’ve been across Lamlash Bay (two up) in quite a swell when we went to visit the Buddhist centre without any issue, this with a 2hp Yam 2~ providing the power.
There was no way I was rowing across.

 

[VicMallows]

Hypalon - Hutchinson

Have to agree about superiority of Hypalon.......had a 'Hutchinson' which I bought c.1973 for £50 second-hand complete with Aspera O/B. Was still going strong in 1991 when I gave it away in Munich to save carrying home. (Munich! - rafting down the ISAR of course).

Sad thing is they now cost so much more than Chinese PVC that they are simply not cost effective - at least for use in UK waters.

Vic

 

[arfa]

I am in my fifth season with my plastimo tender and have no complaints and have had no problems to speak off. Only gets fairly light use but works fine for me

 

[Beadle]

I have one

I managed to capsize it without putting any body weight outside the tubes

I do not consider that a safe piece of kit

I'm now stuck with it, used only twice I can't bring myself to sell it and I refuse to use it or let anyone else use it.

Of course its entirely up to you

 

[Haven't-a-Clue]

I would happily take my Honwave (2.3m, air v-floor, 3.5hp Mercury) out to open water. Indeed I did so last summer, out from Newquay, a very enjoyable afternoon...after the initial nervousness of the swell! Rows well, as I found out when the o/b ran out of fuel a 1/4 mile from the harbour.....doh...(fill BEFORE you leave). Doesn't roll up too small, though. Tows ok too, soo much easier than deflating and rolling up, 'specially if you don't have a handy pontoon. I think someone's doing a sale on them at the mo'. If you have the space, I'd recommend them without hesitation.

 

[planteater]

I had a Plastimo inflatable (2.4m IIRC) for 2 seasons before changing moorings and swapping it for a solid dinghy. No complaints under power but it was a ******* to row against a wind.

I remember one day when my teenage daughter and I were rowing fit to bust and getting nowhere. We eventually gave up and let the wind (f4-5) push us backwards while we steered to shore. We ended up carrying it about quarter of mile back to the club.

No biggy as it only weighed about 25 kgs but I wouldn't take one outside of a sheltered estuary without a VERY reliable outboard.

 

[NUTMEG]

Cor...

...never realised there was much difference (apart from build quality) between different blow ups. Some row well, others not, some stable, etc.

Yet another steep learning curve I see.

 

[vyv_cox]

Have to agree about superiority of Hypalon.......had a 'Hutchinson' which I bought c.1973 for £50 second-hand complete with Aspera O/B. Was still going strong in 1991 when I gave it away in Munich to save carrying home. (Munich! - rafting down the ISAR of course).

Sad thing is they now cost so much more than Chinese PVC that they are simply not cost effective - at least for use in UK waters.

Vic

I don't think you can compare older PVC with the current variety. My Zodiac 310, bought secondhand around 1988, was very fragile and we managed to put a serious tear into it against some rough concrete. The material used on my Quicksilver is similar in strength and thickness to the Hypalon of an Avon. I was with someone last year who had taken delivery of a new Avon and it was difficult to tell the two apart.

Also, they are very resistant to sunlight. The Quicksilver is 8 years old now, lives on the water without a cover in the Med for six months of the year. The tubes are as good as new, no deterioration at all. The old Airdeck went sticky but the new type are very stable in sunlight.

 

[Salty John]

...never realised there was much difference (apart from build quality) between different blow ups. Some row well, others not, some stable, etc.

Yet another steep learning curve I see.

A bit of information on types here:
http://www.luvmetender.co.uk/tender-talk.htm

 

[VicS]

A bit of information on types here:
http://www.luvmetender.co.uk/tender-talk.htm

Do you really expect anyone to take a site that says "In simple terms, Hypalon is neoprene-coated nylon cloth" seriously.

Rubbish

Hypalon is a Dupont trademark for chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) synthetic rubber.
Neoprene is the DuPont trade name for its brand of polychloroprene.

Apparently Dupont no longer make Hypalon! I dont know where that leaves the likes of Avon who used the Hypalon coated fabric for their inflatables.

( My Avon is PVC!)

 

[Salty John]

You have such a pleasant bedside manner!

Actually, you're right that Dupont Hypalon is mainly CSM and Neoprene is CR. They are somewhat similar and, in fact, hypalon type coatings are often described as CSM/CR. Perhaps a blend. The base fabric to which these coatings are applied is usually nylon or polyester for use in manufacturing inflatable boats.

So, not technically spot on, should have said chlorosulphonated polyethylene instead of Neoprene but "rubbish" is rather harsh.

I particulalrly didn't want to get into synthetic rubber chemistry - most reader's eyes glaze over when faced with words like chlorosulphonated polyethylene.

 

[NUTMEG]

So...

Chemistry lesson aside, am I right in thinking that the material (Hypalon vs PVC) is not a major consideration when measured against floor type (inflatable V vs wooden battens etc)? In other words hull shape and packed size are the things to look at.

Cheers all for the info thus far by the way, great forum 'ain't it