Seahopper / folding tenders - any experience..?

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scruff

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We currently have a 2.3m inflatable tender for the 34' sailing boat (no davits). We've had this tender for around 7ish seasons and will likely need replaced shortly. The number of patches it requires seems to increase exponentially each season.

Browsing ebay and I have came across seahopper tenders. Are these any good for use with two adults and a dog? We sail on the Scottish west coast, so boats have to be able to deal with chop / swell. Being drier than the current inflatable would be nice. Wet arses are not the most pleasant when going to the pub.

The other option I am pondering just now is building one - my wife is going away for a week in May so the possibility to build in the livingroom / dining room is there (on proviso it can be completed and cleaned up within the 7 days!!)

So any experience on DIY folding tenders?

Failing that, I'll just go any buy a new inflatable tender...

Thanks
 
Nope, they are not suitable for two and a dog. Funny old things.

I built similar a long time ago and it was ok, by the standards of the day, as a tender to a Hurley Silhouette. Maybe for one or max two young, fit, types.
I would forget it for general knockabout work in your area.
 
You are familiar with inflatable tenders nothing comes close in general convenience and stability! I would consider getting a lighter one with a an inflatable keel to replace your current one, or possibly one of those new min rib aluminum hull ones if you can sore it on deck? Other folding boats are projects for fun and hence are relatively rare! All IMHO.
 
scruff said:
......

Failing that, I'll just go any buy a new inflatable tender...

Thanks
Click to expand...


As I have said before, I have come full circle and now use old Avons. Something like this...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Inflatab...948701?hash=item1ef797f05d:g:GTUAAOSwLcNcmexU

....is superb value if you could get it for under 250 quid. A late model with the larger dia tubes, airdeck, plastic (no rust) motor bracket and Avon rowlocks so you can row it properly. Will fit on a 34ft foredeck very nicely for short trips.

PS
Apologies for the unsolicited thread drift!
 
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We have the smallest sea hopper that has been our tender from the UK to Brazil, anchoring everywhere for the last 2 years. We have had 2 adults a child and a medium dog with no problems.
Getting in and out it is less stable than a inflatable but once in it bobs over swell nicely and you soon get used to it. It's not completely splash free in chop but you sit inboard rather than on the edges, feels drier than small inflatables I've been in but not dry. (You need to block the dagger board slot or you get a nice bum wash in chop). I'm sure a larger rib would be drier.
Rows very well. We barely used our outboard even when it did work.
Store easily on the rail or squeezed into the v birth for ocean crossings.
It's not maintenance free as the varnish needs attention (especially now in the tropics and with lots of dragging it up. beaches).

I've never seen plans for a DIY folding boat. Would be interested if you know of any.
The stacking ones look good but we couldn't find deck space for one as we have a baby stay in front of the mast and not enough space behind the mast with our vang.
I do sometimes crave a good planing rib with a big outboard, right up until I need to put it on board.
Whatever you go for sometimes one is better than the other. No perfect solution.

Dan
Pretorien 35 (so similar sized boat).
 
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