Super lightweight inflatable

aitchw

aitchw

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I wish I could find a really lightweight, reasonably tough, 2 man inflatable for occasional use to carry on my tiny 16' boat. There isn't much that I can see between the nasty cheapo kiddie stuff and the conventional commercial offerings. Even the smallest, lightest well made dinghies are too big to stow. I did come across one made for special forces once that could be back packed with all their normal gear but it was a strictly one man affair.

Any ideas anyone?
 
Not being funny - but have you thought of chest waders? Could be a bit dangerous in some conditions though.

Donald
 
I have a pair and use them when launching and recovering. They aren't an ideal solution for SWMBO though and can only be used when you know what the ground is like between the boat and dry land.
 
I was being shown just this item by one of our mooring holders with a little Weterly Jouster. 2 man, bright orange, lightweight and apparently ok at rowing. Will ask Eddie at weekend what make it is, and let you know.
 
it won't actually help but might make you feel better:
I have a 2.6 m inflatable on my 25', and it's a total PAIN! to stow. No locker big enough to take it except forepeak where hatch lid is of lesser cross section than badly folded inflatable.
Not just 16' that has this problem ...
 
One of these may be what you want. Click on the "fishing outdoor" box (not that anyone would want to fish indoors as far as I know). They may be a bit flimsy though.
 
I have an old howtin international yacht tender 6' inflatable which is made of some form of nylon and very easy to stow caries two and has at one time had a bracket for a small o/b falls somwhere in between serius stuff and the pvc ones
 
Speaking as a lapsed inflatable boat entrepreneur, the three things that could be said to really interest cruising yachtsmen were weight, weight, and weight.

Removing weight has been done and started with the roll-up slatted floors, and has progressed to inflatable floors, but any other savings on material thickness, transom strength and bonding will deliver you a rubbish boat.

Can you not beach a 16 foot boat and drop off the bow?
 
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Can you not beach a 16 foot boat and drop off the bow?

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Yes, you can but not always. Sometimes the ground is not suitable and other times you don't want to be stranded waiting for the tide to come back. It's not often and that's why the 'occasional' use. I don't expect to be able to abuse a lightweight the way you can a conventional one and I do take your point about that.
 
Sevylor Caravelle or Sevylor Super Caravelle should be suitable.

Sevylor stuff

XR66GTXK.jpg
 
Moderately lightweight inflatable

The best 'real' dinghy - which excludes those plastic toys and kayak type designs, is probably a Bombard AX2.

These have slatted floors and a transom so will also take an outboard. Row resonably well for it's type.

My old one even had built in inflation bellows, but the new models don't.

Great in calm water for 2, bit wet in a chop because of small tubes. We had 2 adults 1 child and a dog in it, in extremis.

Still big(ish), even when folded, but we used to use it with an 18ft sports cruiser when coast hopping, either part inflated on the roof (couldn't see a thing) or rolled up in the cabin (couldn't brew up).
 
These here you mean?

I am in much the same position as aitchw but would like to find something much better than the Sevylor ones ( they are only kids' beach toys) but not as expensive or as well spcec'd as the Lodestar ones. My old Campari was just about right but sadly after well over 20yrs is now past its "use by date".
 
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