Takacat Vs Aircat Vs True Kit

[goeasy123]

I'm trying to make a decision to buy one of these pontoon boat as a tender for our 40ft yacht. Does anyone have experience, comments, advice?

 

[Stemar]

I'd never heard of either, so I googled Takacat Vs, thinking it was a model number. Quite a few comparison discussions that might be of interest came up

 

[ylop]

Have brief experience of Takacat but not actually being used as a tender. Didn’t even know the other brands existed - but they are likely all made in the same factory just with different QC/specs etc.
Takacat is an efficient design for getting max speed from a small engine. That may not be your priority for a tender but if you do long exploration up shallow waters etc it might be nice. They are particularly easy to board from the water so if you are the type to take the tender for some snorkelling etc then it would be good, and if the dinghy ever gets enlisted for mucking around with kids etc then it’s bound to be popular. The downside of that is that at anchorage speeds the deck gets quite wet. and anything left on deck not tied down will wash out the back, so you’ll at least want a plan for securing the picnic and ensuring the shopping doesn’t get soaked! I could also imagine that the bow design could be useful for an aging crew to be able to step ashore at a beach without getting wet or scrambling over tubes, although it will be rare to get wind and slope of shore where someone doesn’t need to get at least welly deep, for launching. If you are blessed with pontoons where you go then I’d rather have a big soft tube at the front.

I guess the other thing to consider is what you do with not in use? If you pack it up and rebuilt each time: 1. The transom seemed to be more faff than a traditional dinghy; 2. It seemed to take a lot of space when folded (that may be unfair - it wasn’t packed with much care so might be possible to be more efficient), but the temptation is to put a bigger engine on it and that will take space and likely have a remote fuel tank etc; 3. like all air floors 10psi takes a lot of pumping.;

 

[roaringgirl]

Have brief experience of Takacat but not actually being used as a tender. Didn’t even know the other brands existed - but they are likely all made in the same factory just with different QC/specs etc.
Takacat is an efficient design for getting max speed from a small engine. That may not be your priority for a tender but if you do long exploration up shallow waters etc it might be nice. They are particularly easy to board from the water so if you are the type to take the tender for some snorkelling etc then it would be good, and if the dinghy ever gets enlisted for mucking around with kids etc then it’s bound to be popular. The downside of that is that at anchorage speeds the deck gets quite wet. and anything left on deck not tied down will wash out the back, so you’ll at least want a plan for securing the picnic and ensuring the shopping doesn’t get soaked! I could also imagine that the bow design could be useful for an aging crew to be able to step ashore at a beach without getting wet or scrambling over tubes, although it will be rare to get wind and slope of shore where someone doesn’t need to get at least welly deep, for launching. If you are blessed with pontoons where you go then I’d rather have a big soft tube at the front.

I guess the other thing to consider is what you do with not in use? If you pack it up and rebuilt each time: 1. The transom seemed to be more faff than a traditional dinghy; 2. It seemed to take a lot of space when folded (that may be unfair - it wasn’t packed with much care so might be possible to be more efficient), but the temptation is to put a bigger engine on it and that will take space and likely have a remote fuel tank etc; 3. like all air floors 10psi takes a lot of pumping.;

I've seen a couple around. It looks like a very wet ride.

 

[dansaskip]

I was in New Zealand and my previous PVC tender was at the end of life due to hard usage and sunlight. I did much research, I certainly didn't want another dinghy with glued seams. I bought one of these True Kit Navigator - Lightweight Catamaran Yacht Tender
sort of catamaran style hulls with the floor set a little higher that the bottom of the hull tubes, perhaps not so extreme as theTakacat.

Must say I have been very impressed so far well built, not too heavy, stows neatly- rows well and is very stable - I can indeed stand on one of the tubes and it doesn't capsize.

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