Tender size & recommendation please.

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Al.

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Hi, Well as some of you know, I purchased my Albin Vega, and slowly getting things together. I seek advice and guidance on a tender.

I'm thinking ZODIAC BOMBARD Typhoon 265 Aero Air Deck, my reasoning is, I have to use a long shaft motor, 4hp Tohatsu 24kg weight. Its not practical to purchase
a second one engine, just to have a short shaft. The other option would be a 2.3m Zoom slatted. but motor weight would be a problem.

Would 2.6m be to big to store folded on deck, and any recommendations to something different. Also is Air deck or slatted best.

Thanks
 
Most tenders use a short shaft and you will probably find a long shaft impractical as it is too deep in the water which brings problems with the exhaust, possible grounding in shallow water and the thrust being so low down it upsets the balance of the boat. Might be OK for occasional use but if you are going to use it a lot a poor compromise and best to get the correct motor for the boat.

A 2.3m is adequate for up to 2 people and is obviously smaller and lighter than a 2.6 when folded. The most compact are round tails without floorboards, but if you can cope with the weight and expense then an airdeck floor is the best boat from the handling and capacity point of view.
 
Hi Tranona.

Im aware of the long/short shaft. I have a longshaft as a backup, but don't have the space for a short as well, let alone more cost outlay. This is why I asked others, as some people say there long shaft outboard works fine.
 
Yes, I know some people do it but you need to be aware of the limitations. The constraints also apply the other way round - a short shaft is usually lousy as a back up on a yacht. personally I would ensure that my inboard works as a 4hp outboard won't do much on your yacht anyway - and you do have sails. If you want to get the best use out of your tender, sell the long shaft and buy a 3hp short shaft.
 
Usually tow the dinghy through the summer when not making long passages (24hrs + at sea), although not with the engine on it. Best advice is to have the biggest dinghy you can comfortably handle in terms of getting it on and off the boat. If you already have the engine, make sure that whatever dinghy you select is plated for use with that engine in terms of horsepower, under powering is fine, just means lower top speed: overpowering can lead to problems in safe handling.
 
Barnac1e said:
I used to sometimes tow my Zodiac ... until a sudden 40 knot gale turned it into a kite.
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I am with Tranona on this. The dinghy will be unbalanced. With the prop so far underneath the boat the bow of the dinghy will want to rise which could be dangerous in a choppy sea and headwind. Think about a false transom extension to raise the long-shaft. Two bolts and a thick piece of plywood. Aim for a 2/3 (or less) difference between long and short shaft to improve the situation.
 
Two options,,,,

Smallest dinghy you can happily use for you and crew, and a 2 to 3 hp,,,,ie Yamaha malta etc,,, both easy to handle,
Or go to dinghy length of 2.5 ish and have a 4 to 5 hp motor which also can be used as a back up on a bracket for your Albin.
If full inflation isn't possible, Always have the dinghy on deck half inflated for sos situations, attached a pump via landyard allowing inflation
 
When I chose my inflatable and outboard, ease of handling ie getting them on board was my primary concern and as a consequence chose a 2.2 hp outboard. In the light of experience I was wrong!

Fortunately I didn't make the same mistake with the inflatable and bought a Honwave 2.7 aerodeck. Its got massive tubes, provides great buoyancy, and a dry ride in a chop - but it weighs 35kg which I didn't realise when I bought it. For any serious liveaboard use, get the biggest you can afford and which you have room for. Its important because it will will be your taxi to and from the shore, carrying all your provisions when you are at anchor.

I have found the aerodeck floor gives the dinghy the feel of a RIB, very stable, very efficient, and very dry

When you need to get dinghy and outboard back on board you can still do it single handed by using a spare halyard and winch. Talking of which, one of the wrinkles I learned,to make it harder to steal at night, was hauling the dinghy out up to toe rail level by halyard and leaving it alongside in the air. Any would be thief now had to take the risk of coming on board and trying to lower the dinghy silently, rather than just sneaking up and cutting the painter.

I shall be getting an 8hp outboard as soon as I can afford it. (Prior to living on board I used to row - so this is quite a turn round for me)
 
Just gone up to a 2.8 Avon airdeck Rover (yes, second hand) but the Chinese 260 predecessor barely made 25 miles of sea distance before all the glue disappeared and it fell to pieces. Love our "new" dink! We lift it onboard with a masthead halyard and keep it just free of the water when not in use to avoid fouling and barnacle growth just like the posh classic yachts do.
 
I have looked at the Honwave T24 aero deck. I also like the bigger tubes on them, down side. 34kg. The other on my revised list is the Zodiac Cadet 240 Aero (27kg) but a lot more expensive.
Since i'm solo, I think a 2.4 will be easier to get on deck. and keep semi inflated. Would I be right in saying the older inflatable dingys lasted longer than the new stuff. Avon restart seem to be liked.
 
Al. said:
I have looked at the Honwave T24 aero deck. I also like the bigger tubes on them, down side. 34kg. The other on my revised list is the Zodiac Cadet 240 Aero (27kg) but a lot more expensive.
Since i'm solo, I think a 2.4 will be easier to get on deck. and keep semi inflated. Would I be right in saying the older inflatable dingys lasted longer than the new stuff. Avon restart seem to be liked.
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You would be SPOT ON!

Modern chinese "Toys" are made of PVC and little better than beach toys and probably OK for Scottish waters! "Proper" inflatable dinghys are (were) made of commercial or military grade hypalon. The new c r a p will last you three years if you are lucky. BTW, Zodiac are also, sadly now history. There IS however, still light on the horizon in the shape of "Caribe" inflatables made in Barbados (from hand glued Hypalon) where they appreciate the requirements of a dinghy for the tropics.
 
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Steve C Cronin said:
You would be SPOT ON!

Modern chinese "Toys" are made of PVC and little better than beach toys and probably OK for Scottish waters! "Proper" inflatable dinghys are (were) made of commercial or military grade hypalon. The new c r a p will last you three years if you are lucky. BTW, Zodiac are also, sadly now history. There IS however, still light on the horizon in the shape of "Caribe" inflatables made in Barbados (from hand glued Hypalon) where they appreciate the requirements of a dinghy for the tropics.
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To SWMBO,

Honey just sailing over to Barbados to buy a new tender....

I wonder if that excuse will work !. :cool:
 
The situation with PVC inflatables is nowhere near as dire as some would have you believe. My Plastimo basic type is still going strong after 10 years in the Med and you will find many people who get good service out of the Chinese PVC boats. Almost nobody makes Hypalon type inflatables now because the cost differential is so great and few people can justify that expenditure when PVC is adequate. If you are voyaging single handed then your dinghy will be folded most of the time and if you keep it in its bag on deck it will not suffer from the elements. If you intend leaving it inflated for long periods in the sun, buy or make some covers for the tubes and this will extend the life. Do not be tempted as some suggest to tow it other than short trips.

If you can find one the best buy is a secondhand Avon Redstart or perhaps Redcrest in good condition. Still the best and most durable, but have single skin bottoms and round tails so not good under motor, and lethal with a longshaft for the reasons given earlier. But hard to beat as a tender to a small sailboat like yours as they have big tubes, reasonable to row once you get the hang of them and just about indestructible.
 
Caribe and AB Dinghies are made in Venezuela by the way, but they are made from hypalon and are very well made - the work horse of the Caribbean and not without good reason!

Don't know if you can get them in Europe, but I'd not swap my AB for a Zodiac or Avon out of choice...

As fr towing, what do you call a short trip? I remove the engine and stuff and I have towed mine for many, many miles - the last time from St Maarten to Trinidad without any problems; if it flips you haven't lost anything and the dinghy is still sound, I need my big dingy and it is a tad too big to store on deck (it does fit but I'm bow heavy!) so towing it is the best option; I reckon it costs me a knot at the most.
 
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Al. said:
Would 2.6m be to big to store folded on deck,
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Only a Vega owner will be able to give you a meaningful answer to that. Perhaps you could seek some out and PM them. (I know that there are a few experienced (if slightly evangelical!) Vega owners on the Bluemoment forum who are based up your way.)

Al. said:
Also is Air deck or slatted best. Thanks
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If you have lots of locker space then slatted is handy - especially if you wear stilettos. ;-)
I have found air decked ones to be OK; the inflatable keel makes a surprising difference.

One thing that you may have already considered. Rollocks..... Those fancy new pin rollocks that stop me from losing oars are very handy, especially as rowing might seem an attractive option, on a calm day, if the alternative is manhandling a 24 Kg outboard. That is seriously heavy! If you are on your own, some sort of Outboard hoist (Google) might make life easier. Or maybe I am just a bit of a wimp.
 
I'd worry about the damage a hard dinghy could do or have done to it. Ribs row a bit better and motor a lot better than inflatable floors and I think can take grounding better.

Size? We bought a 3m rib which is excellent when we have lots of guests, but wish we'd bought a 2.3m as there is rarely more than 2 or 4, and an extra dinghy trip would be a lot less hassle than hauling the 3m on board with one on winch, one on foredeck.

We often tow shortish distances and although we dont do it anymore I have no issues with towing in rougher weather or overnight apart from a little extra drag. I was brought up towing rigid dinghys behind wooden boats in any weather - just a question of adjusting scope from short to 20m depending on the wave lengths and weather.
 
Ariadne said:
As fr towing, what do you call a short trip? I remove the engine and stuff and I have towed mine for many, many miles - the last time from St Maarten to Trinidad without any problems; if it flips you haven't lost anything and the dinghy is still sound, I need my big dingy and it is a tad too big to store on deck (it does fit but I'm bow heavy!) so towing it is the best option; I reckon it costs me a knot at the most.
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The Ops situation is probably very different from yours. Single handed so does not need the same sort of dinghy capacity as you. His boat is a 27 footer so a one knot loss of speed is 20-25% of average, leading to significant increases in passage times.
 
We have had a Quicksilver 260 Airdeck in the Med for the past 10 years. In general the dinghy is inflated in April and let down in October and has been towed most of the way from Holland to Greece. It is PVC (welded), which is still in excellent condition, although some minor glued parts are failing. Inflated it will just sit on the foredeck but this makes anchoring difficult. Deflated it fits well on the coachroof. On the water it is great, rows and motors well and will transport two of us and two bikes ashore without problems. At a push it has carried six adults ashore to a taverna.

Due mainly to the restrictions of getting around it on the foredeck we have now purchased a SunSport 2.3, replacement for Quicksilver. Instead of an Airdeck it has an inflatable hull which gives it a lot more space aboard. We think we will find it almost as good as the 2.6 for rowing and carrying kit. Hull tube size is a little less than the 2.6 but bigger than dinghies we have owned previously.
 
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