Tender size

[pcatterall]

As we are likely to be doing more anchoring and using the tender I recognise that my little Avon and Seagull will need upgrading.
I would like opinion on the size of tender ( inflatable) and engine which will best suit our future needs.
As we are often 4 aboard I guess we can say that an outfit which will transport 4 persons in safety to and from a boat to shore over the sort of typical distances and conditions we will encounter.
Our yacht is small so the dinghy will have to be towed or deflated and carried on deck, the engine will need to light enough to lift off and stow on board ( probably on the pushpit.
As a starter it would be useful to get views from experienced users as to the general length of tender and size of engine I can then look at the detailed specs to get weight, folded size etc.
Grateful for advice on these two points

 

[RupertW]

It's always a compromise between what the main boat can store and what is needed by the crew size, and how often it gets used.

I've tried various combinations:

Old wooden yacht, 24 foot hull, usually 3 crew, often anchored: Solid 2.5m dinghy always towed, with 4hp seagull, occasionally stored in forepeak if a long or rough passage intended.

24 foot cruiser/racer: Usually 4 crew, 2.3m Zodiac with inflatable keel and folding floorboards and 2.5hp Suzuki. Suziki stored on folding bracket on stern and could be main yacht emergency outboard if dead calm. Zodiac in cockpit locker. This was the best compromise for any boat I've had so far.

42 foot AWB. Usually 2 crew, but sometimes 6, anchor almost every night. 3m rib and 5hp 4-stroke stored on pulpit. Excellent even when loaded and in choppy water and rows well too. Otherwise a PIA as its a drag to tow it, which we do usually, it can take 15 mins to get the engine on and off the pulpit into the dinghy, and on overnight or very long passages its very heavy and awkward for 2 of us to lift onto the foredeck. So, eventually we'll probably change to a 2m rib and smaller outboard, and just cope with the very occasional overloading or double journeys when we have a packed boat.

 

[FWB]

I can highly recommend a Torqeedo electric outboard motor. Amazing battery life and best of all it splits into 3 parts so no heavy lifting into the tender.
Video in this link
http://www.electricoutboards.eu/en/torqeedo/travel-1003
Expensive but very good.

 

[[70521]]

What size is the Avon and Seagull and why do you think it needs upgrading?

Boat 8.60m
Crew 1-6
Tender 2.3m with a 2.5 hp engine

 

[Hoolie]

Well, as has been said, it's always a compromise. We have a 2.9m Excel that will carry 4 adults without problems and a Tohatsu 3.5 two-stroke.

The dinghy's quite heavy but can be manhandled fairly easily by two people. We use the spinnaker halyard to deploy it off the fore-deck. The outboard is pretty lightweight and is easy to fit from the swim platform. With 4 up it might struggle a bit in adverse conditions, but it's adequate.

 

[Tranona]

As said, difficult to get the right balance. To carry 4 adults regularly you need a 3m+ inflatable and a 3.5hp engine. With floor this gets very heavy and cumbersome to both handle inflated and to deflate and store. Unless you are lucky enough to find a secondhand 2 stroke, all the new engines are 4 stroke and heavy. Probably better to keep your existing setup and accept you may have to make 2 trips at times.

 

[RupertW]

Well, as has been said, it's always a compromise. We have a 2.9m Excel that will carry 4 adults without problems and a Tohatsu 3.5 two-stroke.

The dinghy's quite heavy but can be manhandled fairly easily by two people. We use the spinnaker halyard to deploy it off the fore-deck. The outboard is pretty lightweight and is easy to fit from the swim platform. With 4 up it might struggle a bit in adverse conditions, but it's adequate.

Do you use the spinnaker pole as well, acting as a derrick, or just haul it over the guardrails?

 

[rob2]

Some (many) of us don't consider a 33ft yacht as being small and we manage on our 27ft to use a Plastimo 2.7. That can carry three people- although in dead flat river conditions it has sufficient buoyancy to overload it a bit! Of course when packed up it won't fit in any locker, so it gets moved around from cabin to cabin as space is needed. I'd have thought on a Neptunian you could sling a small RIB on davits or pack away almost any size inflatable on deck.

Rob.

 

[prv]

Unless you are lucky enough to find a secondhand 2 stroke

Drifting the thread slightly, but while looking for something else I came across the website for Mainbrayce, the chandler on Alderney. Being outside the EU, they're not subject to the RCD and apparently they sell a range of Tohatsu 2-strokes.

For many people here, Alderney's not so far away. You wouldn't set off there just to buy an outboard, but if planning a cruise in the area anyway it's an obvious possibility. Any practical reason why not?

Pete

 

[pcatterall]

Thanks for the comments guys ( and we stayed on thread !!)
My Avon is the smallest (Redshank?) she will carry three at pinch and the Seagull is 2.5hp(?) but probably less in reallity.
As it is the roundtail type the dinghy packs quite small and out of the way on deck or below. Carrying 4 would be a no no unless you were in swimming gear and there were no real safety concerns. Being able to carry all 4 crew would seem a big bonus obviating the need to do two trips.
The Seagull is great and normally starts second pull but starting is a problem with the boat full (in case someone gets their eye pulled out!!) and I guess that a bigger tender would need something bigger.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

We've got a 3.1m Zodiac with inflatable floor. Engine is 3.3hp 2stroke.

With two of us, including all the bits that SWMBO seems to need, it is just about big enough!

 

[Chalker]

"For many people here, Alderney's not so far away. You wouldn't set off there just to buy an outboard, but if planning a cruise in the area anyway it's an obvious possibility. Any practical reason why not?"

It's a good reason to go there over a weekend. The prices are good as well!

Phone first to arrange that they have your size in stock. If not they will get one.
I believe that they generally keep 2.5 and 9.8 in stock

 

[lw395]

I would be reluctant to go bigger than my AX3.
It is small enough to lift aboard single handed without mucking about with halyards etc.
It is light enough that SWMBO and I can easily carry it a fair way up the beach complete with Yamaha 2hp 2T.
For the number of times more than three people want to go ashore, I make 2 trips unless it's flat calm.
Until I can afford a yacht big enough to have a 3m RIB on davits, it will do!

 

[lw395]

"For many people here, Alderney's not so far away. You wouldn't set off there just to buy an outboard, but if planning a cruise in the area anyway it's an obvious possibility. Any practical reason why not?"

It's a good reason to go there over a weekend. The prices are good as well!

Phone first to arrange that they have your size in stock. If not they will get one.
I believe that they generally keep 2.5 and 9.8 in stock

And the maximum value of duty free goods you can import is?

 

[stevebrassett]

Thanks for the comments guys ( and we stayed on thread !!)
My Avon is the smallest (Redshank?) she will carry three at pinch and the Seagull is 2.5hp(?) but probably less in reallity.
As it is the roundtail type the dinghy packs quite small and out of the way on deck or below. Carrying 4 would be a no no unless you were in swimming gear and there were no real safety concerns. Being able to carry all 4 crew would seem a big bonus obviating the need to do two trips.
The Seagull is great and normally starts second pull but starting is a problem with the boat full (in case someone gets their eye pulled out!!) and I guess that a bigger tender would need something bigger.

I have the middle avon roundtail (Redcrest?) and I would put 4 in at a pinch. There is one about 10 feet long (Redstart? I really am unsure about these names), but that starts to get heavy and unweildy. The big one takes four no problem - we've done it.

 

[Halo]

As others have said its a compromise. When I sold my ancient Redcrest and bought an AX2 I made more room on deck and less weight at the cost of knowing I would always have to make multiple runs if there were guests/crew on board that needed to get off. So far this has been a right choice for my needs.
Small 2 Jap 2 stroke definately the way if you can pick one up in decent order

 

[chewi]

And the maximum value of duty free goods you can import is?

Surely it's not about avoiding the duty, it's about the engine weight, lighter 2 stroke vs heavier 4 stroke, with the 2 stroke no longer available in EU.

 

[Tranona]

Thanks for the comments guys ( and we stayed on thread !!)
My Avon is the smallest (Redshank?) she will carry three at pinch and the Seagull is 2.5hp(?) but probably less in reallity.
As it is the roundtail type the dinghy packs quite small and out of the way on deck or below. Carrying 4 would be a no no unless you were in swimming gear and there were no real safety concerns. Being able to carry all 4 crew would seem a big bonus obviating the need to do two trips.
The Seagull is great and normally starts second pull but starting is a problem with the boat full (in case someone gets their eye pulled out!!) and I guess that a bigger tender would need something bigger.

If it is the smallest it is a Redstart. Next size up and most popular is Redcrest which will take 4 at a pinch. Seagulls do not like being low in the water when starting. You can get an extra collar to go round the tube to raise the head which sometimes helps (assuming it is a 40+ short shaft).

If you do really want to go up a size you are looking at a hard transom dinghy with an inflatable floor and a much heavier engine. The whole lot then becomes very unwieldy unless you have a boat big enough to lift it onto the foredeck or on davits at the stern - for which you need a stern wider than the length of the dinghy.

 

[Hoolie]

Do you use the spinnaker pole as well, acting as a derrick, or just haul it over the guardrails?

No, we don't use the pole. The mast is about 14.5m and with a bridle it's not difficult to push the dinghy far enough out or lift it in. Or so SWMBO tells me as I'm winding the winch ... ... ...