Tinker Inflatables

[Tim_Bennett]

I'm thinking of getting a Tinker (possibly the Funsail or Tramp) as a yacht tender. Can anyone out there with first hand experience recommend or not? Are they robust enough for the job and do they really sail?
Tim

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[MedMan]

I have bought two Tinker Tramps over a 20 year period, the first with sailing gear, the second without.

I taught two of my children to sail in the Tinker and had lots of fun with it. It sailed really well with just one of them in it but, as soon as I added my 15 stone, it sailed like a tin bath. Also, the boom is very low - not a problem for the kids but a serious problem for me at 6ft 3". So, as a sailing boat - great fun for light, short kids, but useless for heavy, tall adults.

As a tender its main merit is that it rows really well and it has waterproof stowage in the bow which is great. However, the bow is low and flat so it tends to plough through surf rater than ride over it.

As a tender for a long-term liveaboard its main disadvantage is that it requires a lot of maintenance. The floor needs painting inside and out and the transom, thwart & oars all need varnishing. There's a lot to do every year.

So - some good - some bad, as with most things. Would I buy one again? If I was 30 again and wanted to teach the kids to sail, Yes. As a long-term tender, No.

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[Avalon]

They have advantages and disadvantages.

On the positive side they row REALLY well - an absolute pleasure compared to any other inflatable I've used. Also they will plane well with quite a small outboard.

On the negative side the low bow is (IMHO) a horrible design error which will lead to you getting wet in any sort of choppy sea. Don't even think about launching through surf... The bow covering makes it difficult to disembark from the bow at a crowded dinghy dock.

The sailing rig is fun in ideal condition, but has limited windward ability (to put it mildly). And when you are using the outboard the water squirts up through the centreboard sleeve.

They do require more maintenance than other inflatables, having a wooden bottom (rather than a wooden or other floor with a hypalon bottom). They don't roll up particularly small. And in the tropics, they seem to disintegrate faster than most other inflatables.

Personally I think that for most people there are better choices. I currently have a Caribe RIB and an ancient but sound Avon, both of which I would recommend.

Phaon Reid
S/Y Avalon of Arne
Trinidad, WI

<hr width=100% size=1>Phaon Reid, S/Y Avalon of Arne
www.sailingontheweb.com

 

[summerwind]

I have a folding rib with a sailing kit. It doesn't seem to suffer from shipping water as other posters say. I planes easily with quite a small outboard. The boom is a bit low, but it sails well - even to windward. It is loads of fun and I even got it to plane a couple of times in the river - brilliant!!

Down side is that it takes up a lot of space when folded and it isn't exactly light.

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