Trying to find the cheapest tender but struggling!

Ask boatyards and marinas in the nearby area if they have abandoned ones, ask other boaties.

You usually get something for free or at a low cost.

I am in the same boat as you(well not really) and currently use a borrowed wooden tender, given by someone here who has gotten a newer one. Is it ideal? No. I rather had an inflatable one to stow it but it is free.
 
I have an Avon Redstart I would sell for £150. Has inflatable seat, quality Bravo 10 pump and proper Avon floor boards (rare!). It holds air for ages. I can post it for £20 but the trouble is it has one piece wooden oars- so I would have to post those separately. Could do the whole lot for £170 posted.
 
The time of year won’t help, but there’s usually quite a few ‘proper’ used inflatables on eBay. We were looking just after Xmas - and then an unused, last year’s model, BoatWorld 310 ‘V’ air floor came up for £500 and we nabbed that. Plenty of bargains to be had and they don’t necessarily need to be a 20th century Avon (as much as I love them, having spent many happy hours in them as a kid)
 
fredrussell said:
I have an Avon Redstart I would sell for £150. Has inflatable seat, quality Bravo 10 pump and proper Avon floor boards (rare!). It holds air for ages. I can post it for £20 but the trouble is it has one piece wooden oars- so I would have to post those separately. Could do the whole lot for £170 posted.
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Having just posted the above - this does sound like a good option! :)
 
Tranona said:
Buy quality and buy once. A junky dinghy is likely to give more problems than your boat! Good used ones are out there - I just sold a perfect Plastimo 2.6m for £150 and good Redcrests go for similar money and are far and away the best budget buys. Appreciate you are in a part of the country where there are few for sale, but given what you are spending on transport to and from the boat then buying a good tender seems a priority and worth travelling for.
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This is not intended to be my proper purchase. This one is intended to be cheap and cheerful and if it goes completely kaput before the end of the year that's fine by me. If I wanted or indeed could afford :/ quality I'd be handing over the cash, but it's just not where my ambition is right now. I'm half tempted to get a raft! There's a pontoon I can lift it out at, so I have no worries scrapping it on anything sharp. How good it rows is not really a factor either, as long as it floats and I can... eventually get it to my destination... :D.

I'm taking in all the options here and considering them.
 
pcatterall said:
Please clarify.
How far is the water journey. How strong may the river current get. can you store the tender on site or will you have to bring it with you? can you fit a roof rack on your car. ????
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1. Not very far, maximum appears to be 500m, if she's moored at the furthest buoy.
2. Cleddau Ddu is the river so could be anything.
3. In my case I can't store the tender on site.
4. I can't fit a roof rack.

@fredrussell where about in the world are you?
 
James_Calvert said:
I have an old (1985) Tinker Tramp which could do with a new home.

Sailing version, and rows really well. Much patched, needs a new carrying strap mounting made up and glued on.

Complete with a serviceable sail, two piece mast and boom, tiller/ rudder. pump, oars and rowlocks. The dagger board is warped but good for a template for replacement.

Some Hypalon patching material included.

It's a bit of a project but does pump up and float.

Happy to entertain offers under £250. And meet part way for delivery from S Devon.
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This is surprisingly tempting! I didn't even consider that tenders could have sails. X3.
 
Luminescent said:
This is surprisingly tempting! I didn't even consider that tenders could have sails. X3.
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That is a seriously good offer. Those Tinkers are very nice boats (I used to have a Traveller as a tender). And the sailing kit could add a bit of fun if you can sort out a warped dagger board.
 
You're right it's not a deal breaker. I'm trying to find information regarding how it's down and all the ones I find are making it much more complicated than I think it needs to be. For example most seem to be adding fibre glass. It's hard to know without seeing everything in person.
 
Re the Tramp's dagger board, it's just a bit of flat marine ply.

It got warped over time living in the bottom of our cockpit locker, which is a bit curved.
 
UK sailors seem to be obsessed with inflatable dinghies. I have always had hard dinghies. They row well and you just tie them to your mooring buoy when you depart for a cruise. I started with a plywood Sabot 8ft dinghy. (home made) I then got a GRP about 8ft but quite heavy. At that time I was allowed to leave dinghy on beach near mooring. I then go a 10ft ali dinghy which is light for it's size. Not allowed to leave dinghies on beach any more. I fitted wheels on top of transom so it can be dragged and towed upside down. When I say, towed not by a car but by a "Shop rider" scooter. Fortunately home is close enough. However you can put lots of padding on your car roof and if dinghy is light enough carry it on the roof. Just tie it down well. Or fit a proper rack.
Or as some people do around here get an inflatable stand up paddle board. ol'will
 
William_H said:
UK sailors seem to be obsessed with inflatable dinghies. I have always had hard dinghies. They row well and you just tie them to your mooring buoy when you depart for a cruise. I started with a plywood Sabot 8ft dinghy. (home made) I then got a GRP about 8ft but quite heavy. At that time I was allowed to leave dinghy on beach near mooring. I then go a 10ft ali dinghy which is light for it's size. Not allowed to leave dinghies on beach any more. I fitted wheels on top of transom so it can be dragged and towed upside down. When I say, towed not by a car but by a "Shop rider" scooter. Fortunately home is close enough. However you can put lots of padding on your car roof and if dinghy is light enough carry it on the roof. Just tie it down well. Or fit a proper rack.
Or as some people do around here get an inflatable stand up paddle board. ol'will
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If I could transport/store a hard dinghy... I would. In my case an inflatable is my only realistic option. The only way I could get a hard dinghy would be if my boat yard suddenly decided one had been abandoned.
 
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