whats the smaleest dinghy

[gary3029]

I am after a small dinghy for one person to get out to my boat. I want the smallest I can get so that I can lift it out of the water onto the boat or load it onto the roof rack. Any suggestions?
regards
gary

 

[Talbot]

more data needed - do you want a hard dinghy, a rib, or an inflatable.

Will you be using it in confined waters, or estuary conditions (i.e. waves,)

Will you be launching from a pontoon, or a slipway

Do you want to be able to row it, use an outboard, or sail it?

 

[Lakesailor]

This boat weighs 12 kilos.

How much smaller do you want?

See HERE /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[aitchw]

Is this too extreme? HF 160

Can't get the pasted URL to work s go to sevylor-europe.com and select 'boats' then 'Fishing outdoor'

 

[andy_wilson]

Bombard AX-2 is one of the smallest and lightest 'proper dinghies'. Still likely to be a bit wet in a slop if the wind gets up.

 

[Hermit]

Gary,
I use a Neptea 200 (http://www.outboardservices.co.uk/rollers.html) which is a brilliant and very light (25Kg) dinghy. It is incredibly robust. I can fit my myself and my wife in it but it is a squeeze and with one toddler already and another on the way we are thinking of sizing up! PM me If we can do a deal!
Rob

 

[oldharry]

6 ft Plastimo wheely dinghy - very light, takes 1 person. Only safe in smooth condiitions though - which is probably true of any 6 footer.

 

[Wai_Tapu]

I've been very happy with a Bic Sportyak (www.bicsport.com) - light enough for one person to lift - large enough to carry 2 persons and some gear - not a lot of freeboard though, and after many years one of the seams is starting to split! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Here

 

[AngusMcDoon]

And for sale for £50 here.

 

[AndrewB]

Sounds like an inflatable or folding boat will best suit your needs. But if, like me, you want a decent pulling rower to cope with strong currents, then you'll need a hard dinghy. Mine is a 6'4" plywood Minipaw designed by Graham Bynes. Weighs 14kg, takes 2 people at a squeeze, and is small enough to chuck inside the back of an estate car, so didn't bother with a roof-rack.

 

[Mirelle]

Caution!

Very small hard dinghies can be seriously unsafe.

Capsize it and try to reboard and bale it out.

Do this in shallow, warm, water.

You may be in for an unpleasant surprise.

A good seven foot inflatable like a Redstart is safe from this point of view, but is almost un-rowable.

 

[AndrewB]

Re: Caution!

Yes, quite true. This was the first thing we tested, and as you say, recovery from a capsize was impossible. The dinghy could be righted but not bailed out. With the addition of a good deal of flotation (sealed polystyrene blocks), it is now just possible to right, bail out, and scramble back in over the stern, in calm water.

This is definitely not a suitable dinghy for rough water, though we do get it through moderate shorebreaks. Our Redstart is a standby for bad conditions, but isn't often needed.

 

[Mirelle]

People with the same initials think alike!

In really horrible conditions, have even used Redstart on end of long rope. (This depends on whether you want to get downwind or not, of course!)

Our solid dinghy is a 9ft Nutshell glued clinker plywood job, with extra bouyancy bags each side, added after a similar experiment - the built in bouyancy fore and aft was adequate, but she spun like a top! Excellent little boat but heavy (90lbs) and takes room on deck. Very popular with the offspring, as she sails quite nicely.