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I am casting around for a new 2.4m roll up inflatable to replace a 20 year old Zodiac.

Yeah I know they are shite in many peoples view but this little puppy has never disappointed us.

The secret was never to attempt to row the little sucker.

Its just like its owner getting older and less durable everyday.

The market seems to offer little of any quality.

Achilles are great but plain expensive.

Avon just do not do small any longer and where always expensive.

Zodiac is Zoom is Avon is everything else but quality any longer.

Any thoughts?.

Here is a link to a interesting product.

http://www.octenders.com/search?updated ... -results=7

Just not inflatable.

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I'll be following this with interest. Ours came with a little RIB and a 4hp put put. I want a hard dinghy I can row/can take the 4hp if I so choose/ and sailing rig would be seriously good. I will put that in the davits, sell the little RIB, and the idea is to have a roll up below decks (lucky I have room). The roll up would be able to take the 4hp, but as a safety issue I think an inflatable should have decent oars and rowlocks.

I have in the past used the little Avons with a decent pair of oars, but most of what is available now that isn't possible. i.e. can't replace the crappy oars with decent ones. So I am very interested in this thread.

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I have been so impressed with the quality of the Southern Pacific Inflatables, but I have no clue as to whether they have one the size you are looking for. You may find info on their website. Price and quality, I wouldn't go past one.

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I really do like the Avon Redcrest and Redstart design.

Here is the Achilles version.

http://www.achillesinflatables.com/boat ... /LT-4/Soft

A rib is not a option re storage although Achilles do one with a removable transom that allows the dink to be stowed a little smaller than others.

I had a look at a Takacat but found it a odd wide beast and with no showroom as such I would not invest in one sight unseen.

The durability concerns of the slat floor design has been well documented but the trade off is not having to store and fit a solid floor.

Looked at Aquapro and durabilty is most definitely a issue.

Southern Pacific are just ribs now from memory.

Seems Hypalon may well have had its day due to environmental chemical by product concerns but my Zodiac was not Hypalon and the fabric has stood the test of time well.

Sailors Corner stocked a "commemorative" Zodiac Cadet 2.6 roll up that was way over priced and did not have welded seems and joins that have become the gold standard of production methods.

Lancer NZ are great but at $4500 for a 2.4m go figure.

Well I may just have to pimp my ageing Zodiac with a bit of a birthday.

Might be time for a new genoa instead. :D

Any recommendations for a dink surgeon that is centrally located.

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I like the look of this - but i want to row.

 

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/08/des ... /index.htm

I struggle with the idea of a cat rowing boat as a tender. The extra weight for the reduction in reserve buoyancy seems to be counter intuitive for what is usually a load carrying boat. It would be fun as a pure rowing boat and light load tender but I wouldn't put 3 Tongan teenagers, rubbish bags and myself in it and expect to make landfall with dry feet (based on my experience with a 6 foot mono rowing dinghy)

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Takacat sports t260s. Awesome little soft floor inflatable. Best tender I've ever owned or even been in in the size bracket. Don't go for the lite model for a tender as they tow funny. Rated to 8hp but go really well with a 15. Apparently.

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Yes inflatables are everywhere now and mostly gentle on the mother ship, however all of them tow with quite a strain and this is very noticeable on a small yacht, also I like to visit friends in the same or next bay, and to enjoy this I like to be 100% dry, yes completely. This takes rubber ducks out of the equation. Rowing is very enjoyable to me so I don't require an outboard to lift, store and fuel. A quiet (I have bearings in my rowlock sockets) row around the bay is the most relaxing way to start or finish the day, and you get to have a look at all the other designs. So the old ply and glass work well for me, and I can sail it too. Having said all that I will follow the OC tender with interest.

BP your ship looked great on Sat night in the golden sunset from across at the O.C.C. deck.

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Yup. Takakat. It's been good so far. Had it 3 years. Inflatable floor had a slow leak from new but I just pump it up.. Good reinforcement under the tubes for dragging up the beach, and folds up nicely. We have a 5 hp on ours and it goes great. Good to Row but has alloy slot together oars. OK so far, but can't see them standing heavy use. Very stable, probably a bit wetter than a RIB of the same length..

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Yeah , the RIB manufacturers need to take note. Friends of mine asked me about what they should replace their old RIB with and I told em to re tube it because they'll never find another one with narrow beam like they had . 1.4 wide , it fits on deck. All the current crop are big fat pigs at 1600 odd wide and great big tubes. You might as well put up a tent on your cabintop or foredeck.

 

Like that first one shown in the link ,( I had a conversation with him in the BOI a couple of years ago) what yachties/ cruisers need out of a RIB is less inflatable and more boat so it has a chance of rowing ,can be powered by a small motor ,is light enough for lifting and doesn't carve up the hull like every hard dinghy in existence . There are a few people working down that track.

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I want a hard dinghy I can row/can take the 4hp if I so choose/ and sailing rig would be seriously good. thread.

 

Have you seen James Brett's unicat design? I bult one, and ow I see there is a mod to the design for a sailing rig.

 

Rows pretty well, takes a big load.

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Here are my thoughts, for whatever they're worth!

 

I have a 14 (almost 15) year old Aquapro 2.7m RIB. It is PVC. It has had an absolute thrashing. It's had a 15hp (32Kg Merc 2 stroke) on it most of the time, and has been used to Ski - with the kids - tow biscuits, fend boats, tug services, exploration vessel, etc etc. It rows, but not great. The rollocks are crap - if you pull too hard, they come out! It has good wooden oars. It weighs 34KG, so we can lift it aboard without tackle. It looks like it's had a thrashing. In the tropics, the handles all came off (after 12 years) and have been re-attached. There are 2 cracks in the Alloy hull that now weep. It really has been a fantastic dingy.

 

When the Aquapro split a bit of seam after being stuck under a wharf (by rising tide and wind shift) in Thailand, I was worried about it surviving until we returned to NZ. I repaired it, and ordered a Takacat lite as a spare. The price was right and I had read people on here liked them. It arrived in Malaysia, and I inflated it and used it for about an hour. It was considerably wetter than the Aquapro, did not tow as well, and was less stable to stand in (on the inflatable floor - remember that the Aquapro is a rib). You often got wet feet, as the floor did not drain as you would think for an inflatable floor - the drain is ABOVE the floor level???. Honestly I was a bit disappointed. I rolled it up, and put it under the front bunk - which IS a big advantage.

 

When we got back to NZ (The Aquapro did survive, and has not given us an issue since), I decided to sell the Takacat - remember it had had under 2 hours use, but was now maybe 14 months "old". About a month after I sold it, I had a call from the purchaser - the Takacat had split a seam, and they would not repair it under warranty - 2nd owner, outside warranty etc (by 2 months!). I though this was a bit poor.

 

Now, I know that Aquapro have had some (serious) issues with quality since I bought mine (which was NZ made). I'm not recommending them because of this (although now no longer made in China I believe). I'm just saying that quality PVC can be great! Telling the one from the other though can be hard.

 

My priorities for a dingy are - fits on the boat where you want to carry it, can carry the (normal) crew, can plane (sometimes we go a long way in the dingy), stable, dry and capable of dealing with a chop, weight, durability, self fending. I think we had all that with the old Aquapro, and, when it does die, my current plan is to have it re-tubed, and the hull repaired. Possibly by Lancer.

 

Hope that might help someone.

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JB I agree with you regarding the excessive size of the puff and blow expandable dink.

Maxxon does not have two xx's for no given reason.

One of the considerations for a inflatable is the valve design and function.

I had a Avon that required one to practically make love to it to deflate.

The Zodiac valve was invented to be air cooled.Never sealed a day in its life.

Longevity of my Zodiac was mainly due I think to the fact that when not in use it is compactly stowed away in its condom.

I do like the size weight and style of the Southern Pacific. The rise in the nose is a great plus. It is very light also.

Although I have shied away from rowing and rely on a Yamaha 2hp to motivate me I am wearing a spare tyre or two and a little exercise could be a bonus.

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I trucked on out to the Southern Pacific factory /showroom to have a gander at their product.

Spoke to a very nice and friendly chap.

Yes the do make dinghies.

Yes they are inflatables.

Yes they have no showroom.

Yes there is no product available to view in the flesh until Feb.

Lucky I am in no hurry.

Came back to the city and gave the 20 year old Zodiac a cuddle and a kiss.

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Trademe has come through for me again.

Dinghy dilema sorted.

Man its a minter.

 

2400mm long, 1500mm wide. 350mm Inflatable Tube size. Comes with the Pump. However-------------The Supporting Floor, The Motor Transom and a rope handhold has delaminated from the Zodiac over Winter. I cannot be bothered getting the Tyre Rubber Glue to fix it, so out it goes on $200.00 reserve. Goes well in the water! It may pay to strip the whole lot off and start again to secure all the parts to the Main Tubing. Cheers for Christmas and a most Happy New Year.

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