Whats the best inflatable in 2 metre size range for rowing?

[Kestrahl 6]

We have a 2.0m yachtmaster from Aakron with inflatable keel. Doesn't row very well like all the rest.. Also 18th months old and its is pretty much a throw away, 5 year warranty doesn't cover tropical cruising!. Transom is rotten and all the glue holding it on is failing, already reglued all the handles etc back on and reglued seams twice. Also it has a tendency to flip over backwards with the inflatable keel and short length

 

A lot of full time cruisers in the tropics have problems with inflatables and you meet a lot who have gone to alloy dinghy's if they have a big boat with davits.

[idlerboat 116]

First towing a ding, is fine till it goes wrong. It has happened to me and other friends. One just last weekend.

 

First mine...boat speed picked up heaps (under sail) water came over transom of dingy...dingy sunk with my brand new motor.

 

Second..squall hit, mother ship turned sharp, wind caught dingy which then lifted off the water and flew...spinning very rapidly. Before action could be taken, painter bunched up and tore attachement point off ding...

 

Third.. wind built, wave action flipped ding...The suction of the up turned dingy made it impossible for owner to retrieve....the drag of ding made it very difficult to gain any kind of boat speed to get to a safe anchor place.

Trying to retrieve dingy before that needed attaching to stay sail halyard....

 

We can all come up with plans as to how we could have done it better in those situations. Fact is...once it has happened it realy is not that easy.

 

Nesting dingys. That is what I have. Rows beautifuly.

Mine is a full 10 foot 6 narrow ish beam....

It still wouldnt fit on a 23 footer......and I dont tow it unless I am absolutely sure.

I have in fact worked out a method to lift it , fully fitted with motor...and tie it across the staunchions. It does stick out 400mm either side of the boat...looks wierd because I have never seen anyone else do this, and I dont come up to a jetty with it in this positon.....but hey..it works brilliantly. Lashed down, it will take a short storm. Anything worse and I break it up and put it to bed.

The point is.....I dont tow it if I have any doubts.

PS ...I have a quick release system on all my main sheet blocks so that I can use the boom as a high purchase (with winch) crane. The ding also has permanent lifting eyes and its own dedicated lifting bridal. Five clicks..and its ready to lift.

[Zozza 293]

We have a 2.0m yachtmaster from Aakron with inflatable keel. Doesn't row very well like all the rest.. Also 18th months old and its is pretty much a throw away, 5 year warranty doesn't cover tropical cruising!. Transom is rotten and all the glue holding it on is failing, already reglued all the handles etc back on and reglued seams twice. Also it has a tendency to flip over backwards with the inflatable keel and short length

 

A lot of full time cruisers in the tropics have problems with inflatables and you meet a lot who have gone to alloy dinghy's if they have a big boat with davits.

 

So. it seems with all the so called "advances" in PVC, that Hypalon is still the best material by a country mile.

The NZ made Lancer tenders are made out of Hypalon.

But almost $4K for a small tender! Jeeeeeeezuzzzzz!

[John B 106]

We have a 2.0m yachtmaster from Aakron with inflatable keel. Doesn't row very well like all the rest.. Also 18th months old and its is pretty much a throw away, 5 year warranty doesn't cover tropical cruising!. Transom is rotten and all the glue holding it on is failing, already reglued all the handles etc back on and reglued seams twice. Also it has a tendency to flip over backwards with the inflatable keel and short length

 

A lot of full time cruisers in the tropics have problems with inflatables and you meet a lot who have gone to alloy dinghy's if they have a big boat with davits.

I heard a similar story from a guy who left his boat in Vuda point last year. 1 year old dinghy! ditched it.

Pretty horrifying really.

[banaari 27]

To tow, or to stow: that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The waves and winds of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by stowing end them? To stow: to tow;

No more; and by a stow to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That towing is heir to,

Brilliant!

[Atom Ant 0]

I had a Southern Pacific PVC made for me. It was originally a 2.4, but they made me a 2.2 version to fit on the foredeck of my yacht. It was a roll up but I made a 2 piece ply floor for it and it was fine. It rowed ok for an inflatable. Had wooden oars and real rowlocks. In 15 years I busted only 2 rowlocks. Inflatables are made to fulfill many requirements. One of which is to be stowable. This in itself causes compromises in its other functions. If you store it outside, put a cover on it, then it will last for ages. Go see Jono, tell him what you want, he'll sort it for you.

[John B 106]

To tow, or to stow: that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The waves and winds of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by stowing end them? To stow: to tow;

No more; and by a stow to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That towing is heir to,

 

 

You need to get a nylon painter, mate.

[Guest]

Another alternative that looks interesting

 

http://www.ampro.co.nz/products/point65 ... index.html

[Zozza 293]

Another alternative that looks interesting

 

http://www.ampro.co.nz/products/point65 ... index.html

 

Heck yeah! That's looks interesting.

Tandem capacity is 530lbs, or I could just clip the solo one when not having to carry anything to / from shore.

 

Plus should be easy to stow the three bits below decks aft as I have no inboard engine!

 

CHeers!

[Terry B 71]

The problem I have with that kayak (and all kayaks) is the stability getting into and out of it off the back of the yacht.

 

At my age (or any age?) the rubber ducky can present difficulties in a chop - hate to think what clambering into one of these would be like!

[banaari 27]

The problem I have with that kayak (and all kayaks) is the stability getting into and out of it off the back of the yacht.

Am thinking maybe some quick-release lashings or something on one side of the kayak to hold it in place against the transom would do the trick.

Because otherwise this Point 65 stuff looks like just the ticket.

[khayyam 68]

Am thinking maybe some quick-release lashings or something on one side of the kayak to hold it in place against the transom would do the trick.

 

your mooring must be a lot calmer than mine!

[Island Time 1,235]

PVC Inflatables can be ok. I have a 13yr old Aquapro 2.9m RIB.(NZ Made). It's never had a cover, had a motor 50% bigger than it's meant to, and been outside it's whole life except for 2 winters. It has been fantastic!

However, it seems to me that it is the glue that lets them down. In the last 2 years in the tropics we had the "normal" issues - 1 seam problem, handles all fell off, rowlock holders fell off, seat attachments fell off... It thought that that was the end of the dingy, but bought some glue in Asia and re-glued everything. It all fell off again! Did that 2x more, using different glues. The last one has been good, and the dingy is still going strong! That glue is almost gone (3 part, cleaner 1st, then 2 pack glue), and causes a bad skin reaction if you don't wear gloves, and it dissolves surgical gloves! Can't read the label, it's in Asian! Not sure what I'll get next. Open to suggestions? Conclusion - a GOOD PVC boat can last for years.

 

Oh Yes, I bought a Takacat light as an emergency spare. I didn't like it much. Ot was wet, hard to bail properly etc. Sold it when we got back to NZ - it has been in the water less than 2 hours then stored away. New owner contacted me a month later saying it has split a seam, and the manufacturers would not honor the warranty as it was not transferreable!

 

Kayaks. As someone who has spent a few years paddling whitewater kayaks, and competed in them, I feel I'm in a good position to comment on these. They are wet. They are unstable to get into and out of from a yacht. Sit in ones (The Best sort IMO) will get whatever you carry wet as well. Sit on ones are not much use in rougher conditions unless you can paddle well and have a seatbelt. But they are fun, and you can get in and out, it just takes practice. Plastic ones are heavy, but extremely tough. Glass/Kevlar/Carbon ones are light, and WAY better to paddle, but they are more fragile. A good paddling Kayak will be about 17ft long though! A whitewater boat can be short (Known as a BAT) but will be tiring to paddle straight - they are not meant to do that! Some are less than 6ft (1.8m). Look up Pyranah Kayaks in google. Great fun in the surf once you can roll them though!

[smithy09 50]

I would look at a Takacat. They row amazingly well, better than any inflatable keel or RIB I have tried.

Mine also has self deflated quite happily from new so no need to waste time there.

Second that. Ours is easy to row, never had a problem. Easy to deflate/inflate. Not sure what Island Time got. A lemon? They can be a bit wet, but are very stable, and from my experience pretty tough. We do have the bigger version though, and I think there are 3 sizes, so maybe the smaller ones are not so great? Dunno. All I can say is our one works great.