Inflatable Picks

[MarkA]

Close to a decision....

I've been looking at the Mercury 270 (8'9") and 310 (10'2") Airdecks, both of which are hypalon. At 82 and 103 lbs., respectively, they seem a little heavy (but that weight includes the oars and pump).

I like the fact that they have three air chambers, plus the inflatable floor and inflatable keel. 1200 and 1400 lb capacity. 10-year factory warranty. $1,399 or $1,549 at Defender.

I'm leaning toward the 8'9" model, because that's all I could likely fit on my foredeck when inflated. On the other hand, the stowed dimensions for both are listed as identical.

Hmmm, what to do?

 

[ted_reshetiloff]

I dont think I can go any smaller than 9' with my family and am leaning towards something in the 9.5-10' range. Figure an 8 horse motor. Hoping that it will stow well and have enough room for all of us. Been looking at motors on Ebay.

 

[Guy Stevens]

Dingys and religion

We had two dinks when we went cruising, at first we only had a Gig Harbor rigid 10 footer. Good Dingy, poor customer service, High price, and god awefull finish on the second one that we were given after the first one proved to be completely dry in the layup. However for most of our cruising it was a great thing. I could row it at 6 knots for about 1.5 hours without a break, and we could have it over the side, and have cleared customs before most people were able to get their inflatables inflated.

As a snorkling and Diving platform, it was completely worthless.

So we picked up a 10'6" Aquapro Aluminum bottomed rib while in NZ. As a diving and snorkling platform it can't be beat. We purchased a fuel tank, and got a free 18 horse outboard with it, and that is what we put on it. (Note you are only supposed to put a max 15 horse on the thing). I only tried a hole shot in the dink with the outboard on it once. The results were terrifying, and I was only saved from certain disaster and possible serious injury by a fortuitous gust of wing. However we could plane in anything upwind, downwind, cross wind you name it.

We still kept the hard dink, and it still got used a lot when we were not diving. Both of them would end up in the water at most anchorages. On the 39 both fit on the foredeck using a really strange, but completely effective system of stacking them. On the 46 the inflatable is great, we don't have the hard dink anymore. If we were going again, I would have the inflatable, (cause we generally do about 3 dives a day, and diving is our major entertainment package while cruising), but if I were able to score a good deal on a 10 foot or slightly bigger hard dink, I would do that. Would I buy a Gig Harbor again, from the manufacture? NO!.

Depending on what you are doing where you are going, and what you want out of a dink, all options have a place.

1> Rigid dink, make the water line long enough so that you can actually row the thing, and you will love it. As long as you are just using it to get around you will love it. Couple it with a small 5 horse or so outboard, and you have descent range, easier going when you want to go farther than the dingy dock, and by far the toughest of the selection. If you get one that actually rows well, which is the ONLY point to having a rigid dink, you will find it easier by far to deal with than an inflatable.

2> PVC inflatable, comes out of the bag, gets inflated, used a couple of times a year, goes back into bag. Little exposure to the elements, or use, then it should do you fine. Don't expect it to stand up to much use or abuse though. If it only gets occasional use though, it is a lot more economical than a hypalon boat.

3> Hypalon Inflatable, serious cruising and diving must, all of the PVC boats that we saw out there were accompanied by owners that said; "I really wish that I had bought the hypalon version instead of this one." Remember that it is the family car, and if you are going to go to dive sites etc, the extra roaming range can be a real bonus, and although that is true with all inflatables, the Hypalon will stand up to the elements, and the people using it a lot better than the PVC.

FWIW
Guy

 

[ted_reshetiloff]

This from Defender who sell both PVC and Hypalon. I dont want this thread to become a PVC vs Hypalon theme but this was interesting coming from Defender. My remaining question is size. How big to be adequate for 4 + groceries but not too big to manage on the 38.



Sir- Many manufacturers do claim that hypalon is better than PVC. This statement is not necessarily true as there are a lot of different manufacturers of the fabric itself and not all are of the same quality. Both fabrics have their pros and cons. Hypalon tends to be a little more UV resistant than PVC but it is not something that can usually be noticed unless you are in the tropics. On the other hand PVC is more easily repairable than hypalon which is usually a concern for many customers. The biggest factor in how long a boat last is really going to be how well it is taken care of. A well taken care of PVC boat should last just as long as any hypalon boat.
Avon is definitely a top quality boat and they do tend to last a long time. However, I will point out that the ten year warranty is on the fabric itself. The seams and construction are covered for five years just like most of the other brands. The Zodiac and Achilles boats are also very good boats and they both have five year warranties.
The biggest suggestion that we can make is to take time and make sure that whatever you decide on will work well for you. Please let us know if there is anything else that we can do to help. Also we will put some brochure in the mail to you today. thanks again and happy holidays,
Chris Going
Boats & Motors Sales and Service Manager
Defender Industries

 

[MarkA]

That's interesting

Defender's comments were interesting.

Note that Mercury offers 10-year warranties on their hypalon boats, but only 5-year on their PVC.

Nigel Calder's comments about PVC becoming sticky and disintegrating convinced me to go with hypalon. His Cruising Handbook has an entire section on dinghy choice.

 

[The Blue Heeler]

Seatworthy

I just picked up an unused 8'6" Seaworthy inflatable. Has anyone had any experience with them? It's rated for up to an 8hp outboard.

 

[lbertran]

My Experience With PVC

We bought a West Marine inflatable in 1997 and have been very pleased. In that time we've had 2 punctures and one seam leak, all of which we easily repaired ourselves. We bought the PVC boat because we wanted to keep the weight down, it is significantly lighter than hypalon boats of the same size. If I were going to the tropics, I'd consider getting a hypalon boat and canvas covers for the tubes. But PVC has served well here in the Chesapeake Bay.

Laura Bertran
Footloose, 1985 E35-3
Annapolis, MD

 

[ted_reshetiloff]

Thank Laura that is vey helpful info. I have been focusing on Hypalon based on Calders comments in his book, but am starting to think about PVC based on a lot of comments. It sounds like PVC is easier to repair, lighter, and less expensive. The risk seems to be the material becoming gummy from the sun but I am starting to think that if I kept the thing out of the sun when not in use and maybe used some protectant it may not be a problem here on the bay. Biggest question is still size. I am not sure how big I want to go. 8.5' is too small but 10' sounds like a lot of dinghy to be wrestling around.

 

[lbertran]

Ours is 8.5'

Ted-
Ours is 8.5' with a wood slat roll up floor. It's usually just two of us using it so it's fine. But I'd get a foot bigger and an inflatable floor if I was getting a new one. We keep the dinghy under our carport when not in use. But for several years before that, we kept it on an exposed dinghy rack. We simply flipped it upside down and covered it with a canvas dinghy cover that we also got at WM. We use it most weekends that we cruise, which is most weekends And we also do an annual two week cruise in June. I have never noticed any gumminess.
We have friends who spent about a year cruising from New Jersey to the Florida Keys. Toward the end of their cruise, their PVC Quicksilver Inflatable had become very gummy and looked quite deteriorated. Around the clock exposure down south is tough on these dinks.
Happy New Year!
Laura

 

[gabosifat]

inflatable

Hi Ted,

You might want to look at the new Walker Bay inflatables. They are a rigid hulled inflatable with a plastic hull rather than aluminum or fiberglass so I beleive it's lighter. They've been making this plastic for years on their sailing dingies & I gather it's very durable. It has a great design, the floor is flat inside so easy to stand on, the transom is available in a fixed or fold down version which makes storing it far easier. It also has wheels built into the hull for hauling up onto the beach.

Cheers,
Steve Gabbott
E35/3 "Silent Dancer"
Vancouver

 

[ted_reshetiloff]

Yeah I saw those but they don't appear to store very small. I think if I was going that route I would probably just get a RIB. I am looking at the Mercury brand right now as a likely choice as they have Hypalon 9.5' dinks with great warrantees for good price through Defender. Defender sent me brochures on the full product line of every manufacturer they carry. It was a lot of info and I was able to create an excel spreadsheet comparing all of the 9-10ft dinks with inflatable floors. Dont have it here but will try to post it soon. Can I post an excel spreadsheet?

 

[Mindscape]

xls of your research

Ted - if you are able to post the xls with your research it would be great, looking at dinks in this category as well and really just getting started. Appreciate all the work you went to and want to avoid it if I can

 

[MarkA]

Hurry!

Ted, the Defender site shows only 8'9" and 10'2" in Mercury hypalons with air floors. I'm torn between the two, but I need to act fast. Defender is having a clearance sale on '06 models, and the '07 models are significantly more expensive. Also, the '06 models come with rebates.

 

[ted_reshetiloff]

Mark you are right it is the 10'2 on the mercury, sorry. Okay I got my little table up in a word doc. Hope it helps. I guess Im thinking mostly about the 9.5' achillies or the 10'2" mercury. Both look like good dinks with good warrantees and good pricing.

 

[jkm]

Ted

I bought a Mercury with the wood slat floor (I've a Rotty for a dog) and it goes right up to plane with a 5hp motor.

I've been happy with it for the last few years, pump works ok, stores fine though I have davits for it.

the price was the decision maker.

John

 

[mark reed]

We inherited an 8+' WM (Zodiac?) PVC roll-up w/ the boat in 2002. It's probably 10+ years old now. Took it in for a professional patch job in 2004 (I couldn't figure out how to patch holes near transom; they just slit the tubes and patched original holes from the inside, then patched slits from the outside - duh!); it has worked perfectly ever since. Planes easily w/ 2 adults and groceries w/ a Yamaha 8hp (2-stroke). We tow it in inside waters, put it on the foredeck for outside passages, and roll it up and take it home each winter. Biggest drawback: gumminess. I found some chemical that removed it, but it was back within a few months. Other drawbacks - vulnerable to barnacles and sharp rocks that are common in our cruising area (BC Coast); rollup floor "writhes" around while planing at speed, even with inflated keel.
After seeing other dinks on a number of Carib sailing trips on friends' boats, we will eventually upgrade to a compact RIB w/ folding transom, if we ever head south; whether we go with PVC or Hypalon, we will have fabric covers to protect tubes from UV. But this dink will work fine for now, and we will keep it (and keep fixing it up) until it plays out.

 

[rwthomas1]

I was the the Providence Boat Show this weekend and happened upon a neat RIB from AB Inflatables. It was an aluminium hull RIB from their "Lammina" series. The aluminum hull was interesting as it was completely welded, very tough and very light. The model I looked at only weighed 90lbs. If I needed a RIB, that would be the one. RT

 

[mjsiega]

QuickSilver PVC

I have a 1992 10'6" Quicksilver (Now Mercury) inflatable with the wood transom, wood floorboards, and inflatable keel that I bought new. The PVC is fine all seams are still strong and it loses maybe a little air after a few weeks of being fully inflated. The wood floorboards are a pain and have slowly delaminated (have ben epoxying them back together). The wood transom also is now starting to show a little delamination. All in all it is an excellent inflatable, I still use and abuse it. I definitely would suggest getting the air floor for ease of assembly and disassembly. This boat has actually out-lasted its original motor (Honda 15 hp) and I'm now using a Suzuki 15 hp 4 stroke. If your just using this as a tender the Hypalon is overkill. All inflatables, unless you get a rigid bottom, pound in the waves. Hopes this helps.

-Mark

 

[Richard Elliott]

Inflatables

I was also impressed with the AB RIB with the aluminum bottom. I've had an 8ft. Aquapro with aluminum bottom for about 10 years and have had very good luck with it. My wife and I can manhandle it on deck over the lifelines. However, I'm looking for a larger dink about 10ft. The AB was most impressive until I saw the new Walker Bay with a molded plastic bottom. Their demo video shows them driving a truck over it.

 

[rwthomas1]

I was also impressed with the AB RIB with the aluminum bottom. I've had an 8ft. Aquapro with aluminum bottom for about 10 years and have had very good luck with it. My wife and I can manhandle it on deck over the lifelines. However, I'm looking for a larger dink about 10ft. The AB was most impressive until I saw the new Walker Bay with a molded plastic bottom. Their demo video shows them driving a truck over it.

Yes but most anywhere you go they can weld aluminum and you can beat it back into shape if you need to, also likely more abrasion resistant. Sorry, I'm just not a WalkerBay fan RT