Well, we got a much-needed new motor. We upgrade from a 1969 Evinrude 6HP to a 2021 Mercury 4HP. Step 1! As for the tender, we continue to investigate options as we try a last round of sealing the leaks on our current tender with 3M 5200. We have come to an agreement that if this does not work, we get a new dinghy :).
To help others in their future dinghy decision, we thought we would share the research we have done so far. Here are our criteria for a new tender/dinghy:
1. It floats J
2. It is light enough for one person to pull on to the swim platform. No desire to add expensive davits to this boat.
3. Small enough to fit on the swim platform (9-10 ft or under)
4. Stable enough for the coordinationally challenged to get on and off safely
5. Can use our new 4HP motor
6. Relatively inexpensive as we plan on selling our trawler when done with the loop. Not sure if what the future holds after that. May buy different boat and keep this lifestyle, may get dirt home.
Here are the options we looked at:
Hard dinghies
1. Portland Pudgy-love, love, love this. It fits the New England look and feel of our trawler. Pros: Rugged, floats, small size, can take our motor. Cons: Heavy and relatively expensive. Difficult to find on the used market.
2. Whaly: Love the seating along the sides instead of across. It comes in a variety of sizes, including one that will meet our needs. Pros: Can take shoring without worry, small size, motor compatible. Cons: Again, heavy, difficult to find used. Not sure about stability.
3. Walker Bay-Most affordable option. Pros: Easy to purchase at Marine Trader and used. Close to weight requirement, available in size needed. Cons: Not stable. Can buy an optional inflatable collar. Unable to determine if this will be stable enough for getting in and out. Minimal videos on YouTube to see this product in action.
4. Others are rowing/sailing dinghies. There are a variety of smaller companies that make rigid bottom dinghies, especially for rowing or sailing. Fat Knees, Bauer, Gig Harbor, etc. Most are more expensive and designed for rowing or sailing, not necessarily a motorized dinghy. I love the look and idea of them; they just don’t appear practical for our needs. I am open to the idea that I am wrong about this.
Inflatable dinghies
1. Wood floor-cheap and same as our current dinghy. Pros: inexpensive, light, fits transom, stable, will fit our motor. Cons: Easy to puncture when beachy, prone to leaks, will not last a long time, or take a beating.
2. Air floor-little more stability than the wood floor. Pros: good price range, light, fits transom, stable, fit motor. Cons: Again, punctures, leaks, and ruggedness.
3. Aluminum floor-much more stable can plane with two people. Pros: rugged bottom, stable. Cons: heavy
4. RIB-Same as an aluminum floor. Too heavy for our needs.
5. TakaCat-an inflatable catamaran. Pros: light, right size, very stable. Cons: Not a fan of the seating.
6. TrueKit-a product from New Zealand. Great product, meets almost all of our needs. Pros: light, durable, right size, can take motor, stable. Cons: Expensive as must be shipped from NZ, also will take weeks to get.
ohbuoy.net 