T&T: Dinghy Recommendations

[Pascal Gademer]

good summary...  rowing an inflatable is no fun when the wind picks up ... 
been there, done that !

it took me a while to decide on what to get while using a small roll up 
inflatable with a 3.3 outboard.    i guess it could be an option if you 
don't really need to carry many people, dont' want to spend a lot of money 
and/or dont' have a lot of room to store it.  Weaver davits are nice, as 
long as you dont' need to board your boat from the stern.

i finally decided to build my own 13 footer...   I didnt' want to pay a ton 
of money for a small whaler or Boss Boat, didnt' want the hassle of an 
inflatable (worrying about leaks, holes, seams, etc...) and coudn't get past 
the looks of the Livingston ! :-)  so i got inspired by a pair of old Hobie 
hulls but it's more like a tri hull.  I'm very happy about stability.. i can 
stand (230lbs) at any corner and keep my balance !    here is a pic... 
http://tinyurl.com/24rf66

bottom line, there is no perfect dinghy... and i think you'll get as many 
opinions on dinghy as you will on anchors or fuel filters ! :-)

oh one more thing... be ready for sticker shock when you start looking at 
outboards... even used ones seem to hold their value better than boats !

pascal
miami, fl
70 hatteras 53