T&T: Dinghy Recommendations

[Faure, Marin]

>Any recommendations on buying new, used, hoists, brand names, motors,
web sites to check out would be greatly appreciated.

This is an almost impossible question to answer meaningfully since there
are so many variables.  Much of the answer will depend on how you intend
to use the dinghy and the environment you're going to use it in.  This
is the decision process we went through but it may have little relevance
to your own situation----

Our GB36 came with a wonderful little Montgomery sailing dinghy on the
aft cabin.  It was totally unsuited for use as a shore boat by two
largish adults and a dog or two because of its tippy nature.  We kept it
on the boat because it's fun to sail but we added a new Livingston on
the swimstep on Weaver mounts for our daily dinghy.

The main things we considered when making our decision about what to get
were:  We often go ashore on rocky or gravel beaches.  We wanted the
best stability we could get for the length.  We wanted a dinghy that
would pretty much last forever with little maintenance.

The last requirement ruled out fabric dinghies (inflatable and RIB)
immediately.  To spend a ton of money on something with a relatively
short life is silly in our book, so anything made of fabric was
automatically out of the running.  And given the rocky,
barnacle-encrusted nature of where we boat, that eliminated air-filled,
fabric dinghies right away, too.

We already had a nice rowing/sailing dinghy but its stability left a lot
to be desired so we didn't waste any time looking at other models.  In
the end we decided the ugly Livingston fit our requirements perfectly.
Stable, rugged (you have to get the reinforced side model if you're
going to mount it on its side on a swimstep), and reasonably priced for
something that will probably outlast us.

But...... had we been shopping for a dinghy several years later, we
would have opted for something else.  We would have gone for the
so-called non-inflatable inflatable.  They are shaped like inflatables,
have the buoyancy of an inflatable, the speed of an RIB, but don't have
that total waste of time and money that is the fabric.  There are three
major manufacturers of these.  One is Bullfrog, made in Washington
State.  The Bullfrog uses foam tubes with a hard foam exterior and a
replaceable aluminum V-bottom.  A friend we boat with got the 10' model
a few years ago and I've been in it a lot.  Fast, strong, decent ride,
built like a tank.

The second one is the Boss Boat, built in Florida.  Same idea only their
tubes are made of fiberglass.  I'm not sure if the bottom is aluminum or
fiberglass.  I've never been in one but from everything I've read they
have an excellent reputation, they're apparently very well built, and
they have more storage than the Bullfrog due to the hollow tubes.

The third one is the Aldura, made in Canada.  Again, same idea but the
entire boat, tubes and all, is made of welded aluminum.  I don't know
much about them in terms of their quality or toughness although one of
the members of our yacht club has one on the back of his trawler, has
used it up the Inside Passage in pretty rugged situations, and says it's
great.

With the introduction of these three (and there may be other
manufacturers as well) non-inflatable inflatables, I think traditional
inflatables and RIBs are a complete waste of money.  The non-inflatable
inflatables are heavy--- that can be a drawback depending on how you
intend to carry it.  But I believe their basically infinite life makes
up for this.  The only reason I can see to invest in an inflatable is if
you truly want to take advantage of its ability to be inflated, used,
then deflated, and stored in a compact space.  But if you intend to have
your dinghy ready to launch at a moment's notice, either from the
swimstep or the cabin top, a hardshell dinghy or a Bullfrog/Boss
Boat/Aldura is, in my opinion, the most sensible way to go.

People who like inflatables and RIBs have their reasons for doing so.
Again, depending on the use and environment the attributes of an
air-filled, fabric dinghy can be beneficial.  But I can't get away from
the finite life aspect of them, and the increasing need for maintenance
(mainly leak repair) as they get older.  Everyone I know who has bought
a hardshell (Livingston, Walker Bay, etc) or a non-inflatable inflatable
in the past few years has done so because they finally got fed up with
trying to keep their aging inflatable or RIB inflated.

In terms of motors, the two brands with the best reputation for quality,
longevity, and reliability are Yamaha and Honda.  I don't think you can
go wrong with either one.

Opinions are worth exactly what you pay for them, but that's mine based
on our experience and observations.  Just make sure that whatever kind
of dinghy attracts your attention, it will truly meet your objective
list of requirements, whatever those may be.  For some people,
aesthetics are very important.  For others, functionality takes
precedence over appearance.  Best thing is to define your requirements
and then take the time to find out how all your choices-- inflatable,
RIB, hardshell, and non-inflatable inflatable--- stack up.

______________________________
C. Marin Faure
GB36-403 "La Perouse"
Bellingham, Washington