New dink

[bratwurzt1]

Hi All,

It's time to buy a new tender since I over-powered our last Zodiac 8'6" for 8 years with a 9.9 two stroke and it's ripped the transom off. I've repaired it twice and that's all I'm gonna get out of it. Also buying a new 3.5 hp 41lb motor to make life easier getting the motor on and off the boat. Question is, we are really torn between the same aluminum floor roll up and the RIB floor. It's a $1000 more for the RIB and it seems they would tow better, also take waves better if going to shore during a blow. The RIB is also 25lbs lighter than our old Zodiac aluminum floor roll up. Has anyone made the move to an RIB and is it worth the extra money? 

[Zanshin]

The dinghy decision is also based on your intended use. In the Caribbean cruisers such as myself won't touch a dock for several months at a time, so the dinghy is the only means of transport between boat and shore. It gets used at least twice daily, sometimes for long distances. So after two roll-up floor and inflatable keel dinghies over the years and switching to RIBs I will never go back. I'm now firmly in the Highfield camp, although the standard Caribe dinghies are good as well.

[fellowship]

I have a Zodiac Alu RIB with a 3.5 outboard that we bought 3years ago. This has been the best combination for my wife and I. Our only problem now is how to carry it on our NC 895 weekender that we just bought. This is our first cruiser with outboards.

[Charlie-Bravo]

I would think the rib hull will tow better, but with only 3.4 hp on tap isn’t going to get the full benefits of the extra 1000 spent on the hull, …….. like any ballistic speed, does your roll up act as a sea anchor whilst being towed?
The rib being lighter is a bonus, for handling and performance, but if you intend to not tow the dinghy on longer trips stowage might be more challenging on the 35 , we tie our dink across the transom sitting on the step, perhaps a 2.5M would also sit well like that.

I still have my aging 2017 2.4 seago air deck which has an inflatable keel to make it look rib shaped , but have gone to Honda’s small and light 2.4 four stroke air cooled …… so no skimming across the water for me.
It hasn’t failed to get us ashore and back, all be it at 4-5 knots on smooth water flat out, is a lot easier than rowing , and so I deem it to be a success, the one arm lift of the motor makes it very easy to mount / unmount, but I still use ‘handy billy’ off the boom to raise it, (it is just so easy) and the engine being air cooled doesn’t need flushing with fresh water, and goes for ever (possibly a little less) on a mug of petrol.

So the above is the good side, bad side ….. it’s not much fun, just utility, makes more noise than a water cooled engine, so conversation gets put on hold till at the shore, and a longish trip to shore can look quite a challenge in some conditions from the deck, occasionally I worry a little of if I will make it back should the weather turn bad, and don’t attempt the trip.
On the whole it works for us and what we do, as Zanshin said , define your intended use.

It’s a balance of what you need / want it to do , how agile and strong you are, how often you actually use it, and how much money you want to spend, …. davits, outboard crane , initial cost etc.

Back to your question, if you roll up the existing model , as that’s the main benefit of the design, and stow it on deck a lot, and can be handy some times,  will you miss this? if not , a rib tied on the transom, ready for launch and nicer for sailing than a tow , is a very nice dink to have, and should drag along better if you must tow.

CB

[NZL50505]

truekit.net/

I have one of these. See Sailing Fairisle too.

[bratwurzt1]

Feb 18, 2024 20:40:05 GMT Charlie-Bravo said:

I would think the rib hull will tow better, but with only 3.4 hp on tap isn’t going to get the full benefits of the extra 1000 spent on the hull, …….. like any ballistic speed, does your roll up act as a sea anchor whilst being towed?
The rib being lighter is a bonus, for handling and performance, but if you intend to not tow the dinghy on longer trips stowage might be more challenging on the 35 , we tie our dink across the transom sitting on the step, perhaps a 2.5M would also sit well like that.

I still have my aging 2017 2.4 seago air deck which has an inflatable keel to make it look rib shaped , but have gone to Honda’s small and light 2.4 four stroke air cooled …… so no skimming across the water for me.
It hasn’t failed to get us ashore and back, all be it at 4-5 knots on smooth water flat out, is a lot easier than rowing , and so I deem it to be a success, the one arm lift of the motor makes it very easy to mount / unmount, but I still use ‘handy billy’ off the boom to raise it, (it is just so easy) and the engine being air cooled doesn’t need flushing with fresh water, and goes for ever (possibly a little less) on a mug of petrol.

So the above is the good side, bad side ….. it’s not much fun, just utility, makes more noise than a water cooled engine, so conversation gets put on hold till at the shore, and a longish trip to shore can look quite a challenge in some conditions from the deck, occasionally I worry a little of if I will make it back should the weather turn bad, and don’t attempt the trip.
On the whole it works for us and what we do, as Zanshin said , define your intended use.



It’s a balance of what you need / want it to do , how agile and strong you are, how often you actually use it, and how much money you want to spend, …. davits, outboard crane , initial cost etc.

Back to your question, if you roll up the existing model , as that’s the main benefit of the design, and stow it on deck a lot, and can be handy some times,  will you miss this? if not , a rib tied on the transom, ready for launch and nicer for sailing than a tow , is a very nice dink to have, and should drag along better if you must tow.

CB

We have our roll up because we were new to boating 8 years ago and the price was right, we tow it everywhere and we do a lot of long weekend trips over the course of the summer. While sailing I do move the tow line toward and back a lot to try and get it where it seems it's not being drogue! We don't really care about the speed of the tender with the outboard its more of a weight thing and also the higher HP are a bear to start for my wife. That 3.5 only being 41lbs will save the $800 on a hoist too.  

[bratwurzt1]

Feb 19, 2024 3:49:55 GMT NZL50505 said:

truekit.net/

I have one of these. See Sailing Fairisle too.

These look very cool thanks for sharing. 

[bratwurzt1]

Feb 18, 2024 15:46:07 GMT fellowship said:

I have a Zodiac Alu RIB with a 3.5 outboard that we bought 3years ago. This has been the best combination for my wife and I. Our only problem now is how to carry it on our NC 895 weekender that we just bought. This is our first cruiser with outboards.

Thanks for the feedback. I know the 3.5 wont get you on plane but does it have enough hp to push the tender at a reasonable speed?

[shenandoah]

My answer would be no, but "reasonable speed" is in the eye of the beholder. Zanshin is correct, it all depends on how you will use the dinghy. We use ours to explore and go on adventures. We have been on 20 mile round trip dinghy rides. We would not go without a good sized RIB, nor would we sacrifice a single horse from our 20hp outboard. But, that is all based on how we use it. 

Some use it solely as a way to go from the boat to the dinghy dock. That is a totally different criteria. It also matter how many will be on board. We have had as many as seven. If you are never more than 2 that makes a big difference. 

If it will be your "car", I would say RIB and stick with the 9.9 hp. Install a crane to make handling easier. If it is occasionally used to get one or two people to shore then go light on the dink and small on the HP. Might even go electric. 

Hope that is helpful. 

[bratwurzt1]

Feb 20, 2024 17:40:15 GMT shenandoah said:

My answer would be no, but "reasonable speed" is in the eye of the beholder. Zanshin is correct, it all depends on how you will use the dinghy. We use ours to explore and go on adventures. We have been on 20 mile round trip dinghy rides. We would not go without a good sized RIB, nor would we sacrifice a single horse from our 20hp outboard. But, that is all based on how we use it. 

Some use it solely as a way to go from the boat to the dinghy dock. That is a totally different criteria. It also matter how many will be on board. We have had as many as seven. If you are never more than 2 that makes a big difference. 

If it will be your "car", I would say RIB and stick with the 9.9 hp. Install a crane to make handling easier. If it is occasionally used to get one or two people to shore then go light on the dink and small on the HP. Might even go electric. 

Hope that is helpful. 

Yes this was helpful and thanks for taking the time. We do some exploring but not crazy, its more of a mode of transportation to go ashore and hike or explore by foot. Adding the crane is pricey but an option we will think about. Looks like its for sure an RIB though..

[NZL50505]

My setup is 3m TrueKit with ePropulsion Spirit.

Total weight of engine & dinghy package about 45kg.

[bratwurzt1]

Feb 21, 2024 5:12:14 GMT NZL50505 said:

My setup is 3m TrueKit with ePropulsion Spirit.

Total weight of engine & dinghy package about 45kg.

looked into these and they are out of stock, plus I'm in the US so I bet shipping would be nuts. Thanks for the info 

[NZL50505]

I was at their factory a couple of days ago -they are out of stock of some stuff but it’s coming in next few weeks. If you do like the look of them it’s worth enquiring.

For example, they have some ex-demo boats that you could get at a discount and immediately.

They are a great bunch of folks who have provided me and many others with some of the best pre-sales and after-sales service in the industry. So I’m sure they will do whatever they can to assist.

Here in NZ, the TrueKit brand has really got traction and anchored in the bay they have gone from a rare sight to mainstream due to quality of finish, weight and price.

[bratwurzt1]

Well, it was a cold windy day so we went to Defender Marine and ended up with a Zodiac 300, 9'11" super deep aluminum hull compared to other models and came with one of those cool seat organizers. We also decided to spend $630 on an engine hoist and keep the ole' reliable 9.9 two stroke so the way we see it saved around $400 and will have plenty of hp to push the new tender.