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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Current Recommendation for Dinghy?

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MartinJW
Navigator

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USA
241 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/20/2010 : 14:48:00

Hi Everyone,

We like to "camp out" on various spots on Lake Tahoe in our C-250, so some sort of dinghy is a must.

About three summers ago we bought a Baltic (PVC) inflatable for about $500. It's very tiny (6 1/2' LOA), but my wife and I can easily handle it, and, amazingly, it's big enough for our needs.

The first season was great; we inflated it in May or June, and we didn't have to re-fill it all season. The second year required a mid-summer top-off, and, sadly, last year we had to re-pump up the little boat every week. You can see where this is going...

So, I'm thinking about getting a "real" (Hypalon) inflatable this season: something from Achilles, Avon, Mercury or Zodiac. I'm sure I'll spend much, much more, but the long-term cost will, I hope, be less.

Any suggestions, recommendations, advice?

Thanks!

Martin

C25/250 Int'l Ass'n Member
2008 C-250 WK #973
"Bluebell"
Lake Tahoe, CA/NV

Edited by - MartinJW on 02/20/2010 15:43:05

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2010 : 22:40:19

Martin,
I found an Avon on Craigslist several years ago for $700 with a 4hp outboard, so not terribly more than your PVC Baltik, and while it does lose air over time, it's pretty easy to keep well inflated with the footpump that came with it. If you're interested in a new boat that you plan to keep for a long time, I think it's worth it to buy Hypalon. I considered a Baltik and now I'm glad I found the Avon instead. I thought it was a '97 when I bought it, but it turned out to be a '94 after I talked to the Avon folks about it and found out how to read the tag on it. I think for a boat going on 16 years old, it's in pretty decent shape. I'd still like to have a RHIB, but there's nothing wrong with our Avon, so it's not in the cards any time soon.

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2010 : 09:18:03

Well now I'm feeling deflated.

(pun intended) I have to add air to mine at least once over a one week span when I use it and thought that was pretty good. I would say your first two years were exceptional and your situation now more of the norm. You might try some light grease on the air cap threads to see if that helps.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2010 : 09:34:56

I have a Zodiac 310 Cadet which runs a grand, for almost 10 years now. Most of those years were seasonal use and now 2.5 years of daily use. I can firmly recommend a REAL Zodiac, won't last as long as an Apex or whatever, but dollar for dolllar a really good deal.

sten

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2010 : 09:40:37

If a rigid dink is a possibility for your situation then I recommend a Walker Bay with the inflatable collar kit. We love our 10'er. Easy to row, very stable and tows nicely behind the 250. You can also add a sail kit.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 02/21/2010 09:41:08

skrenz
Captain

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USA
351 Posts

Response Posted - 02/22/2010 : 10:20:01

So here's a question, could you use fix-a-flat to find and repair your slow leak from the inside? I'm wondering if this stuff would be incompatible with PVC? It might take a lot of it but would be a cheap fix if it didn't make matters worse.

Edited by - on

Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 02/22/2010 : 13:23:13

Dinghy choice is like religion and anchors!

We, too, have a Zodiac 10.2 Fast Roller air floor. A great boat, with used 9.9HP Evinrude 2 stroke we picked up at a sail swap in a yacht club parking lot. A great rig. There was a discussion on another forum about electric motors for dinghies. The REAL choice YOU and only YOU can make is how you intend to use your dinghy. Here's what I wrote there:

The WM catalog has a very good writeup in the Advisor section on dinghies, and explains, patiently, that the selection of a dinghy, at ANY time in a skipper's & crew's lifetime, is based on how they plan to use the dinghy.

If you anchor out a lot, but ONLY are 300 yards off the beach, then you most likely don't need (not want, I say, but need ) a 15HP 12 foot RIB. A smaller inflatable for the suggested Walker Bay - type solid dinghy of ANY kind, would suffice.

If, however, you need to use the dinghy for longer jaunts and/or have areas where you can, and like to, go fast, then you'll need a different platform or else you'll be disappointed in your purchase.'

Two examples: Same skipper, different boats, same anchorage:

Example 1: Skipper, Me! Boats: Catalina 25 with a 8'-4" West Marine older 1989 with what I called my "egg beater" Johnson 1.2 HP only forward gear 2 stroke engine. Anchorage: California Delta, Three River Reach, which is about a mile from the closest ice and beer store.

It took an hour to motor there in the dinghy with my then 12 year old daughter. We had fun, were in no hurry and the dinghy worked just fine for us because we always kept a small 1 or 1 1/2 gallon jug of premix fuel in the dinghy. That was essentially the furthest we ever had to "run" the dinghy to get somewhere, all the rest were actually row-able boat to shore excursions.

Example 2: same skipper. Boats: Catalina 34 with a Zodiac Cadet Fast Roller Hi pressure Air Floor 10'-2" with a 9.9 HP Evinrude pre-owned 2 stroke. Same anchorage, get to the same place in 10 minutes! Ended up going further up the Delta to Lost Slough which is about 2 to 3 miles to the stores. Because of speed limits in much of the area, couldn't go fast except for less than a half mile of the whole trip anyway to do laundry, buy supplies and tour around. But we bought the biggest, fastest "rig" we could because we knew we would be in places that would allow us to get out and stretch the legs of the bigger dinghy.

Sometimes I wish I'd kept the older 1.2 HP engine, 'cuz I could manhandle it with one hand from the boat to the dinghy. With the 9.9 HP I use our Garhauer dinghy motor lift, which is a great piece of equipment. Shoulda had both engines, to give me a choice, but the dinghy is great, been going on 10 years and it's in great shape, but no FL sun and we keep it deflated and either down below or home when not in use.

Good luck on your choice of replacement.

Edited by - Stu Jackson C34 on 02/22/2010 16:27:34

andy
Navigator

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USA
228 Posts

Response Posted - 02/22/2010 : 18:15:48

Why a motor? Get a dink that' fun to row and get some exercise!

I have a fiberglass 10 ft'er that's a joy to row but is VERY tippy.
A good quality inflatable is the way to go if you're needing to haul stuff...
The inflatable collar sounds like a great idea... best of both worlds.

Edited by - andy on 02/22/2010 18:18:35

Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 02/22/2010 : 21:22:40

Did you read the other dinghy topic on this board a few lines down?

Edited by - on

jbkayaker
Captain

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USA
299 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2010 : 07:42:45

I have a Sea Eagle 330 inflatable kayak which doubles as a tender and a whitewater adventure boat. When deflated the boat, two seats, and a 12 volt air pump will fit with room to spare in a 3' x 2' x 1' space and weigh under 35 pounds. The double-ended kayak paddles split into two 52 inch pieces. I used my first Sea Eagle kayak two or three times a year for river paddling including some whitewater. It lasted nearly 20 years, of course it was stored indoors. My second is barely "broken in" having been used only on the Class 3 whitewater of the Saluda River near Columbia, SC twice. In whitewater use the kayak frequently slides over rocks. It is very stable. http://www.seaeagle.com/SportKayaks.aspx

P.S. If I was in deep yogurt, like my Catalina 250 was sinking in rough conditions, I would take my Sea Eagle over ANY rigid dink as a lifeboat.

Edited by - jbkayaker on 02/23/2010 07:58:35

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