richard thomas
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| posted on 18/7/08 at 11:03 AM |
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OT - Inflatable dinghy
Off topic I know but looking for advice...
Off on hols to France soon, looking to buy an inflatable dinghy of reasonable quality preferably with a small outboard motor to potter about on the
estuary there. Many on Ebay, but know nothing about them!
Can anyone offer me some advice about what to look for? Promised my lad that I'd get us one this year, so I guess I have to now.
Cheers, Rich.
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eznfrank
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| posted on 18/7/08 at 11:30 AM |
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Dependant on the engine size, local restrictions you may need to look at doing a course such as day skipper or similar, either way it might be wise to
at least do some sort of familiarisation course.
How big a boat do you want? Are you planning on fishing from it? (they aint the best for that in my experience.
In terms of dinghies/RIBs there aint a vast difference to be fair it's all in the motor but if you're just out to potter there won't
ber much bother in that respect either. Look for decent service history and remember boat motors need re-building alot more often than cars. If
buying a trailer also check for salt water use, we had to do the bearings 3-4 times a year!!
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owelly
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| posted on 18/7/08 at 11:39 AM |
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To me a dingy is a little sailing boat!
I assume you want a little inflatable boat with a little outboard?
If you get a little flatey like what boaties have as a tender, you need to get one with a bracket for the outboard. These boats usually have a
'loose' bottom which is just a single thickness off material. They are cheap and good for bumbling from boat to pontoon.
Another alternative, and what I suspect you may want, is an inflatable with a transom to attach the outboard, and an inflatable keel. These usually
have some form of floor boards that assemble together and hold solid once the boat is inflated. These can still be deflated to go in the car boot.
These can take a lot bigger engine in comparison to the loose bottomed type. My old boat with wooden floorboards and an inflatable keel had a 25hp
outboard, would pull a (light!) water skier, would handle and turn like a proper RIB (almost!) and was about 10ft long. It would dismantle into the
size of a 25ltr drum (excluding the outboard and tank). It would also plane quite happily with a 5hp outboard.
HTH!
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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dhutch
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| posted on 18/7/08 at 11:41 AM |
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As said, it really does depend on size budet and what your doing with it.
You can get fairly good fully inflatable boats that will fit in a car boot when deflated or whatever. Bt they will basicaly fill it!
- Somthing about 6-8ft in lenght, 4-6-8hp engine or somthing.
That would do for mooching about and you could fish from it (watch for hooks in tubes) and an 8ft boat with a 6horse will go fast enough to cover a
distance.
Once you get larger than that, RIBs and big enignes, its a powerboat not an inflatable dingy!
Other options would be a rigid boat, we have a aging mirror dingy (plywood sailing boat) which we use with a 2hp outboard to get acrross to the beach
and that which works well. Could pick somthing very usable up for £500. Car topable with a decent roofrack or trailable. Again watch for trailers
condition.
Daniel
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richard thomas
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| posted on 18/7/08 at 11:43 AM |
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I was thinking an inflatable with a transome, maybe about 3 metres length with a 2-3hp motor - just to muck around with really.....any
recommendations?
[Edited on 18/7/08 by richard thomas]
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owelly
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| posted on 18/7/08 at 11:45 AM |
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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/13-5-INFLATABLE-BOAT-MERCURY-OUTBOARD-INC-ACCS-EXCLN_W0QQitemZ200238834806QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200238834806&_trksid=p3286
.m14.l1318
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3-man-inlatable-boat-with-trailer-and-yamaha-engine_W0QQitemZ170237579376QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170237579376&_trksid=p3286.
m14.l1318
[Edited on 18/7/08 by owelly]
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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richard thomas
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| posted on 18/7/08 at 11:48 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by owelly
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/13-5-INFLATABLE-BOAT-MERCURY-OUTBOARD-INC-ACCS-EXCLN_W0QQitemZ200238834806QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200238834806&_trksid=p3286
.m14.l1318
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3-man-inlatable-boat-with-trailer-and-yamaha-engine_W0QQitemZ170237579376QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170237579376&_trksid=p3286.
m14.l1318
[Edited on 18/7/08 by owelly]
That's exactly what I'm thinking of
Now I know this is a very naive question, but how are these things governed? Do I need insurance or a licence or something?
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owelly
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| posted on 18/7/08 at 12:10 PM |
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I'm usure about the rules where you are taking your boat but a lot of places abroad have a limit to the size of outboard, hence the 9.9hp
engines! Above that, youneed some sort of qualification.
I have third party liability insurance for my RIB through the diving club I'm in but my boat insurance also covers me for a few million quid
should I wipe out a fishing boat fleet. Most harbours in the UK (and some abroad) insist on you having some form of liability insurance however, most
places ask you to sign a disclaimer to say you have the cover, but rarely ask you to prove it!
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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trogdor
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| posted on 18/7/08 at 12:52 PM |
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public liablity insurance is generally pretty cheap so i would get it!
I used to be insured up to 5 million pounds if i injured or killed anyone or damaged anything when i was out kiteboarding. It only cost about £10-£15
for two years. Was harrased by instructers (not they were teaching us) on the beach to get it all the time and it does make sense too.
[Edited on 18/7/08 by trogdor]
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 18/7/08 at 03:10 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by trogdor
public liablity insurance is generally pretty cheap so i would get it!
I used to be insured up to 5 million pounds if i injured or killed anyone or damaged anything when i was out kiteboarding. It only cost about £10-£15
for two years. Was harrased by instructers (not they were teaching us) on the beach to get it all the time and it does make sense too.
[Edited on 18/7/08 by trogdor]
totally right, I'm insured for my r/c planes even though they are often flown in the middle of nowhere, just never know what might happen
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