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| BUYERS GUIDES |
04 / 10 / 07 |
Buyers' guide: Inflatable tenders |  | |
What is the perfect tender for a cruising yacht? As with so many aspects of sailing, there is no single, simple answer. It all depends what your priorities are.
If you keep your boat on a swinging mooring, for example, and regularly have to ferry crew, provisions, water carriers, gas bottles, luggage, dog etc out to it, you will need a more substantial dinghy than if you live in a marina and only get the inflatable out of the locker a couple of times a year.
If you are long distance cruising, your dinghy will be an essential workhorse. Seaworthiness will be more important than stowability, and you may prefer a rigid hull to an inflatable. But for most cruising yachtsmen, the inflatable is the tender of choice, and there are a number of key factors to consider, in choosing the one that's right for them.
Size
How many people do you need to carry? It's better to have a dinghy that's a bit too big rather than just too small, because it will be drier, more comfortable and safer, but bigger dinghies are heavier too. How often will you have to heave it out of the bottom of the cockpit locker? Get one too big, and you may end up avoiding going ashore to that idyllic riverside pub because it just seems too much hassle
Shape
The conventional round-ended shape (eg Avon Redcrest and Redstart) is probably safer in a seaway than the more recent solid transom design. It also packs up smaller and is lighter - easier to get in and out of the locker. But the solid transom design is easier to row, with better directional stability, and performs better with an outboard, too.
Floor
Either design may have a wooden slatted floor (“roll-up”) or an inflatable floor (“airdeck”), adding to its rigidity - and therefore its performance and comfort. The slatted floor is usually less expensive than the airdeck option, but tends to be heavier and bulkier to stow.
Keel
Bigger and more expensive dinghies may also have an inflatable keel rather than the conventional flat floor. This is another performance booster - encouraging the dinghy to plane, with a large enough outboard, and giving extra directional stability, even under oar power. It is also an additional safety feature, in that it is an extra air chamber. The more air chambers, the better. Then if one is punctured, or its valve fails, you should still stay afloat.
RIBs
Nowadays more yachts (especially those with davits or more storage space) are opting for the RIB (rigid-hulled inflatable boat) as a tender. This combines a solid floor and keel with inflatable topsides. It offers better performance, especially under power, but takes up more space aboard. The disadvantage is that they can be considered antisocial, creating noise and wash in otherwise peaceful moorings and anchorages!
Oars
Gone are the days when it was taken for granted that you rowed to and from the shore. The traditional small Seagull is giving way to ever bigger and more powerful outboards. But outboards can fail, and you may end up needing to row some distance, possibly against the tide, to get back to your boat. Are the paddles provided up to the job? Are the rowlocks/oarlocks workable? Some seemingly neat and attractive arrangements can prove useless in practice.
Material
Prices for inflatable tenders vary enormously, from a couple of hundred pounds to a couple of thousand. One reason for this is the material used. The more sophisticated and expensive fabrics are much more resistant to abrasion, chemical (eg petrol spillage) and weather damage than standard PVC.
Accessories
The dinghy should come fitted with durable towing eyes, usually three, to allow for a bridle as well as a single painter. There should be a grab line to help back on board anybody who gets into the water, whether accidentally or deliberately (inflatable tenders make great swimming platforms). Most rigid-hulled dinghies have some form of self-bailer. Other accessories may include spray guard and stowage bags. And don't forget a puncture repair kit.
Pumps
Even if you invest in an electrical pump for inflating and deflating (using the pump for this makes the dinghy easier to pack away neatly) it's a good idea to take the manual pump ashore with you, just in case the dinghy is damaged while being beached.
Conclusions
Identify the size and style of dinghy that suits your needs: ie how often will you want to use it? How many people will you need to accommodate? How big an outboard do you want to carry? How much stowage space do you have available on your yacht? And then buy the best one that you can afford. Because well looked after, a well-made inflatable will last for many, many years.
Your inflatable dinghy might one day have to take on the role of liferaft. It can also be a vital aid in a man overboard recovery situation, so think of it as safety equipment. But don't forget they can be dangerous too: more people drown every year in accidents with inflatables (often when returning to the yacht after leaving the pub) than falling from yachts.
It's a good rule always to wear a lifejacket in the dinghy, where you are much closer to the water, and run the risk of suffering a capsize or a collision, negotiating crowded, unlit moorings in the dark, or the ultimate indignity of falling down the gap between the tender and the boat as you transfer from one to the other!
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| | Discuss this article, 1 of 11 messages, read more: |  Anna Davenport | |
| Posted: 27/09/07 20:06:53 53 | Hi all My bro is looking at buying a new inflatable. They're on holiday in Scotland at mo and have seen some 'Tohatsu' inflatables. I'm trying to research them but I can hardly find any info on them, which I don't think is a good thing. What kind of brand are they, are they any good? Cheers in advance of your help and guidance. |
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