Type of Dingy, Inflatable or NOT?

[koliver]

Numbers

I used a sheet of hypalon from the patching kit, cut my boat name, glued the letters in place. So far, 6 years of sun and rain and they are surviving well.

 

[Waywego]

Use a Sharpie Marker. If you are a bad artist find a family member or friend who can sketch and let them do it. About as cheap and permanent as it gets.

+1 Used stencils from Home Depot aligned with masking tape. Easy to touch up once a year and looks OK to me. After all, it is only a PVC dink that gets dirty all the time. We try to keep it neat and clean, but I would rather put the time into the boat.

As for the state registration decal, when the corners lift, I re-attach them with HH-66 vinyl cement. That seems to work better than the adhesive from the decal, but we often deflate and inflate the dink, so its a hard life for the decal.

 

[tadhana]

Keeping the decal attached to an expanding and contracting surface can be problematic. I therefore put one on the tube and the other on the inside of the transom. If stopped I explain that the sticker comes loose on the tube and by placing it on the transom I can demonstrate that the boat is properly registered. Seems to work

 

[Baker]

Keeping the decal attached to an expanding and contracting surface can be problematic. I therefore put one on the tube and the other on the inside of the transom. If stopped I explain that the sticker comes loose on the tube and by placing it on the transom I can demonstrate that the boat is properly registered. Seems to work

I disagree with this. In theory I understand. Have you ever tried putting vinyl lettering, the same stuff that is used for boat names, on your dinghy tubes??? It works perfectly. My numbers stayed on my previous dinghy for 12 years until I gave it away. My numbers on my new dinghy are doing just fine for almost 2 years now. I would not do it any other way.

For any people reading this, try it. Tadhana's sentiment will make you shake your head in full agreement/understanding because the reasoning is perfectly sound. But in reality, and in my experience, wrong. I thought the same thing until a close friend told me to just try it. I did. And I would do it no other way. 14 years of adhesion with absolutely NO problems. I store my dinghy in the wide open elements with no cover. It was 80 degrees on Tuesday and 42 degrees by Wednesday morning. That is NORMAL Texas weather.

 

[tadhana]

Weather must be different where I live. Travelling between MD and FL every year I have had the registration stickers lift and peel on the tubes. Perhaps I did not properly prepare the surface? Perhaps, but since I did teach the Zodiac Avon repair classes, I think I have a pretty fair idea of how to clean the tubes. I have registered my dinghy in MD and VA. I have found the MD stickers do adhere better than the VA stickers.

 

[Baker]

Weather must be different where I live. Travelling between MD and FL every year I have had the registration stickers lift and peel on the tubes. Perhaps I did not properly prepare the surface? Perhaps, but since I did teach the Zodiac Avon repair classes, I think I have a pretty fair idea of how to clean the tubes. I have registered my dinghy in MD and VA. I have found the MD stickers do adhere better than the VA stickers.

Ok Tad...I was referring the registration numbers and letters...not the state decal. Our state decals do not adhere well either. I stick mine on the side of the outboard cowling. It is not "proper" but it is visible and the aurtorities have never questioned it.

People were referring to their "numbers" and that is what I was answering to. Not the state decal.

 

[Bruce B]

Check out the Nut Shell Pram at woodenboat.com
You can buy the plans and do the 7'7" model for about $5-600. I built one years ago and my 2 hp outboard worked fine. There is also a larger model, both can be built and rigged as sailing dinghys.

I built an 8' Nutshell prom once, great little dinghy!
If I were to do it again, I'd build the 10' model or even better the Shellback!
Bruce

 

[HiDHo]

I agree and often thought about doing a nesting modification to either size Nutshell's.

 

[Gdavid]

Right, wrong or indifferent here is what I did last summer. I needed a big capacity in order to transfer my family of 5 to shore at once because our 3 kids are 6 and under and cannot be left alone onshore or onboard. I wanted something I could carry across the swim platform without any extra mechanism and be shorter than the ~10' transom of an older mainship 34. To get the capacity I needed an inflatable was the only way to go. I bought an inexpensive, Chinese made pvc inflatable off of ebay for under $700 and a used 5 hp late 90's 2 stroke Nissan outboard. It will plane with two light adults. The sectional floor is aluminum rather than plywood which should hold up well but is heavy. It is very stable and it is the best aspect of cruising as far as my girls are concerned. I doesn't live onboard and will only be used for 2-6 multi-day trips (long weekend or a week) per year so the UV exposure on the PVC should not be an issue. I used a sharpie to number it and the MD registration stickers aren't staying on probably do to deflating for storage but I suspect the new material is still off-gassing.

So not suited for the needs of most cruisers on this board but I figured I would post it up anyway because we all like pictures. I get a kick out of the brand name, the Chinese manufactures seemingly change names very frequently and probably didn't intend to name it after a ceremony of circumcision.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Good conversation happening here.


http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/alum-vs-frp-rib-dinghy-29651.html

 

[Simi 60]

Belated xmas present to me.
Yesterday we upgraded our dinghy to a Quintrex Busta 4.2 alloy dinghy with millenium hull paired with an electric start 30hp suzuki.

The 3.45m Vnose that we were using is great until you have to punch a mile back to the boat into 25 knots with a load and then it is very wet and a test of seamanship.......or stupidity.

The busta punched out there yesterday leaping off waves at half throttle and we stayed dry.
Very impressed with the millennium hull knifing through the water and shunting spray well away from the boat.
Stability is very good, I can step on and off the bow to duck board and stand on the gunwhale without feelking like I am about to swim.

Glad we waited to after Xmas, plenty of punters selling their toys cheap.

http://fishingmonthly.com.au/Articles/Display/10767-Quintrex-420-Busta-Wont-Break-The-Bank

 

[markpierce]

Forget the motor and use oars so the registration and related numbering is irrelevant.

 

[Peter B]

Belated xmas present to me.
Yesterday we upgraded our dinghy to a Quintrex Busta 4.2 alloy dinghy with millenium hull paired with an electric start 30hp suzuki.
Stability is very good, I can step on and off the bow to duck board and stand on the gunwhale without feelking like I am about to swim.

Have you added that rather strange-looking flotation and fender skirt thing around it yet Simi..?

 

[foggysail]

We purchased our Avon 10RIB way back during 1986-87 and have used it every year since. I am not even sure if a new RIB has a feature this particular dinghy has and I am referring to its small bilge. This feature keeps our feet dry even with water in the boat.

We have friends who are into their 3rd dinghy replacement over the years since our purchase. I highly recommend RIBs and if you are about to make a purchase, don't skimp! Purchase quality, not the largest boat but the one that has the best quality.

And our old Avon continues to run just great although now I have to add air to it about once every 5 -7 days or so.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Simi 60,
The aluminum skiff is hard to beat. Could be the worlds best dinghy .. often viewed as not too pretty but they are 20 times as pretty as duckies/RIBs. Such huge utility and not often employed. They are the most used boat in Alaska by far. Over time they get beat up but if you saw Alaskan's using their skiffs ......

 

[BandB]

Have you added that rather strange-looking flotation and fender skirt thing around it yet Simi..?

I was going to suggest such a strange looking thing, gives the best of both worlds to protect boat from dings and nice area to rest your arms on the boat vs the aluminum.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

We are in the market for a new Dingy and davit for use in SE Alaska. We were looking at aluminum bottom RIBs with a center console. Will be at the Seattle Boat show looing to buy one.

 

[psneeld]

Nice thing about aluminum skiffs....you can weld a flybridge on no sweat....making it even purdier aND more useful.

 

[Nomad Willy]

HaHa,
Psneeld are you trolling for a response?

 

[psneeld]

Fishing here is always better than on the water...even though I am having some great marks on my fishfinders right now.

 

[BandB]

Nice thing about aluminum skiffs....you can weld a flybridge on no sweat....making it even purdier aND more useful.

And wings making it a trimaran.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

mmmm Like this???

 

[BandB]

mmmm Like this???

Wifey B: That's a fishing boat, going for flying fish.

 

[Simi 60]

Have you added that rather strange-looking flotation and fender skirt thing around it yet Simi..?

No need on this.
Stable enough to walk around and stand on the for deck to step off onto duckboard.

Existing boat fenders take care of side tie up.

 

[BruceK]

I bought an inexpensive, Chinese made pvc inflatable off of ebay for under $700 and a used 5 hp late 90's 2 stroke Nissan outboard. It will plane with two light adults. The sectional floor is aluminum rather than plywood which should hold up well but is heavy. It is very stable and it is the best aspect of cruising as far as my girls are concerned. I doesn't live onboard and will only be used for 2-6 multi-day trips (long weekend or a week) per year...
So not suited for the needs of most cruisers on this board but I figured I would post it up anyway because we all like pictures. I get a kick out of the brand name, the Chinese manufactures seemingly change names very frequently and probably didn't intend to name it after a ceremony of circumcision.

View attachment 60178
View attachment 60179

We see that brand here too. I think the same dinghy gets sold under different names, with minor tweaks. Our pvc Korean made "Island Inflatables" dinghy is still good after 8 years,yours should last well used that way.
Simi`s new Quintrex dinghy should be good. Members outside Aust. and NZ won`t know Quintrex, a well regarded leader in aluminium boat design and production.

 

[Simi 60]

I was going to suggest such a strange looking thing, gives the best of both worlds to protect boat from dings and nice area to rest your arms on the boat vs the aluminum.

The kapten collar is at the waterline, nowhere near the gun whale So nothing there to rest arms on.
It was designed for stability on dingys that lack it due to steep dead rise angle in the bum or lack of beam.
V nose punts like my 2ndary one take care of stability being almost flat bottom in the back half, so no need for collar.
The tinny I just bought is also fairly flat and 1.9m / 6ft 3in wide, all boat, so no collar needed either.

 

[Simi 60]

Forget the motor and use oars so the registration and related numbering is irrelevant.

We did a 12nm round trip before breakfast to check crab pots and see our dolphin, dugong and green turtle buddies

Have fun rowing that.

 

[smitty477]

RIB at the "Blue Oar" for dinner on the Ct. river.....

 

[BandB]

The kapten collar is at the waterline, nowhere near the gun whale So nothing there to rest arms on.
It was designed for stability on dingys that lack it due to steep dead rise angle in the bum or lack of beam.
V nose punts like my 2ndary one take care of stability being almost flat bottom in the back half, so no need for collar.
The tinny I just bought is also fairly flat and 1.9m / 6ft 3in wide, all boat, so no collar needed either.

There are also collar type things that fit on the gunwale and are more like bumpers than collars. Probably not something you need. I've only seen them on one boat and that's been a while.

 

[Simi 60]

Good enough reason not to have one.
Apparently a 5 m one was spotted in the shallows about 3 nm from where we are now a month or two ago.
We have these AND saltwater crocs which make alligators look like fluffy cuddly lap dogs.

https://youtu.be/SCUc3U8WVMo