Inflatable dinghy advice on a 26X

[Gary N]

For once it seems that inflatable tenders are cheaper in the UK. E.g £249 inc P/P (~$£400) at http://www.marinescene.co.uk/product/83 ... 29-free-pp Don't often get to point this out.

[Sumner]

For once it seems that inflatable tenders are cheaper in the UK. E.g £249 inc P/P (~$£400) at http://www.marinescene.co.uk/product/83 ... 29-free-pp Don't often get to point this out.

There are similar inflatables over here close to that same price. I looked at some and was close to buying before a friend suggested something a little more substantial. The boat you posted has tube diameters of around 12 inches. The ones on our Zodiac are 16-18 inches in diameter. If you know you are always going to be in protected waters and such the one you posted might be fine, but I wouldn't feel very confident in it in bad or even moderate conditions.

One option is to maybe look for a used inflatable if money is an issue. It was for us so we searched the used market and we found our inflatable for $600 and it was in very good shape and has worked well for us for a couple years and still seems to have pretty good life left in it.

Good luck,

Sum

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[trdprotruck]

A few of us mac owners in s. cal have bought these baltic boats from this guy on ebay, by picking them up we saved on shipping.
If you notice the guy has free shipping, but believe me that's included in the price, this 7.5 dinghy , well one just like it, I bought for
around 400.00.

What about the boats? they are great, inflate hard, have inflatable floor and work great with a 2-4 hp engine. I have bought 3 from this guy, all boats are in great working order
7.5 good for three people, the 6.5 works for two (and is so easy to get on and off the mac) the 9.5 really strong nice riding 4+ person boat.

I even put a 15hp on the 9.5 just for grins and it really scoots, but for a dink I use a honda 2 hp that will push all the dinks, and easy to carry aboard the mac.

http://cgi.ebay.com/7-5-BALTIK-INFLATAB ... 2eb2811e33


Mike

I just bought the Baltik 9.5 with airfloor based on your guy's recommendations and now I'm in the market for an outboard. I want something light I can put in the , but also want enough power to push around 4 people and handle beach launches. How does the 2hp handle with the 9.5? Would I need something bigger?

Thanks,

Randy

[aya16]

Tell you what, with my 9.5 baltic I love my honda 2hp, I also have an older 2 stroke 4hp that works great. Depends on what you are going to do with the dink.
If you want to explore with it, and you will be fighting strong currents or high winds, you need something a little bigger than a 2hp. If you will be in fairly calm water
and the things you mentioned the 2hp will work great.

Although the 9.5 will take a 10hp, the problem is the weight of the motor, lugging it around, mounting it. having to carry a gas tank in the dink.
if you want a 10hp, I recommend some sort of whale tale for the motor, as your boat wont plane well without it. So for easy handling less hassle the 2hp works great
or anything with its own gas tank mounted on the engine, the nice thing about the 4 stroke outboards, is you can use the gas from your mac gas tanks to fill them.

Suzuki makes a nice small 4 stroke outboard that weighs very little.

as a compromise, a 5 hp will get the job done almost any type of water, but again you now get into more weight to lug around.
I like choices, so I have a few engines to choose from, but I use the 2hp honda more than all the rest. It surprised me how well the 9.5 gets around with it.
Its not a speedy boat but solid and fun with the honda, and no spray that you would get with a higher hp.

If you want a speedy dink, an older 2 stroke 15hp with a whale tail, is pretty exciting, the newer 4 stroke 10hp engines are massive, compared to the older 2 strokes.
Also you will get spray and you dont want to turn real quick, but they really scoot.
Mike

[Harry van der Meer]

I love my Suzie 2.5. At 28 lbs it's very easy to lift it from the OB bracket on the stern of my Mac onto the dinghy and back. I have a nice little handpump to fill the tank from the 6 gal tanks on my Mac. No speed record or planing, but great to get to shore and explore.

[trdprotruck]

Just an update, I purchased a used 2hp 2 stroke suzuki. I hope this is enough motor for me. I don't need to plane or anything, but I'd like to be able to do some of the boat in camping Catalina and have enough power to overcome any breaking waves on the shore during launch.

[mastreb]

West Marine has a "Solstice 9.6'" dinghy rated for four people and 700 lbs. for $349. It's got an inflatable floor. It doesn't have the solid backboard that our dinghy has, but it's About the same size as our RU-260 for half the price. It has a motor mount, but the mount isn't as substantial as the one on the RU-260.

We've been happy with our RU-260. Cramped with two adults and three kids, but safe and effective. Pumps up easily with the included foot-pump, rolls up easily and stows in the less accessible side of the v-berth or upside down on the foredeck and the genny will tack over it no problem. It's branded West Marine but actually made by Zodiac.