Inflatible Kajak as a dinghi

[kurz]

Hello
Is there any disadvantage to use an inflatible Kajak as a dinghi?
I will not use a motor. So where would be pros / cons to inflatible normal dinghi stile?
With the Kajak I guess it's better to row.. And maybe you can do trips on waters...

See here
https://www.decathlon.com/products/infl ... rce=search

[NiceAft]

My only concern is the strength of the fabric where a tow line is attached.

If you do not intend to tow it, then the only disadvantage may be the limited space for carrying any cargo. It certainly packs away small enough to hang from a lifeline instead of storing it in the cabin.

[Ammiraglio]

I have this tandem kayak:
https://www.advancedelements.com/shop/i ... ak-ae1007/

I think it's a great kayak, and I would strongly recommend it. However, I have never thought of it as a potential dinghy. The handle in the front is quite sturdy, but for what it's intended for, i.e., hand portage. You could probably tow it but very, very gently. Carrying it on board inflated would be far preferable, but these things are big and take a lot of space. Inflating it before use is certainly possible, but my kayak (and probably yours too) is rather heavy at 23.5kg/52lbs and unwieldy (it has 2 big chambers to inflate and 4-5 smaller ones). My suggestion is to try to inflate your kayak two or three times on your boat before deciding.

[DownSouth]

We used an inflatable 2 person Canadian canoe as a dinghy.

It worked fine but was had to get from the canoe to the boat as it wasn’t as stable as a proper dinghy in swell.

Still it was fairly cheap and small when deflated.

DownSouth

[wakataka]

I use an Aire Sea Tiger kayak as my dingy. I made a simple rope ladder with wooden rungs that hangs from the winch. It's easy to get in and out of the kayak because the kayak is stable enough to stand up in while hanging onto the stanchions or deck of the sailboat. This is a key point, IMHO. You'll need a kayak that you can stand up in while hanging onto the boat.

The kayak tow's behind very smoothly until the seas get up to 3 feet or so, then it starts to become a problem because the bow of the kayak will sometimes dive into the backside of a wave, stressing the towline and the d-ring attachment points on the kayak. In rough seas, I partially deflate it and haul it up on deck. It will also ride very comfortably pulled up against side of the boat for going into marina's. I just got back from 3 weeks in the Broughton Islands, British Columbia and used the kayak every day for taking stern lines ashore, exploring around the anchorages, and fishing.

[Brian]

I keep an inflatable stand up paddleboard on my Mac. Truthfully, it is more for fun than use as a dinghy, but you can use it for that as well. If the water is too rough to stand you can sit or kneel and use it like a kayak. Loading, unloading and storage are about as easy as it gets. My SUP is a cheap one that is not very stable. If you are willing to spend more there are some really good ones that have a capacity of over 400 pounds. I have my eye on a nice big SUP that I can use for fishing, or carry another person on in a pinch.

[JotaErre]

I have a Decathlon kayak, and you don't need to worry about the strength of the fabric, it's really strong. But remember that they take a long time to dry up, and it's not a good idea to keep them deflated and packed wet for a long time, because rot, fungus and odour appear.

[Piddle and Futz]

We are also looking at inflatable SUPs... also more for fun than as viable dinghies.

Inflating them with 12v isn't too difficult. Inflating manually on deck might be awkward and laborious. Deflated, most have a volume of about 6 cubic feet and weigh about 20 pounds. Would store lashed to side stanchions when inflated easily enough. (or over the side as 11' fenders?)

Honestly, the biggest issue I see with any dinghy on a 26M or 26X is that the high freeboard makes getting in and out problematic. I suppose one could board aft, slipping past the engine, but there are rudders and props in that direction that makes things difficult as well.

For the time being, we've just decided that if we have to go ashore from anchor, our Mac is easily beachable.

[closehaul]

I used to use an inflatable dinghy but it became too much hassle to commission/decommission. Switched to a small (8’-6”) polypropylene kayak that fits perfectly between mast and roller furler (I need to post the mod some day). At 38 lb it is easy to launch/retrieve and does not interfere with jib when tacking. Towing the dinghy was problematic when backing into a slip (I single hand often). For access I use a ‘FenderStep’ over the side of the cockpit with a couple track slides to secure to genoa track. You are correct, the stern access is too busy with potential hazards.