Cruising Sailors Forum Archive
Been thinking about some sort of dink for a couple of years and have been thinking about pluses and minuses of all sorts of systems...
Right now I am leaning toward a HP air floor with inflatable keel model... as it is easiest stored, fairly light weight, and I have been told that it will plane. (verses something like slat floor) 8'6" Zoom 260AERO by Zodiac. Will take up to 6HP motor (60lbs max)
I am leaning toward the 6HP Tohatsu at 58 lbs. Thinking that is the largest engine in that weight class, and maybe I'd rather have more power than less. Thought about the 3.5HP... 41 lbs vrs the 6HP at 57 lbs. Seems like it might be nice to have the extra HP for just 16 lbs more.
So really the big question is do I need the extra HP, or am I mentally following the typical American "SUV thinking?" Would 3.5HP do me just fine? You mentioned a small inflatable with 2HP... how did that work for you?
Messages In This Thread
- It's no wonder davits are popular these days.
- I've always towed, inflatable or hard dink
- Drag of a dingy
- Would love to have davits
- Geez, don't get me started on freakin' davits... (grin)
- Hey Jon...what ever happened to that summer cruise??
- Jon, less the "SUV," what other means could one use...
- I've used both a hard rowing dinghy and a small inflatable with 2hp...
- Reason I am especially interested is I am about to purchase...
- Do you want to zoom or to mosey? I'm gettin' old so less weight to horse around is best from my perspective.
- My only reason to "zoom" would be for distance.
- The power is nice
- My only reason to "zoom" would be for distance.
- Actually, it worked really well...
- With boats as small as ours, I think the desire for "more power" becomes limiting, in the end…
- HP floor 10 foot Zodiac experience
- Do you want to zoom or to mosey? I'm gettin' old so less weight to horse around is best from my perspective.
- Reason I am especially interested is I am about to purchase...
- I've used both a hard rowing dinghy and a small inflatable with 2hp...
- Hmmm, I always wondered what my boat would look like
- No Davits for us!
- Sailing, Cruising, and Living aboard....
- Towing a boat just looks sloppy.
- Increased engine load and fuel costs without davits
- Davits
- I always tow my dinghy, but unless I am only going a couple of miles the motor comes off
- You'd have to pry my davits away from my cold dead hands
- There it is. Most miles sailed are with the drag of a dinghy in tow.
) OR HAVE A SAILING DINK...