I had my heart set on a hard dinghy, because I love to row, but on that boat, there just wasn't room for it on deck. So, went with an Achilles with the high pressure inflatable floor (forget the model number, but it has an inflatable "sausage" that goes under the floor to make a keel of sorts). It was pretty short - maybe 7' or 8'. Had a Honda 2 with centrifugal clutch.

Comments:

-- The biggest, best surprise was how well it rowed (and I'm a bit of a rowing snob). The Achilles has "oarlocks" that are essentially posts with threaded tips that articulate. Of course it came with way-too-short oars. I bought longer wooden oars (7' IIRC), drilled a hole for the post, lined it with a bushing of stainless pipe I had lying around, and re-used the threaded, ball-shaped cap that came with the shorty oars. After that I was very pleased with how it rowed, and in fact, would often not even mount the Honda. I would even take an extra "spin" around a harbor vs. rowing straight back to the boat. Okay, not a shell, but pretty sweet for what it was.

-- The big plus of the Honda 2 (but now I think I would like the Suzuki of similar hp) was the weight. 28 lbs. meant it was relatively easy to pop onto the boat and off up onto the stern rail. Never even considered a crane type arrangement for it. Slight "jimmy legs" when in the boat moving the motor around, but not bad (I'm sure a rigid hulled dinghy would be better though).

-- The Honda was a bit noisy for what it was; I have the idea the Suzuki (not available then) might be nicer. At any rate, it's an engine and makes noise.

-- The Honda did not have huge range without refilling (I kept a camping gas type container for easy pouring of a refill). Maybe the Suzy has a remote tank option, I forget because now I would want a long shaft (different boat) and the Suzy only comes in short.

-- Yes, there were long/distant exploring days that I would have done with a big RIB and planing engine. But I wasn't willing to make the other compromises to have one. Also if you are regularly anchoring miles from a dinghy dock, then of course it would be a long, slow trip in and out. Most places I anchored it was reasonably close, and when it wasn't I just took longer to get ashore.

All in all I preferred the hard dinghy, but if I were buying an inflatable again and not getting a big RIB/big planing engine (which I probably would not do although I can see where it would have advantages), I would get the same Achilles and make the same rowing mods (perhaps with a Suzuki instead of a Honda, would have to check it out).

I always carried an anchor and rode along, just in case of rowing or motoring problem (some places I anchored had strong currents).