Inflatable Dinghies

Hey Redfox!
I ran out and got me one of them Aire Travelers just before the Sportsman's show. I took it out last week and put it through some of the tortuous testing exercises like you read about in books. Translated that means I tried to blow it up from the cockpit of a 22' Cruiser while the wind is blowing and it's raining on you and there's a nice chop on the water, hoisted it up onto the roof and lashed 'er down with bungy cords (which didn't work too well and ended up pushing my GPS antenna mounted on the hand rail over at a 50 degree angle!), tried towing it behind a speeding C-Biscuit at various speeds and tether lengths, put my 6'8" 230lb hunting buddy in it :smileo and paddle to shore in search of the dreaded and wiley PWS black bruin and various other acts of semi-buffonery.

The darned thing held up great! Easily handled the gear we "needed" to take to shore, and deflated like the Texas Aggies in the 4th quarter of a clutch game at the end of our excusion!

I've still got a lot to learn about the whole boating thing...but all this trial and error sure is fun! :D

Cheers!
 
Dinghy for a Dory?

Shipstore.com has a Sevylor 8-6, 40# inflatable floor for $379. The Sevytex Runabout can be found under Sevylor Closeouts.Also Shipstore has neat webcams on their docks.

Doug; on the Anne-B
 
C-Biscuit":2lr151sl said:
Hey Redfox!
I ran out and got me one of them Aire Travelers just before the Sportsman's show. I took it out last week and put it through some of the tortuous testing exercises like you read about in books...

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Shoosh, howd I miss this one :embarrased Hey! now that's the report i cherish mon :thup I'm still pleased as hell with mine, matter a fact I added a "tow ring" to the front of it :thup for very little $$ it makes a huge improvement on a near-perfect product. Only thing is, most trips I'm alone, and stick with the 8-ft raft, so I can go motorin along on my little 2.5 yami 4-stroke... definitely going to make a mount for the thing so I can use the 2.5 on the canoe :!: :!: there wonderful aren't they; you never feel cramped in them, cuz there so long, and comfortable with them nice seats that keep you off the floor, but just up high enough to paddle easy :thup :idea

I been baby'n mine; I deflated and wiped-out all the moisture in it this spring. They might grow (probably will-grow) mildew in the "inner bladder" design. I realized that when I bought it though. I opted for the design, for the sake of easy repairs (if need be) in the field. And easy to modify, if you should want to put on any strap-holds or rings and such.

Only bummer... I wish I'da gotten green! easier on the eyes on them bright sunny days :xseek

I'll peep-up here, when I get my motor-mount designed :idea be glad ta whip one up far yas... maybe offer it to the factory. I don't care for most stuff out there, and can always do better myself :shock:
 
Greg,
Would love to see the motor mount for the Traveler. The Aire factory makes a rowing seat with oars, but it's a bit spendy. Only problem I have with a motor is space and weight. I've already got a Honda 15 for a kicker and i'm thinking I don't need three motors on a 22'! You've got some cool modifications to the Redfox that probably make carrying the motor easy.

I got the canoe hoist from Cabela's and tried rigging it in my garage to keep the Traveler semi-filled with air during storage but found that it didn't provide near the clearance up off the floor like I had hoped. Oh well, any one interested in a slightly used canoe hoist???

Cheers
 
Having lived aboard on a sailboat on puget sound for ten years, I have had a lot of experience with inflatable dinghies, both mine and other folks. The inexpensive ones are light, mainly because they are PVC and are not expected to last forever. The more durable ones are hypalon, such as the Avon or Achilles. I finally spent the dollars for an Avon. But a 2.85m (8.5 feet) with a roll-up floor is heavy, probably 80 pounds so getting it onto the cabin top takes two. The mercurys, seyvlors, west marine, and others made of PVC are extremely light, but if you use them in a harsh environment, like lots of sun and heat, or near shores with lots of sharp rocks or barnacles, they won't last long. I shredded a west marine in british columbia on one trip. My avon has a 2hp honda that runs forever on little gas, probably does about 5 mph, and gets two people around really well, just heavy. I looked at kayaks, especially the rotomold plastic set upons, but boarding one from any height was risky, and a lot of the anchorages on the west coast are sometimes rolly. So the choices, at least in my mind, are the light/inexpensive/fragile which need to be replaced every couple years, or the heavy/expensive/durable ones that will last you for 20 years. Take your pick.
 
CB, I have seen the rowing-frame.... did not go for it cuz of the cost and it's huge :xseek almost though :roll: I knew what I wanted I would make eventually. I bet you that lil' Yami 2.5 will push the canoe for about 30 miles on a quart of fuel :idea I know the milage would be phenomenal :) May take me till this winter were so busy moving right now :sad maybe not :roll: I'll certainly post about it. ~~~ Far as carrying it; most time i run in spurts of just a few miles at a time and need to be able to launch it off-the-gunnel, where I keep it fastened for quick-launching convenience.

lloyds, I agree to a point about the vinyl verses hypalon issue, but I think you greatly underestimate the new vinyl craft. They will last a lot longer than what your saying, and hypalon is not impervious to barnacles.... i see them in the shop getting coated on the bottom just like the vinyl boats. Another reason vinyl is used often is because it faster than rubber (hypalon) less friction :idea

As far as weight goes; my lil vinyl craft is very heavy!! it's built extremely well, been knocking around in for a few years----I'd buy another based on it :thup rather than dish out about double the money for a bunch of 'hyp :lol: lil pun there :teeth
 
Does anyone have experience with an air floor Zodiac or similar air floor 10ft dingy? I would like to know what size motor you use and if it planes with 2 people.

Thanks,
Steve
 
I will try being a little more general. Does anyone have a dingy that has room for 2 people and can plane? If so what size and type and how big is the motor?

Thanks,
Steve
 
Though I don't have experience with the air floor models, I have had small inflatables. They just don't plane easily and mine never planed at all with a 3-5hp outboard! Oh the RIB type do with a bigger outboard, but I wouldn't want to carry one on a C-22. Nor would I want to manhandle the appropriate outboard.

So what use requires a planing inflatable?
 
We had an 8'1/2 air floor dink. We powered with a 5HP and it would plane with two light persons. It weighted about 42 lbs the 5 HP had about the same weight. We sold it when we got the 22CD We are looking for something very light-no power

Fred and Pat
 
"Dink" on RedFox is an od-size; just under 8-feet, but very well built and heavy :!: :!: it planes with me in it @ about half throttle with the 2.5 Yamaha four-stroke :xseek man is it a little bundle of fun :xlol planning at only 3-4 mph :!: :D
I'd NOT be interested in anything larger and heavier at all! If I need more, i simply bring along the AIRE Canoe... :love it tows behind just fine... sorta like a pack mule :shock: :)
 
Thought I would warn any potential buyers of inflatable boats and accessories to shop somewhere OTHER than Busters Marine.

I ordered a Mercury inflatable with various accessories back in May. When I received the merchandise I was very pleased with everything EXCEPT a 12 volt pump that looked rather junky and was a little worse for wear since it was shipped in the original thin cardboard box -- the other items were packaged well, just NOT the pump. I was told that I could return the item for a refund, less a restocking fee. But, I sent the item back on the 7th of June and STILL have not received any refund. Now they are not responding to my emails...

It is a real shame that they cannot be better at customer relations. If they had given the refund, as they said they would, I would NOT feel the need to write this warning --- I would have been rather happy with Busters IF they wouldn't have RIPPED ME OFF!

Sorry, but this kind of treatment is unacceptable!
Corwin
 
I am reporting our satisfaction with the Coleman inflatable two-person sit-on-top kayak.

This dinghy is comparatively inexpensive (currently $80 at Wal-mart on-line, including two paddles) and easy to inflate with the Coleman rechargeable Quick-pump (currently $25 at Wal-mart on-line).

The level of comfort is a plus. The air-inflated seat back and armrests make it more comfortable than a non-inflatable kayak, canoe and/or dinghy.
 
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