Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Dinghies and Tenders

 

A Complete Guide to Finding the Perfect Sailboat or Motorboat Dinghy

For a full-time liveaboard cruiser, picking you dinghy is one of the most critical choices. If you're lucky, your boat's previous owner will have done a good job, and you'll get a good dink with your boat. Why is that lucky, you ask? For one thing, you'll basically get it for free. Hopefully, it's set up for the boat and more or less sized correctly.

If you have to pick your dinghy, you've got some deep soul searching to do. Some folks seldom stay at anchor and just need a boat for rare outings to the beach. Some people have dogs and need to get to shore quickly and often. Aboard Dulcinea, we are dinghy connoisseurs. We love our dinghy. For most of the year, it is our primary car. It gets us to shore in all sorts of weather and conditions. It carries us and our stuff on adventures. We like adventures, and we like getting off the boat. Sometimes, we'll go on ten-mile adventures through mangrove creeks or out to snorkeling reefs. Almost without exception, dinghy adventures are the most memorable parts of cruising for us. We love our dinghy!

Well, time for full disclosure. As I write this, we are in between dinghies because we have had so much trouble finding one that suits us and Dulcinea. And that's the rub–dinghies represent a really tough cruising lifestyle decision. I had not realized just how hard it was to find a good dinghy for a monohull. Catamarans have it easy. Space is almost unlimited, so the budget is the biggest constraint. Most people have to make these decisions before they even begin cruising, which is difficult. Hopefully, these notes help someone get it right the first time!

Factors to Consider in a Tender

In no particular order, here's a list of things you might want to consider. Some of these will be discussed in further detail below:

• How much time are you going to spend using your dinghy? One or two trips a season? Three times a day, 365 days a year? 
• How far are you going to go with it? Is rowing sufficient? If you don't want to row all the time, is rowing-speed sufficient? What about a sailing dinghy? 
• Do you want to get on plane to go more than 5 knots? 
• Do you have davits? Do you want davits? If you don't have davits, do you have space on deck for a dinghy? Monohulls going offshore–if you do have davits, do you also have space on deck for a dinghy? 
• For inflatables, how much time will it spend outside and in the tropics? Entry-level models are made of PVC fabric, which is less hardy than the Hypalon used on the sturdiest boats.

Types of Dinghy

For this article's purposes, we are limiting the discussion to dinghies used as yacht tenders on the typical cruising boat, be it power or sail, under about 60 feet. We'll highlight some of the makes and models we think are cool or unique, but this isn't an endorsement–it's just our opinion after seeing a lot of dinghies. 

Hard Dinghies

These are classic and beautiful. They're the most durable type of dinghy, and since they're usually fiberglass, they're probably the easiest to repair too. 

Our favorite hard dinghies are those with some class. We absolutely would love to have a Lyle Hess-designed Fatty Knees, a Robert Perry-designed Perrywinkle, or a Tinka. These are lovely boats that accent lovely yachts. 

Another smart option (that's almost wholly unrelated) is a Portland Pudgy. These are roto-molded plastic lifeboats that double as dinghies. You can row, sail, or motor them, and you can add a pop-up top to make it a fully functioning, unsinkable liferaft.

Key Considerations

• These are rowing-speed limited boats. You could row, sail, or motor–but only to hull speed. 
• There's no point in anything more than four hp, and most won't even take that much.
• They are tippy, and they've got pretty tight weight limits.
• Classic examples aren't light or small. They fit on the foredecks of some yachts or tow easily. 
• These might be the most fun, especially with a sail kit, but only if you don't need to get anywhere fast, and you're having fun.
• If you like projects, there are plenty of plans and kits to build your own. The easiest, quickest method is with plywood panels and stitch-and-glue construction. We built a 12-footer out of old hurricane shutter plywood once, but that's another story for another time!
• An interesting option that does not fit into the catagories is the Porta-bote. These are hard boats made of thin plastic panels. They fold up to the side of a hard paddleboard. With enough power, they can plane.

Hard-Nesting

Love the idea of a hard dinghy, but don't have space for it on your foredeck? A nesting dinghy is what you need. It is a modification of the hard dinghy that consists of two independent hulls that bolt together. When taken apart, the smaller bow "nests" inside the larger aft section. For storage, you're only dealing with half a dinghy! It's as awesome as it sounds. 

The nicest one we've seen is the PT Eleven, which is just as beautiful as those classic tenders listed above. There's also the Spindrift and the Chameleon. Most of these come as plywood stitch-and-glue kits, which saves money but means you've got to put in some labor. 

Key Considerations

• All of the advantages and disadvantages of a regular hard dinghy, but stores in a smaller space
• Much harder to find, most are build-it-yourself kits

Inflatable-Roll-up (slat floor)

These are the cheapest inflatables you can get. West Marine sells a decent one, the PRU-3. During holiday sales, you can pick up a new one for $500-700. They claim that it can take a six hp motor, but that's craziness. We put a six on ours, and it did not feel safe. 

It doesn't need that much power, anyway. It is a rowing-speed only dinghy that cannot sail. What it does well is roll up. The package is approximately 1.5' x 1.5' x 4.5' and about 40 pounds. It can go in your lazarette locker or lay on the deck. With a lightweight 2 to 4 hp motor, it is as portable as you can get.

Key Considerations

• Rowing-speeds only, oars or motor
• Difficult to stand in, the floor is wobbly, and you need to watch where you put your feet
• Rolls up small and light
• Can be inflated anywhere

Inflatable–Panel-Floor

One step up from a slat-floor is a panel-floor. These boats have interlocking panels of wood, fiberglass, or aluminum that make a solid floor. Under the floor is either flat (just like the slat-floor) or it has an inflatable keel. The keel is a good idea since it shapes the boat hull into a vee. 

Key Considerations

• Needs to be assembled on a level surface, like a dock or on the ground
• Stores small like a slat-floor
• Models with keels can probably plane with enough power
• You can stand in them, much more stable than a slat-floor

Inflatable-Air Floor

The more common upgrade from slat and solid-floor boats are air-floor boats. These have a high-pressure air chamber that makes a complete floor you can stand on. These floors are dropped stitched and inflate to over ten psi (most inflatable tubes go to about three psi max). The floor panel is exactly like inflatable paddleboards (iSUPs)–it's substantial and easy to walk on. It is still wobbly as you pass over waves. Most air-floors (but not all) have the inflatable keel underneath the deck to give the boat a vee-shape.

Our most recent dinghy experience was with a Zodiac Cadet "Fast Roller" model. This was probably the nicest air-floor boat you could get, and it was lovely. It rowed better than any dinghy we have owned. It had not only a high-pressure floor but a high-pressure keel as well. Six horsepower pushed it nicely a little over hull speed and making the biggest dinghy wake you've ever seen. It was rated for eight horsepower, which might have gotten it on plane, but just barely.

Key Considerations

• More air chambers mean longer setup times and more pumping
• Same size as other roll-up models
• Models with keels can plane with enough power, but it takes a lot of power and isn't very comfortable

RIB

As we see it, the advantage of a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) is to get on plane. The shape of the hull is designed to be perfect and looks just like a speedboat. You can stand in the boat, and it cuts through a chop. You can row them, but they aren't great at it (basically for emergencies). With enough power, a RIB can do 20+ knots. 

Highfield makes the nicest dinghies around (in our opinion). These are aluminum and Hypalon; they look great and have all the right features. The aluminum floor is indestructible. These are the boats that charter companies use for their tenders, so you know they'll take a beating.

There are single and double floor RIBs. Single-floor models are lighter and simpler. But the floor vees with the outer hull shape, and if there's any water on the floor, your feet get wet. A double-floor is more like a real boat, with an outer hull covered by a flat deck. These also usually have a bow locker built-in, which is handy. But all of that complexity adds to weight and cost. 

Key Considerations

• They plane–but you've got to have enough horsepower
• Hulls are either fiberglass or aluminum
• You can get models with seats and a cool-looking helm position (to us this seems like extra weight and a waste of a lot of space)
• There are models with "fold-down transoms" that store a little flatter–they look like giant surfboards when deflated and stuffed in their bag
• One company, Foldable-RIB, makes one whose hull folds in thirds once deflated–so it stores in a space just slightly larger than a roll-up
• All others do not store small, they can be deflated, but it doesn't change much–they have similar space requirements to a hard dinghy

Notes About Inflatables

Inflatable boats might seem like a terrible idea. They will pop at the first rock or nail, right? Well, these aren't pool toys. The fabric is thick and heavy, and it takes some force to pop them. If they do get a small puncture, it is very easy to repair. If they get a long tear, or if a seam pops, they might be trash. You can glue it up and get it to hold air, but it will never be the same again. The seams deteriorate with time and UV damage, so these boats do not last forever. They are disposable boats.

It's important to understand that fact because it's tough to find a used inflatable dinghy. It's easy to overpay for one that is basically dead and valueless. If you want a roll-up for an occasional trip, you can probably find a good deal from someone who is upgrading. But if you want a daily driver, there don't seem to be any "deals."

PVC is less expensive, but Hypalon lasts longer (especially in the tropical sun). Hypalon is more puncture resistant, but harder to repair if it does get punctured. PVC can be welded, while Hypalon must be glued construction. We still don't understand what's better. It has been said that Hypalon is less tolerant of being rolled up, so most roll-up or folding dingies are PVC.

No matter what sort of dinghy you have, chaps are highly recommended. They keep the sun off the tubes and seams and add years to the dinghy's life expectancy. If you think chaps are ugly, you've probably just not seen nice ones (I hadn't until cruising year 4, they're rare). 

Storage Options for Dinghies

You might say, well, I want a Fatty Knees or a Highfield RIB with a 20-hp motor, and think you're done. But the dinghy you lust after just might not fits on your boat, or it might not fit on your boat in an acceptable way. The single biggest factor isn't the boat you want, but the boat you can live with that you can travel with!

Davits

Everyone immediately thinks they need davits to handle their dinghy. Before we even went cruising, we thought we needed davits. They just look like the solution, and for a lot of things, they are great. But they also really stink.

Our catamaran had factor davits rated to carry 400 pounds or more. We left the motor on and the dinghy on the davits at all times. The one good thing about davits is that it's easy to lift the dinghy out after each use. That means that it won't float away in the night, and in shady areas, it's less likely to be stolen. It also keeps the bottom completely clean.  

Risks and Problems with Davits

• Getting "pooped" in following seas, and the imposed load of moving water weighing the dinghy down. It's enough to tear it off the boat, davits and all. 
• Therefore, most bluewater sailors agree that the dinghy should be on deck during passages.
• The bottom of the dinghy can get smacked by waves from below, pushing up on the davits and breaking your stern rail or bending metal.
• Dynamic loading caused by the dinghy swinging around. It's tough to get the dinghy to be securely lashed in place and not get chafe. 
• To reduce the load on the davits, most people remove the outboard motor and put it on the rail.
• Monohull davits are usually ugly add-ons that distract aesthetically from the boat.

On Deck

If you don't have davits or are making a bluewater passage, then on deck is probably your choice. Most people lift the dinghy with a spare halyard and lay it upside down on the foredeck. It usually covers at least one hatch, which could be considered an emergency exit. It doesn't work on some boats if there's a staysail on a boom. 

You also have to consider how hard it is to get it up there and turned around. Can it be lashed down securely? Once it's in place, can you still move around the deck for sail handling, anchoring, and docking as you usually do? Can you get in all deck lockers you need to?

The biggest problem with this method is that it's a lot of work. When they arrive at the anchorage for a few days, most people are just going to leave the dinghy in the water, where it's going to get disgusting and could potentially disappear. Some go to the effort of hoisting it for the night with a halyard, hanging it off one side of the boat. 

Deck Chocks

This is the most secure way to store a full-sized dinghy. Trawlers often have this system, and some huge monohull sailboats have adopted it. Several catamarans, notably Maine Cats and Maxim/Voyage catamarans, do it. The dinghy is hoisted with a boom and harness, and then it sits in custom fitting deck chocks. With straps and a cover on it, it won't move. If the system is smooth, the hoisting isn't any more work than davits. Ideally, the motor can be left on the dinghy. Depending on the strength of the hoist, weight is much less a factor than with any other method, other than many towing.

Towed

The last resort is to tow the dinghy. This is a risky business, in our opinion. For one thing, rough seas can easily swamp or capsize your dinghy back there. If you left the motor on, that's probably the end of the story. 

The dinghy also slows the big boat down by as much as a knot. The big boat's hull speed is much more than the dinghy's, so the dinghy adds a lot of drag. We usually want to go faster, not slower. 

The towline presents a risk to your main boat's propulsion since the towline can get wrapped on the prop. And there's the constant worry about chafe on the towline. Soft-bottom inflatables usually only have glued-on D-rings, which is shady. A proper towing bridle is a must-have, even for short rides. We do tow occasionally but usually limit it to ten-mile trips.

We'll also add that every insurance policy we've recently had has stated explicitly that it will not cover dinghy losses if the dinghy is left unlocked or is being towed.

Rolled Up/Stuffed Away

You can't beat this option. It has none of the other problems, and the dinghy is completely hidden and safe. But it means it's a lot more work to get it inflated and set up to use. It's the best option only if you have a roll-up dinghy and only use it occasionally.

Thoughts on Dinghy Motors

For us, there exist two types of dinghies–those that plane and go fast, and those that do not. 

Planing requires power and a lot of it. A planing boat needs excess horsepower to break above the bow wave. Once up on plane, power can be reduced for fuel economy or wave conditions. But getting up there takes effort. For us, a 9.9 horsepower is the minimum. We've tried everything else, and it just doesn't work. If you were alone, a six horsepower would work, but an eight would be better. 

An important point to consider here is the maximum power and load the dinghy can handle. For example, the Highfield UL-240 and UL-260 look like great small RIBs. But they only take a max of 4 or 6 hp, which isn't going to get two people on plane! The dinghy's max power needs to accept the power and weight needed to get on plane.

If you don't want to plane, you've got a lot of options. Electric, propane, gas, hand crank, sail, row, swim, you name it! You only need a small single-cylinder engine. The Torqupeedo electric motors are cool too. The world is your oyster!

Two or Four-Stroke Gas Engines

A lot of cruisers will have you believe that the best motors are two-strokes. The two-stroke Yamaha 15 is the cruiser gold standard. It's a great engine. At only 87 pounds or so, it has a great power to weight ratio. 

But we hate two-strokes. They're louder. They smoke, and you have to carry around the oil and mix it with the gas. They don't like idling for a long time, something you do more than you realized before you go cruising. They're old dirty technology. You can't buy new ones in the US–EPA emissions regulations made them obsolete decades ago. 

Before we went cruising in The Bahamas, everyone said, "The only engines you'll see there are two-stroke Yamaha. It's the only thing you can get parts and service for." Our experience was the opposite; the only engines the locals seem to use are new Suzuki four-strokes. There are a few old two-strokes around, but they're preferred by the cruisers, not the locals.

Four-strokes are where it's at. Yes, they're slightly heavier (sometimes, depending on the model, a lot heavier). But they run smooth and quiet (some almost silent), and they make no smoke or fumes. There's no mixing oil, and they sip fuel like the modern misers they are. 

Conclusion

There are nearly as many dinghy options as there are boat options. Like your big boat, your dinghy is representative of how you cruise, where you go, and how often you do it. 

The gold standard for island-bound cruisers is a fast planing RIB with a 9.9 to 20 hp gas motor. For a Chesapeake Bay weekender, it might be a hard sailing dinghy that's just as fun on its own as it is a tender. It might be a roll-up that lives in the locker except for one or two days a year when you're at anchor. 

Like all boats, your dinghy represents the compromises you're willing to make in a boat. None of the designs are perfect for everyone. The important thing is that you can get where you need to go when you want to go.