www.iFourWinns.com

Looking for some ideas on good situations for a dinghy/inflatable.

Something that I can strap on a little outboard and cruise around the lake with.... Just something fun and something that I can tow behind when not in use.

I think I want an inflatable over a rigid. I've seen the rigid inflatables, but I like the idea of being able to fold it into a bag and take it with me.

If the boat is folded and in a bag, what do you do with the outboard? I haven't been able to find anything that can carry it around?

Ideas?

I ran a search and didn't come up with a whole lot...

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

My buddy has a Quicksilver (240 or 270) inflatable and a 5 Hp 2 stroke motor that he takes along on his 245 Vista. It is about 9 Ft long and he will usually tow it behind his boat on a 75 foot rope when he is puttering somewhere or else he ties it to the transom/swim platform when going somewhere on plane. He stores the motor in a large rubberized duffle bag under the rear flipdown seat and I have seen him lash the deflated dinghy to the foredeck too. Westmarine sells a nice unit for around $900 that I was watching all summer hoping it would go on sale but it didn't. If I eventually buy one, I will create a rack on the swim platform that I can stow it on. I think the motor will fit nicely below my steps if I just rotate my starting battery or else my ski locker is pretty empty most of the time.

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

I have a 9'6" Bombard dinghy with a 6hp Johnson 2-stroke outboard. Works fine. I keep the outboard in a large duffel bag I bought from REI. I put a couple pieces of foam in the bottom to help keep the metal edges of the outboard from ripping the bag or taking a gouge out of ankles or gelcoat. A 2 stroke can be stored in just about any position. Just run it out of fuel first. 4-stroke outboards are more particular in that they can only be stored in certain orientations. Otherwise the oil in the crankcase will either drip into the cylinders and foul it. You could store one in a bag easily, just as long as you remembered to be careful about how you laid it down. If I had one I'd probably make a cradle for it in the bag so it was less likely to get tipped over.

One bit of advice, either get a second foot pump or an electrical one. It helps having two folks inflate it. My wife and I can get ours setup and ready to go in about 5 minutes that way.

Our dinghy stores in three bags. One is the bag for the inflatable itself, that came with it. Another is for the outboard. Our dinghy has the hard wood floor sections. I keep those and the pump in the third bag. This keeps the weight of each of them down to a more reasonable amount. That and since the bottom sections have hard edges it's easier on the nearby surfaces to NOT have them crammed into the inflatable bag. They 'can' go in there but it really becomes a bit too heavy to avoid denting something.

If you're going to take more than 3 people then you need at least a 9' dinghy. And if you're going through waters likely to have chop (as in, not a lake) then you'd want AT LEAST a 5hp engine. If you're only shuttling yourself and another around in a lake then an 8' dinghy with a 3hp outboard will putter around just fine.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

I have a 8foot (or 2.4m as we say here in Australia) inflatable with a semi-rigid foam floor. It is just great and with only an H220 I often drive right onto the beach anyway. It takes an electric outboard and has an integral battery holder. I transport it in the bow in a flexible vinyl bicycle case (the type triathletes use for air travel).

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Brian
2006 Horizon 220
350mpi Mercruiser
Jeep Grand Cherokee V8

What do you guys think of something like this:

http://www.silvermarine.com/picture/200 ... re_24.html

It's a company called "Silver Marine" - ever heard of them? Apparently, made in China (but what isn't these days) - and direct import to a distributor which happens to be local.

PVC based. High pressure floor. rated up to a 10hp...

Priced right (about 650 bucks).

Thoughts?

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

And the distributor is already known in the area for providing good service after the sale? I'll trade saving a few dollars in order to get superior service. Inflatables have plenty of areas where they can go wrong; mainly due to seams failing (for a host of reasons). Do you want to be the local guinea pig for a no-name brand made from chinese slave labor?

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

This isn't any help for boats under 30'. Sorry.

We have a 9' Caribe (MVP9) RIB and a 10 HP Tohatsu. We use a Dinghy Dumper system to get it on our swim step for stowage.

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1991 365 Express Cruiser w/ twin 454 (7.4 liter) Crusader engines

its a 9 foot rib and I have an 8hp mercury I keep in a large bag when not in use.

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2008 V288 with twin 5 litre Seacores
http://www.galwayhouse.com.au

We have a Seago 2.4 (8') with airdeck, we just replaced our 4hp Evinrude 2 stroke with a 2.5hp Suzuki 4 stroke that we keep on a stainless bracket on the transom.

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Regards
Beyond the Blue

"If we improve with age I'm now excellent"


Ex 1998 238 Vista 5.0Gi SX DP
Lexus RX300