New Dinghy feedback requested

[Patches]

I have been using a Westmarine rollup (RU 260) with a Tohatsu 3.5 (2 stroke, 29 lbs) with good results for the past several years.  It is about the lightest weight set-up available, everything breaks down pretty easily, and it has been perfect for moving around two people from ship to shore.

This year, however, i have some captained charters I'm offering in the San Juan Islands and I need to be able to move 3 people at a time. For a lot of reasons, I want to go to a RIB--understanding well the weight penalty.  I managed to find a Tohatsu 5hp, 2 stroke with about 5 hours on it, and weighing in at about 42 lbs.  So that is what I'm going to use to push the new dinghy, and I can heft that on/off the dinghy from my swim step.  After looking at some helpful posts on this forum--though dated--I also ordered a Westmarine 260 RIB, FRP hull, with a 1000 lb payload.  But it does weigh in at (gulp) 115 lbs.  Going up a size (10') moves the weight up even higher, and makes the prospect of getting it inverted on the foredeck more difficult.

My biggest priorities are durability, getting people safely from ship to shore, and price point.  I'm not taking the boat to the tropics, so I'm not as concerned with paying the premium for Hypalon tube material. I'm also only going to use it a few months out of the year, and store it in my garage when not in use.

Although i ordered my dinghy last week, I'm not sure it is going to be here when promised (9/5).  I found good prices locally on the Zodiac 270 and 300 Aluminum RIBs with PVC tubes, and they can be picked up tomorrow for $600 and $800 more than I'm paying for the Westmarine FRP 260 RIB.  They also only weigh 82 and 95 lbs, respectively.

Looking for feedback based on experience with these models.  I don't mind paying a little more for better boat, but I don't know anyone who has purchased an aluminum RIB, or the potential drawbacks of doing so.  Our beaches up here can be cobbly.

Thanks,

Patches

[scgunner]

Patches,

You seem to be approaching this the right way, what you need vs. size and weight penalty. The smaller/lighter it is the easier it will be to manage. Something else to consider is the distance to cover from boat to shore and how smooth or rough that trip generally is. Tube size is also an important consideration, the bigger the tubes the more stable and drier the dinghy will be. I'd recommend getting the biggest tubes you can find.

I've got a 10' Cribe RIB which weighs around 100lbs and I can get it on the foredeck by using the main halyard and winch by myself. Two people is much easier, of course.

[Noah]

Take a look at the Highfield 260. Another option. I do not personally have experience with it however.
https://www.highfieldboats.com/ultralite-260/

[Ron Hill]

Patches : Are you tying to move 3 people total of three guest + your self = 4 total?
The 5 PH will do OK.  2 of us (300lbs) in an 8ft fiberglass Rib with a Nisson(sp?) 5hp will get on plane!!

A thought

[Dave Spencer]

Patches
May I add support to Noah's comment about Highfield. I have a Highfield 290 with a flat floor and anchor locker that is a perfect fit for my 12 litre fuel tank. Perhaps it's based on strong local dealers but Highfield owns the market in the Toronto and Georgian Bay area. An unscientific survey based on observations over the last several years shows about 3 out of 4 dinghies in Georgian Bay and the North Channel are Highfields. I don't recall what mine weighs but that can be found on the Highfield website.  I generally tow the dinghy but for longer trips, I'll lift it on deck. I described my system here. https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,10497.msg81334.html#msg81334

[scgunner]

The Highfield looks like a solid dinghy, I especially like the big tubes. While it weighs only 70lbs, which is nice, it's only an 8' boat which may not meet or 3 or 4 person needs. Another feature I like on the Cribe is the oars stow inside the dinghy so your passengers aren't sitting on them.

[skyward]

We have a 9'1" AB Lammina AL with a 9.9hp 4-stroke Yamaha. I love the combination. We can fit 4 people on the dingy bumping knees and carrying some gear. The motor is about 95+ lbs and I believe the dinghy is at least 95+ lbs. It has a front locker and three separate tubes.

We are going to try towing the dinghy on our short weekend coastal cruising routes.

I have sometimes wished it was ligher, but after we hit a 3"x3" block of wood in the marina going slow, I was comforted by the aluminum hull taking it in strides.

[Jon W]

AB now has an "Ultra Light" rib with aluminum bottoms. The 9 foot weighs 75 pounds. Don't recall exact capacity but is somewhere around 1,000 lbs or 4 people.

[Patches]

Many thanks for all the replies!

Our local Highfield dealer is running ads on Craigslist saying it is discounting some of the models mentioned, so I'm going to contact them today to find out what "discount" means.

Comparing the Zodiac Cadet Aluminum RIB 270 (82 lbs) with the Highfield UL 260 (70 lbs) looks to be the closest "apples to apples" comparison.  Both have powder coated aluminum hulls, keel guards, welded fabric seams, welded lifting points, and quality PVC tubing material.  Zodiac claims you can use a little bigger outboard but, as mentioned, I'm going for now with my lightweight Tohatsu 5hp. Tube size looks to be 16" for the Zodiac, and 15" for the Highfield.

Both boats are made in China, and warranties are also pretty good on both boats (Zodiac: 5 years, Highfield: 2 years on entire boat, 5 years on hull).  I'll also look at the next size up Zodiac Cadet Aluminum RIB 300 (95 lbs) and the Highfield UL 290 (86 lbs).

Patches

[scgunner]

Patches,

It's your call of course, but I can't think of anything I've gotten from China that wasn't absolute crap! There are a bunch of dingy manufacturers in the market, if I was in the market for a new dinghy I'd be looking anywhere else but China.

[Patches]

Shocking, but I received received my new Westmarine 260 RIB, FBG floor, today--a week early no less.

To Gunners point, it is made made in China.  So were the Zodiacs and the Highfields.  I'd be curious to know which inflatables are NOT made in China.  Defender's are, and I think the new Achilles are too.  Avons maybe?

Anyway, I think the quality of the Westmarine is certainly not as good as the Zodiac Cadet 260 RIB I looked at in depth yesterday.  But it is half the sale price of the Zodiac or Highfield and has a two year warranty like the Highfield.  I like the size, and it is still relatively light, so I'm going to roll the Chinese dice and keep it.

The Zodiac salesman, pretty well informed, was not enthusiastic about aluminum RIBs --and he had a bunch to sell.  His point was that once the powder coating starts wearing off its a fight with corrosion.  He also liked being able to repair fiberglass pretty easily.

Thanks to all for your input!

Patches

[scgunner]

Patches,

I'll agree with the Zodiac guy, aluminum doesn't do well in the marine environment. My fiberglass RIB is twenty years old, it's been scraped, bumped, banged up and has held up very well. I can fix any dings easily right up on the foredeck.