Shopping for a new dinghy and outboard. What would you get?

[Wayfarer]

Greetings attractive young people!

I've decided to use some of the proceeds from the sale of my dirt castle to purchase a shiny new Dinghus and outboard. As far as the boat itself goes, I've narrowed that down to an AB Aluminum / Hypalon RIB job. It's a 9.5 footer that will carry what I need and fit in my davits. It can take up to a 15 horse eggbeater.

What I'm still not sure about is the outboard. I don't know anything about outboards. I'm vaguely aware of how to use one, and of the brrrrrrrrrrrrrrawwwblblblbllb sounds they make. I think you're supposed to put oil and gas in them... I have no idea which brands are more reliable, easier to find parts for, easier to maintain, cheaper in the long run, blah blah blah... It doesn't need to be the fastest thing in the world, but I would like to be able to get up on plane with my big ass and some friends (or more likely groceries) aboard.

So, if you were shopping for a brand new outboard, either a 9.9 or a 15, what would you get and why? Electric or pull start? What about EFI? It looks like most models are carbureted, but a few have EFI.

Hey... Thanks for helping me to be slightly less ignorant.

You look nice today, by the way.

 

[RonR]

When I do it over I am going to go with one of, or something like the Offshore Cruising Tenders. https://octenders.co.nz/products-oc330/ and a lighter 8-10hp
(surprised there is not something like this in the PNW being built)

But other than that I have a double floor rib with center counsel. I would gladly drop the options for less weight.. Far as the noise maker I am very happy with the Honda 15hp. Its quiet, does not use a ton of fuel, and dead on reliable so far. Only issues I have had are finding parts for it. Not a lot of on-line support for parts, not a lot of local dealers to me.

 

[Wayfarer]

Well now, that OC tender is an interesting proposition... 75lbs for the carbon hulled 300 is pretty impressive. The weight capacity is quite a bit less than the RIBs, and I bet it would be a pretty penny for the carbon option. The shipping to the US probably isn't cheap either. They look like really nice boats though.

 

[RonR]

Well now, that OC tender is an interesting proposition... 75lbs for the carbon hulled 300 is pretty impressive. The weight capacity is quite a bit less than the RIBs, and I bet it would be a pretty penny for the carbon option. The shipping to the US probably isn't cheap either. They look like really nice boats though.

You are 100% correct, but 90% of the time its just the wife and I with a small dog or a few bags of food. Far as shipping.... I still think someone in the PNW should be building something like this, with all the teck/carbon and what not in the area its a prim location, only thing holding it back is the Prim Locations rent/wage.


I would be much happier fishing, beaching, goofing off with no air chambers to pop, no seams to blow. And something lighter than what I have, that can still get up on top of the water and do at least 15-20.

 

[Fletcher500]

Have you looked at the Bullfrogs? Hard exterior with PUF fill. No air inflation, rigid, easy to step on the gunwale to get in and out. We have the larger one with a Honda 30 and have towed it up and down the coast over 500 miles over the past year. Handles seas really well and I never have to worry about it back there. They also make a smaller model if I remember correctly.

 

[boathealer]

Another thought is a Whaly. Rotomolded plastic - nothing to leak ever, no worries about dragging over oyster shells on a beach. Hulls are 1/2 filled with closed cell foam - completely unsinkable. I owned 3 different Windrider trimaran sailboats in my past - I LOVE plastic boats.

Whaly makes several different length models. We have the 270 (~9ft) in order to fit on our deckhouse with the solar panels. It weighs only 159lbs. We are VERY happy with this dinghy. We had to import ours via container ship from the Netherlands when we bought it 2 years ago, but there is a USA dealer now (in FL, I think). Google their web site.

I am just wrapping up some documentation on performance with a Torqeedo Cruise 2.0 (5hp equiv.) and some Li batteries in the dinghy locker. I should have a report/post out later today. We had a gas 9.9EFI, but it was just too much for this length dinghy. So far I'm liking this all-electric thing....

 

[Nomad Willy]

The Frog is very heavy.

And it still has many of the serious faults of the duckies.
The tubes still take up a huge part of the boat.
They are no better looking than a duckie and are dark grey. Why not white?
Your butt still gets soaked sitting on the tube.

I think there is still nobody else making one similar. Must be a reason .. several to many.

 

[Nomad Willy]

healer,
159lbs is light for a plastic boat.
An old PennYan wood boat probably weighed less than half that much though.

The Livingston is still a very good hard shell option. Is somebody making them .. or a copy. Buy used .. support your neighbor.

 

[rslifkin]

In my own quest for a stable hard dinghy, I settled on a couple of options. Number 1 on the list is a 9' Dyer Dhow. Just over 100 lbs, can accept a sail rig if desired, will row well and has very good weight capacity for a hard dinghy (plus good stability, being hard chined). And I wouldn't be surprised if you could get it to do something resembling planing given a decent size outboard.

Number 2 on the list is something like the Stur-dee rowing skiff. Also hard chined for stability.

Option number 3 in my mind is to break out the foam, fiberglass, and epoxy and start building.

The Bullfrog, Whaly and other "high durability" inflatable replacements are all incredibly heavy and most are also expensive. To me, the weight alone makes them a bad option for most people. The OC Tenders stuff looks really nice and they've got the weight thing figured out (the 300 is almost 10 feet and under 100 lbs even without the carbon fiber option). But they're very expensive.

 

[wkearney99]

Whaly makes several different length models.

I've got an Avon 310 RIB that the specs say weighs in ~150lbs. The equivalent Whaly is double that at 310lbs. I'm not sure how my hydraulic swim platform would handle that much of a weight increase.

 

[Mrwesson]

Either something with EFI or a Propane outboard. I had a hell of a time keeping the carbs clean on any dinghy outboard. Always ran the carbs dry but it didn't matter. The carb jets on small HP engines are tiny and a spec of dirt will ruin your day. I also hated storing gasoline.

I'd go with propane unless you're looking at a large dinghy(not sure they have high hp engines).

 

[Mike Lowthian]

shopping for a new dinghy and outboard

over 20 some years I have had 4 outboards and various dinghies. Currently have a 9 hp Yamaha on an 11' Boston Whaler. Works very well.

In the past it has been:

-8 hp Yamaha. Loved it. Was great. Finally died of old age.
- 8 hp Tohatsu. Went to this because of circumstances but was pleasantly surprised. Preformed very well. No troubles. Also died of old age.
-10 hp Honda. Also preformed great. No service issues
-current 9 hp Yamaha (only one year old). Doing very well.

I believe you should go to a 4 stroke. Two stroke is a dinosaur, reliable but out of date and going forward may present service & parts issues?

 

[Russell Clifton]

Concerning outboards;
The Suzuki outboards are fuel injected, the 9.9 and the 15 hp are the same motor. Same weight, same stroke, same bore. Some tweaks to the fuel system. I am not sure how old you are but I decided I was done with pull start and manual tilt outboards and am very happy with my 15 hp. Suzuki. It starts instantly after sitting all winter without draining the fuel system. You can also connect a garden hose to a dedicated port on the side of the motor to flush it out.

 

[rsn48]

I just purchased a 9.5 RIB, I'd post the brand but it probably isn't available in your area but the closest and one you might look at is the 9.5 Highfield. The question I haven't seen you address is storage of said beast.

An expensive solution, (you need a swim platform for this) is the Seawise davit system. You don't have to muscle your motor. Ask yourself - how much in dollars is it worth not having to move a heavy engine around? The answer for me, at age 72 is a fair bit of money.

You will be recommended just about everything here in terms of motive power - gas, electric, propane, muscle, wind. If you like propane, don't get Lehr, they just went under and for good reason. Merc has one propane engine out now, I'm betting others to follow.

I have a single engine boat so I chose gas as it is readily available everywhere and I want to have decent range/power in case I use the dinghy as back up auxillary power to move the boat should I lose my only engine for whatever reason.

All Mercury's 30 HP and under are Tohatsu engines. I got a Merc 9.9 as that is all my boat is rated for even though the specs on your desired craft is the same as mine, I don't know why the difference but I wouldn't have gone larger. You might be interested in Suzuki as the 15 and 9.9 weight the same and are decent motors.

If I were in your boots, I'd spend less money on the engine and more money on the davit system, something easy, fast, and convenient for storage is important, especially since you are single handing most of the time.

 

[Beaverlake]

If I were in replacement mode, I’d opt for the NZ produced TrueKit line and then choose an appropriate ePropulsion, Yamaha, or Honda 6-9.9hp. Plenty of videos on YouTube. If space is tight, Olsson in Seattle (Roskelly-Olsson) makes a transom mount tilt up SS davit for weights up to 275lb (S-275) that allows you to keep your engine in the a gas fuel tank in the dinghy while underweigh. TueKit is PVC, but read the info from the PVC mfg and I think you will be impressed. Good PVC? Who knew? BTW we currently have an 11 foot AB aluminum RIB with a 20hp Honda and euro helm. Total weight with fuel is 450-475 and we love it.

 

[High Wire]

Outboards for dinghies:
4 Stroke - All new small engines are 4 stroke like your car engine. It has an oil pan with oil. No mixing oil and gas. No smoke, no smell when running. Weigh about 10-15% more than equivalent HP 2 stroke engines. Better fuel economy than 2S.

2 Stroke - Older OBs were 2S. Oil is mixed with the gas and burned. Smokey exhaust is normal. If you want 2S, you have to buy used or go out of the US to buy.


If you intend to plane off with 2-4 adults in a dinghy, you should consider a 10 ft RIB. The reason is the short hull of <10 ft tilts way back trying to plane off. The 10 ft RIBs seem to come up fairly flat and just go (dinghy envy) My 8.5' Boss/Rigid Boats fiberglass struggles with 15 HP and 2 adults. We would both have to hang out over the bow at WOT for a while to get on plane. With only one person its a squirrely handling rocket ship. In the end we found so few times where we would actually be in an area where we could use a planing dinghy for more than a minute, we gave up and went 6 hp non-planing. Try a few out before you buy. Ask your transient dockmates about their dinghies and if they plane off with 2-4 people.

 

[boathealer]

Another thought is a Whaly. [snip]

I am just wrapping up some documentation on performance with a Torqeedo Cruise 2.0 (5hp equiv.) and some Li batteries in the dinghy locker. I should have a report/post out later today. We had a gas 9.9EFI, but it was just too much for this length dinghy. So far I'm liking this all-electric thing....

Report, as promised, in new thread here: https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s6/electric-dinghy-conversion-52141.html

 

[Seevee]

I have an AB AB 9UL Dinghy at 54 lbs, with a 6 hp Suzuki motor. Gets on plain with one but really hard with 2. Also, it's a rough ride and squirrely. However, very easy to launch and very reliable.



I'm a bit disappointed in it. I really need at least an 8 hp motor.


I had an old cheap aluminum john boat, V hull that ran MUCH better and faster. Like an idiot, I sold it because it was a tad too long at 10 feet, with a motor, close to 11.5 feet and would occasionally hit it when docking. Should have learned how to deal with it.



So, I'm back at shopping.

 

[Windward34]

Just purchased Highfield 310 FLC with 20 hp Tohatsu, had it a month and very happy with the dinghy. For now I have a 34 foot sailboat (future trawler owner, I hope) and have to tow. It’s not super light about 350 lb# with motor but have not had any issues towing. It’s good size for two adults but the 340 would have been better option just didnt want to get much heavier. The tohatsu is fuel injected and so far runs great. Boat neighbor bought a 15 hp a few weeks before and he has been happy with it so far.

 

[Comodave]

I can second the opinion about Seawise davits. I put them on a previous boat and the davit was awesome.

 

[O C Diver]

Another happy Suzuki 15 HP EFI with electric start, customer. I view electric start like having an electric windlass. Sure, you can do it by hand, but why would you. Pretty small bump in price at time of purchase. The battery and charging system makes accessories like a little bilge pump and navigation lights, easy.

Ted

 

[Wayfarer]

Excellent. Thank you for the feedback, gang! Quite a few things I hadn't considered here.

I've got a set of danforth davits already mounted on the stern, and I plan to continue using those. What little information I've found about them says they're rated for 400 pounds. I don't know if that's per davit or altogether, so I've been erring on the side of caution, and assuming 200 pounds per davit. The boat that's currently hanging there is a 10 foot Boatex, and takes up the entire transom, so I really can't fit anything bigger.

The Whaly and Bullfrog options are good suggestions. There's lots to like about a durable plastic boat, but they do seem to be quite heavy, and their carrying capacity is quite low compared to a RIB. I think I'll keep them off the table for this application, since they'd likely max out my davits.

A hard shell boat is also off the table. I love the look of them. A nice Gig Harbor Point Defiance would look just stunning hanging back there, and I'd love to learn myself how to sail in one. Thing is, I'm a big clumsy buffoon, and the initial stability of a RIB seems like the safest option for me. I am prepared to have a wet butt, so long as most of the rest of me is fairly dry when I get there.

As far as the engines go, your feedback seems to mirror what I've been able to learn from the rest of the internets so far. There don't seem to be any runaway obvious 'best choices,' and I'm not seeing any consistent 'don't buy this' recommendations either.

It looks like I'll be going for a 9.9 four stroke, most likely with EFI, and probably with battery start. Honda, Tohatsu, Suzuki, and Merc seem to be the common players. I'll steer away from Evinrude, with the recent announcement that they're stopping production. I haven't seen a lot of places that sell Yamahas, so I haven't really bothered with them much either.

 

[bshanafelt]

Look at Achilles hypalon with aluminum hulls

Light and sturdy.

I have owned caribe - very stout but really heavy.

AB - disappointing in quality but very light


Now have Achilles . A bit heavier than the ab lighter by far than the caribe, so far a perfect dinghy.
It has a forward compartment integral to the hull that allows a Weaver davit bar to attach directly to the swim step. Also the transom uses a similar Weaver bar, thus no davit mount to any tubes.

All dinghys I've owned have been 8.5 - 9 ft. Long. All hypalon, all powered by the coveted Nissan 9.8hp 2 stroke outboard - weight 57 lb.
I bought 2 of these outboards in 2004 new, just retired the first one last year. Wish I could have gotten a dozen of those. Trouble free.


I can plane the current boat with 3, barely. Does 2 easily. Similar results with previous ribs.

 

[Jeff F]

Have you been launching and retrieving the current dinghy from the davits? I have a broadly similar arrangement. You may find the increased beam and bulk of even a small inflatable makes it awkward clearing the swim platform.

 

[IRENE]

We were considering Suzuki and Tohatsu for our 9.5 AB. Once I looked at changing the oil for each, the Tohatsu won. Something I didn’t initially consider, but glad I stumbled on it. It is possible to change the oil without spilling a drop, even with the boat in the water!

Good Luck

 

[SteveK]

I recently purchased a 5HP Mercury propane unit and have used 3 times. No complaints. It pushes the Horizon dinghy well enough to get from anchor to shore and back.

 

[rsn48]

RIB's in the PNW and coastal BC pretty much rule. As you say very stable, unsinkable and the hard bottom wards off binnacles which we have an abundance of. Even rowing, the RIB won't win races but much better than flat bottoms and inflatable floors. The 9.5 will take four people to and from shore/boat and back. And the 9.5 RIB + 9.9 hp whatever will probably weight in around 250 lbs. Throw in some safety gear, etc in the soft under seat storage bag and you will be close to 300 lbs so you are good to go at well under 100 pounds for your davit system.

 

[ranger58sb]

As far as the boat itself goes, I've narrowed that down to an AB Aluminum / Hypalon RIB job. It's a 9.5 footer that will carry what I need and fit in my davits. It can take up to a 15 horse eggbeater.

What I'm still not sure about is the outboard.

So, if you were shopping for a brand new outboard, either a 9.9 or a 15, what would you get and why? Electric or pull start? What about EFI? It looks like most models are carbureted, but a few have EFI.

The "How will you carry, launch, and recover it?" question comes before you can finish deciding about the outboard. If your existing davits solve that, good to go.

Also depends on how you will use the dinghy. 200 yards from boat to shore? 5 miles runs, exploring? Et cetera...

If you can carry the dinghy with the outboard attached, choices get easier. If not, you've gotta schlep the motor out there every time... motor weight becomes a bigger factor, etc. And then the carry system may also impact whether you can always use the swim platform (if you have one), etc.

We had a lift system that let us carry the boat upright, on/above our swim platform... cantilevered enough so we could walk between the big boat and the little boat...

In that scenario, with a 10' Hypalon 135-lb RIB (WB Genesis 310 FTD), I chose a Suzuki DF-15A EFI 4-stroke, with electric start for wifey (well, for me too, given that whole "frozen shoulder" thing that happens to me from time to time). You can look up the weight, but I think it as 109-lbs. Plus battery, which wasn't all that much. Plus fuel. Plus stuff.

Their current 9.9 EFI version, introduced slightly later, was on the same platform, so no weight savings. IOW, if the dinghy is rated for 15, no sense going 9.9 -- at least in the current Suzuki line-up.

I don't have any experience with a carbureted 4-stroke, but did have a 2-stroke... and the carb worked whenever it felt like it. Not often. Complicated, in our case, by ethanol in the gas supply. OTOH, the Suzuki EFI worked fine all the time.

If I were just going from nearby anchorage to shore, these days, I think I'd also consider electric. Haven't shopped on those, dunno if viable... and dunno if viable on your target dinghy,

-Chris

 

[Group9]

We just changed (upgraded) our dinghy several months ago.

We had a Boston Whaler 11 foot tender, that when powered by our Nissan 9.8 two stroke, would only get on plane in the most perfect of conditions (I do suspect some waterlogging was present).

We sold the Whaler and obtained a Walker Bay 8, through a trade, that I just felt was too small for us.

While perusing the Craigslist on a trip, I saw a 13.5 Del Quay Dory for sale for $900, with trailer. After looking at it, I bought it and towed it home. I then put the 9.8 on it, and went our for a test drive and was happily surprised to see it plane easily, and hit 26 MPH according to my iPhone.

It is obviously a Boston Whaler 13 knock off, and right now we are trying to beef up our davit system to be able to lift it and a carry it on the stern, but it tows well.

One thing we have learned from extended cruising, is that we never wished we had a smaller dinghy while doing it. If my wife would let me, I would tow our 22 center console behind us everywhere we went!

 

[Retriever]

I had a 10 foot Achilles (made in 2014)with fiberglass bottom and 2-stroke Yamaha 15hp on the old boat. It provided exceptional service for six years and a lot of hard use. No problems whatsoever.

The current boat came with a 10 foot AB (made in 2017) with aluminum bottom and 20hp Suzuki with electric start and power tilt (still a tiller though). It’s only 3 or 4 years old and clearly not as well built as the Achilles. The rub rail is chalky and leaves residue on everything it touches (I’ve seen this on other ABs), the handles fail relatively easily, and there’s some rusty hardware.

The AB rides a little better in chop, but it’s slower than the Achilles.