Buying New

Inflatables are a classic example of how to have loads of fun in a small boat. Here David Greenwood answers your top inflatable questions.

Q. Inflatables don’t perform great on the water, so why would I want one? Jack Smith, Hartlepool

A. It’s true rigid boats are easier to row or paddle and generally they have better directional stability too, but inflatables have advantages also. Generally they are lighter and they can be deflated for storage or transport. If you want a boat that can be good fun in sheltered waters but also one that can act as a tender to your main vessel then an inflatable is probably your best bet. A rigid tender can be a real pain to tow whereas a small inflatable can be rolled up and lashed down on deck or even thrown into the cabin when not required.

Q. What should I look for in a reasonably good yet affordable inflatable? Terence Hogarth, Penzance

A. Well, for a start, stay away from anything that looks as if it belongs in a child’s paddling pool - it probably does. Then begin to look for key safety features. It’s always wise to look for one with more than one air chamber in the tubes. Inflatables can be punctured, but if the deflation is restricted to a portion of one of several chambers you will still have enough buoyancy within the undamaged tubes to get you home. Look also for robust fastenings for the rowlocks and painter attachments and additional layers of material where the dinghy may be susceptible to wear or rough usage.

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The boat’s tender is something you either love or hate, but whichever emotion is the stronger, it is still your fault. After all, you chose it. And you probably chose the outboard too so whether it’s a marriage made in Heaven or in Hell, the reponsibility lies with you. Over the last 20 years or so, I have owned seven dinghies, so I have certainly seen the good and the bad.

I was recently amused by a yachting forum, on which a guy with a new boat asked “Which dinghy is best?” He got 20 replies and 20 different recommendations, none of which would have solved his problem of perfect choice – for the simple reason that dinghy perfection does not exist. All yacht tenders are a compromise and, on a cruising boat, they are expected to do so many things, that they are bound to do some well and some badly.

A mixed bag
ADVENTURER was the name of our worst dinghy. We found it floating about four miles offshore and, for a mad moment, we thought we might be able to use it as a fast-inflate craft for short trips ashore. Wrong. It was a typical, cheap kid’s beach boat. It was difficult to keep properly inflated, having no thwarts, so you had to sit on a thin fabric floor, which was inevitably also occupied by a pool of water and sand brought in on feet, or by porosity. It was almost impossible to keep it moving against the wind and, as we were about to toss it into the skip, an oddball lone sailor asked if he could buy it for a tenner.  You bet he could . . .

A borrowed 1988 AVON REDSTART was the next to get the Colin Jones treatment (abuse might be a better word) and it survived very well. It is unsurprising really, as the Redcrest is the most popular and the most durable) yacht tender yet devised. It ticks all the small yacht boxes for stowability, ease of assembly with manageable weight and good carrying capacity. Some Redstarts (and Redcrests) are 30 years old and still going strong. Both models (eight and nine-feet respectively) will take outboard motors of up to 4hp and the ‘doughnut’ design, with its round stern, rows much better than an inflatable with a transom. It is a compliment to the breed that the names are still prominent in the 2010 Avon catalogue, with many original features such as the inflated pillow seat still used today.

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Buying a new boat

There are generally two sorts of boat buyers, the second-hand merchants who wouldn't dream of buying new because of the fear of new product depreciation even before the boat gets wet and those for whom the thought of acquiring a boat with a helm seat that had already had some alien posterior hovering over it would make it totally unacceptable.

First time new boat buyers are, in my experience, usually rather naive and expect a new boat, like a new Jaguar or Mercedes, to be tested, run in and in all ways ready for sea on the first occasion they set eyes on her. Well, buying a new boat is not always quite like that. For one thing, modern sports boats, although mass-produced in the generic sense are not, in the main, constructed by robots. There is considerable human involvement in the assembly of modern boats and, for every human, there's plenty of opportunity for individual expression that could well be generated by the Friday afternoon syndrome. So lesson one, be prepared for your new arrival to have one or two teething problems. However if you are happy to put up with the initial hiccups of owning a new boat, then you have all the advantages of being able to specify the equipment, colour scheme and of course your new boat's name.

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In this country, when you buy a house there are all sorts of checks that are carried out to ensure that you are parting with your cash wisely. Everything from building surveys to solicitors' checks to establish the house and the land are a sound buy. When you are buying a boat, things aren't that simple. Whatever type of craft you decide to buy it has to be fit for your intended purpose. Alan Priddy helps you decide on the right RIB.

You have to establish what you want the boat for. This is the most important thing to bear in mind as it may save you a fortune in the long run. There is no point spending tens of thousands of pounds on a 60knot twin-engined offshore racing RIB if all you want the boat for is pottering around the harbour with the family and the occasional water skiing session on a sunny Sunday afternoon. So here are my top tips on what to look for when buying a RIB.

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