Lightest Tender/Dinghy/Dink to Carry 6 pax plus luggage?

Long and narrow - and use it as a nacelle.

 

Long and narrow sounds appealing, until you try to take guests out water skiing and they can't get up.

 

WATER SKIING!! This is the first I've heard of that.

-Tom

 

I suppose it wasn't in my original spec.

However, you need to keep guests entertained.

I figured that was included back a way in the thread when I said I needed the dinghy to be able to plane. I didn't expand on why.

 

Cat , you will have to have a large tender to carry a payload of 1200 to 1500 lbs. Look at bateau,s boats built lite stitch and glue, and look at the size range you will need for the disp you want. The 16' or 18' houseboat modified without the cabin might work. The outboard hp should be your kicker hp. rick

 

Cat, our 24' carolina skiffs are rated 17 people or 3000lb payload, 130hp. We can carry the payload but no one likes to drive the boat that low in the water or that slow. You will end up with more hp on your skiff than your cat if you stay with your specs. Your charters are comming to sail , maybe something on line of a core sound 17 with small hp for tender and sails for day trips. Two trips or more to the docks, or rent a larger boat when needed to pick up your charters. rick

 

How about carrying a couple windsurfers for the ski crowd? Of course if you are trying to "take out" the guests in quantity lots of horse power helps

 

Or you might carry a couple of jet-skis.

 

I really like that one, and its competitor and ultimate winner of the WoodenBoat design contest - the B&B Marissa:

http://www.bandbyachtdesigns.com/ec018.htm

Either one, though, is missing the pax capacity by a few and will probably approach 1000 lbs with motor and fuel. Ouch. Would require one hell of a set of davits!

One advantage of inflatables is enormous cargo capacity for the length/weight, if you're willing to give up efficiency. If you want to keep weight down, you'll probably need to trade off planing capability (=big motor/big fuel) at 6 pax.

Would you consider splitting the passenger load into two, and go with a 4 pax capacity twice? Many more choices there..

Mike

 

I think this might be the only way to tick off all the boxes, Mike.

The single trip for all 6 pax to and from the dock is a "nice to have". The ability to get up on plane is a "must have". When water skiing, I would imagine one 3 people would be in the tender, including the one behind on the water skis. When doing runs to the dock, not planing, at idle speed through harbors, I would want more carrying capacity to hopefully get 6 pax in one trip. Different mode of use for the large number of people.

I definitely need a sharp looking, fun tender capable of decent payload, but also light weight.

Reminds me of some old Simpsons quote where an old lady says to the grocery store check out, "I want all my groceries in one bag, but I don't want it to be heavy!"

I'm trying to find the lightest possible tender that does everything, including being able to pull someone water skiing, if possible.

Like this, but weighing 300lbs.

Professional appearance is a must.

 

lightweight RIB

have you considered one of those:
http://www.pureyachting.com/
http://www.extremeribs.eu/models.asp?pgrpkey=spor&prodid=32

 

I didn't see the prices on the Pure, but got scared because they have carbon fiber seats and center consoles.

Thought maybe I could just build one out of the scraps of Corecell, glass and epoxy I have from my big boat.

Are there plans for building RIBs anywhere? I'm not sure any other type of tender will do all these things.