How do I choose the right inflatable dinghy for my boat and use?
We have a 34ft sailing yacht and need a tender for two adults, occasional visitors and shopping runs from an anchorage. Should we buy a roll-up inflatable, an air-floor dinghy or a small RIB, and what size can we realistically handle?
Answer
Choose your inflatable dinghy to suit the load it must carry, your stowage space and the weight you can launch and recover. For two adults making short trips ashore, a 2.4 to 2.7m air-floor inflatable is a useful starting point; regular family loads, longer trips or exposed anchorages usually call for a larger tender with a more substantial hull.
Measure storage and check handling
Measure the locker opening, usable foredeck space or davit clearance first. A dinghy that is awkward to stow or handle becomes a daily nuisance. Check the manufacturer's packed dimensions: the transom and floorboards can make the bag surprisingly bulky.
Compare the complete working weight, including floor, seat, oars, pump, engine and fuel. A manageable 30kg inflatable becomes a different lifting job with a 25kg outboard attached. Remove the engine before lifting by hand, and check davit limits against the complete suspended load and the davit manufacturer's instructions.
- 2.3 to 2.5m: compact storage and short trips for one or two people, with limited room for bags.
- 2.6 to 2.9m: a practical compromise for a cruising couple carrying shopping or an occasional passenger.
- 3.0 to 3.4m: more useful for family transport and regular loads, but substantially harder to stow aboard a smaller yacht.
These are starting points, not passenger ratings. Check the model's plate for maximum people, total load and engine limits. Large tubes can leave less internal space than the overall length suggests.
Match floor and hull to use
A slatted roll-up is quick to pack and suits occasional trips in sheltered water. Its flexible bottom gives less support underfoot and generally poorer performance under power. It suits owners who put compact storage first.
A high-pressure air floor with an inflatable keel suits many cruising yachts. It gives a firmer platform without separate boards, packs away and is easier to carry than many rigid-floor alternatives. Protect the floor from fishhooks, sharp tools and abrasive cargo.
A sectional plywood or aluminium floor provides a solid working surface for dogs, fishing gear and frequent loading. Assembly takes longer. The boards add weight and need their own storage space.
A rigid inflatable boat, or RIB, has a moulded hull that improves tracking and usually gives a better ride through chop. Aluminium hulls tolerate beach abrasion well; GRP hulls need care around rocks. Most RIBs require deck storage or davits, although folding-transom designs reduce their stored bulk.
Calculate load and engine requirements
Add up your actual load before buying: people, engine, fuel, water, shopping and equipment. Two 85kg adults, a 25kg engine and 30kg of supplies already total 225kg, before any other items counted under the manufacturer's load definition.