Our last trip to the San Juans was fantastic, but one drawback was having to be lashed to docks that are sometimes hard to get anywhere close to as they are very busy. We had to be able to get the pooches to shore for potty breaks so we ended up staying in marinas or public docks which does take a lot of the serenity and adventure out of the picture. It was still a blast mind you, shopping and wandering around the little island towns but we felt a little restricted to where we could go on any given day and had to follow a schedule of some sort.
So began the research into what you would think is a fairly simple decision but we wanted something that would fit our needs now but would not be wasted money and be an investment that would also be what we need when we go cruising. When you will be living on a 35 foot boat in the middle of nowhere and think of all the supplies that have to be carried onboard for safety as well as convenience there are so many factors to consider ... weight, storage, ease of set up and on and on as this is basically your car that will be used for transportation to shore but also to transport provisions, fuel and water from shore in what can be some extremely remote areas.
We love the hard sailing dinghys and may end up carrying both an inflatable and a hard sailing dinghy as well as an inflatable kayak from Advanced Elements at some point but opted for a solid wood floor panel inflatable because it is stable, durable and simple although a little heavier and harder to assemble than some of the options. We also chose to go with a quality make from Achilles in the Hypalon material which stands up much better to the brutal tropical sun than a cheaper PVC inflatable.
OK, well I am going dingy thinking about dinghys so I think I will have some coffee with Heather ... my favorite dingy.
Captain Out
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