First Dinghy Advice

[jamesyquick]

Hello All ,

Please help me. I want to buy a small dinghy with an outboard. Small enough that it will fit in my car but big enough to go on the sea (not river) I don't want to go miles out to sea just along the coast (gosport to hayling) I want to know what size boat I need and what outboard I would require (HP and shaft length). What makes are good and what I should avoid. I have lots of questions so if someone could take the time to answer them I would be very grateful Thanks in advance.

[Landlockedpirate]

Welcome to the forum. 1st thing to do is read the sticky at the top of the board "Which sib, which sib, which sib", its got a lot of answers to your questions, and a few more you havent thought of yet.

[jamesyquick]

Thank You so much that really helped what price range should i be looking at for a second hand air floor dinghy (no larger then 3.4m) with a 15hp outboard ? so I don't get ripped off ?

[Fenlander]

Search on Ebay completed listings to get an idea.

But as a rough example if you look out for a deal you can buy the sort of thing you mention (say 6yr old air floor and 12yr old 15hp 2-stroke) for £1200-£1600... when the outboard alone if tidy and well presented might make £1000-£1250 in the selling season.

Not air floors but gives an idea...

Suzumar inflatable dinghy with Mariner 15hp | eBay

Yam Yamaha 360s Inflatable Boat - Mariner 15hp | eBay

[Max...]

Originally Posted by jamesyquick

Thank You so much that really helped what price range should i be looking at for a second hand air floor dinghy (no larger then 3.4m) with a 15hp outboard ? so I don't get ripped off ?

Honwave + 15 listed yesterday on for sale forum here at a great price.

[jamesyquick]

thank you for the help and advice. if i were to buy a 3.4 air floor dinghy with a 15hp motor would it be safe and advisable to sail it to hayling island from gosport. (forton lake to emsworth channel). would i need a permit/licences to do so ? and lastly would 3.4m be ok to berth in a marine for a day , or is it to small ? could I travel across the entrance of portsmouth harbour safely ?

[Fenlander]

James (I assume) I have to ask what experience or training you have as this has a massive bearing on your safety the moment you leave the slipway never mind operating in busy shipping/boating areas.

For my part I was brought up to the water and now have 54yrs experience of the sea under my belt since a child. Others here have private and/or commercial qualifications plus experience. It really does matter and if you have neither I'd advise safe "pottering" until you get a feel for it all.

Personally I think 3.4m sibs with a 15hp are so desireable and easy to pinch I never leave ours (not that I currently have that size) out of sight for more than a few minutes wherever we visit places... but I guess a Marina with CCTV might be OK.

[jamesyquick]

I was planning on pottering around with it until i get comfortable. I wont be doing anything without being advised first. I understand that the sea can kill you just like driving on the road can. this is why I am asking before i do anything. I have searched the internet for answers but nothing comes close to this site. Would I need a permit to use it ? Yes my name is James

[Fenlander]

Yes this site is one of the best for boating advice of the smallcraft variety.

Well in general you don't have to have any permit to go to sea in Britain but others would know if there are any restrictions related to launching in the specific area you mention.

Quite a few slipways these days ask that you have public liability insurance and some even ask for qualifications but these are often club slipways that allow public use as long as you meet their rules.

If you're throwing in off the beach though it's more a free for all.

[jamesyquick]

I was planning on throwing it off the beach and then berthing in a marine (ill have to call them). My work is about 10 mins from the beach and i thought it would be a better commute. so I want to gain as much knowledge as possible before next summer because i'm not doing it in the winter. Like what distance would i get from a big 15hp engine ? is a long shaft better then a short shaft ? is a 2 stroke better than a 4 stroke ? i do apologize for all the questions that probably wouldn't worry you

[Fenlander]

Well as said further above much is covered in the sticky thread at the top... Which SIB...

What do you mean by "what distance"?

Pretty well every SIB takes a shortshaft and it's important to keep to that.

2-stroke is the preference of most here for SIBs around 3.5m as a 4-stroke 15hp can be too heavy to carry easily. A minty 15hp 2-stroke is very desirable though so they hold very firm prices.

[jamesyquick]

Thank you for you answers. you have been more than helpful

[lightning]

I have a Tohatsu 9.8hp two stroke engine on my SIB.
The engine only weighs 26kg and will push the boat to about 20mph with two people on board.
With one person it is even better!
It might be worth looking for one of these engines rather than a 15hp, as they are so light in weight and easy to carry/fit on the boat.

[Max...]

Just buy the Honwave and 15 at £1300 in the classifieds - including tanks, Bravo and geuine Honwave wheels - absolute bargain price for the perfect first SIB.

[John Kennett]

^^^ what he says!

[chipko]

Oops! Too late, looks like already sold 😦

[lightning]

That was cheap

[Max...]

Originally Posted by chipko

Oops! Too late, looks like already sold 😦

It was posted up two days ago...

[beerbelly]

surprised it was on that long if I didn't already have one I would have snapped it up

[Mikefule]

I've had SIBs before and am looking for a new one. I have recently spent hours researching it in this forum and on the internet generally.

Everything has its pros and cons and everyone will either say "Get what I've got" or "Ooh, I had one of those, never again" - often talking about the same boat!

I have found that Zodiac's website is the best in terms of dimensions and specifications, power recommendations, etc. if you are looking for new.

If you are looking for second hand, decide what you want first, then look for it. A bargain is not a bargain if it's the wrong boat or engine for you.

A SIB of 3.4 metres or so with a 15 hp engine is a pretty capable boat and in good hands will cope with a lot - but when things go wrong at sea, it can be sudden and catastrophic. I remember playing in my boat in big waves off Fort Bovisand and a reflected wave crossed the incoming waves right next to me and it was like a depth charge going off. If I had been 2 metres further in that direction, the boat would have been over and four of us in serious trouble.

The same with a long easy coastal journey going wrong suddenly when you try to beach the boat in surf.

I strongly recommend at least going on something like an RYA Powerboat course. You will learn a lot. Anyone can drive a boat reasonably fast in a reasonably straight line and have fun. Slow speed manoeuvring, man overboard drills, picking up mooring buoys, and so on are a bit less obvious.