Bigger dinghy?

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nocall
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Bigger dinghy?

Post by nocall »

When we bought Elixir, it came with a fairly new Zodiac RIB and a 5 HP 4-stroke outboard. The dinghy fits on the davits well enough but frankly is just too small and with only 5 HP, planing with even one aboard takes forever, if at all. My question is: what is the largest dinghy the people have hung on the back of a PDQ MV34? We do have the "upgraded" davits, for what it is worth. I would much prefer something that will easily plane with two and some gear aboard and removing the motor on a routine basis is a total PITA and to be avoided if possible. For weight savings, an aluminum RIB seems lighter than most and the Tohatsu outboards are also fairly lightweight. Any advice, anyone?
duetto
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Re: Bigger dinghy?

Post by duetto »

hi,

when we bought duetto we were faced with the same question. we ended up picking a 9'8" AB with a 15hp yamaha 2 stroke. the dinghy weighs 110 dry and the motor is 80, so with gas, anchor and other stuff were pushing 250. the 9'8" is close to the max which will fit between the hulls.

as an aside we have another boat up north and we put davits on it. i priced the same AB and its price had gone off the chart, so we landed on a 10'6" west marine. i actually like the west better but think it would be too big for the pdq. btw, a yamaha 15 4 stroke weighs 20 pounds more than a 2 stroke.

good luck!
john & diane cummings
duetto mv34 #23
billp
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Re: Bigger dinghy?

Post by billp »

I suggest taking a look at the AB Ultra RIB. Fairly new, it has an unpainted aluminum hull and big tubes, lightweight and rugged. After weeks of agonizing and exploring the many dinghy alternatives, including a small cat RIB from New Zealand, I bought a 10-foot AB Ultra for our 41, Spitfire. A two-stroke 9.8 hp Tohatsu works great. (We are also looking to get a Torqeedo electric outboard so my wife can use the dinghy without me. Seems pretty common in my circle, as friends who bought Torqeedos all say their wives then jumped into the dinghy alone for the first time and took off as if they were pros. Unless the outboard has electric start, there is something intimidating about operating a regular outboard, for whatever reason.)

In any case, the boat weight around 87 lbs, and the Tohatsu outboard is around 55 lbs (no electric start).

AB makes the Ultra in 8' 4" and 9'1" as well. They are expensive but well made, easy to clean, and will last a very long time. Highly recommend it. You can even run it onto a beach without worry. And being so light it is easy to pull it higher up the beach, out of the water.

Nothing but praise and high marks from all aspects. Only negative is the price.
BillP
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Page 83
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Re: Bigger dinghy?

Post by Page 83 »

I have an AB 9.1 with a Tohatsu 8 HP 4 stroke. Together they weight 170# which is easy to hoist with a three part tackle and winch. The AB is amazing: it planes with two aboard, is very sturdy and has carried 5 people and groceries albeit a bit slower. My partner flipped the dinghy and the motor fell off, but some quick attention solve the usual problems: it still starts on the first pull. I like Tohatsus; they are simple. And its easy to forget they're running!
Sandy Daugherty "Page 83" PDQ 36026
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Captnautigal
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Re: Bigger dinghy?

Post by Captnautigal »

We are also looking to get a Torqeedo electric outboard so my wife can use the dinghy without me. Seems pretty common in my circle, as friends who bought Torqeedos all say their wives then jumped into the dinghy alone for the first time and took off as if they were pros. Unless the outboard has electric start, there is something intimidating about operating a regular outboard, for whatever reason.)

"Not sure of the problem - are the wives running from dingies that are too small???"
Maureen (Captnautigal) and David
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JohnandBeth
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Re: Bigger dinghy?

Post by JohnandBeth »

Can someone please advise me on the recommended size for a 34MV PDQ? We need to make a decision soon. Looking at AB and the Achilles. Any thoughts? Thanks!
JohnandBeth
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John and Beth Grooms
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Tanah-Keeta
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Re: Bigger dinghy?

Post by Tanah-Keeta »

AB 9.8 (2.0VL)
Ron McDaniel
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duetto
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Re: Bigger dinghy?

Post by duetto »

hi,

really depends on how much you want to overhang the stern steps. 9'6" AB has no overhang. see notes above.
john & diane cummings
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eepstein
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Re: Bigger dinghy?

Post by eepstein »

We bought an AB aluminium 9'6" RIB with a 15hp 4 stroke. It weighs about the same as the old Avon 9'1" Fiberglass RIB and 8 hp 2 stroke we had - but is faster, dryer and has built in storage. Just note that the lift rings are not always in the same spot as the old dinks.
Eric & Bonnie Epstein
s/v Desert Star, PDQ36, Hull 49
Annapolis, MD
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