What is best size inflatable dinghy for 4 persons for a 320?

barryg

barryg

Member
Jun 24, 2007
966
Fort Lauderdale
Boat Info
2005 320 Sundancer, Garmin 5208
Engines
Twin V-Drives 350 Mags
Help.....Been looking at getting an inflatable with air floor for my 320, that will take 3-4 people. Thinking either Hurley or Nautley Davits, and a lightweight motor to get us around the Bahama islands when we anchor off shore. I'm confused as to the size to get-8'10" or 9'6" or 10'6", as well as what size motor...Also if anyone has a 320 with an inflatable, would love to hear pro's and cons and which davit system they use, how they store the motor etc. . I know Hypelon will last longer, but there are some nice PVC's that weigh less and cost less too...

Thanks,
Barry
 
I just received the hurley davits for my 36 sedan bridge.......i went with an air system and 8 hp 2 stroke yamaha......i wanted a hard bottom, but went with the air......i went with 8-10 walker bay...this was not the ideal solution, but for the final cost, the davits, motor and dinghy worked well for me...8-10 is a tad larger and has 17" air pontoons......weight dictated the system for me
 
We have a 320 and carry a Mercury 310 airdeck at just over 10 feet long. We are using the hurley Davit as I was worried the other would obstruct my view. We usualy cart 3 and Four people are tight but very do-able. We started out with a 15 four stroke and down sized to a 5hp. The Hurleys features good and bad. The system is very easy to launch. My 11 year old daughter can do it. Retrieving takes some muscle but, the wife can handle. It takes some getting used to it. it has to be lined up just right and you will not loose any functionality of your ability to board from either side with it on. The down side is I feel it is not the most robust system out there and should have come with a way to stablize the davits while not in use. We bunjee them to the platform. I think it looks great when mounted and have recieved great compliments from people as it sits pround on the platform. Look at Bustersmarine for prices.
Hope that helps.
 
Thanks...I think I'm leaning towards a 10'6" one, and will also look at the 5hp. Did you look at the Nautley davits? While they are more expensive than the Hurley, they have rollers that look to make the job easier.

Barry
 
When we bought our Zodiac, the Zodiac dealer told us that if we planned to use a davit system (Hurley, Weaver etc.) the length of the dinghy should not exceed the beam of the boat at the stern. When you think about it it makes sense that you would not want the ends of the dinghy sticking out into the air stream when under way.

Henry
 
I have a 13 beam and wanted 1 1/2 feet on each side....That brought me to a 10 max dinghy.......for me, it is not just a function of dynamics of air flow, but aestetics......I did not want my dinghy bigger than the mothership.....with the hurley system, everything will weigh less than 150 pounds and look proportional
 
Barry -

I have been looking at Dinghy's as well. I am a little confused what size motor to put on one. In our area in the summer time - there is a 2 mph or so current. How much power do you need to just get through some current to get to land.

Scott
 
Hey Scott,

What size Dinghy are you looking at, and how many people will be in it???

Barry
 
barryg said:
Thanks...I think I'm leaning towards a 10'6" one, and will also look at the 5hp. Did you look at the Nautley davits? While they are more expensive than the Hurley, they have rollers that look to make the job easier.

Barry
Click to expand...

Barry,

Just realize that this combo will probably not plane out (certainly not with 2 or more aboard). If you're not interested in planing, you have a lot of options. You can go pretty small/light with the motor. The extra thrust just raises the bow and/or makes for an uncomfortable ride.
 
Thanks John..I'm more interested in just getting from the boat to shore when I go to the islands and anchor out, or get thru some of the shallows. And I might only have 2 on the dinghy but I wanted something big enough for 4. What hp would you recommend for that? I think the boat is rated for up to a 15hp, which I guess would get it on plane but again it's not really what I'm going to be using it for...



Barry
 
5 sounds like it may be a good choice. It's definately not too heavy to move around (I lift my 2-stroke 8Hp with little problem), yet it will likely work just fine to get you and your crew to shore. I haven't personally operated a dinghy with a non-planing motor, so be sure to continue to get other opinions. Ask the company that makes the dinghy what they think. Be sure to select the correct lower unit length to match your dinghy. I think the standard short version will be correct.
 
Barry.....If you are just looking to get to shore........How are you carrying the dinghy (davit/roll up)? Where are you putting the motor when not in use? You need to answer those questions first....If you get a 11 foot dinghy and 15 hp 4 stroke and you have no davit system, you are in trouble.....start the other way in your process......

where am i carrying it?
where am i putting the engine when not in use and underway?
do i need to lift the engine off the dinghy everytime and store?


I will make some assumptions.....soft bottom 10 feet, 2 stroke 5/6 hp,

if you only use it to bring people to shore....a 10 foot is fine....worst case you make 2 trips if you have 4 large adults....
 
I would want to bring at minimum 2 - at the most 4. I could make a couple runs. I am looking for the smaller dinghy's. I just want to be able to anchor out and maybe explore in shallow water.
 
Yes, I am going to get either the Hurley or Nautley davit system. The dinghy is an inflatable with an air floor. It weighs about 95lbs. I still am not sure about the motor size or weight at this point.

Barry
 
I have a 5HP Merc 2 stroke on the back of a Mercury 8'6" 270 Airdeck. The motor is light enough for me to carry and move around, however, I never take the motor off of the dink anymore.

You can't buy these 2 strokes new anymore (mine is a 2005 model). This motor has an internal gas tank and can also take gas from an external tank....a nice feature. When I first got into the 'dink' thing, I was using the external tank. Back then I was also removing the motor after each use and storing it in the shed after I flushed. Now, I've learned it's a lot easier to just use the internal fuel tank and store the motor on the dink. Not having an exteranl gas tank also saves some room in the dink.

With the 5hp motor on the 270 airdeck, I can plane with me and my wife on board.....but just barely and it takes a while. With just me, it will plane fine.

This size dink is great for 2 adults and 1 child....2 if you had to.....three adults is OK, but 4 adults would be pushing it.....
 
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For going to shore and limited exploring, we carry a small Zodiac bag boat and a 3HP Johnson. It will hold 4 but that's pushing it. 2-3 is perfect. We're not into the dingy thing so for us, this is simply a taxi to shore. Nice thing about it is it stores in the bilge, and the motor fits in a locker.
 
I realize that you just want to explore the shore, but when you come out of the bar and it's raining and windy, you really want to be able to get there. With four people, it is even harder. I had a 10'6 dinghy with a 9.8 2 stroke and it would only plain if I had 3 women with the tops down:).
 
Brimanst,

Less wind resistance? But, I digress.

When selecting the dinghy motor you may want to consider the manufacturer's maximum size recommendation. Bigger usually is better. You don't have to use all the power on tap but it's nice to have it when needed. But it then brings up the problems of weight and stowage.
 
Barry-
I see your point with the rollers on the Nautley system. Very nice feature but, I wonder how much of that hardware remains on the platform to be tripped on when not in use. We can remove the Hurley and hang it on hooks on the back or our dock box leaving the platform fre execpt two small hinges on the outer edge. It looks like most dinks in that 10 foot range can take a 15hp. WE down sized to the 5hp Merc at 54 pounds. On another note, look at a nice fitted cover to keep the rain and dirt out.
Mike
 
Thanks Mike...I think you can also remove the Nautley, but I have to call and do more research on both, the Hurley is less money and I know a lot of members have them, not sure who used the Nautley yet.

The cover is a good idea...as well as the weight and size of the motor...a lot of choices and decisions!!

Thanks again for all the imput!!
Barry
 
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