How to choose the correct tender for your yacht.
There are multiple decisions to make which will probably involve some concessions in order to find a happy medium - where there are examples quoted below, they tend to be from either end of the scale to illustrate the range of options available. There are a lot of compromises in between.
Crew Capacity - how many people will the dinghy need to carry on a regular basis ?
Load carrying capability - will you need any extra load capacity for transferring/transporting provisions etc.
Purpose – will you need your dinghy for short hops ashore in a sheltered creek or an extended burst around a large anchorage for provisioning ?
Frequency of use - will you be mainly berthed in a marina or living aboard at anchor ?
Safe Storage - Are you going to deflate the dinghy when not in use and stow it in a locker or hoist it on deck/davits ?
Weight - do you need a light weight boat to make the operation more manageable when getting it in and out of the water ?
Performance – are you happy to row the short distances that you have in mind or do you want to be able to cover a wider area at speed ?
Choosing the right performance capability for your yacht tender has been likened to choosing how you want to get around when you are on holiday in a foreign resort. Once you have arrived and settled in, do you want to walk, cycle or drive a car to access all the sights and facilities. These three modes of transport can be compared with your tender:
- Walking – a flat bottomed dinghy powered by rowing, paddling or a very small outboard.
- Cycling – an air deck Vee hull dinghy with an outboard capable of driving the tender along at moderate speed
- Car – an aluminium Vee hull with an outboard capable of getting the tender up on the plane with anything from 50% to maximum load.
Construction Material - UV stabilised PVC is the the benchmark fabric for inflatable dinghies, suitable for use in a temperate climate. CSM (chlorosulfonated polyethylene CSPE synthetic rubber) still commonly known as Hypalon is more expensive but has a much longer working life, especially in a tropical climate. Hypalon has excellent resistance to Ultra Viloet rays, temperature extremes and chemicals.
Choosing the correct fabric for your dinghy - PVC or Hypalon/CSM
The majority of inflatable dinghies are manufactured from either PVC or CSM (Hypalon)
CSM (chlorosulfonated polyethylene CSPE synthetic rubber) is the correct term for what used to be Hypalon, produced under trademark by DuPont until a few years ago.
PVC is a good all round material for making inflatable boats with an average life cycle of 8-10 years.
PVC is generally lighter than Hypalon.
PVC is also available in a special light weight fabric.
Hypalon is more expensive, but it has a much longer working life than PVC with an average life cycle of 15-20 years in a marine environment.
Hypalon has significantly better resistance against:
- The effects of prolonged exposure to strong, direct sunlight (Ultra Violet), temperature extremes and heat in general.
- Chemicals
- Abrasion and Impact
Jimmy Green Marine offer the Seago range of inflatable tenders with a choice of top quality construction materials:
- 1100 Decitex 900g PVC
- 1200 Decitex CSM (Hypalon)
- Light weight 1100 Decitex 700g PVC
Seago boats are all built to the highest quality conforming to BS EN and CE standards.
Each Seago Tender is clearly rated for maximum capability: people carrying, load capacity and outboard motor horse power.
Seago Inflatable Dinghy Capacity Table:
| Seago | Go Lite 230 | Spirit 240-ADK | Go Lite 250 | Spirit 270-ADK | 290-ADK | Hypalon 300 | 320-ADK |
|---|
| | | Hypalon 240 | | Hypalon 270 | | | |
| | | | | Go Lite 270 | | | |
| Length | 2.3 metres | 2.4 metres | 2.5 metres | 2.7 metres | 2.9 metres | 3.0 metres | 3.2 metres |
|---|
| Chambers | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
|---|
| Maximum Capacity | 2.5 persons | 3 persons | 3 persons | 3 persons | 4 persons | 4.5 persons | 4 persons |
|---|
| Maximum Weight | 270kg | 310kg | 300kg | 420kg | 475kg | 566kg | 566kg |
|---|
| Maximum Engine | 4hp | 5hp | 6hp | 6hp | 10hp | 15hp | 15hp |
|---|
| Seago | 230-SL | 260-SL | 230-RT |
|---|
| Length | 2.3 metres | 2.6 metres | 2.3 metres |
|---|
| Chambers | 2 | 3 | 2 |
|---|
| Maximum Capacity | 2 persons | 3 persons | 2 PLUS 1 persons |
|---|
| Maximum Weight | 284kg | 393kg | 255kg |
|---|
| Maximum Engine | 4hp | 7hp | 3hp |
|---|
Seago Inflatable Dinghy Packed Weight and Dimensions Table:
| Seago | Packed Dimensions | Packed Weight |
|---|
| 240-ADK | 107cm x 52cm x 32cm | 29.3kg |
| 270-ADK | 112cm x 62cm x 35cm | 39.3kg |
| 290-ADK | 112cm x 62cm x 35cm | 40.5kg |
| 320-ADK | 112cm x 62cm x 35cm | 42.5kg |
| 240-HYPALON | 105cm x 50cm x 37cm | 32kg |
| 270-HYPALON | 110cm x 60cm x 38cm | 38.5kg |
| 300-HYPALON | 118cm x 60cm x 38cm | 41kg |
| Go Lite 230 | 100cm x 50cm x 28cm | 18.5kg |
| Go Lite 250 | 100cm x 50cm x 28cm | 19kg |
| Go Lite 270 | 100cm x 50cm x 30cm | 19.5kg |
| 230-SL | 107cm x 52cm x 32cm | 26kg |
| 260-SL | 107cm x 52cm x 32cm | 31kg |
| 230-RT | 102cm x 52cm x 30cm | 26.7kg |
Seago publish an excellent owners user manual with loads of useful information:
Seago Inflatable Tender User Manual
