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From: Norm of Bandersnatch (no email)
Date: Fri Jul 07 2006 - 13:10:44 EDT
Your inflatable must have been an old or light duty boat.
Our 10' Caribe has been in daily use, and occasional abuse, since 1997 and
is still going strong, albeit with a few patches.
It is our shuttle to the shore, and we use it every day as such. Some days
it is our pick-up truck hauling everything from piles of provisions (buy
big, buy less often), sheets of plywood and other building supplies,
various steel and aluminum fabrications, tanks of propane and dinghy gas,
large storage batteries (how about a set of four L-16s at 130 lbs each),
washer, dryer, freezer, refrigerator, in short - anything that goes on or
off a 63' vessel at anchor - with complete safety and stability. With two
people (and a clean bottom) it can go 25 Kts. It can plane with three
adults aboard (but not with four).
It would be impractical to deflate it for transport. In calm waters it
hangs on 4x4 davits on the starboard side, at sea we tow it with two lines.
I am working on a boom to pick it up and carry it on deck. It weighs about
300 lbs with all its gear.
I simply cannot imagine any other type boat that would serve us as well.
If it was lost it today, I would buy another exactly like it tomorrow.
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Lying St Augustine FL
> After the inflatable that I got from my brother had a
> total failure after only 5 years of very light use (almost
> as little use as his main sail) and the company wouldn't
> do anything about it I decided I would never buy another
> inflatable. The only reason I could see to have one is in
> really rough seas and then it would have to be a hard
> bottom design which really doesn't change the size of the
> dingy at all.
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