Seyvlor Dinghies?

[9D280]

Guys,

I have been nosing around the net looking for a one man inflatable to get me off the rib when at anchor & onto the beach. Tripped over a couple of places over here selling this range for a seriously small amount of money - so small an amount that I almost put them down as "pool toys", then I googled them, to discover they are part of Coleman, and make some reasonably big transom-ed dinghies.

I'm not planning on adding outboards or tackling a round Britain in it, just a couple of hundred yards max to / from the beach. Rest of the time it will be deflated and stored.

On grounds it's an American company, I guess some of you will have had more experience with them than over here. I'm looking at the Caravelle / Super Caravelle.
So, any comments on the construction - either good or bad?

[Rogan]

More of a toy than anything else. They remind me of the blow up boats my father bought me when I was 6 years old. Very thin material and the floor always seems to get a leak at some point. Try and find an old Avon. We found one from the early 90's behind a storage yard. A few repairs and lots of cleaning and now we have a solid dingy that can also take a 10hp outboard. Being a real inflatable boat it can handle taking 6 people out to our sailboat.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by 9D280

Tripped over a couple of places over here selling this range for a seriously small amount of money - so small an amount that I almost put them down as "pool toys", then I googled them, to discover they are part of Coleman, and make some reasonably big transom-ed dinghies.

From what I've seen (and I can't say that I have seen the models you're looking at), Sevylor makes cheap PVC craft. The ones I've seen are generally comparable in build quality to, say, waterbed mattresses: external butt welded seams, the material used may well be thinner than waterbeds are.

If all you're looking for is something to get you from a mooring to shore, well, it would probably do the job. Not sure I'd trust it for much else.

My $.02 (or .0143 euro);

jky

[9D280]

Guys,

Thanks. You have confirmed my suspicions!

As an aside, I weighed a one man airbed we have for camping last night- it's heavier than the dinghy I was looking at - 'nuff said!

Time to go trawl Fleabay........

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by 9d280

as an aside, i weighed a one man airbed we have for camping last night- it's heavier than the dinghy i was looking at - 'nuff said!

:d

[Stoo]

Originally Posted by 9D280

Time to go trawl Fleabay........

Can't you just get the Missus to piggy-back you through the shallows?

[9D280]

I think there may be a non approving opinion about that idea........

Probably cheaper to buy a dinghy!