Which 2.5 to 2.6m tender and outboard

[Ed0207]

Dear members,
I have a Fairline with a garage that can accommodate a 2.5 to 2.6 metre tender.
I have never bought an inflatable before and don't mind buying new as the Fairline is very second hand!
She will be left inflated and I would prefer not to have to remove the engine when stowinng away.
Which sort of floor should I go for and what's the biggest practical motor for sea use?
What's a good make of inflatable and which motor?
Any pitfalls to look out for?
Many thanks,
Ed

[ShinyShoe]

I'd guess the issue is how you get it into the garage..? The 9.8hp size is widely mentioned as being quite easy to handle, but are you manually hauling a SIB up onto a platform of some description with 20kg of engine hanging off it?

[beamishken]

We use a ribeye aluminium hulled rib on our 38' cruiser and it's actually lighter than the equivalent size airdeck and handles far better and will probably be easier to roll into the garage
Ours sits sideways on the bathing platform and it's easy to drag up onto the storage blocks complete with the 5hp yamaha 2 stroke
Can't see any advantages in having a sib as a tender unless you want to roll it up when not in use
At that size I'd imagine most will be limited to 8 or 10hp max

[Ed0207]

Many thanks for your replies.
The tender is pulled bow first into the garage on a dedicated winch and slides out on a roller so I'm not too worried about weight but keen to be able to leave the outboard on the SIB when stowed.

[Fenlander]

I'd agree an alloy or GRP floor mini RIB might suit better than a full inflatable. If your garage will fit up to a 2.6m what about the extra the outboard will stick out and up if left on... is there a height restriction?

Edit: If yours is anything like this it seems there is room for the outboard OK but it's really tight for height at the bow so you'd need to check any mini RIB for how high the floor V design made it.

http://cdn.boatshed.com/autoimage-76...Pic_Dinghy.jpg

[Fenlander]

BTW while looking for images I found this... 3rd image is excellent!

Will a Walker Bay fit in a Targa 40 garage?

[beamishken]

You could also consider a folding transom rib where the transom folds forward complete with the engine and the engine lies in the hull of the boat which reduces the height and length of the dinghy

[lightning]

If it's just for use as a tender then why not a little 2.6m Zodiac or similar with a lightweight engine such as the Yamaha 2.5hp.