# West Marine PRU-3 Performance Roll-Up Inflatable $499



## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

WEST MARINE PRU-3 Performance Roll-Up Inflatable Boat | West Marine

I've followed the discussions over the years on dinghy design and construction (hard vs. inflatable, PVC vs. Hypalon, etc.). I'm not looking to redo all that discussion here. What I am looking for is a quick decision whether this is an opportunity to buy at this time. West Marine has this on sale for $499. Is it a good deal or should I wait?

Historically we have made very little use of a dinghy. Our current soft-bottom inflatable raft spent the past two summers sitting in the aft berth in its bag.

Our dinghy use will be increasing as we start to do 4-7 day cruises, but we will not be long-term cruisers in the next couple of years, so a stowable, lightweight, economy dinghy appears to be the way to go. This one has some design features that our raft lacks - hard bottom, real transom (instead of motor mount on my raft), etc.

One negative looks to be the flat bottom, which will make tracking poor if I decide to row. Currently I have a 30 lb trolling motor, and could consider upgrading to a small outboard.

FYI, I have davits for my boat. They're off the boat right now, but could be easily reinstalled to facilitate dinghy use. Does anyone know if this boat has dinghy hooks?

Appreciate your suggestions on this. I have a few days before the sale ends.


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## capttb (Dec 13, 2003)

I have a version of that boat from a couple decades ago, I believe it is a slat floor boat and does not have a solid floor. It's not "enjoyable" to row, I use a Honda 2 hp and remove it when towing. Tows pretty good due to light weight, sometimes tries to catch the boat coming down big waves. I patched a puncture in the floor from a sharp rock with vinyl tape that has held well, I did once see one where the floor had started peeling back. The owner was still rowing it around the anchorage and called it his "glass bottom" boat.


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## Scotty C-M (Aug 14, 2013)

It's never bothered me that my dinghy has a flat bottom. I just row it. It seems to track OK, but then again, I do have rather low standards. What is a problem is rowing into the wind. That sucks. Then again, gentlemen don't row to windward. :2 boat:

I don't know what you mean about dinghy hooks, but I know that when I raise my dinghy on the davits, I run a line under the bottom at the stern. I believe it makes a more secure attachment. I also placed two eye bolts in the transome for a lifting attachment. I do use the bow ring, although if I think it might be bouncy (that's a nautical term) I add a line under the bow as well. It's really easy to do. Of course, for longer passages, or anticipated foul weather, the dinghy goes on the foredeck, or is deflated and stored.

I've owned West Marine dinghys over the years and they seem good. At that price you can give it a try. I'd probably power it with a 1 or 2 horse outboard. If you want your dinghy to plane, I think that a more sophisticated dinghy (and a larger outboard) might be appropriate.


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## mikel1 (Oct 19, 2008)

At that price and based on your post needs, I say go for it . . . .


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

I believe that I have an earlier iteration of this one http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-...ce-wood-floor-sportboat--14272462?recordNum=7 When WM first opened their store in Middleton, RI, they had it on sale for $750. That was in 2011.

I like that it has a solid floor. In fact, I could not get my wife in one with a slatted floor (she doesn't swim). It folds up into a very compact space, and it tracks pretty well.

I don't like assembling or disassembling the floor though. Both of these chores take me about 45 minutes. I am fortunate in that when deflated, but still assembled, it fits in the bed of my pickup truck. I, therefore, put it together in the spring, and wash and disassemble it in the fall.

I use it with a Mercury 3.3 2-stroke motor, which weighs 30lbs with the tank full. The little outboard can get me and the boat on a plane - eventually.


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## RichH (Jul 10, 2000)

Id be wary of the 'glued' seams. For a PVC coated fabric dinghy, heat sealed seams are far superior.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

We have found many uses for our dinghy on the Chesapeake on weekend trips. In fact we use it all the time. At least every other weekend. A nice dinghy ride after a sail is fun. It's what had us install davits on the boat. For a few hundred more you can get a good dinghy which will last you 10 years at least. We rarely use it on long trips . You will outgrow this cheap small dinghy I think. Especially since you have davits already
Looks only big enough for 2 people also. Bigger dinghy are more stable.. 

If we had to blow a dinghy up every time we wanted to use it we wouldn't or didn't use it. Having it easy and available on the davits in 7 minutes we are off enjoying it, going to dinner or just exploring. Once back, we have a cover , it takes 7 minutes to secure it and have it on the stern protected from the sun. Ours is 10 years old, looks new , PVC, heat sealed seams. Holds 1100 lbs and has large tubes so we don't get wet. The cover Donna made has protected it big time. 

Our next one will be a RIB , but we for now we have an air floor. 

Ours is Strong and light. It has solid rings in the transome and in the floor for attachment points for the davit straps. Foldable transome for when we go offshore and put it on the foredeck. It's durable. Amortized over 10 years it's cost us less than $100 per year.


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

I'm open to recommendations for what is available now. Obviously product specs and material availability (Hypalon discontinuation) have changed over the last 10 years. I do prefer to have something lightweight due to davit weight limits.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

For the use you describe and the price, i would go for it. Note it is slatted floor, not solid. That makes for quick and easy setup and takedown. However a solid floor is much better in use. It's firm to step one, stiffens the whole boat, and allows for an inflatable keel which improves rowing and tracking under power. Tradeoffs.


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## Arcb (Aug 13, 2016)

There is a humorous video review on YouTube about this or a very similar dinghy. Sailing Nervous "episode #60 our little dinghy" is the title.

My last dinghy was very similar to this boat but had an aluminum floor instead of wood. I think it would work pretty well for your stated purpose. Mine was a good utility boat and rowed okay for a cable or two. I just wouldn't recommend rowing it too far.

I personally would not store a slat floor dinghy in davits. They start to sag pretty quickly and storing them in davits would put some stress on the bow eye weld. You would be better off keeping it on the foredeck in my opinion.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Odyssey Air Roll-Up Yacht Tender | Walker Bay

We have the Odessey. Was 1000 on sale 8 years ago. Weighs 65 lbs . Each arm on our Garhauer supports up to 225 lbs so no sweat. Not as hydro dynamic as zodiac , Avon so planning and racing isn't for this dinghy. Good sized tubes with front designed to prevent water which keeps us dry. Air floor inflates to very reliable rigid platform. Dinghy when deflated rolls up into a neat package / cover for easy transport or storage on the bow area.Well made davit lifting points on the bow area as well as transom. This is a reliable , DRY, well made inflatable. Worth the price.

Most people I know who have davits and have dinghies use them more than just long trips. Any anchorage will allow a trip ashore easily without problems. Getting together with friends after anchoring is a piece of cake. Sometimes to rough or t storms in the area prevent rafting but a trip with a dinghy no problem.

We have found having a good dinghy means we use it more and has been a real addition to our boat. If I had to inflate it every time I wanted to use it...well I wouldn't . That's how it was before we installed our Garhauer davits.

Before spending the money go "feel" the PVC on the dinghy you are looking at. The West Marine model you are looking at to me felt "cheap"

I would rather spend the extra to get a dinghy now that will last and I wouldn't outgrow. Or need to upgrade in a few years.

I am impressed by Walker Bays build quality. You get what you pay for.

Saturn SD260 portable and affordable inflatable dinghy motor boat from BoatsToGo.com


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

I plan to head down to WM to see the PRU-3 this weekend. (Local store has a couple in stock.) The WM videos looked OK, but one spot where the guy was making a turn (1:55) made it obvious how the flat bottom slides sideways:






My Forespar davits are limited to 150 lb each, so light weight is important.

I can be very stubborn about making do with what I already have. My raft, which I got 5 years ago for $120, isn't a terrible design for protected waters, though I have no doubt that a purpose-built dinghy would be superior. Actually, the latest version of the raft has been upgraded with inflatable keel (with very nice abrasion resistant rubber strip down the middle) and roll-up slats (but, like the PRU-3 they do not provide fore-aft rigidity).

My raft will never have a keel, but there are a whole bunch of YouTube videos of people making plywood floors to reinforce the bottom for greater stability and rigidity. If I did something like this, it would buy me a year or two to use it to end of life and get a firmer idea of exactly what features I want in a "real" dinghy. Obviously after sitting in the bag for a few years, I need to open it up and confirm that the seams are not coming apart, etc.

I guess one other deficiency of my raft is no drain hole anywhere, which could make rainwater accumulation an issue when on the davits (and elsewhere). So it's all something to think about.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Yet another reason for a cover for the dinghy is the rain. Ours stays virtually dry with the cover over it and a large beach ball from the dollar store underneath it to slope it so the water doesn't pool 
. We still keep the drain plug pulled

The dinghy does not swing freely in the davits as we have a system of securing it to the stern rail so it doesn't move even one inch. 

One of the advantages of the Garhauer is its 11/4 inch ss tubes as well as the 6:1 purchase and multiple cleats.

Donna and I love to use it to explore places we could get to with our draft. It does provide us with a taxi to get ashore to explore little towns, provisions, ice cream parlors as well as meet people. 

Sometimes even if we don't head from the dock we will take a one hour + dinghy ride. That's also why we went the propane outboard route vs the electric one. Plus the recharging issues with multiple uses away from the dock. ( our lehr fiberglass propane tank lasts 22 hours)

Having a really good dinghy and system is just another way of enjoying our boating weekend . That's the decision I guess for you. It is an expense. If it's a hassle to use it will serve as a deterrent to use it. we started off with just the good dinghy one year, the next year we added the davits, it took a few years to get the correct engine for us. We spent the money for the best dingy right from the beginningwhich matched our lifestyle as we didn't want to outgrow make it obsolete as we branched out. But again it is an expense and outlay of $ initially.


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

No matter what I end up doing, a cover will be a must, to prevent water if left in davits, and to prevent UV degradation if left upside down on the foredeck.

The raft that I currently have has developed quite a following among fishermen. There are mods for it for fishing seats, bimini tops, even a sailing kit. Here's a nice example of a well executed hard floor. It's the later version that has an inflatable keel (which mine lacks), but it's mostly just a larger inflatable tube down the centerline. As I look at the video it occurs to me that I could put one or two swim noodles under a floor board to give some contour to my bottom that might reduce sideways sliding in the water (like an inflatable keel), as long as it doesn't stress out the joints too much.

I'll have to pump up the raft and verify its integrity, but I'm leaning toward using it for the coming year with a hard floor mod. It's just a matter of finding the time to get it done. I know it's not ideal, but I really want to use what I have until it's worn out, then put my learnings (and savings) into a better upgrade down the road.


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## AndreNJ1 (Mar 9, 2008)

I bought this dingy in March of '16 for use during summer cruise. I paid $699 on sale. I find it is just fine for the purpose intended: doodling about the harbor at anchor and back and forth to shore. I do not have davits. The roll up floor is great. The boat sets up and deflates and stores on the fore deck easily. Previously I had a dingy with a Z-fold plywood floor which was a bear to get installed properly in the partially inflated tubes. IT weighs 56 pounds which is about as much as I can lift over the lifelines alone. I find the slat floor adequate rigidity. I have only rowed it, no motor yet. It rows just fine as a flat bottom inflatable, yes it slides around a bit, but I can deal with that. I would not drag it on the shoreline because of the fabric floor. Capacity: we used it with two grown men, but because one person sits on the seat and rows, the other person crouches in the fore deck-space, or sits on the bow tube. If you had a motor perhaps both persons could sit on the side tubes. The transverse seat sits in two slots on the sides of the tubes. It is fine for sitting on, but don't use it as a handle to lift the boat or the seat pops up out of the tube slot. 

The values are just fine, there is no problem, just twist them 90 degrees to the closed position before attaching the pump tube. The boat is shipped with them in the open position for deflation. People seem to misunderstand this.

All in all, you could not want much more for $500, go ahead and buy it. 

If you want a dingy for your 365 day Bahamas cruise, you should spend more money. For occasional summer use, this one is just fine.


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

I went to WestMarine this afternoon to see the PRU-3, since their website said they had two in stock. The salesguy said that the two boats they had were sold within an hour of opening this morning. I had ordered one yesterday just in case of this, and it will come Tuesday, so I can think about it until then, and they'll put the boat into inventory if I don't want it.

He told me that their PSB-275, which was on display, uses exactly the same material, it's just upgraded with a stiffer floor, inflatable keel, and slightly longer length. It is an impressive looking boat with very large tubes, but they all look nice when brand new. I came home feeling like I can't go wrong spending $500 for this boat which would meet my needs pretty well.

On the way home I stopped at my boat to check on an ongoing cooling system pressure test, and while I was there I pulled out our current dinghy (Intex raft) and took it home. I inflated it in our basement, and see no signs at all of leakage, cracking, creasing, or other ill effects of sitting in the bag for the last few years. More importantly, I noticed that all the seams, oar locks, etc. are heat sealed, just like RichH suggests. The fabric of this boat is 3 ply construction with nylon mesh middle layer for rigidity, just like "real" PVC dinghies. The bottoms of the tubes have an additional layer heat-welded on for greater durability (presumably since they are made for whitewater rafting). The tubes are only 14" instead of 17" diameter. It's 10' long (vs. 8.5' for the PRU-3), but the beam is only about 4.5' (vs. 5'). Overall, the raft looks to be surprisingly good quality - just the way I felt about it when I bought it 5 years ago.

The core question for me is can this raft get me and my wife to shore reliably under reasonable weather conditions? If we have 2 footers in a cove, I'm not likely to leave my boat anyway, and more likely to find a different anchorage. I've met a bunch of people who use kayaks (both hard and inflatable) and other non-standard ways of getting to shore from their boats. So even though this raft does not fit the standard look of what most people use, I think it will be serviceable for my needs. I'm leaning toward passing on the PRU-3 this year and pressing this raft into service for next year.

More importantly, in looking over the inflatable raft, I have figured out a good strategy for pulling it up on the davits. It has a carry rope all the way around the perimeter. I don't want to stress the guides, but I can loop a line around the bottom of the dinghy and the guides will keep the line from falling off the end of the raft, which will make for very reliable lifting. Also, the raft is so light (40 lbs.) that once lifted, I should be able to flip it upside down on top of the davits if I want to, keeping it high enough to get out of the way of the roughest following seas when I need to, and allowing the boat to fully dry out when at the dock.

The interior of the raft is exactly 8' long, so I do plan to get an 8x4 plywood piece and cut it down to about 29" wide, trim the ends to fit the raft, cover with some indoor-outdoor rug that I have lying around, edge it with pipe insulation, and pop it into the bottom of the raft to give a solid floor that we can easily stand up on for boarding. I may also attach a swim noodle to the centerline under the board to give the soft bottom a contour like an inflatable keel. With the board inside, the whole thing will be harder to roll up and stow, but I think I'll just keep it on davits all next season. If it doesn't work, I'll throw it away and buy something else. If it works well but wears out in a few years, I could just buy a new one for under $200 and re-use the motor mount, trolling motor, and floor board.

It's surprising to me that this inexpensive raft has heat welded seams, while dinghies costing many times more are using adhesive.


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

chef2sail said:


> Odyssey Air Roll-Up Yacht Tender | Walker Bay
> 
> We have the Odessey. Was 1000 on sale 8 years ago. Weighs 65 lbs ...


Dave, what model do you have? What length? Air, panel, or slat floor? PVC or CSM?

Even if I stick with my current raft with pimped up floor, it's probably only temporary while I save up and wait for a sale on something like the Odyssey line or comparable quality.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

270 air floor pvc, but good pvc. Cover is the key. Even in the davits, Looks like new . Love the air floor . Did I say dry enough times

Air floor is great. Like standing in a rib, has a keel. Dry , not really a planing dinght but can carry 4 easily 1100 lbs. great build quality . More like the SUV of dinghies vs the Corvette. 4 solid good davit lifting points. Comfortable for 2 or 4 long enough to sit on the tubes for an extended period of time.

Great for tooling around with others aboard or for the distant anchorage areas from the towns in the LI Sound or NEngland.

Self baling. 4 handles and solid tow ring for painter . 
Transom solid and folds easily. Comes in a greatcarrying bag .

Easy to deflate 5 minutesand put on the fore deck
We have a supprego inflator which fills it to high pressure in less than 10 minutes. We deflate and fold up in its bag on the foredeck when we go offshore.

The key is to cover it. In the davits it doesn't swing as we use web straps/ fenders. Be careful of using just line or rope as any movement will saw into the dinghy . Even under the bottom. Took us a little time to develope a system for covering and pulling up into the davits. Donna modified a Taylor cover with reenforced slits so the lifting web straps to the davits could be used. Helps having the 6:1 purchase of the Garhauer davits.

I will buy another Walker Bay eventually ( a rib) but because this has been so well made may be a few years away

Page 3 of 4 for New and Used Inflatable and Rib Boats for sale on BoatTrader.com - BoatTrader.com


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## oldlaxer1 (Mar 27, 2008)

Might be worth a visit to compare.

DEL MAR INFLATABLE DINGHY BOAT 9FT 6IN


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

There's some decent deals on Defender like this one. 
Zodiac Wood Floor 8' 6" Lt. Gray / Blue PVC, 2015


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will keep checking them all out.

But I'm increasingly leaning toward using what I already have for the coming year. Last year we took the davits off and kept the raft in the bag. This was for several reasons: It started with Herrington Harbor, where we purchased the 34' boat, measuring it at 38' with the davits, and wanted to charge me accordingly for the bottom paint. Yes, you read that right, even though the davits contribute nothing to the bottom surface to be painted, they take every opportunity to screw you on slip, launch, storage, and bottom paint. By removing the davits it lowered the length and the cost per foot (which goes up with length), and saved me a few hundred dollars.

I never bothered to put the davits back on because we were in a 35' slip at our new marina, and I didn't want to get in trouble (or incur extra costs) by hanging over the end of the slip. But as the season wore on, I saw several boats hanging out over the end, and the marina owner said it would be OK as long as I don't stick out too far. So the davits go on next year. But they aren't the most robust things, and I don't want to re-purchase something different:








Plus, my boat's swim ladder is incorporated into the backrest of my helm, which means that the dinghy on davits could interfere with my ability to raise/lower the ladder. I may need a huge amount of line on my tackle to be able to float the boat far enough away from the transom to drop/raise the ladder. But I am hoping that if I can flop the boat upside down on top of the davits, then the ladder could pass underneath the dinghy while it's raised, greatly simplifying the raising and lowering process. But in order to flip it upside down, I need a really lightweight dinghy, which my 40 lb raft qualifies for.

My two beefs with my raft are 1) soft inflatable bottom guarantees that if you step in one spot, your foot will get soaked with water rushing into the depression that your foot makes and 2) no keel. So I'm looking at ways to address #1, and I'll live with #2. Previously I mentioned plywood, but I'm thinking I may try some 1.5" or 2" thick insulation foam board (from Owens Corning or Dow). It would be significantly lighter than plywood, and easier to work with. That stuff is not meant to be structural, but it would be supported underneath by the inflatable floor, so should not bend enough to break. I have a gallon of epoxy leftover from a repair project that I need to use up, so I may roll a couple coats on the foam to waterproof it. The epoxy may also give it significant stiffness, as the epoxy layers separated by 2" of lightweight foam could give quite an I-beam effect imparting rigidity and strength.

Such a modification could address the biggest complaint I have with the raft, and could give me an opportunity to work out the logistics of using my davits with the swim ladder before investing $$$$ in a dinghy that I might find to be too heavy for the operational considerations that I have.

I can test all this out on the hard before I take to time to make dinghy mods, but other things are higher priority right now.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

FWIW i made a plywood floor for a cheap Sevylor PVC dinghy that a used before I got my current Achilles (which I love). No protection around the edges, three pieces for ease of stowage, and some hardwood cleats screwed to the joints to allow connecting the three pieces. Never had a chafe problem and made a big difference in how it rowed and avoiding wet feet when you stepped into it.


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## Tanley (Aug 20, 2009)

"...measuring it at 38' with the davits, and wanted to charge me accordingly for the bottom paint"

Wow, made me do a double take. As bad as the marine industry can be at times, this is just an absurd policy. I kind of get the storage or slip fee because it's physical space, but including davit length for a bottom job is just offensive.


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## Scotty C-M (Aug 14, 2013)

Davits as part of the bottom job?? Sounds like a con.

Hey, those look just like my davits, Forespar Nova Davits. I love mine - hope yours works out for you also. While they look a little light, I've found them quite sturdy - although I lash the dingy to the stern rail so that it dosen't move at all underway. I have some stainless tubing that I planned to use to stiffen the stern rail a bit, but I haven't gotten around to doing that yet.

I changed my stern ladder to a folding ladder. I happened to find a used one for sale at a consignment shop (Blue Pelican in Alameda), but I have seen plans for adapting a typical stern ladder into a folding ladder, on the internet. I have a swim step that I attached it to, but I've also seen a folding ladder attached to a transom. When the dingy swings free, I can sneek in between the dingy and the stern - or I can lash it out a bit with a boat hook. Of course it's easier to just pop it into the water.


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

Scotty C-M said:


> Davits as part of the bottom job?? Sounds like a con....


Total con job in my opinion. Beautiful marina, but this left me with a very bad taste in my mouth. I forgot to mention that I also had to bring the anchor off the roller to shorten up the front end. They still charged me for a 36' boat, presumably because the bow pulpit stuck out. But the bottom was totally bare and I didn't want to launch for survey then haul/block again to paint somewhere else. So I paid them before launch.



Scotty C-M said:


> ...I changed my stern ladder to a folding ladder...


You may have seen that Catalina has changed their newer boats to use the telescoping ladders that fold up into a recessed area in the swim platform - just like the newer walk-though runabouts do. This pretty much eliminates the dinghy interference issue - just need to put the boat out a foot or so to make room to drop/raise the ladder.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Never heard of davits as measurement for bottom paint. That's crazy

Is that an actual picture of the davits. ? No cross piece? 

We have plenty of line to push the boat away from the stern on our davits . We have to do that also and don't have a walk through stern. 

Our attitude was it was important to have a reliable dinghy which was easy to use on our boat. From that premise we just made that happen. Wasntnt in the first year we had the boat. We waited buying equipment till we really understood what we wanted. The first purchase was the dinghy and cover. We wanted one we wouldn't just upgrade in a few years. Since its lasted 8 years and looks like it will get another 8 I think we decided we'll. 

We had an old 2. Hp Honda 2 stroke so it was fine. It was easy to lift on and off the mothership so towing or foredeck was gone. We found we rarely used the dinghy as it was a hassle or time consuming to set up. As we branched out to longer trips and exploration we knew what we had would not fit the bill. That's when we got the Garhauer davits. Very robust . Can handle 250 per arm. That allowed us to leave the motor on the dinghy for most of our uses except off shore . ( we have a great 6:1 engine hoist which is detachable and fits into our Garhauer radar pole when we want to put the engine on the rail) . 

Last was a proper engine. Looked at 9 hp but the weight and how we use our dingy made us decide 4-5 hp was more than enough. We started with a 4 hp Tahatsu with internal and external tank , but constantly worrying about ethanol and gunked carburetors led us to the 5hp Propane Lehr. The light fiberglass tank has a 22 hour reserve in it. 

Electric motors were out as they didn't have enough reserve for our long dinghy rides and I didn't want to worry about recharging on the long trips we take. 

Our purchases for that system always were geared toward that goal of having a good overall system Robust 11/2 inch tubes, 6:1 purchase davits. Crossbar ( we are putting a solar panel on it. ) , reliable dry tank ( dinghy), cover, engine. 

But having a good system was one of our priorities. It was more than an occasional trip to shore or to eat. It's a reliable transportation taxi from any anchorage. And we anchor out most of the time.
Most of all it easy to use and quick and makes us WANT to use the dinghy. 

With your new to you boat you have many priorities to address and all cost bucks. We were/ are in the same position. It took us a few years to get what we wanted. Along the way I didn't get something just to make do knowing I would want to upgrade eventually. Stuff is too expensive to waste money like that. Over the next couple years see how others do it. Dinghy with davits hang on many boats with walk through transoms. Most have a "system" how the tie the dinghy to the mothership so it doesn't sway and move around. 

I would jury rig your floor on your current boat and get the most out of your current stuff until you have time to figure out a direction to go. Minor issues like stern ladder placement etc won't dictate what you do. You will work around it. ( we got a collapsible ladder we can attach to the toe rail and hang over the side to board the boat if we want to for $150. )


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

I have a PRU3, been a few years now. Works as advertised; reasonable price, good build quality, I find the slats give it a "solid bottom" feel my wife likes. I use a 2hp air-cooled outboard.

If I had to do it all again, I would go for the version with an inflatable keel; been caught out a few times motoring sideways! Turn, then straighten the outboard to go in new direction.....takes a bit of practice, still sometimes end up sliding sideways. I find if I sit on the floor next to the outboard, my backside makes a big enough depression (no comments!) to help stabilise. Could not steer effectively sitting on thwart or sides....


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

Time for a mid-season update on my dinghy status. I reinstalled the davits on our boat, and as a result we've used the dinghy much more than in past years.

My dinghy is just an inflatable raft with motor mount (see pics). Overall I'm happy with it given its limitations. My attempt to stiffen it with foam and carpet has not held up well. (The pics show it when I first installed it.) The idea was that the foam itself would be reinforced with carpet on top and bottom, making it stiffer due to the tensile strength of the carpet. This worked at first, but longer term I failed to consider compressive failure of the foam, which resulted when the dinghy filled with water in the davits accidentally. (I was leaving the boat for 2 days with no rain in the forecast, so I left it right-side-up. So much for forecasts!) The weight of the water crunched the foam pretty badly. (One problem with an inflatable floor raft is that you cannot have a drain hole in the bottom.) All along I was concerned about the foam's durability but wanted to try it first for its light weight. I'm still using the foam, but it no longer provides stiffness and will not last much longer. Since the foam is no longer rigid, I can no longer lift the dinghy using the screw eyes shown in the pictures.

I looked into making a plywood floor to replace the foam, but by the time I added up all the materials (decent quality plywood, paint, etc.) it was $150, and would be very heavy. The raft that I have has recently been upgraded to an improved design (now called "Mariner 3"), and now now comes with a roll-up slat floor that gives lateral stiffness (but not axial stiffness). It also has an inflatable keel under the floor for improved tracking, which my model of raft does not have. The Mariner 3 went on sale for $150, so I bought another one to get the roll-out floor. I'll retrofit the roll-out floor on my current raft, and move it to the new raft when the current one is too degraded by UV. I do not have a cover to protect against UV yet because I haven't figured out how to lift it in the davits in a way that a cover can be put on.

As for lifting in the davits, this is a bit of a challenge. After my debacle lifting it right-side-up, I started attaching my davit tackle to the perimeter lifting rope on the starboard side. This gets it out of the water (hanging by its side), but not high enough to avoid swells. For that I wrap ratchet straps around the whole dinghy and pull it up higher on the davits. I need to find a better way, especially since I'm concerned that lifting it this way with the new roll-up floor could cause chafe where the floor contacts the seam between the floor and the tube.

I am debating making two slings that will have 2x4 wood (or maybe PVC pipe) that goes under the raft in two places, and a line that goes through the plywood and up both sides of the dinghy to the tackle. Since nothing is actually attached to the dinghy, this would allow a cover to be put on it before lifting, preventing it from filling with water and protecting from UV damage.

I know some pictures of this would help, but I don't have time right now.

Longer term, I'm probably looking at a "real" inflatable dinghy with hard transom, but I am learning a lot from my experience with these rafts. I prefer to make my mistakes with an inexpensive raft and capture the learnings before I invest in a more expensive dinghy.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

One of the qualities you want to look at when you buy a good dinghy is the lifting rings and how they are installed in the dinghy. 

Our Walker Bay has 4 attachments , two of which are on the fiberglass transom with thru bolts. 
Each two attachment points lead up as legs of a a triangle to a ss ring which attaches to the davit clip. 

We have found an easy way to cover the dinghy. My wife modified a Taylor inflatable cover with 2 reinforced slits which when on the dinghy are directly below the arms of the davits. 

We have a choreographed dance when we come back from a ride and raise it on the davits. I say aboard the dinghy, she hands me down the sumbrella dinghy cover. I snug it over the bow , detach the davit clip and reattached it after I pull the cover in place with the ring through the slit. I do the same with the stern with the cover. 

The cover also comes with 4 web straps . I throw the loose ends in the water, pull out the drsin plug and climb aboard. After on Haleakula we push the dinghy away with the blunt end of the boat hook while Donna raise the ladder. We then pull in on the davit lines and start to raise her. Now comes up faster to allow it to drain as the drain is innthe stern The cover is 3/4 on and just needs to be finished once it's eye level. We the use the boat hook to fish up the loose web ends under the dinghy and clip them closed tightening them which holds the dinghy cover in place. It takes longer to retire this then do it. The cover majorly protects the dinghy First on lasted 7 and was very faded and thin because of the UV exposure. That would have been the dinghy. 

Our last step is to use two web straps with carpet at the dinghy rub points do it doesn't saw through the dinghy when pulled tight. This tightening prevents any and all movements as the dinghy becomes part of the stern of the boat

I the


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

You can always sell it in a couple years when you feel your needs have changed. Can you stow it on your foredeck using a halyard? As someone mentioned I wouldn't stow a slat floor boat on a davit...


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