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I didn't know these existed but apparently they do. Would be great for mucking about at certain beaches. What do I need to know? eBay searches only seem to turn up normal dinghys without sails, do you retrofit sails or what? There are pics of people sailing them. I'd need space for one or maybe two kids and me. Four would be even more fun but might be too big needs to be able to be transported on the roof of a car or preferably bootb since we usually holiday with the caravan.
And of course, being extremely safety conscious nothing would be undertaken without extreme consideration of all possible risks and every available mitigation, I have no wish to get blown out to sea. I understand how dangerous it could be.
Nope.
HTHs.
Tinker Tramp or Trveller is, I believe, what you're looking for. Look like fun and maybe flat water only, but I've never used on. Used ones here http://www.tinkerowners.org.uk/index.html
We have got a tinker RIB inflatable dinghy, it’s great! Sails surprisingly well, folds up into the boot of a large estate (spars on the roof). The hull is in 3 rigid sections that fold up, with an inflatable gunwale. We’re probably selling ours, if anyone’s interested (stealth ad is stealthy.....)
link to pic- not ours!
You want the Grabner Happy Cat
http://www.happy-cat.at/en/happy-cat/evolution/
They ain't cheap though...
None suitable for 4 people under sail. I think they are an expensive, draggy, compromise. Like an unrestricted ebike all the disadvantages with none of the benefits! If the wind drops, they are a hellish row back home. Unless you tote about an outboard with you.
If you want to actually sail forwards Gull dinghies are lovely wee things. You could probably get one adult and 2 small kids onboard and even camp if you were adventurous. older ones going cheap on gumtree and the like.
I'd get some taster lessons at local sailing club and hire something at your destination?
Back in the early 90s I learned to sail in a Seahopper folding dinghy. Not inflatable (well, the bouyancy is!) but roofrack portable or inside the caravan - it went on all our family holidays to Europe and my nephews are learning to sail in it now.
Seahopper are still going with a very similar design. Basically it's very similar to a mirror dinghy but a bit less power, so certainly not a fast boat. But absolutely fine for learning sailing basics and for kids fun, or just cruising around. I don't think I'd put it on the sea though - it isn't really designed for rough water, unless you love bailing 😂
Something like a Mirror or a Topper would fit on a roof with no trouble. The Mirror could even double as a bit of a top box. Both would sail far better than an inflatable. 2pc masts mean no prob with a caravan. We took a 1962 Mini with a trailer full of tents and a Mirror in the roof over the Pyrenees to Barcelona with 2 adults and 3 kids on board.
There are bikes on the roof of the car... 🙂
Buy a proper dinghy, join a club.
Buy a proper dinghy, join a club.
^ this.
Inflatable sailing dinghy is a bit like taking a Brompton mountain biking. Fun in some situations, it would work, but a wholly wrong bike for most of us
Your options are either a catapult catamaran or a tinker tramp. both were made yonks ago and no one really makes them new anymore & for a reason.
I can see the appeal for bobbing about a small sheltered french lake on a hot day, but I would not sail them off a beach / coastal. Nor would I take kids out on them.
Sounds like a good idea but actually crap and potentially dangerous if wind blowing offshore .
Sorry
Inflatable sailing dinghy is a bit like taking a Brompton mountain biking. Fun in some situations, it would work, but a wholly wrong bike for most of us
This I would say sums up inflatable sailing dingies, they are to sailing what a brompton is to cycling, except its one of those flexy chinese folding bikes, not a real brompton.
Go on a training course at a local club, or even on holiday somewhere sunny. You might find you like sailing, but not when the waters 3C, and only on boats with a wine cooler and room to sunbathe on deck. in which case just do what a lot of sailors do and never buy a boat, just go on a flotilla holiday each summer. For occasionally use only even dingy ownership is an expensive game, just hire drascome in cornwall for a few days, considerably cheaper than for example replacing a sail that the rats have gotten to.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Or fit towbar and get a real dingy/daysailer. Even a mirror that someone suggested isnt really suitable for 4 people unless you just want to sit there going nowhere. To carry on the brompron analogy, thats like taking your whole family out for a days cycling, on a kids tandem, with one kid having a backie and the other sat on the handlebars and you and your missus trying to pedal it and the seat posts are stuck all the way down. To judge a boats size imagine all its occupants sat on the same side and with enough room to move about and steer etc. So at a minimum you're talking 16ft+ wayfarer type boats. You can pick up something functional for <£500, and if its being sold by someone for whom the reality didnt meet expectations then it'll probably come with a full set of bouyancy aids, flares and all sorts!</span>
Or just get a windsurfer.
Can you sail? A former colleague of mine had one of these: http://www.minicatamaran.eu
he sailed in singlehanded (in the sea - But he’s a pretty competent sailor).
there is apparently a bigger version but as others have said four people on a dinghy needs something decent sized (probably 15ft+)
Combine the limited weather range, with the faff involved in setting it up, inflating it, putting up rigging, sails etc and whilst it can be fun it can also be a white elephant.
As others have said inflatable sailing dinghy have always been compromised and frankly crap! But it really depends what you are looking at actually doing. Just be careful if you decide to buy a used boat. I have seen relative newcomers (and experienced racers) buy complete dogs over the years.