Fun Yak Dinghies

S

ssobol

Active member
Anyone had any experience with the Fun Yak or Sport Yak hard dinghies?

http://www.fun-yak.co.uk/

Fun Yak makes a number of models up to about 14.5 feet. They are hard polyethylene.

The smaller ones are about the same weight as an the same size inflatable dinghy. The inflatable is more stable and can carry more load at the expense of interior room but has the drawbacks of having to maintain the correct air pressure and dealing with leaks or seam failures.

The polyethylene dinghies can't carry the same weight as an inflatable and are likely less stable. However, they probably row a lot better and seem like they would be pretty indestructible. About the only maintenance would be to hose it off once in awhile.

The other drawback with Fun Yak is that they are distributed in the UK. I don't know if they have a US distributor.

There is a US company that produces a couple of dinghies very similar to some of the Fun Yak models.

http://www.klindustries.com/products_bo ... ghies.html

These are available through Sports Authority and Amazon (seems they'll sell just about anything).

I read the classified ad for a boat in FL (not a C-dory) which mentioned it came with a new Fun Yak dinghy so I thought I look it up. The prices are quite a bit cheaper for one of these compared to the typical inflatable

Seems like one of these might be a viable occasional use dinghy for a CD-22.
 
The first thing I noticed was the double walled hull. So I looked up the weight of a few models and they are about double for the same size inflatable.
 
starcrafttom":1eddnv2w said:
The first thing I noticed was the double walled hull. So I looked up the weight of a few models and they are about double for the same size inflatable.
Click to expand...

There may be some models that outweigh the comparable inflatable but as an example, looking at the Sport Yak model (available in US) the length is 220 and the weight of the boat is listed as 55#

http://www.klindustries.com/dinghies/sportyak.html

Defender lists the Zodiac C240 Air floor as weighing 60#.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... id=2164590
 
ahh , the sportyak
Its been around as long as I can remember and I am in my mid forties.

Indestructible it is not. In our twenties my buddies and I took one up too a remote lake on a trike to too fish trout. We stashed it in the bush so we would have it there whenever we ventured in to fish we could use it.

One time we went up and it had teeth marks in it (we thought it could have been a bear). At any rate my point is I don't think you can fix them once they have a puncture. As to getting them on the roof of a c-dory I'd say more difficult than an inflatable.
 
ssobol":1qsssrhx said:
starcrafttom":1qsssrhx said:
The first thing I noticed was the double walled hull. So I looked up the weight of a few models and they are about double for the same size inflatable.
Click to expand...

There may be some models that outweigh the comparable inflatable but as an example, looking at the Sport Yak model (available in US) the length is 220 and the weight of the boat is listed as 55#

http://www.klindustries.com/dinghies/sportyak.html

Defender lists the Zodiac C240 Air floor as weighing 60#.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... id=2164590
Click to expand...

Capacity of the sportyak - 325#
Capacity of the Zodiac - 638#
If you compare sportyaks to inflatables of comparable carrying capacity, the inflatable will weigh considerably less.
 
Have you looked at the Portland Pudgy? Greg on Aurelia (CD25) had one and liked it as I recall. He also fabricated a clever system to get it on the roof of his boat. Search for Aurelia and look through the photo album for details.

Brian on TC255 Seven Please (beflyguy) also uses a hard dinghy with a pretty ingenious davit system.

Most of us use inflatables. Unless you have a compelling reason to go with a hard dinghy, inflatables are pretty useful. Super stable, self fendering (just give it a push off the cabin top!), lightweight. If you want exercise and don't need to carry a lot, inflatable kayak(s) are a great option.
 
I have a nice 16' Zodiac RIB which I like a lot. But it is too big to put on a CD-22.

I am looking for a small dinghy that will fit on my CD-22, will carry two adults, can be rowed readily (not really interested in a motor for it). This dinghy will not be used all that often so I really don't want to spend a lot of money for it (<$1K).

Since I don't want a motor, I think I would rather have a dinghy with tubes all around rather than a hard transom. This gives a bit more interior room and another place to sit.

I have noticed a number of pictures in the galleries of CDs with what appear to be this sort of dinghy, but I haven't been able to determine the brand or make of those dinghies.
 
ssobol":281n2y9t said:
Since I don't want a motor, I think I would rather have a dinghy with tubes all around rather than a hard transom.

I have noticed a number of pictures in the galleries of CDs with what appear to be this sort of dinghy, but I haven't been able to determine the brand or make of those dinghies.
Click to expand...

Check out the Alaska Series. They might be what you are seeing in the albums. Here is a link:

http://www.alaskaseries.com/270TDS.htm

I would guess that most C-Brats who have them probably have the 220 or the 240.
 
Sunbeam":bkfxfk1d said:
ssobol":bkfxfk1d said:
Since I don't want a motor, I think I would rather have a dinghy with tubes all around rather than a hard transom.

I have noticed a number of pictures in the galleries of CDs with what appear to be this sort of dinghy, but I haven't been able to determine the brand or make of those dinghies.
Click to expand...

Check out the Alaska Series. They might be what you are seeing in the albums. Here is a link:

http://www.alaskaseries.com/270TDS.htm

I would guess that most C-Brats who have them probably have the 220 or the 240.
Click to expand...

He said he wanted to spend <$1k. That's not going to buy and Alaska series anything.
 
rogerbum":2frezzal said:
He said he wanted to spend <$1k. That's not going to buy and Alaska series anything.
Click to expand...

Well that's true - they don't come cheap. But I thought ssobol was trying to identify the "doughnut" style dinghy seen in many C-Brat albums, and I'm guessing it's the Alaska Series. I wasn't necessarily recommending it for the stated parameters, but rather figured it would be nice to identify it to satisfy ssobol's "What were those...?" curiosity.

Sunbeam
 
If you want to row a dinghy you should get a inflatable with a ridged air floor and a air keel. I had a dinghy similar to the Yak as a kid and it rowed liked hell. Lots of drag and always sat bow down with two people in it.

My 8ft (?) mercury inflatable rows great. It tracks well and rows fast, for a dinghy. I have a motor for it but unless we are more then 1/2 a mile from the beach I just don't bother using it. We had a soft/flat floor with wood slates on the last dinghy and I hated it. Took twice the effort to row and was hard to get in and out of for Susan.

If given the choice between rigid floor and keel OR a round shape I would take the air floor. You will be happier.
 
Sunbeam":2u879she said:
rogerbum":2u879she said:
He said he wanted to spend <$1k. That's not going to buy and Alaska series anything.
Click to expand...

Well that's true - they don't come cheap. But I thought ssobol was trying to identify the "doughnut" style dinghy seen in many C-Brat albums, and I'm guessing it's the Alaska Series. I wasn't necessarily recommending it for the stated parameters, but rather figured it would be nice to identify it to satisfy ssobol's "What were those...?" curiosity.

Sunbeam
Click to expand...
Oh... the other common dinghy I've seen on this site are the West Marine RU-series boats but most of those have a transom. However, they do sell for in the $800-$1200 range depending on model. WM's very inexpensive Solstice model might similar to what he is looking for (e.g. tubes all around). That said, we do own an Alaska series boat as I know it will last quite awhile and with the Grizzly rubber stuff on the bottom, it's tough enough to deal with the occasional rock or oyster going ashore.
 
haracteristics
Flat bottom (like a catamaran) Double skin hull (rotomoulded) Length: 2,80 m; width: 1,25 m Depth: 0,36 m; Weight: 55 kg D Category - Number of persons: 3 CC: 230 kg Maximum engine power: 5 HP (3,7 kw) short shaft/ maximum weight: 21 kg
Click to expand...

122lb = 55kg Just so I know I was looking at the right place. This is a comparable size ( little smaller really) to my Mercury dinghy in size and carrying capacity. Weights over twice as much.
 
The old sport Yak dinghies (circa 1970's or so) were so ugly no one would every steal them...they were Polypropylene boats which were almost indestructable--you could "weld" them as you can any polypropylene or polyethylene product. (Not so sure that one that had been attacked by a bear! ).. You don't see many of those around now.

Other than the weight, these boats do seem to stand up very well in use. When considering them, look if you want to motor or row. The "tri hull" types do not row as well, but make very good and stable motor boats--however, I don't think that they are suitable to put on the roof of a C Dory. If you have a boat like the Ranger where you can put them on a swim step or hang one davits, then it would make more sense.
 
I had an old orange "sportyak" back in the late 60's early 70's. Those things were really tough and were apparently used by a few to run the colorado river. Probably to prove a point. I and a friend ran the santiam river in mine once, and even stopped and caught a summer run steelhead on the way down. They were easy to drag over the rocks, and not very heavy. I bought the sail kit for mine and it sailed very poorly. But as tough as they were I think they had a use for some. They could be plastic welded as well.
 
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