How to find out which kind of tender is best for you?
The choice of tender depends above all on what you intend to do with it.
When choosing an annex, the first thing to think about is how you're going to use it. A dinghy can meet a wide range of requirements, but you still need to define what you need, and that's the subject of this first section.
If you're using your dinghy simply to join your boat at anchor and leave it there, you need something basic, since it's only a means of transport for a short distance.
To reach your boat at anchor, a small basic dinghy is all you need
A tender to go to the shore or to the local pub
You can also use your dinghy for basic needs, i.e. taking people on board or disembarking ashore. This is a very basic use, so you'll opt for a very simple model. However, if you're going to take the tender with you on your cruise, you'll also need to decide how you're going to transport it: towed behind the boat, hooked up to davits, on a platform or in a tender garage.
A simple inflatable dinghy is all you need to reach the shore
A tender for transporting people or goods
When you have a certain size of boat, the tender is a means of transport for all or part of the crew, so it needs to be the right size, but also meet certain comfort criteria, such as the number of seats required, or even the need for a cabin.
If you own a yacht, you want to have a luxury tender for your guests
A tender for exploring the surrounding area
In some countries, the dinghy is not allowed to stray far from the main boat. However, in other areas, this is not the case, and the dinghy is also a means of exploring the surrounding area. In this case, you need to think about the motorization required and the size of the dinghy.
If you project to explore a little bit farther, you better choose a longer tender
In some cases, the tender is used as a leisure platform. This is generally the case with yachts, which sometimes have a ski boat or a small fishing boat for leisure purposes. Even if you don't own a yacht, you can use a dinghy to tow a skier or a buoy. Diving is also a very popular activity, often carried out from the dinghy, as well as fishing. Finally, some units opt for a sailing dinghy, which can be powered by an outboard motor, oars or a sail, pleasant and useful.
For nautical activities, opt for a larger, better motorized dinghy.
