A 3m60 aluminum RIB with Hypalon tubes and a powerful 20 CV outboard is the primary plan. A much lighter, clean and quiet electrical engine is used for short distances.
This tender despite its rigid hull can be stored once deflated (9' hull length) into the forepeak during long passages. Can be inflated on deck and launch effortless into water using an halyard.
While coastal cruising it is easily lifted up under the boat arch with a proper lifting device.
Inflated on deck and launched into water using the spinnaker halyard
Boat arch lifting device for the dinghy. Tackle to lift and store the 20CV outboard into its dedicated locker.
» See also an interesting alternative suitable to exploration : a really versatile modular and scalable dinghy
As a matter of fact several boats exploring the high latitudes have lost their inflatable tender, lacerated by a polar bear claws on a northern Svalbard beach or chewed and seriously mutilated by leopard seals playing with the dinghy lashed behind the boat in an Antarctic Peninsula mooring. This adds to the more common risk of damaging the tubes when rough landing on rocky shores full of sharp shells or on coral beaches. Some thick fisherman net meshes can be added to the RIB bow to protect the tubes.
By all means a yacht exploring cold regions needs to have a spare dinghy onboard, simply to take the crew back to the boat in case of serious damage to the main dinghy onshore. A lighter inflatable and foldable spare model fits the bill.
While cruising and traveling we also sometimes need to leave the dinghy docked unattended an entire day long; oars would attract less attention than an outboard engine.
An unsinkable aluminum rigid dinghy which can be rowed or sailed or converted into a large RIB with a powerful outboard is an attractive solution.
