a cheap dinghy that works...

The other day I happened on a conversation between a couple of folks on the subject of dinghies and what they should cost. Which, apparently, was a chunk more than I'd paid for our CAL-34.

The number of $7K for a minimum RIB and a means of propelling it is just too rich for my blood and to be truthful I'm more of a $300 dinghy sort of guy. Seriously, two or three sheets of plywood, a gallon or so of epoxy/polyester resin, a couple of 2X4s, and a couple of days (spelled d-a-y-s not weeks, months or years) is really all you need.

That said, not everyone feels they can build a dinghy so what's a poor boy going to do? Is it possible to buy a workable dinghy for cheap?

How about the BIC 213?

Back when we lived in France these little dinghies seemed to be in every anchorage or towed behind a rather large number of cruising boats. I even saw the great Eric Taberly rowing out to his Pen Duick in one. They had a lot going for them, they were small, light, rowed reasonably well, were unsinkable, tough, and they were cheap.

Seriously, what's not to like?

The good news is that BIC is still building these dinghies and the current cost of one in tRumpistan is just shy of the $500 mark.

Personally I'd still opt for a DIY plywood dinghy but if you're a tyro or just don't have the needful time to build, you might want to check the BIC out. I'm sure you can figure out better ways to spend the $6500 savings...