DUX Catamaran Inflatable Dinghies

[phild]

Anyone have any experience with these inflatables? They appear to be an interesting option. They claim they:

1) Are more stable, therefore safer!
2) Have less wetted surface area!
3) Can make sharp turns at speed!
4) Require less room when stored!
5) Can use smaller, lighter weight motors!
6) Are rated for larger motors!
7) Have a larger load capacity!

And offer the following as evidence:

DUX 300-X Avon Rover R310 Rib Achilles HB 310 Caribe C-9 Zodiac Zoom 310-SR
MSRP $2,640 $3,425 $3,315 $3,290 $2,595
length 9' 8" 10' 2" 10' 2" 9' 5" 10' 2"
beam 5' 8" 5' 3" 5' 4" 5' 4" 4' 11"
weight 98 161 127 125 92
load capacity 1185 1146 880 1146 881
motor maximum 25 15 15 15 10
people maximum 4 4 4 4 4
air chambers 4+ 2 2 3 2
warranty 10* 10-5 5 5-1 5

+ The aluminum wing on the bow is an additional water tight chamber.
* Is not prorated

[Allezcat]

Hi Phil,

I have seen these in Georgetown and they look great. My question is " how heavy are they? "

Chet
Allezcat 36010

[Allezcat]

I found the answer, 98# for the nine footer. I wonder how the tubes hold up when you drag it up on the beach or some ironstone shore?

Chet
Allezcat 36010

[duetto]

saw a couple here in marsh harbour. they seem very interesting. i agree that a big issue is pulling up on a rocky beach.

[swithen]

We bought a DUXBOAT, "Ducky", last October and used it in the Bahamas last winter. It is 9'6" long and fits nicely between the hulls on a PDQ36. Its outstanding feature is its stability which is great for carrying out kedge anchors (yes, we go aground) or just boarding. It tracks well and in general has served us well. There are some negatives.
1. It is quite a wet dinghy throwing up a fine spray at moderate speeds which puts a salt layer on sun glasses, but is probably no wetter than other dinghies.
2. The prop. cavitates seriously even though the anti-cavitation plate is reasonably deep in the water. This feels as though the engine is missing. We installed a pair of plastic anti-cavitation extenders to the engine and it has helped some.
3. We avoided beaching Ducky where possible to minimize damage to the fabric hulls, leaving her on an anchor on shallow beaches and putting out a stern anchor with line to shore on deeper sites. However, this issue was never really a problem.
4. The main argument against a DUXBOAT is the inefficiency of the organization. We found an irreparable leak in our old dinghy eight weeks before leaving and immediately ordered Ducky with an assured three week delivery date. The whole organization is only half a dozen people and the chief honcho, John Chaffee , is hard to get on the phone, but always assured me it would be ready, but it never was. Finally, a week before leaving I told them I was driving up to pick it up and only then did they start construction which only took a day. They still owe me a $1,000 of accessories which I have written off. We have met other owners who report similar problems. One owner told me that there are other manufacturers of cat dinghies but I haven't come across any yet.
Ducky will be available on the upper Chesapeake this summer/fall for anyone who would like to try her out.

Colin and Ruth Swithenbank
Cadenza 36051