This is a review for the Baltik Air Deck Dinghy. These are sold on Ebay
from Affordable Inflatables and have too-good-to-be-true prices.
I was noting some deterioration of my Quicksilver so I had no problem
in trying another brand of dinghy, especially one that had some many
good reviews.
I won the Dinghy for 629.00 plus 70 dollars shipping. That's about half
the price of a comparable low-end dinghy from Quicksilver/Mercury or
West Marine/Zodiac. It's to be noted that these dinghies and generally
best for coastal near applications and protected waters, but the
reality is that the better models handle UV damage better and that's
about it. Unless you hang an uncovered dinghy from davits, one of these
models is probably going to last 7-10 years at least.
The Baltik arrived in a large well sealed carton and all items were
properly protected. It came with pump (a rather cheap knock off of
better units that I own), two seats, collapsible oars and paperwork for
DMV registration here.
Outside of a small difference in color the Baltik looked nearly
identical to the Quicksilver, right down to the fittings and oars. Once
inflated it appeared to have no notable differences. The Baltik did
have two large rubber handles in the aft tubes for carrying and I noted
that this would also serve well to lock it up. The air deck uses a HP
inflatable floor (10 PSI) in place of traditional plastic or wooden
floorboards. It's sturdy, but not quite as stiff as a true hard floot.
The HP floor is a better choice for sailboats. A short support board
lies across the beam beneath it offering more support. A roll up floor
is another option, actually offers less bow to stern support.
There is also a floating tow rope attached to the center eye.
Thomas liked it!

http://members.aol.com/bobsprit/images/dinky.jpg

With all chambers and the keel properly inflated I found rowing the
dinghy like any other...not great and not terrible. But it's important
to remember that a strong current and a good payload can make it tough
going...and ROUGH going if it's hot out! Fitted with a 2HP Yamaha 2
stroke, the Dinghy handled well, but certainly wasn't going to go very
fast. A 4HP would probably serve well, but won't plane. With a 5HP
Nissan 2 stroke, the Baltik can plane with one 210 lb man aboard and
make 12-15 MPH. With the 8HP Yamaha 2 stroke, the Baltik is quicker out
of the hole of course and doesn't need full power to stay up. Max speed
was around 17-20 MPH with Suzanne driving, a bit slower when I tried
it. All speeds observed on GPS.
Once on a plane, the ride was fairly stable and the bow section offered
SOME protection against chop. When I hit a larger wave or wake, the
dinghy sent some spray my way, but held course well. Compared to
driving my friend's Avon, which is slightly under 9 feet LOA, the
Baltic was about the same and perhaps a bit dryer for her longer hull.
Taking the dinghy apart is quick work, but wrestling it into (and out
of) our starboard locker takes some muscle. It's a bit like trying to
pull Doug's ego out of a Miata's trunk.
In every respect this appears to be the equal of other dinghies in it's
class. Outside of the odd name, I can give it a thumbs up over the more
expensive models. Another company called "Saturn" is offering deals
that look about the same. Save some money if you have plans for a
cheaper Zodiac or Mercury/Quicksilver!

http://members.aol.com/bobsprit/images/baltik.jpg

Capt. RB
Beneteau 1st 35s5
NY

"Capt" Rob wrote:
This is a review for the Baltik Air Deck Dinghy. These are sold on Ebay
from Affordable Inflatables and have too-good-to-be-true prices.

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." -old saying


My dinghy so far:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...35692614nIizWB

The cost is about the same as s cheapo inflatable, although
it is a lot more work. Doesn't need a motor, looks much
classier, will be much lighter & easier to handle.

DSK

"DSK" wrote in message
.. .
"Capt" Rob wrote:
This is a review for the Baltik Air Deck Dinghy. These
are sold on Ebay
from Affordable Inflatables and have too-good-to-be-true
prices.

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." -old
saying


My dinghy so far:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...56819743003569
2614nIizWB

The cost is about the same as s cheapo inflatable,
although
it is a lot more work. Doesn't need a motor, looks much
classier, will be much lighter & easier to handle.


Yeah but for someone who thinks router bits have motors,
they should just stick to buying cheap crap.

Scotty

DSK wrote:
"Capt" Rob wrote:
This is a review for the Baltik Air Deck Dinghy. These are sold on Ebay
from Affordable Inflatables and have too-good-to-be-true prices.

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." -old saying


My dinghy so far:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...35692614nIizWB

The cost is about the same as s cheapo inflatable, although
it is a lot more work. Doesn't need a motor, looks much
classier, will be much lighter & easier to handle.

DSK

Nice Dink Doug.
Looks allot like a trinka. I'd never deal with the hassles blow up's
provide.

joe

Dave wrote:
On 3 Aug 2006 05:38:46 -0700, "Capt. Rob" said:

These are sold on Ebay
from Affordable Inflatables and have too-good-to-be-true prices.

Gotta agree with BS on this one. I bought one of the smaller Baltiks last
summer, and have been pleased with it so far.



Dave, which one did you buy?


RB
35s5
NY

Joe wrote:
Nice Dink Doug.
Looks allot like a trinka. I'd never deal with the hassles blow up's
provide.


Thanks Joe. I like the Trinka too. I thought about getting
one cheap from a cruiser near us that has one, and using it
for a mold, but he wouldn't turn it loose for a low enough
price. So I designed my own hull.

The basic concept was to develop an elliptical cross-section
that maximized stability for a given beam and minimized
wetted surface for a given displacement. The design program
says it should be about 90% as stable as an inflatable and
have about 1% more rowing drag than a 10' Whitehall (it is
9' LOA). I thought that was a good compromise point!

The planks are really strips of foam core and I am almost
ready to laminate on the carbon fiber. The hull should weigh
around 11# bare. All finished, I figure it'll still weigh
less than 30#.... maybe around 20# which would be great.
Lift it with one hand.

When I get it done, I'll take a picture of it holding up a
truck. Maybe that will convince you of the strength of foam
core & carbon fiber

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Looks allot like a trinka. I'd never deal with the hassles blow up's
provide.



Hard Dinghy: Rows better, looks better, far FAR less stable, carries
MUCH less payload, can't be stowed below, lasts much much longer and
generally costs less.

Inflatable: Carries much more payload, I can stand on the tube and it
won't flip! Can be punctures and badly effected by sun exposure over
the years, can be stowed away completely, can travel FAST, usually
costs more and has limited lifespan. Much more likely to be stolen.

Both have pluses and minuses. I had a Walker Bay 10 for a while...nice,
but very limited as 3 adults was it's limit and no payload beyond that.
You can cram 5 adults into our current dinghy and of course it's safer
for a child. The floor is even padded!


RB
35s5
NY

DSK wrote:

When I get it done, I'll take a picture of it holding up a
truck. Maybe that will convince you of the strength of foam
core & carbon fiber

Yeah...I'll post a picture of a set of 5 dollar pressed steel tire
ramps designed to hold a truck up and work under it.

Joe

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Yeah...I'll post a picture of a set of 5 dollar pressed steel tire
ramps designed to hold a truck up and work under it.


But will they retain that strength after rusting in salt water?

RB
35s5
NY

Dave wrote:
Very impressive, Doug.

Thanks Dave. I hope it turns out half as nicely as it
promises to, at this stage.

DSK