dbohara wrote:
Inflatables may offer a solution to the dinghy stowage problem but the
require a motor that requires gas and mounting th emotor on the dinghy
when you set it up, etc. Many of us like rowable dinghys because we
think we need the excercise

And because oars are reliable, quiet, inexpensive, not as
tempting to thieves, and much quicker & easier to put into
operation from stowed.

... but existing inflatable simply cannot be
rowed. Why cant an inflatable be made with an inflatable skeg so it
can be rowed. Why cant it be made with a better shape for better
rowing?


Because "shape" is not the only issue, and putting a skeg on
an inflatable would only add drag.

Dennis Pogson wrote:
Most modern inflatables have microcellular inflatable floors and are
excellent for rowing.

Really? They may be "excellent for rowing" but they're very
poor for actually getting anywhere under oar power.

Given decent oars (which very few have) and half-decent
oarlocks (ditto) the power of the stroke is still lost in
collapsing the air chamber. Then there's the drag of the
hull, which is very considerable compared to a good rowing
boat. But inflatables are very much more stable, which is
nice, and those crappy plastic oarlocks don't gouge up your
topsides the way real rowing dinks tend to. Everything's a
trade-off.

Fresh Breezes- Doug king