Buyer type
Best Dinghies for Full-Time Liveaboards
A liveaboard's tender is a car. It does the shopping, carries jerry cans and water, takes the dog ashore, gets dragged up beaches and sits in UV every single day. Durability and payload beat elegance every time.
12Models shortlisted
6Brands
RIB TendersMarket
2026-09-12Last reviewed
What we weighted
The criteria
- Payload
- Tube material longevity
- Beaching tolerance
- Repairability away from a dealer
- Daily boarding ease
The shortlist
| Pick | Brand | Length | Max power | Why it makes the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UL290 | Highfield | 2.90 m | 15 hp | The default. Light enough to lift, big enough to be useful. |
| UL310 | Highfield | 3.13 m | 15 hp | More floor and payload when the shopping run is 3 km each way. |
| Classic 290 | Highfield | 2.90 m | — | Heavier duty fit-out for a tender used every day. |
| Classic 310 | Highfield | 3.10 m | — | The workhorse choice in the Classic range. |
| T300LX | Takacat | 3.00 m | — | Open transom loading for jerry cans, dive gear and dogs. |
| T340LX | Takacat | 3.40 m | — | Where the parent boat can carry the extra length. |
| Discovery 330 | True Kit | 3.30 m | 15 hp | Payload per kilogram remains the category's best argument. |
| Navigator 300 | True Kit | 3.00 m | 10 hp | The lighter liveaboard option at 3 m. |
| ICAT335 | Island Inflatables | 3.35 m | — | Australian support on a catamaran tender. |
| Island 3.1 RIB | Island Inflatables | 3.10 m | — | Value and local parts on an alloy RIB. |
| LSR-290 | Achilles | 2.90 m | 8 hp | CSM tubes, which is the whole argument for a tropical liveaboard. |
| Falcon F330 | BRIG | 3.30 m | — | The refined-ride option when comfort matters on longer runs. |