Market 04
Aluminium & Polyethylene Dinghies in Australia
Tinnies, punts, car toppers and polyethylene tenders. Hard boats that shrug off oyster racks and boat ramps.
The market
Australia's hard dinghy market deserves as much attention as the inflatable sector. A pressed aluminium punt or a polyethylene tender will outlive three sets of PVC tubes, costs less, and does not care about UV. It is heavier, noisier alongside, and needs somewhere to live — but for marina work, estuary fishing and mooring tenders it is very often the correct answer.
What decides this purchase
- Polyethylene is kind to gelcoat, pontoons and painted topsides; bare aluminium is not.
- Pressed hulls are light and cheap; fully welded hulls are heavier and far tougher.
- Check hull weight against how you will actually launch it — a 114 kg punt is a two-person lift.
- Car-topper ratings and maximum HP vary enormously across apparently similar 3.5 m boats.
Brands
11 brands in this market
Australian availability status is shown on every card — a brand you cannot get parts for is not a shortlist candidate.
Australia
Quintrex
The tinny that taught Australia to fish
Australia
Stacer
Pressed alloy, built to be lifted
Australia
Horizon Boats
An open boat for every job
Australia
Makocraft
Built heavier on purpose
Australia
Sea Jay
Premium car toppers and creek boats
Australia
Bluefin
Fully welded, beginner to commercial
Australia
Stessl
Four decades of Australian alloy
Australia
Polycraft
The tender that will not mark your topsides
New Zealand / Australia
SmartWave
The other poly option
France
BIC / TAHE Sportyak
The simplest hard dinghy that works
United States
Porta-Bote
A rigid boat that folds flat
Models
Sorted by length
98 models in this market publish a length. Showing the first 60 — the full database is filterable.
Questions buyers ask
Tinnies & Poly FAQ
How do I start choosing between tinnies & poly?
Begin with the hard constraint: storage, lifting, normal crew, water conditions or the local sailing fleet. Then compare complete packages within this market rather than ranking every dinghy together.
How many tinnies & poly are in the BuyDinghy database?
This market currently contains 119 models from 11 brands. Missing specifications remain blank rather than being estimated.
Should I choose the largest model I can carry?
Not automatically. Extra length can add capability, but also weight, storage difficulty, power demand and cost. Choose the smallest model that reliably handles the normal crew, load and conditions.