Dinghies

Essential for yacht owners, island explorers, and nearshore anglers, dinghies serve as versatile small craft throughout Panama’s maritime regions. The term “dinghy” designates a huge variety of small boats. Dinghies may be rowed with oars, sailed with a removable mast and boom or powered by a low-horsepower outboard motor. But most commonly refered to as dinghys are small inflatable boats from brands like Highfield, Zodiac or Williams. These small boats are typically under 15 feet long and more commonly around eight feet. You use a smaller boat, your dinghy, to go from the big boat to the shore. A little boat that runs back and forth to a bigger boat (or ship) is called a tender, because it tends to the needs of the larger craft. Moderately sized recreational boats call their tenders dinghies. Inflatable dinghies with rigid floors provide convenient yacht-to-shore transportation at popular anchorages in the San Blas Islands, Bocas del Toro, and Pacific coast marinas where dock space is limited. Hard-shell fiberglass dinghies offer durability for frequent use as fishing tenders in protected waters around Taboga, Contadora, and coastal estuaries. Equipped with small outboard motors ranging from 5 to 25 horsepower, these compact boats navigate shallow mangrove channels, access remote beach coves inaccessible to larger vessels, and serve as reliable backup craft for cruising sailors. Many models feature aluminum or hypalon construction specifically chosen for resistance to Panama’s intense tropical sun, high humidity, and saltwater exposure, ensuring longevity in demanding marine conditions.