5 interesting used dinghies that are ready to hit the water

If anything, this category shows that small does not have to be standard, with quite an array of boats, sometimes built to their owners' specific needs, on offer.

What caught our eye this time around?

Car toppers are one of the most searched categories on boatsales, so when one pops up in the classifieds, we’re immediately interested.

This one happens to be a Queensland-made Sea Jay 350 Nomad HS, a car-topper special. The “HS” in this boat’s name denotes that it is a member of the “high side” range of tinnies that build in an extra 75.0mm of freeboard to make the boat more suitable to the tropics, and a wider range of weather.

The Nomad range of boats is built with nothing protruding above deck level, meaning it can load flat when tipped upside down – perfect for loading onto a roof rack.

Not only that, but the boat featured here sits on a Nymbodia folding alloy trailer from trailer specialist Real Ezy that weighs only 46.0kg – a new one of these alone would cost you $3400.

Powering the package is a 2018 Yamaha F15LMHA two-stroke portable outboard engine.

All this could be yours for just $5250.

Here’s something you don’t see every day, a twin-motor punt driven using a joystick control.

These are rotomoulded plastic boats known for their toughness, with the Queensland brand regularly rolling out videos of Busta, its official test boat, to handle whatever punishment can be thrown at it – it’s been dragged, smashed, shot and crushed but has survived the lot.

This particular boat comes sitting on a trailer and includes a bimini, but there is a catch – the batteries, the most expensive part of the build, aren’t included in the sale price.

It also has drop-down transom wheels so you can roll it down to the beach or up above the waterline. 

Plastic boats are very easy to repair, so even if you want to pull off the electric motors and fit an outboard engine, it’s easy to plug any holes left over.

The boat is in Perth, so eastern seaboarders who think that this is the one will need to factor in a bit of time and fuel budget to go and retrieve it.

NSW-based Yamba Welding is more widely known for its tough offshore rescue boats and pro-fishing models.

But it also used to make smaller runabouts, including this 3.5-metre punt-nosed folding boat. Yep, the entire boat used to fold in half.

But the highlight of this package is the reconditioned trailer that sits under the punt, featuring a motorcycle rack.

That means as well as the boat, you can bring along a dirt bike. Too windy or rough to head out on the water? The option is there to go out and rip a few trails instead.

The boat includes a custom standing-height bimini that features poles that sit at all four corners, and a low-hour 15hp Tohatsu two-stroke longshaft outboard engine to push it all along – there’s a video of it stretching its legs in the capable hands of a young skipper.

The price of all this off-rad and on-water goodness? Just $7499. And before you have to ask, no, the motorbike isn't included.

Here’s something you don’t see every day, a water jet-powered tinnie steered using handlebars rather than a tiller.

Few details are provided on exactly what this boat is, but it sits inside a Stacer 399 Proline, the largest of the Proline range. It’s set up as a rear console, with two seats forward and outboard for passengers.

The way it is set up, we’re guessing someone has adapted a jet ski engine and water jet to fit the tinny.

What’s the advantage? According to the boat’s owner, it’s great for nudging into skinny, shallow waterways where traditional outboard-engined boats would struggle to get the prop to bite, let alone sit in the water.

At $12,000 it’s a lot of coin for a 4.0-metre tinny, but like the owner says, it’s pretty unique.

Rigid inflatable boat specialist AB Inflatables is a pretty well-known brand among motor yacht skippers keen for a solution to get them from ship to shore, and back again.

One of the best ways to do it is on one of AB Inflatables’ Navigo models, which denotes it is from the best of the best that the Colombian RIB maker turns out.

Why think about a RIB? For starters, they carry more people than a standard tinnie, are pretty durable and tend to ride pretty well in rougher conditions. They’re also close to unsinkable. That's why we think this AB Inflatables Navigo 12 VS is a pretty good option.

The Navigo range features a squared-off bow section that makes these boats a lot more roomy than traditional RIB designs, important given the boat is less than 4.0 metres in length. 

You do get a 25hp Yamaha tiller-steer two-stroke outboard engine with this package, which goes a way to explaining the $10,000 asking price. While no trailer is offered with this package, it does come with a cover to keep the weather out – making it perfect to use as a tender on a cruising motor yacht or sailboat.