I moved from a takacat to a true kit discovery 3.3 with a 15hp, and I prefer this. Build and material is excellent and the closed transom keep everything a bit more dry. Both immensely stable tho. Good class of runaround tender
That looks like a great option. Like their design from what I see online. For us, the weight increase of 13 lbs / 5.9 kg would make it a tougher option for my wife and I to stow on the roof rack.
@@echozulucruising yes the weight dry of the boat is 35kg. Still pretty light. But this is offset by the heavier material and it being seam welded as opposed to glued. The engine is heaviest thing to lug.
@@gaycha6589 we store our dinghy on the roof rack. The true kit discovery looks like a great option. For us, the 6kg weight increase over the Takacat would make it more difficult for my wife and me to lift onto the roof rack.
We're looking at either the Takacat 300XL or 340XL and will be matching with an ePropulsion. Have you had more than two people on the 300XL? We are a family of four (two kids) and will be using this as a dinghy on our sailboat. I want to keep the dinghy as small and light as possible but wonder if the 340XL would be worthwhile for the extra space. Thoughts? Great channel by the way!
Thank you very much for the kind words on the channel, that keeps us going. We purchased the 300 because it was the largest we thought would fit on our roof rack on the Jeanneau NC 1095. So far, we have only had two of us on the Takacat 300LX, with full beach gear. On the 300 we would not be overloaded with an additional two people my wife's size, or one my size, and a small amount of gear. To get from a mooring ball to a dock with 4 people (size depending of course) should work, but likely would need separate trips to carry much gear. If you have space for the 340, it weighs only 4 lbs (1.8kg) more and is 14" longer (35.6 cm), but has a whopping 40% increase in carrying capacity (the 300 capacity is 809 lbs/ 367 kg, the 340 capacity is 1135 lbs / 515 kg). For us, since most of the time it is just the two of us and we are lifting by hand on to the roof rack, the 300 fits our needs. The 340 may be better with 4 people if you have the space to stow it and capability to lift it.
You mentioned that you got a leakage at the inflatable floor of your Takacat. Has that been accepted as a warranty issue? I have got a very similar issue too. Please let me know. Thanks
They accepted it as a warranty issue. They asked me to video tape the seam leaking and send to them. This is the warranty page: takacatamericas.com/pages/warranty-center#:~:text=Parts%20and%20equipment%2C%20including%20carry,years%20from%20date%20of%20purchase.
When we are done, we empty the Takacat and remove oars. We turn the stern of the Takacat toward the bow of our boat (while at the swim platform). We lift the starboard pontoon out of the water, holding onto the handles on the Takacat, with the port pontoon in the water. I am at the stern and my wife is at the bow of the Takacat. We walk the Takacat along the side of our boat to where we want to lift. Pull the Takacat out of the water together, first so the port pontoon is resting on the railing and the starboard is on the side of the roof. Then lift again onto the roof, taking care to stop to lift the stern of the Takacat over our light. My wife says she barely feels the weight. The 300 LX weighs 64 lbs, at the stern I am probably lifting 38 lbs and my wife is lifting about 26 lbs. I need to set up two cameras and film it next time we take it out.
Thank you. It has been a very good dinghy for us on Sweetest Thing. The more we have used the Takacat, the happier we have been, which is not always the case.
We bought our Takacat at www.onlineoutboards.com. We bought our epropulsion at @tinyboatnation, highly recommend the storage bag to carry the engine. We have enjoyed the Takacat.
It is really annoying. I am sorry. Warranty service replaced ours with showing a video of the seem. We have had for a year, with the one leak in the floor. Here is the link for a warranty claim: takacatamericas.com/pages/warranty-center
My Takacat is rusting! The transom tubes of the open transom are made of stainless steel 304 (V2A) (also for cost reasons). The pipes show ugly rust after a short time in a salt water environment. From my point of view, the maintenance is very time-consuming and is not reasonable for me. Unfortunately, I only found out about this disadvantage of the high maintenance effort after the purchase. For me, this product is not recommended for salt water environments. I am very dissatisfied and disappointed with the Takacat 340 LS for the above reasons. It does not meet my expectations and, in my opinion, is only partially suitable for my application as a full time yacht tender. I quote from Takacat's care instructions: 1. A first care step when driving in salt water is washing the transom tubes at the end of a trip with fresh water (fresh water) including thorough drying. 2. The insides of the transom tubes can be pulled through with an extra-long bottle brush. 3. If corrosion has formed, it can be removed with a stainless steel cleaner. 4. If you drive permanently in salt water, it is advisable to spray the transom tubes and optional slip wheels with a seawater-resistant stainless steel protector. Did you experience similar issues? Best regards Xaver
I am sorry to hear about your quality issues. We have liked the portability for loading unloading on the roof rack. We inflate and use as a tender when we are in overnight trips, it deflate and store off our Jeanneau 1095 when not in use. We have not had corrosion issues, but it is not on board in the elements more than 10 days at time. We have had issues with an air leak in the floor panel, that was replaced under warranty. Are you looking at alternatives or going to try to make it work with the Takacat?
I moved from a takacat to a true kit discovery 3.3 with a 15hp, and I prefer this. Build and material is excellent and the closed transom keep everything a bit more dry. Both immensely stable tho. Good class of runaround tender
That looks like a great option. Like their design from what I see online. For us, the weight increase of 13 lbs / 5.9 kg would make it a tougher option for my wife and I to stow on the roof rack.
@@echozulucruising yes the weight dry of the boat is 35kg. Still pretty light. But this is offset by the heavier material and it being seam welded as opposed to glued. The engine is heaviest thing to lug.
@@gaycha6589 we store our dinghy on the roof rack. The true kit discovery looks like a great option. For us, the 6kg weight increase over the Takacat would make it more difficult for my wife and me to lift onto the roof rack.
Same here, my takacat fell apart. I think its due to the heat where i live.
My leak on the floor seam came on a 103 f / 39 c day in the summer. Seemed like the glue just melted. Will see how it holds up next summer
it’s sick how easy it is to store and inflate👍🏼
We're looking at either the Takacat 300XL or 340XL and will be matching with an ePropulsion. Have you had more than two people on the 300XL? We are a family of four (two kids) and will be using this as a dinghy on our sailboat. I want to keep the dinghy as small and light as possible but wonder if the 340XL would be worthwhile for the extra space. Thoughts? Great channel by the way!
Thank you very much for the kind words on the channel, that keeps us going. We purchased the 300 because it was the largest we thought would fit on our roof rack on the Jeanneau NC 1095. So far, we have only had two of us on the Takacat 300LX, with full beach gear. On the 300 we would not be overloaded with an additional two people my wife's size, or one my size, and a small amount of gear. To get from a mooring ball to a dock with 4 people (size depending of course) should work, but likely would need separate trips to carry much gear.
If you have space for the 340, it weighs only 4 lbs (1.8kg) more and is 14" longer (35.6 cm), but has a whopping 40% increase in carrying capacity (the 300 capacity is 809 lbs/ 367 kg, the 340 capacity is 1135 lbs / 515 kg). For us, since most of the time it is just the two of us and we are lifting by hand on to the roof rack, the 300 fits our needs. The 340 may be better with 4 people if you have the space to stow it and capability to lift it.
@@echozulucruising Thanks for the response! The 340 would likely be the better choice for us.
Good luck with purchase!
buy a truekit. the takacat is not thermo wleded seams its just glue and its not good glue.
A few people have mentioned the truekit. Hope our Takacat holds up this season, as I have no desire to replace it.
You mentioned that you got a leakage at the inflatable floor of your Takacat. Has that been accepted as a warranty issue? I have got a very similar issue too. Please let me know. Thanks
They accepted it as a warranty issue. They asked me to video tape the seam leaking and send to them. This is the warranty page: takacatamericas.com/pages/warranty-center#:~:text=Parts%20and%20equipment%2C%20including%20carry,years%20from%20date%20of%20purchase.
I am buying the exact same Dinghy and Motor.. please share how you pull the boat up to the top of the boat after use.
When we are done, we empty the Takacat and remove oars. We turn the stern of the Takacat toward the bow of our boat (while at the swim platform). We lift the starboard pontoon out of the water, holding onto the handles on the Takacat, with the port pontoon in the water. I am at the stern and my wife is at the bow of the Takacat. We walk the Takacat along the side of our boat to where we want to lift. Pull the Takacat out of the water together, first so the port pontoon is resting on the railing and the starboard is on the side of the roof. Then lift again onto the roof, taking care to stop to lift the stern of the Takacat over our light. My wife says she barely feels the weight. The 300 LX weighs 64 lbs, at the stern I am probably lifting 38 lbs and my wife is lifting about 26 lbs. I need to set up two cameras and film it next time we take it out.
@@echozulucruising Bery smart, thanks!
Thanks nice review!
Thank you. It has been a very good dinghy for us on Sweetest Thing. The more we have used the Takacat, the happier we have been, which is not always the case.
That’s the exact setup we’re thinking of for our sailing catamaran. How has the epropulsion been working for you?
Love the epropulsion range and ease of set up. Main recommendation is to get the storage bags, makes it easier to stow and move.
Hi,
How fast Do you drive with the ePropulsion ?
Top speed with two people and gear is about 6.4 knots. You can cruise at that about 1 hour 20 minutes.
@@echozulucruising thank you✌️😊
How many knots were you doing loaded ?
How fast is an Epropulsion Spirit 1.0?
Combined with a 9.9 2stroke that thing looks like it could be quite good.
It would haul ass. Have the electric because we can avoid having to store fuel on longer trips. It would get up and go with a 9.9.
FYI, a dingy line is called a "painter"
Thank you. Added to my ever growing list of “things I used to know.”
Where I can buy it.? let me know.thanks..I live in U.S
We bought our Takacat at www.onlineoutboards.com. We bought our epropulsion at @tinyboatnation, highly recommend the storage bag to carry the engine. We have enjoyed the Takacat.
Mine developed several leaks from the seams after owning it for about a week
It is really annoying. I am sorry. Warranty service replaced ours with showing a video of the seem. We have had for a year, with the one leak in the floor. Here is the link for a warranty claim: takacatamericas.com/pages/warranty-center
@@echozulucruising mine was replaced as well, but still fucked up our trip because it happened a day before we were supposed to up leave.
@@zero_to_1000 ours deflated during a trip last summer, which changed our docking plans.
My Takacat is rusting!
The transom tubes of the open transom are made of stainless steel 304 (V2A) (also for cost reasons). The pipes show ugly rust after a short time in a salt water environment. From my point of view, the maintenance is very time-consuming and is not reasonable for me.
Unfortunately, I only found out about this disadvantage of the high maintenance effort after the purchase. For me, this product is not recommended for salt water environments. I am very dissatisfied and disappointed with the Takacat 340 LS for the above reasons. It does not meet my expectations and, in my opinion, is only partially suitable for my application as a full time yacht tender.
I quote from Takacat's care instructions: 1. A first care step when driving in salt water is washing the transom tubes at the end of a trip with fresh water (fresh water) including thorough drying. 2. The insides of the transom tubes can be pulled through with an extra-long bottle brush. 3. If corrosion has formed, it can be removed with a stainless steel cleaner. 4. If you drive permanently in salt water, it is advisable to spray the transom tubes and optional slip wheels with a seawater-resistant stainless steel protector.
Did you experience similar issues?
Best regards Xaver
I am sorry to hear about your quality issues. We have liked the portability for loading unloading on the roof rack.
We inflate and use as a tender when we are in overnight trips, it deflate and store off our Jeanneau 1095 when not in use. We have not had corrosion issues, but it is not on board in the elements more than 10 days at time.
We have had issues with an air leak in the floor panel, that was replaced under warranty.
Are you looking at alternatives or going to try to make it work with the Takacat?
@@echozulucruising I tried to exchange my Takacat 340 LS with a model without the open transom. Takacat refused.
They SUCK it came in losing air they send me a new one and it also was losing air now they do not what to send me a new one
Had a leak in the floor and they have sent a new one. Hoping it holds up. Really like the weight.