Looking for a pink lightweight rubber dinghy?

Choosing the right dinghy proved to be a bigger challenge than we expected. We wanted something small and lightweight that wouldn’t eat up all the space onboard, even if stored below deck. It also needed to be easy to push up through the cabin entry without too much effort. Our old Quicksilver rubber dinghy was the total opposite to all this.

The main considerations quickly became weight, materials, and construction method. Our wish list looked like this:

• Durable material, tough enough for beach landings
• As light as possible
• Soft (inflatable) bottom
• Preferably a bright colour that’s easy to spot on the water

At the time, plenty of manufacturers were marketing “lightweight” dinghies, but most of them started at around 23 kg. One brand stood out: EZraft from the Netherlands. Their models were really light — only about 12 kg including a foldable paddle — and sleek looking, with a reasonable price for the weight. They were sold for about 14,000 SEK including shipping, but that was still way out of budget for us. Sadly, they also didn’t offer any exciting colour options for the EZraft. For me, colour is central. Sitting so low in the water, I want a dinghy that’s easy to spot if it floats away or drifts into shoreline vegetation.

Yes — We Bought the Pink One

After comparing just about everything on the market, we ended up choosing the Black Island Light 230. It’s an 18.5 kg soft-bottom dinghy in pink. They are sold for around the halv price of the EZraft. The quality felt reassuring and no worse than any other brand we’d seen. The only part of the design I didn’t love was the transom – I prefer pointy tubes, but to save weight, these are flat.

Since we ordered it in the middle of winter, the first inflation happened right in our living room, where the kids immediately turned it into their TV sofa for the night.

Now, two seasons later, we remain extremely satisfied with our purchase. It has proven to be durable and practical, while the pink color continues to retain its warm, vibrant hue. As a heartfelt tribute, we named the dinghy after our friend Steve, who passed away around the time of the purchase. Steve was an avid boater who favored motorboats, so honoring him with a nameplate on our beautiful dinghy felt especially meaningful.