Now comes the work. Since some of these capabilities are conflicting and as has been mentioned cannot be implemented in one design, we must prioritize the capabilities that are most important to you. Below I have offered my priorities, based upon my experiences and looking forward to the cruising I will be doing over the next few years. I think it would be interesting to the group to have each of you think through the list and offer your priorities and reasoning. For me the first 7 items are absolutes. No one wants a dinghy that does harm to their big boat, and no one wants a dinghy that is fragile or un-repairable. My wife and I often are in street clothes going into shore or dock and we really don't like getting sprayed by salt water chop, or having our dog or groceries sprayed. Staying dry in adverse conditions is very important to us. The corollary to this is being safe. If we are dry, then the boat is dry. We also want a boat that can carry a load on occasion. Sometimes we are doing a couple of months provisioning at once and making multiple runs to and from the boat with stuff is tiresome. We also have been in places were we stay for a while and have to load water. We haul about 30 gallons per trip. On the west coast it is rare to find a dinghy dock. Almost all the landings are on the beach and half the time there is some surf running. Also, many of our exploring is up tidal rivers with a bar and some standing waves at the entrance. Motors don't do very well, especially getting off the beach; thus the need for a good rowing machine. I also enjoy the exercise. Number 14 is interesting and perhaps should be moved up. Many times we need to use commercial docks that have no stairs or ladders. They are generally 4 to 6 feet above the water. My current RIB has a foredeck which we have found very handy for standing on and stepping up to the dock. I would miss this capability if we did not have it on the new dinghy. I find that our RIB tracks about as well a wake board and results in many unnecessary collisions with things. So, I want something that tracks well with a motor and through the surf. Since I don't believe there is a planning boat that meets these higher priorities, I put the speed capability lowest. So there are my thoughts. Please tell us about your priorities. Maybe this will flush out some new capabilities. Capability Priority Description 1 Does no harm to mother ship. 2 Can be loaded / offloaded on yacht deck by two people. 3 Capable of being boarded from the water by one person without swamping. 4 Capable of continued exposure to the Sun without significant damage. 5 Capable of landing on a variety of surfaces (rocks, sand, mud) without damage. 6 Capable of standing up to frequent docking against cement docks and pilings. 7 Capable of repair in remote locations. 8 Capable of carrying 2 passenger, 1 dog normal load, 4 person occasional load in passenger mode with passengers and groceries staying dry in rough 2 - 3 ft chop conditions. 9 Capable of carrying 2 passengers and 4 3x2x2 full duffel bags in freighter mode with all staying dry under mild conditions. 10 Capable of controlled and safe surf landings and launching in 2-3 ft breakers common on the west coast of North America. 11 Can be dragged up the beach by two men in areas with 10 ft tide. 12 Capable of easy enjoyable rowing. Rowing in surf, drift boat position for landing, normal position for launching through surf and normal rowing. 13 Capable of tracking well when turned with motor, and tracking straight through surf, but also turns easily with oars. 14 Capable of using high docks, providing easy passenger entry / exit. 15 Can be used for fishing excursions. 16 Capable of being bottom painted. 17 Capable of planning > 12-15knots for 50 miles with 4 adults, or 2 with scuba gear. Capable of easily planning with two human/one dog passenger load with outboard of manageable weight (<100 lbs)