I'm pondering the hardshell/inflatable question myself. My 26 Tolly is just over nine feet at the transom and has Weaver davits on the swim platform. I need to be able to carry my wife and two growing kids. I've got a 20 hp outboard that I could use on a larger inflatable and save the cost of a new motor, but I haven't found a nine foot inflatable rated for 20 hp. There are some 10.5 foot models that are, but these would extend beyond my transom. I don't know if that would be a big problem or not. I seldom dock except for in my slip and my stern doesn't go all the way in my slip. Now I get by towing my 13' Whaler as my dinghy. Being on the Mississippi 1830 miles from the Gulf of Mexico makes fulltime dinghy towing doable, but I'd like something I can raise on the platform. The boat does have a Forspar hoist for an outboard, so handling the 20 would be possible, if not easy. The 10 foot Livingston looks like a capable hardshell, but I'd have to get a smaller motor. I'd like to get a long shaft, high thrust Yamaha four stroke 8, and make a mount on my swim platform for a get home engine. I'd like to use this on the dinghy too, but all small dinghies I've seen use a short shaft motor. This brings me to the idea of building a dinghy and modifying the plans to accommodate the long shaft. I am considering John Gardner's 9 1/2 foot pram as described in chapter 3 of Building Classic Small Craft. It is easy to build and can carry four. I don't know if it's the best candidate, but it's at the top of my list for now. Questions: Is it really inadvisable to have a dinghy that sticks out a half-foot on either side of the boat when raised on the platform? Does building a higher transom on the dinghy to accommodate a long shaft motor sound like a bad idea? Does anyone have suggestions for home-buildable alternatives to the Gardner? Thanks, Jack Ray MV Guambiana Currently at anchor in Pool 1, Mississippi River. ------ http://USFamily.Net/info - Unlimited Internet - From $8.99/mo! ------