Having kids on our Maramu we sometimes travel in calm weather with two dinghies, one is a 3.1 aluminium bottom RIB with 15 hp and the other is an 8ft Walker Bay Dinghy with tubes with a sail kit. We need to lift the big dinghy onto the foredeck with a halyard. The Walker Bay is just light enough for two of us to lift over the guard rail and store upside down on the aft deck but would be very hard if you aren't fit.
If we use the Walker Bay only it can go upside down on the fordeck and sits well with the bow on the anchor winch and scoops air down the fore hatch and keeps shower out. Or it fits ok on the aft deck. It sails quite well with one person, rows very well with one person but is very slow with a little 3hp.
The big dinghy can tow a ski donut with the kids and cover long distances fast. Either way has advantages depending on the sort of cruising but the payload and speed of a RIB is great.
