Jason, I own a Walker Bay with the inflatable tubes on either side; these create a very stable dinghy. I usually keep it up on the dinghy davits off the stern of the boat. I also have a 5 hp outboard that I put on it when I need to use it.
 
A fellow 36 owner is looking for used davits for his boat, so if anyone hears of a nice pair of stainless davits please let me know.

I have an Achilles HB 280DX which is 9'2" long and 5'5" beam.  (I agree, larger is better but I probably would've also needed a larger engine to drive anything bigger)  I kept my 6 hp 4 stroke but it cant get me up on plane even solo (Not that I need to).

Where sailing is concerned, given the typical local conditions, if making any sort of passage, I usually tow the dinghy - most of the time without the engine.  It stays clamped to the rail ‘till needed.  I probably would not need to tow it if I ever get around to addressing some minor rigging issues.  My davits are Garhauer w/ 1  1/4 in. tubes.

Jason - I think weight is the key rather than size (although you don't want to dip the dinghy in the water when heeled!). If you can do without a rigid bottom you can get a bigger dinghy for the same weight. Also the weight affects the power needed to plane, so a given motor will get a larger dinghy with a soft bottom and inflatable keel on plane than it will a RIB. As a diver myself I would say a good used 10' hypalon Zodiac or Achilles with inflatable keel and plywood floorboards would be sweet. Maybe you could get an 11 ft-er on there if the davits are high enough?

we have a Zodiac Cadet 285 with a Mercury 5.5, it works great.

Regards

Jason
I use a 10ft Avon hard bottom with a 5 hp honda. It will plane with just me in it. It won't with my SCUBA gear on board. I use my Davit set up to lower the engine on the Avon.(60to 75lbs) I still have to lift the engine off the rail. Kind of a pain. I'm going to start bringing my 2 hp along for short runs and beach landings. The heaver engine isn't worth the trouble on some trips. I take the engine off while on the Davits. With the 2 hp maybe not. My 2hp is super light 2 cycle with no transmission. I can one hand it easily. The 2hp set up was perfect on my old boat. At the end of a long day of diving the last thing I wanted to do was deal with a heavy engine.

Hi Jason

It is OK-ish, I don't know what it was like when you here but nowadays there are lots of big motor yachts which seem to enjoy passing very close to sailing yachts at very high speeds, not fun for those on the sailing boats.

but that being said, there is also a small cruising community and we organize some nice get together
let's us know next time you are around and if the weather permits then we can take you out for a spon.

Regards
Andres
 

We have an 8ft 4in aluminum hull inflatable and an 8hp Yamaha 2 stroke (2010) which planes two of us.  I  traded in my 6hp Honda 4stroke that weighed the same but wouldn't allow us to plane.  Any larger outboard and I wouldn't be able to handle it from the swim grid to the dinghy...
We either tow the dinghy or lash it on the bow.

Jason, you have opened a complex topic, one which I am dealing with at this very moment.

I bought a new Sun (Chinese-made) RIB from LFS in Bellingham. I quite like it as a dink, but I have not yet installed the davits on the dinghy. I have the swim platform davits remaining from a previous dink, but I need to make them marry properly. I even put night lighting on it, as I was installing an electric system to utilize the new 15 hp Mercury's electric start. (The wife cannot, or refuses to, start a pull start motor.)

What I have discovered is that the engine choice can be even more challenging than the dink choice. I bought a new 15hp Merc for it, and it makes the boat go like hell with two adults onboard, given flat water. But at 71 years old I simply cannot manhandle the damn 140 lb 15 hp motor to the stern pulpit pad. So I got a Garhauer lift - but I haven't installed it. Decided not to, in fact.

What a hassle. I want to take the boat to Skagway next year up the Inside Passage, mostly solo, and the decision I just arrived at (yesterday) is to buy a L-I-G-H-T motor for that trip. I'll keep the 15 horse for the Columbia River, where it excels. And I'll use a new 3.5 hp Mercury 4-cycle for the Alaska trip. At 43 lbs, it is light enough that I can lift it from the swim platform to the stern rail.