We Bought a Boat off Alibaba

We bought a boat off Alibaba—and at first, it looked like the deal of a lifetime. Two custom 15-foot inflatables with 25-horsepower Hidea outboards for twelve thousand U.S. dollars sounded perfect for life aboard Tangaroa. When you live on a boat, your dinghy is your car—it hauls groceries, fuel, and gear to shore. Before that, we had a 12-foot Caribe dinghy powered by a Yamaha 25hp two-stroke—a real workhorse that never quit. But it didn’t have a console, and we wanted something more comfortable for daily use. The Alibaba dinghy worked fine for almost three years until the “hypalon” turned sticky, the seams let go, and the motor blew. That’s when we learned what “too good to be true” really means. Now we’re running Punga, a 12-foot aluminum catamaran dinghy with a Mercury jet outboard. She’s tough, fast, and perfect for exploring—though not without her quirks. If you’ve ever wondered whether a cheap dinghy from Alibaba is worth it, this video might save you some money—and a few headaches. #BoatLife #Dinghy #Alibaba 👉 Want to go deeper into life onboard Tangaroa and get early access to every video from both of our channels? Join our crew at www.onboardtangaroa.com or right here through YouTube Memberships. We’re not on Patreon anymore—we’ve built our own space where we can connect directly with you, share behind-the-scenes updates, and offer crew-only perks like: ✔️ Early and ad-free access to all videos ✔️ Real-time Wheelhouse Weekly Video updates ✔️ Our Monthly Captain’s Log newsletter ✔️ Discounts on exclusive crew-only and other merchandise ✔️A Crew-Only Discord Community - we're in there LOTS! Whether you're here for the tech builds, the off-the-grid living, or just the adventure of it all—your support helps us keep sharing it every step of the way. And in return, you get the full story—not just the YouTube edit. ⚓ Join us here: www.onboardtangaroa.com or click “Join” on our YouTube channel to become part of the crew. ✅ Also check out our other channel: Exploring the World Onboard Tangaroa 🆓 Our free newsletter is launching soon—sign up on the site! 📢Tried, Tested & Tangaroa Approved 🧭... We use TIMEZERO for all our navigation — it’s the system we trust to keep us safe out there. They’ve also given our viewers 10% off any product on their site with the code TANGAROA. 📧 Questions/Business Inquiries? Reach us at: [email protected] Programs We Use: 🎵 Music from: Epidemic Sound https://share.epidemicsound.com/3jxxv9 📅 Social media scheduling made easy: SmarterQueue https://smarterqueue.com/?afmc=207 🤣Do you know what BOAT stands for? Bring On Another Thousand. – Unknown (but very relatable)