過去一年，小弟一直想物色一隻小小的橡皮艇，要求並不高，只需要cheap cheap地用PVC物料製造的，長約2.4米已經可以，但質素要有保證，於是便四處問價。

用電郵問某間名牌橡皮艇Zo----的香港代理，最平的入門型號，用ＰＶＣ物料製造，長2.4米，開價是$8,600元，長2.6米的價錢是$10,800元，還要等兩個月才可以取貨。

小弟其後又向另一遊艇用品名牌Pl------的代理問價，得到的報價是某款同類橡皮艇，即使是長2.4米，也需要$10,000元以上。

即使是在X記的網頁上，買一隻大陸製的，看起來很"逗泥"的橡皮艇，也需要數千元。

最後，小弟上網到英國的船艇用品網站選購，上述Pl------的橡皮艇價錢只需約315鎊(當時匯率約為12.5港元)，海外的顧客可扣除15%的增值稅，另加70鎊的運費，以速遞公司送到，下次光顧還可獲5%折扣。價錢約合共是385鎊，即港幣$5,000元有找，由訂購至收貨，只需一個星期。

最有趣的和最諷刺的，是最便宜的橡皮艇，竟是在半個地球以外找到，而且，橡皮艇似乎也是在大陸製造的，但在半個地球以外運回來，也較在本地購買便宜。於是，凡是可以的船艇用品，小弟也盡可能在網上訂購了。

上 http://www.taobao.com

打 入 " 充 氣 船 " , 過 千 隻 任 揀 !

TL

What's the UK site address?

I go to

http://marinestore.co.uk/

but if you search for "chandlery" , "marine store", etc, with google, you will get a lot of results.

可以睇下你隻橡皮艇的相嗎??

Sorry, i don't know how to post photos here. Anyway, it is just an unremarkable inflatable.

By PVC, of course, i do not mean those flimsy plastic. It is something called decitex 1000 and is quite tough.

i also go to taobao.com to buy toys for my baby. For every international brand and make in the market, you can always find some look-alike on the mainland. Maybe they copy it, the production method or they simply come from the same production line. Perhaps this is the price of having things made in China and whether one would buy such look-alikes is purely a matter of personal preference.