Why a nesting dinghy will suit you best. Quotes from the boating magazines and books.

"Most cruising people would choose a rigid dinghy if it were possible to store one on deck. One solution is a nesting dinghy… close to an ideal compromise."
The late Geoff Pack (former editor of Yachting Monthly) in Ocean Cruising Countdown.
This, in our opinion, is an excellent book if you are preparing for long distance cruising.

'The difficulty with inflatables is that they're not all that good as boats... they're wet and, well, rubbery the whole while. The time spent inflating and setting them up (or taking them apart) is tiresome... Another approach to the dinghy problem is to use the hard dinghy of your choice and forget about stowing it aboard - just tow it everywhere <but> much drag <and> any time it gets rough you stand a real chance of losing your dinghy altogether... Probably the best compromise is a good nesting dinghy."
Dave Gerr - The Nature of Boats

"Rigid dinghies still have a job to do. The funny thing about people who have switched back to rigids - or who have never adopted an inflatable as the only tender in their lives - is that many of them have also switched back to rowing, too. Anyone whose only experience of rowing is in an inflatable will justifiably regard it as a last resort. In a well-designed rigid boat, however, it can be no slower and no more effort to row than to pump up an inflatable and lug an outboard out of a store onto a transom. Rowing is good for you, too: sustained, gentle, non weight-bearing exercise."
Sailing Today Magazine

'The prop hit the sand and the shear pin pinged. No matter, the oars were on board... unfortunately the Bombard had always been decidedly dodgy in the rowing department. Its oars are tubular aluminium twigs and the rowlocks dainty little plastic confections of about the size and strength of chicken's wishbones... I resigned myself to waiting ashore the three or so hours until I knew the breeze would die back... our replacement tender must be a rowing boat first and foremost with the motor option demoted to a minor, occasional role... I was amazed to discover the trend was diametrically opposed to my preferences. Nearly all the inflatables on offer - even the tiniest ones - were principally power boats whose rowing accoutrements had been relegated to barely more than vestigial rumps, rather like penguins' wings... to further confirm this immutable bonding between (inflatable) dinghies and outboards, many suppliers offered package deals wrapping the two together in a single price... I doubt it will be long before the motor is a standard item and the oars are listed as 'optional' extras'
Andrew Simpson - Practical Boat Owner Magazine

"Rigid tenders are easy to row, have a long life, and are unlikely to be stolen… easy to repair and will put up with a good deal of abuse. Deck stowage is likely to be the limiting factor."
Anne Hammick - the Atlantic Crossing Guide

"When the outboard packs up you will find inflatables very difficult to row for any distance, and if there is a headwind or chop they are pure misery. This is not just an inconvenience: more than one sailor has been lost by being swept offshore when he could not overcome the effects of wind or tide when trying to row an inflatable."
James D. Howard, Jim Howard, Charles J. Doane - the Handbook of Offshore Cruising

YACHTING MONTHLY reviewed our pram and stem dinghies in a group test of "ten alternative tenders", published December 2008, saying:

PRAM DINGHY
Yachtsman Ian Thomson founded Nestaway Boats after graduating from Lyme Regis Boatbuilding School. The Nestaway Pram is a work of art. Cold-moulded from khaya mahogany, she splits into two nesting sections, which should fit snugly on the foredeck or coachroof of a 30ft yacht. She's lightweight, too, and the two halves fitted together easily, with only two bolts to do up. She was good to row, with sturdy, well-proportioned oars and high-quality chrome rowlocks. The aft thwart make a good footbrace. With one person aboard, she was a little bow-heavy due to the position of the thwart, over the joint between the two sections. With several passengers, the trim was best with two rowers taking an oar each and one person sitting in the stern. Her sailing rig was a prototype set-up, but the boomless spritsail was easy to rig, and can be easily brailed up to stow.The prototype had a fixed Optimist rudder, but the production boats will have a lifting rudder. With the helmsman sitting on the centre thwart she was a little bow heavy - sitting on the floor improved the trim and proved more comfortable too. The lack of a boom meant her upwind performance in light airs was not sparkling, but given some more wind she should slip along nicely. She was the fastest of all the dinghies we tested under power: our 2.3hp engine drove her along at 4.8 knots, and she carried her two passengers well, keeping them relaxed, comfortable and dry.
VERDICT The prototype has some teething issues, but this is a beautiful, well thought-out dinghy. She would tow well with her long skeg and high bow.

STEM DINGHY
"Nestaway's Stem dinghy was one of the smallest we tested. She works on the same principle as the pram dinghy, but is made from GRP and bolts together in minutes. She looks pretty and practical, and will fit into the back of an estate car. There's no sailing rig yet, but it's in the pipeline. She was a delight to row, tracked well and was fast, dry and stable. Good oars and rowlocks reward your efforts at the oars, although she would benefit from the addition of a footbrace. She can only take one passenger safely, and was a little unstable when loaded. Under engine she made 4.3 knots but was a little unstable with two passengers. At speed her freeboard was minimal, and she would have shipped some water in chop.
VERDICT Great fun to row, and a sailing rig should turn her into an exciting craft for one person. She's a bit small for ferrying more than two people, and was somewhat scary under full throttle, but why would you want to motor when she's such fun to row?"

The full article can be found (in pdf format) here:
Yachting Monthly Ten Tenders Tested December 08