identification please

[smee]

really hope i have uploaded the pics properly.......

i have had a bit of luck and found this, unused for ten years sat in some ones front garden.
i got it for £100.
the tubes were down and the prop didnt turn and the steering was seized.

the tubes have been up for 10 days now and have lost very little air. maybe 10-20%.

a knock with a block of wood freed up the prop and i could turn the motor over by hand on the fly wheel. fitted a new impeller and gear box oil, fresh petrol and it is running lovely in and out of gears.

freed up the steering, cables were fine just the rod stuck in the motor end, some gentle persuasion and its fine now.

big clean up next and attention to the trailer.

i am having trouble identifying this boat, i know its a flatacraft but dont know what model for sure, its about 16 1/2 foot.

a number on the transom is MH 16 B

on this forum i heard about a "merlin " model...could it be that?...can someone point me to any info about it at all please?

off to bed now but very excited.........

smee

[Hambleite]

Flatacraft Force 4 GT.

[Nasher]

Yep

What Hambleite said.

Nice boat, good price, and will go well with the 55 on.

I had a non-GT Force 4(with the flat front) that I dropped a 55 on and it went like stink, just a little unstable at WOT.

EDIT

Just reread your post, at 16.5 feet I think it's too long for a Force 4 GT, probably a Force 5.
The F4GT was a F4 with a pointy Bow, and that wouldn't account for an extra 4 feet.
The length of the area behind the rear seats is far too long for a Force 4

Have a look in my gallery for some old F4 pics to see the difference.
http://www.rib.net/forum/members/1181-albums.html

Nasher.

[Crew2]

Well done. Wish there were some gardens like that round here.
Let us know how you get on with it, and keep the photos coming.

[smee]

since i bought this home i have not had time to scratch my arse so the boat is still under cover.

however, i have sourced some 2nd hand back to back seats...not my first choice of seat combo but at least it still leaves a lot of deck space at the back.

new handles and glue ordered and ready to go.
new trailer parts ordered.
hopefully going to get on with it now i have finished work for christmas.

i would really like to launch it for its sea trials over the next couple of weeks.

interesting about what model it could be.....am i measuring it right?
from what points is a rib measured?

cheers
smee

[m22nly]

Hi the force four gt measures 4 meters long and it had a well in the floor under where your battery sits can't see if yours has this with the rubber matting. It could be a force 5 as previous reply. At £100 whatever it is it's a bargain !!!!


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[smee]

got busy today.

found my new seats didn't fit as they are( too wide) so i need to remove the aluminium bolster arms and make up a bracket so they are permanently fixed in position.

pleased with the way the old broken straps come off ready to be replaced.

emptied the boat and washed the deck...nice and solid.

yes, there is a cavity under the floor

and the old label on the dash gives different model names, still dont know for sure what this is.

i took all these pics and here is a link to my dropbox
more to follow as i progress.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/19lymfq10...oqVf9lHxa?dl=0

[smee]

just had a proper measure

overall length is 17ft or 5.2 mtr

[PeterM]

Good work - I really like the way older boats can be given a new life with a few days of graft and TLC . I think those tubes would come up well with a clean.

I really liked my SR4 with back to back seats - I don't think I've ever laughed as much as I did sat in the back ( although 30 donuts looking out the back left me feeling a little queezy ! )

I'll keep an eye out for you in Poole in 2015...

[AJ.]

Originally Posted by PeterM

Good work - I really like the way older boats can be given a new life with a few days of graft and TLC . I think those tubes would come up well with a clean.



I really liked my SR4 with back to back seats - I don't think I've ever laughed as much as I did sat in the back ( although 30 donuts looking out the back left me feeling a little queezy ! )



I'll keep an eye out for you in Poole in 2015...

Was it only 30 oh the memories that was a blast


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[smee]

I'll keep an eye out for you in Poole in 2015...[/QUOTE]


ive been in poole boating in one form or another since i was about 17--1987...

only missed a couple of years and i fear that this coming year maybe another one with no boat!

my wife and daughter fancy an autohome because they say that it wont matter what the weather is like , we can still use it anytime...

so it looks like my little fleet may be up for sale in the spring...

14ft dory with 20hp yamaha..(had this for about 8 years now, tatty but fantastic).

15ft picton speed boat with 75 merc....lovely condition boat and engine is amazingly quick...(funny really, not my sort of thing but wasnt allowed to sell it because wifey found it so comfy).

and now this RIB...im really excited about getting out on it but its put a bit of a dampner on it knowing its probably going too..

we will see.ive got a couple of months to come up with a plan to try and keep something.......