Achilles SGX-122 vs. Defender 380

[Kurt]

Hi dorudasc,

Sorry for the six month later response :-) The SGs are a little heavier than the SGXs. In your case, 8 lbs. The 122 SG has smaller tubes and is physically a smaller boat as well. Reading the specs the SGs have fiberglass and aluminum floors. The SGX are wood and aluminum, which would account for a small amount of weight difference. There must be other "heavier built" features that the SGs have. If looking for a personal boat to use I would go with the SGX. It is wider so will be a little more stable, has larger tubes, and even weighs a couple pounds less. Our 132 has proven very durable with no tears, holes, issues, etc. after a couple years of use. As far as inflatables go, it is a relatively big and stable boat. The solid floor makes it easy and safe to stand up and cast. The 25hp engine has proven to be plenty powerful. We pull adults on wake surf boards and it quickly jumps on plane with four adults in the boat. Therefore I think a newer EFI 20 would be fine on the SGX122. As for the SGs, I'm guessing they would be more appropriate for every day commercial use.

Hope this helps.

Kurt

[dorudasc]

Thanks, Kurt. In the end, I decided to continue to use my 2 existing Achilles, one SJ-110 (3.35m) and a SR-124 (3.75m), with an old 2-stroke Yamaha 10hp. I wanted to upgrade to SGX-122 but since I couldn’t really fault the existing set-up, I decided to wait
Meanwhile, I became tempted to switch to a small RIB, with a console. Found several second hand Pischel Bolero from ‘90s and 00s.
Does anyone have experience with older Contad Pischel or Pischel Bolero RIBs, between 3.4-4.3m long? I’m looking currently at a Pischel 3.7m with 25hp.
I also noticed that there are 2 main types of wheel-comand: - a «*classic*» central console attached to the floor; - a single metal bar attached to the floor with the wheel directly on it. Does anyone have experience with those and can explain the pros & cons pls?
Massive thanks!