advice on manageable weight / new SIB

[Fenlander]

If you were thinking of transom wheels in that location do choose wisely, some are strong and well supported on the transom but others made of cheese having questionable fixing design.

And if you buy a T38 used go for the later design without trim tabs as the special curved wheels to allow for the tabs are not good over bumpy terrain. New models are all OK.

[Brinormeg]

Seamax heavy duty wheels seem to be the go to for strength on here and on other platforms, although I’m still just about managing with my original cheapo excel/no name ones.
Suppose it depends what you think your individual use will end up being! After all…we are all very different…just some more than others

[Fenlander]

I am very biased as I never want to take the wheels with me the HD Zodiac non flip up type are probably the strongest. Both in the leg itself and the fact they attach at the top and bottom of the transom so spread the load and are less likely to be pulled away if subject to a horizontal load from dragging over a boulder or kerb.

[smallribber]

Go with the T38

[dhaglund]

I regularly launch a 200 kg SIB, myself but on hard packed gravel. With a small trolley or Zodiac transom wheels. The 3.8m alu floor SIB is 97 kg, then 48 kg for the 20 hp Suzuki EFI motor, then fuel and kit. Should be around 200 kg. It is really tough to pull it out of the water because of the incline. Apart from that it's fine. With 2 people it's still work but no problem.

[spartacus]

Best sub 4m SIB in my opinion, probably a Zodiac MKII CGT. Aluminium floor, inflatable keel, coupled with standard shaft Yamaha 25hp 2-stroke. 3.8m length. Downside was it was PVC and short tube lifespan with failing seams, but you still find them with 15-20 years service.

Of course Zodiac changed things and the Futura looked like it was on a course of steroids with oversized tubes, and it increased to long shaft outboards. Not sure if Zodiac even make the Classic these days? Occasionally you’ll find a MKII Grand Raid or GR come up for sale. Great boats, hypalon, intercommunicating nickel-plated valves.

I personally don’t like the transom wheel set-up, but if there’s 2-3 of you, then the plastic drainage pipes underneath, then it will be a walk in the park. On retrieval, with a winch, piece of cake.

[daveyirl]

I’ve no experience of the wheels but will get them as they might make some sense in other locations the odd time we travel.

Would it make any sense to have a mat of some kind I could drag down the beach that would make easier on the wheels. I could fix it to a point by the boat house to make it easy to drag down and roll back up?

There will still be bumps and undulations but at least a better surface.

On average I will only need to go 15 meters.

Just a thought

I’ll be careful about the wheels and I will be buying a new t38 ie3 so the trim tabs won’t be an issue.

Thanks again for all the supportive info and messages. Great forum / crowd !

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by daveyirl

Thanks again for all the supportive info and messages. Great forum / crowd !

Sometimes it's a little more like a dysfunctional family!

The only thing I will say about wheels is - don't go cheap!

A mat may help, but clearing some of the bigger pebbles/boulders will probably be sufficient.
You can always take the sib down to the waters edge without the OB, then transport your OB down to the sib on a converted sack truck.

[smallribber]

Dont over think this too much. Get the boat and try it before you go doing loads of stuff that may not be necessary

[daveyirl]

Originally Posted by smallribber

Dont over think this too much. Get the boat and try it before you go doing loads of stuff that may not be necessary

Ya - I think you are right!