Advice please- Honwave T40

[Cliff B]

Hi Ash, are you still in love with your T-40?

I have just brought one and love it (only been out on it the once) It's perfect for my requirements at the moment while the children are young. I think in a few more years I'd like to go to the full 30 horses it's rated to. But for now the Tohatsu 18 is perfect.

Cliff.

[ashwatkins]

Hi. Yes, the best thing I've ever bought. I went with the Suzuki 25 in the end. Sweet set up. Easy to launch and manoeuvre. The 25 really gets her flying. Had her up to 25 knots and bottled it a bit as it was getting skittish, but the throttle still wasn't fully open, so more speed if I grow bigger balls!

Had 4 people in there with all the gear for fishing etc, and still had loads of room.

My winter project has been to build an extra bench and pad them both. Looks great and didnt cost much. About £50 in total for some real comfort for me and my passengers.

Ash

[Fenlander]

Hi Ash glad you're still liking the outfit. Thoughts are turning to our July hols your way so may be onto you with questions soon. David

[ashwatkins]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Hi Ash glad you're still liking the outfit. Thoughts are turning to our July hols your way so may be onto you with questions soon. David

Hiya. Always free for advice. Just drop me a line

Ash

[Cliff B]

Originally Posted by ashwatkins

Hi. Yes, the best thing I've ever bought. I went with the Suzuki 25 in the end. Sweet set up. Easy to launch and manoeuvre. The 25 really gets her flying. Had her up to 25 knots and bottled it a bit as it was getting skittish, but the throttle still wasn't fully open, so more speed if I grow bigger balls!

Had 4 people in there with all the gear for fishing etc, and still had loads of room.

My winter project has been to build an extra bench and pad them both. Looks great and didnt cost much. About £50 in total for some real comfort for me and my passengers.

Ash

Had mine up to 21 but that was flat out! would have loved more.

Would love to see some pictures of your winter project, it sounds interesting. I brought the Honwave bow bag and want to make some sort of wooden/rigid front piece to support the bag and give a flat platform to fit some elasticated netting to.

Cliff

[ashwatkins]

[ashwatkins]

I had some spare ply in the shed. Glued and screwed it for double thickness. Foam was dirtcheap off Ebay. Pvc from Dunelm Mill. Glued the foam on. Stapled the seat cover on. Brackets were a tenner from Ebay. Im doing the same with the bench that came with the boat.

[Cliff B]

That looks great mate, I was gonna buy a second bench for mine but I think I'll do what you have. Padding would be so luxurious too. Thanks for posting the pictures up 👍

[Fenlander]

Ash looks good... fitting that carpet next?

[ashwatkins]

Originally Posted by ashwatkins

I had some spare ply in the shed. Glued and screwed it for double thickness. Foam was dirtcheap off Ebay. Pvc from Dunelm Mill. Glued the foam on. Stapled the seat cover on. Brackets were a tenner from Ebay. Im doing the same with the bench that came with the boat.

Ive used 2 inch thick high density foam. Certainly nicer on your butt than a plain bench.

I couldn't staple directly in to the factory bench, way to hard, so i glued a layer of thin marine ply on the underside, so I could get the staples in.

Although all the wood was marine ply, I sealed it with varnish for extra protection.

For both benches it was a bargain. £10 for the brackets. £25 for the pvc cover. £8 for the foam. £5 for spray adhesive. Everything else I had lying around the shed.

[ashwatkins]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Ash looks good... fitting that carpet next?

Hell yes. You cant have enough luxury. I have a drinks cabinet going in the bow!

[toonpirate]

Ive just sold my searider 5.4 today, because ive lack of storage speace on my drive. I'm considering a Honwave for me the wife & 2 kids, possibly 2 dogs as well. Ash would this boat be practical to transport and set up without a trailer? I'm not too far from you in Chudleigh and have used Polly Steps and Totnes with the RIB.
I want something I can put in the van and set up on site or thinking out loud the alternative is set up at home and put on to a trailer and store the trailer upright?
I'd appreciate your views, did you but local?
Thanks
Steve

[ashwatkins]

Hi mate. Ive only ever kept mine on a trailer. Ive seen a few people set them up on Polly Steps, and it is a bit of a faff with the aluminium floor. Engine weight is another consideration for lumping about. I think its a great boat. Got mine new from Ash Marine and they did a great package price.

My whole set up sits nicely in the garage, which is perfect as I can be in the water from the garage in 30 minutes!

Ash

[toonpirate]

They look a great SIB. I'm thinking more of setting up at home then trailering down to wherever as I agree setting up and then taking down will likely be a pain. I'll have a look at Ash Marine and John Bridger and see what deals they have on. May see you at Polly steps !

[Fenlander]

Having owned a 3.5m version of the alloy floor Honwave in the past I'd go for one without hesitation for the use you describe. Setting up at home the night before onto a trailer you keep on edge against the wall would be loads easier than the faff of a daily setup adj the slip.

Alloy floors can be a pig to get together when folks are watching!

We were 2 adults, 2 teens and a dog in our 3.5... very roomy and stable for its size... the 4.0 can only be better.

[Cliff B]

My T40 feels very spacious, setting up at home yeah definitely, setting up at the slip way - no way! I've only done mine the once, and so glad it's staying on the trailer all season.

[toonpirate]

Thanks Cliff, I may go for the smaller T35, I'm undecided.

[ashwatkins]

Originally Posted by toonpirate

They look a great SIB. I'm thinking more of setting up at home then trailering down to wherever as I agree setting up and then taking down will likely be a pain. I'll have a look at Ash Marine and John Bridger and see what deals they have on. May see you at Polly steps !

John Bridger were doing a good package as well, with a Honda or Mercury engine. I went to Ash Marine as they're a Suzuki main dealer, and I wanted a 4 stroke fuel injected engine. I was lucky as I ordered a 20hp, but there was a long delay. Suzuki gave me the 25hp for just the extra £50 postage.

The good thing about Bridgers is that they've got the full range set uo in the show room. They difference in sizes is really noticable when they're side by side. I went for the T40 because of the extra beam size and the tubes are much bigger as well.

The T40 us a great bit of kit. You're more than welcome to pop over to see my set up. If the weathers OK we could get her on the water.

Ash

[jeffstevens763@g]

How do you find the 25 hp ash?

[ashwatkins]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

How do you find the 25 hp ash?

I love it. I know its a heavy lump, but it stays on the boat all the time. Its got loads of grunt, so you never feel like you're revving the knackers of it. It seems very economical and its very quiet. Its a great bit of kit and my T40 flies with it. There are some very fast tides where I live and the mouth of the estuary can be a bit hairy, so its nice to have the oomph this motor gives.

The only comparison I have is to a 2 stroke 40hp Mariner I used to have on a cabin sports fisher I had. I much prefer the Suzy 25

Ash