Best performing SIB with a 20hp EFI Mercury

[Tonus]

Hi all - I'm currently trailering a little lightweight All hull RIB with a 20hp Mercury EFI, but am thinking about the notion of putting a SIB in the back the car with the engine and taking the trailer out of the equation. I'm hand launching the RIB with transom wheels anyway, so the trailer is not essential to the launch.

I'm sure that inflating and setting at the launch has it's own hassles, but I'd be interested to hear what SIB you'd pair with my engine, with the following criteria:

1. Good quality Air deck - am prepared to pay Honwave/Zodiac prices but would also be happy with a bargain!
2. Best performance 1, 2 and 3 up with the 20hp
3. less than 50kg for the boat
4. bigger than a 3.2m - maybe 3.5 up...

I'm doing coast hugging on the south coast and river trips with the kids so not pushing the envelope!

I've got a few in mind but I'd be interested in what people would recommend, given the engine size... any sensible suggestions most welcome!

Thanks!

[Tonus]

Meant to say... my current boat and engine setup (without other stuff) is just under 100kg, so I'd very much like to keep launching solo with transom wheels...

[Steve509926]

Hi Tonus. I've got to ask, why? and what kind of car do you have?

[Tonus]

Well, I started with an Excel SIB with the intention of putting it in the car with the engine and driving to lots of different spots, but also I live a very short walk to the sea so always wanted something that was easy to set up on the beach.

I graduated to the RIB within a year and never really had a lot of experience with the SIB which is a shame.
The car I use for the boat is a Ford Grand C-Max, so a pretty decent size. I just think if it were a more transportable set up I could launch from the beach near me easier, and if it were all self-contained in the car I could take it to a river near me and dump it all, park the car, and just set up right on the slipway.

I don’t know, perhaps I don’t know how good I’ve got it at the moment! Difficult because the only guys I know with boats all have fishing boats… I don’t know any small boats or catamaran owners!

I’m not making the move for definite, just floating the idea (no pun intended).

[Fenlander]

Hi Tonus.

A Grand C-Max will take anything in the SIB range you mention. We have the slightly larger S-Max but that swallows a 3.8m, outboard, transom wheels, front trolley and the other kit easily with all main 5 seats available for use.

Re SIBs with the weight and ease you seek it will just be air floors. They are easily divided into three types. The flat air floor with sausage keel under, a Honwave style high pressure shallow V-floor and the Aerotec.

The flat air floor and Honwave HP floor types will perform broadly the same if you mean performance as in a combination of speed and seakeeping. The Aerotec is the only one that performs differently due to its true V-floor carried right to the transom. They are however narrow with not the best carrying capacity, only available used and a bit niche.

Re brand quality the Zodiac leisure boats, Honwaves and Excel are about on a par. The Boatworld models possibly a little down on quality but they have great value and backup through the range.

We are still "blow and go" from the back of the car folks and don't see that changing anytime soon. It's a viable option.

[Steve509926]

I had forgotten you had an Excel, if I remember correctly it was big - 4.35mtr?

Loads of choice really. My Excel SD360 performs well for me 2 up + dog + kit. Big advantage for my needs is the flat airdeck and it can be split into 2 bags making it easier to carry.
Honwave T38 performs better than the SD360, but has a sloping V deck and is a bit wet for my liking.
Boatworld Air V 380 (Honwave copy) performs similar to the T38, but in my opinion isn't the same quality.
Excel Scout 360 has had some good reviews.

I still don't think any of them will perform as well as you 360 rib.

[Max...]

Depends what you mean by performance? ie ultimate speed, handling, sea keeping etc?

If rivers and very calmer days then a flat bottom or very shallow V SIB will be fine and give you good speed. If however, you want to be more comfortable in typical UK south coast choppy seas with the ability to tackle rougher water, head seas, ‘wave jumping’ or with RIB type turns without skidding then choice is much more limited and really non existent buying new.

The market desperately needs a manufacturer to take on the gap left by the Aerotec and reintroduce a proper deep V type SIB. Especially now with all the incredible advances in SUP tech and shaped air floor design there is so much more that could be done.

Regards set up, I know some enjoy the car boot set up (David! ) but I’ve always found it a huge faff and during the season we always kept the SIB fully inflated in the garage and transported on the Disco roof for the short drive to the beach. Super easy at each end that way.

[Easedalenovice]

Answer is simple. The sib for you is the Honwave T38 ie 3

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by Max...

Regards set up, I know some enjoy the car boot set up (David! ) but I’ve always found it a huge faff and during the season we always kept the SIB fully inflated in the garage and transported on the Disco roof for the short drive to the beach. Super easy at each end that way.

+1

When I'm on holiday for a week or two, I found the hassle of inflating/deflating every time ment I didn't use the sib as much, especially for the odd hour at the end of the day.

We started to leave it inflated and put it on the roof of my Navara, but the SD360 is a heavy beast. Now I have it on a trailer for the duration of the holiday and find we use it much more, like a trip to the pub tonight when the tide is just right.

[Tonus]

Fenlander, thanks. I wish I had the space of an S-Max… when all the seats are up in mine there’s hardly any room at all! But well enough when a few of them are down…

You mention that the Honwave and V-Floors are High Pressure - so they don’t have the sausage keel of the Excels etc? Is it the floor that shapes the keel underneath?

Yeh Steve that’s right, I used to have the 435 Vanguard but it was massive and a lot of boat to handle, and I wanted to have a go with something launching on my own.

Max - I saw someone doing just that, had a small sub 3m Sib on the roof and just dragged it down, grabbed a small OB out of the boot with one hand and was away. Looked great but was a bit small for me.

I still want a decent sized boat to put a couple of the kids in. I guess it’s the balancing act between prepping, towing and parking a trailer…. And pumping up a boat at the water’s edge.
Will think on - thanks.

[Tonus]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

+1

When I'm on holiday for a week or two, I found the hassle of inflating/deflating every time ment I didn't use the sib as much, especially for the odd hour at the end of the day.
right.

Hmm yeh that would be the worry for me Steve - that until I try it I won't really know what the hassle of setup is like. I'm struggling to find time to get on the water as it is between work and weather. Grabbing a quick hour is where I'm at at the moment!
Am going to stay with what I have for at least this year, but good to know I have a few options.

[Fenlander]

>> the Honwave and V-Floors are High Pressure - so they don’t have the sausage keel of the Excels etc? Is it the floor that shapes the keel underneath?

Yes the floor of the Honwave and similar designs are two high pressure panels that are joined to form a shallow V when inflated. The V is not that much greater than some sausage keel models so beware of claims like "Its deep V hull optimizes planing considerably and ensures maximum stability" or "the deep v-hull ensures the best possible stability"... actual quotes from sellers of such designs.

There are a couple of things to be aware of with this design. The "hull" has no secondary outer skin so any rock/slipway scuffs are to the HP floor itself. This design means there is nowhere for even a small amount of splash water to hide as it can with any separate outer skin design... it all slops about your feet, the dog, kit etc.

Neither may be an issue for you but worth being aware of.

[Fenlander]

Re the blow and go debate... how it works for me...

For a one-off day out the setup and takedown effort is less onerous than the cost, maintenance and storage of a trailer year round. Also for several places we launch on a day out parking is hard enough for a car, a trailer would be impossible.

For holidays then over the past decade plus we've booked 1/2 week accommodation within yards of a slipway or other launch point (or even a mooring) so the boat remains assembled for the full holiday period.

We did try test car topping the Aerotec on the drive a few years ago which seemed it might work but realised we needed three folks to lift on/off to ensure no damage to the car. We are now always only two folks so it's not an option.

[Tonus]

Fenlander, thanks. I did not know that basic fact... I always thought that the floor was separate and that there was a skin underneath that the floor sat on like with the sausage keels...

I see now that the V floors are all one 'piece'... I guess true of boats like the Boatworld Air V floors etc?

I can see how the blow-and-go etup works for you with taking whole day out on the water. I'm starting to wonder now if I might find the set up/pack down a bit much if I were just going out for a couple of hours here and there... even with the trailer I've had many a trip where I've spent way more time travelling/setting up/packing up than I have in the actual boat!

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by Tonus

I see now that the V floors are all one 'piece'... I guess true of boats like the Boatworld Air V floors etc

Yes, the Boatworld Air V is the same style as the Honwave, it wouldn't suprise me if it was made in the same factory or at least the one next door! However, I don't think the quality is the same.
As Fenlander has already said, things do get wet, much more so than a sib with a flat airdeck, but they do perform slightly better in my opinion.
It's very much a personal choice, and finding what works for you the best.

[Fenlander]

>>I'm starting to wonder now if I might find the set up/pack down a bit much if I were just going out for a couple of hours here and there... even with the trailer I've had many a trip where I've spent way more time travelling/setting up/packing up than I have in the actual boat!

Yes it's a personal balance of faff time vs hours afloat. We have min two hours travel to the sea, probably near an hour prepping/loading at home, an hour to park and set up. So by the time we have unloaded and washed the kit down when back (mostly next day) a day out is a total of eight hours faff for perhaps 3-4hrs afloat.

But for me the anticipation/pleasure starts in pulling the first bit of kit out from the garage into the car and we regard the whole time as part of the day out.

[Easedalenovice]

If you have the cash and space the following I think is a good way to go. Both can use the same engine:

Honwave T35 or T40 on the bespoke trailer from Excell.

and

Honwave T38 ie 3 as a roll up and put in the boot option.

Yamaha 15 hp 2 stroke which will give good performance on any of these 3 sibs

All your other kit will be ok for all of these 3 sibs.

The extra over cost of having 2 sibs is about £1,300. All the other items can double up.

This gives you the best of both worlds and horses for courses

[willk]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

But for me the anticipation/pleasure starts in pulling the first bit of kit out from the garage into the car and we regard the whole time as part of the day out.

Do you stick it in the car and then take it back out a bit. Then put it back in?

Saucy boy...

[Fenlander]

Ahh you have to remember... no Johnson now.

[Tonus]

Thanks all for the suggestions. The Honwave T38 would be a good choice for a V hull I think...

Out of interest - which Sib would you go for with a 20hp that had a Flat Air floor / sausage keel?!

Thanks