DIY SIB improvements ?

[mister p]

Those mudguards are pure class.

[bingosucks]

loving this thread ,i`m debating on making an `a frame` to get gear off the deck.. i was thinking of a few bends in 22mm copper ..

[mister p]

Originally Posted by bingosucks

loving this thread ,i`m debating on making an `a frame` to get gear off the deck.. i was thinking of a few bends in 22mm copper ..

Copper? Very DIY but not ideal in salt. :-) Try lead. It bends easier.

[bingosucks]

Originally Posted by mister p

Copper? Very DIY but not ideal in salt. :-) Try lead. It bends easier.

a bit soft lead , for how much sea action i get i`m thinking copper will be alright and readily available, using pipe benders i can bend the shape i want ,even fit a couple of rod holders

[mister p]

Or maybe just stick with raw pipe benders. Then you can have an "Active" A frame. :-)

[rossymtb]

22mm copper still bends pretty easily. Sure you cant knock something up out of steel painted? Might last a season of boating or two before it rusts through

[bingosucks]

Originally Posted by rossymtb

22mm copper still bends pretty easily. Sure you cant knock something up out of steel painted? Might last a season of boating or two before it rusts through

coppers readily available to me and i`m hoping the bends will give it the rigidity i`m after though i agree steel is the preffered method

[rossymtb]

i suppose 22mm is also easy enough to work with. how about filling it with concrete or similar once into shape (would be heavy) but might make it strong enough.

Or even 1 1/2 waste pipe if its not holding much weight. Then filled with something to make it a bit more solid, The list of ideas could be endless.

[The Gurnard]

Im not really an A Frame kind of guy bingosucks but if I was..I would certainly make mine rather than buy it.
I have not given it much thought..but looked in my shed to see whatI would use if I was going to make one..and I kind of like your idea on copper plumbing as its easy to bend and join. However as mister p mentions..its probably too soft. A wave would bend and buckle it, plus it would look like copper plumbing.
Think I would go for a composite pipe. I found PVC drain pipe at 21.5mm diameter and it has a nice shiny finish. Obviously on its own..not strong enough..but stuff it with 15mm copper pipe..which has in turn been stuffed a wooden dowl..and you are starting to build rigidity very cheaply. Use the copper pipe solder type joins ..and perhaps car dent repair stuff to join the plastic pipe so it can be sanded smooth to the frame profile..then paint it ? Seal the ends with epoxy so water cant get to the copper pipe ?
Just some quick thinking..but worth trying some experiments. Please post how you get on with it too..other might be interested

[The Gurnard]

Yup..rosymtb ..beat me too it.. but planning it is all part of the DIY fun

[The Gurnard]

Ok ..I admit Im a whimp when it comes to transporting my 25HP two stroke. I don’t like to keep it attached to my SIB even though I trailer it around. I have many reason not too, including ..

1 There is no support transom bar on my trailer.
2 Its heavy enough dragging the SIB across a beach on the trailer without its main means of propulsion, pinning it to the ground as well as the SIB weight.
3 I often park up and don’t want the outboard to be an easy target for thieves.
4 Tradition or habit. I have always carried my engines in the boot of the car.

Im also a whip when it comes to lifting 52kg of weight so I had to work on a way to make it easy for me to load it into the car, transport it, then attach it to the SIB in the water. Here is how I do it.

OK..I know a sack trolley is pretty obvious and a lot of folks use one, but most people that I have seen, attach a bar to the sack trolley then lift the engine and attach the engine mounts to the bar. Because Im a backward kind of guy..I do it in reverse.



I made a wooden cradle, instead of a bar, to support the rear of my outboard to the trolley. The engine fits snugly and when secured with a rope into it.. cant turn sideways .. or slip off the sack trolley



I also made a big wooded “foot” for the skeg to slip into which again helps secure the outboard to the trolley.



Its dead easy to move the outboard on a sack trolley, and its easy to load into my car as it has a drop down tailgate. I support the handles on it so in effect Im not lifting the full weight. I then just slid the engine into the car. Its held securely in this manner for the whole journey as 2 strokes like being in this horizontal position. Four strokes don’t ..so don’t try it with one.



To get it on the SIB, I float the SIB off its trailer, and also put the outboard plus sack trolley into the sea to a depth of approx one foot. (That is why I have a wide wooden foot..for additional stability on the beach)

Then I pull my floating SIB transom up to the engine brackets and push the SIB down a little to get the engine brackets over the top of the transom. When it floats back up..I screw the brackets on and slide the sack trolley out.

I do the reverse to remove the engine from the SIB, or sometimes have the engine on slight tilt and place the skeg in the wooden groove, unscrew the mounts and pivot the engine onto the sack trolley.

Its easy and at no point am I struggling with the full weight of the engine.

Coming soon..the DIY console for the Gurnard

[The Gurnard]

I should add..that Im pleased to say the DIY mudguards worked great on its 200 mile road trip yesterday, and they didn’t attract the attention of the law.

Also my fishbox furniture in the bow of the SIB survived a good pounding yesterday in the Lynn of Lorne, on the way back from circumnavigating the Island of Lismore. Wind against tide caused a far bit of confused water at the mouth of Loch Creran.

My goods in the centre box remained dry and the anchors didn’t budge an inch despite being thumped over four foot waves at speed.

The rod holders held my rods..but alas..no seatrout were seen, only mackerel and Im getting pretty fed up eating them now.

[The Gurnard]

I have now completed making my DIY console for The Gurnard. I wanted it to be big but light, so my legs could get a little shelter from the wind when Im sitting behind it.

I may add a couple of "panels on hinges" to the sides that will hinge out to give me a bit more of a wind brake when required ..but for now it will do as is.

I built it round a plastic basin for the base which houses the motorbike size battery to power the fishfinder. That way... any water slopping around the bottom of the boat will not get to the battery.

I also wanted a compartment that will hold my cameras so I have easy access to them at any time but also be protected from spray.



I also wanted a drawer to hold my fishing bits n bobs and whatever else I want close to hand. The hand held VHF clips into a bracket on the drawer so its always close to hand too..and close enough to my ear to hear it over the outboard engine.

The compass on top of the console is far enough away from all electrics and VHF so its not affected by them. That is the reason the fish finder is at the bottom of the stack..above the lead acid battery. I find a compass is essential on a boat as I have been out many times when the thick sea mists descend. Its very easy to get disorientated without one..so if you go boating without one.. be aware !



The beauty of a 4.3 SIB is that it is like an empty canvas to a painter. You can create your boat to suit your requirements. My requirement are for long journeys and a little fishing..and this boat should now suit that purpose beautifully. I have now gone 250 nautical miles in her in a month..mostly in the open seas of the Firth of Lorne, Sound of Mull and Loch Sunnart. Not all miles have been on flat seas either. In my opinion, my DIY improvements have made this very easy and also safe.




All "fishbox furnature" made for used in my boat is light.. very functional in more ways than one .. and made in sections which means I can use some parts or all as required.

It is all easily removed from the inflatable and it does not "comprimise the resale value" of the boat in any way :-D

Im taking another large adult and a young lad sea loch fishing in The Gurnard tomorrow.. I will then report back on how well the console performed ..and perhaps a photo or so, of the complete setup in its natural element.. the sea

Thanks to everyone who followed this thread.. and perhaps it has inspired some ideas of your own.

[Squid Boat]

Good on ya mate, nice upgrades.

Cheers, Squid

[Portnahaven]

Very neatly done sir. A place for everything and everything in its place.
Will keep an eye out for you next time i'm over. Actually heading for Tobermory for a few days this Sunday.

[The Gurnard]

Im easy to recognise in the Quicksilver Portnahaven.. and I have had many a good night in Tobermory. I was there last week.

I trailer around quite a bit and Im trying to "bag" all the sea Lochs of Scotland ..with names on the OS map. A bit like Munro bagging (Scottish Hills over 3000ft) I have quite a few sea lochs to go yet

Years ago..I bagged most the pubs on Islay..so know Portnahaven too

Thanks for your kind comments guys

[The Gurnard]

The round this thread off , here is a photo of my finished DIY project SIB in its natural element, the sea.

I don’t worry too much about getting dings, punctures or scrapes in my boats because I buy them to use and enjoy. Like my other boats.. Im certain The Gurnard will be well used and I will get my money’s worth out of her ... and that she will live to a ripe old age before I gracefully retire / recycle her.



Did I turn The Gurnard into a lean mean mackerel machine ? I guess only you can decide.

Although I like to go on the longer sea adventures on my own, I also enjoy taking people who would normally have little chance of being on a boat or catching fish to the sea side. Yesterday I took this father and son who live in the city, to beautiful Loch Goil for a day’s Mackie bashing.

Did they give The Gurnard the thumbs up ?






You can bet your boots they did and both had a whale of a day... with plenty fresh fish for their dinner to boot.


Thanks for reading my thread on DIY improvements .... I hope it has been of some interest

[Wild_Bill]

Originally Posted by The Gurnard

Thanks for reading my thread on DIY improvements .... I hope it has been of some interest

Thanks for sharing. Posts like these are why I read RIBnet.

EDIT: ...and I would add, I second that the only thing more fun than getting out on the water is sharing the fun with people that don't have a boat. What's better than putting a smile on someone's face?

[Max...]

Awesome, fantastic posts and pics, well done Sir!

[kerny]

As always, great pics and posts Gurnard