"Ever Dry" is about to get wet.

[Limecc]

Originally Posted by Oldman2

Thanks again for your input, I have just checked the hour meter/rev counter as it stores max rpm, I reset the meter last week while bucket flush/running. It says 5130 max rpm and although i'm new to inflatables i'm not to outboards and i'm pretty sure I wasnt sitting next to an engine reving at 7k or even close.
So although I find it hard to believe I can only assume the GPS has somehow miscalculated my speed?
I will admit to not taking even a sideways glance at the displayed speed while moving very fast, at 17knots I only gave the briefest glance, being more concerned on keeping the beast tamed and pointing in the direction I chose so I am at a loss to explain. It will have to wait until next spring now.

17kn at 5130rpm gives you 14% slip so is nearer expectations.

Incidentally I had a high top speed once which was explained when I looked at the GPS track and realised it was on an A road and the boat was being towed.

[TmMorris]

GPS isn't a very accurate means to test a short, singular event. It's typically only accurate in establishing an object's position to about 10m. Once the object is moving you then get this inaccuracy reflected in the speed measurements which are exacerbated the slower you are moving as a sudden 10m distance jump by the satellites, for example, will show up as a considerable acceleration event. If you're then in a location where there are fewer satellites for triangulation the margin of errors are often more regular and frequent.

Jumping from day 18 knots to 25 is quite a leap for a SatNav but it's not impossible, all it would take would be your very short max speed event to coincide with a moment of mislocation that could suddenly register you as being 10-20m further in the right direction than you really are.

The alternate conclusion could be that the 17knot speed was registered against a 3-4knot tide whereas the 25knot speed with?

Either way it does sound like the hull on the Elling is particularly efficient as others have now had good results I seem to recall and 17/18kts at just over 5k rpm with a 15 strikes me as rather good?

Re the different handling, I had forgotten how a soft floored inflatable liked to turn so when I took the 390 out for the first time it was a stand out experience how it it didn't tilt on a turn but skated flat. And at the same time was more twitching on tiller operation at speed. One thing I need to do this winter with my old 15hp yam is completely flush out the grease and get the engine moving as smoothly as possible so as to dial a bit of that twitch out.

Very pleased to read that you made it out this season and that all the preparation and kit did what you had planned. Must have been nice to have your daughter in tow as well given some of the crap you seem to have had to deal with this year.

Looking at the picture of all the kit in the boot, you seem to have a very natty pink jacket. Is a safety feature to get you picked up quicker by sailers?

[Steve509926]

Really pleased you got "Ever Dry" wet Oldman2, sounds like you had a long mostly enjoyable day.

The packing to go is always far more pleasurable than the packing to come home!

[Oldman2]

Originally Posted by Limecc

17kn at 5130rpm gives you 14% slip so is nearer expectations.

Incidentally I had a high top speed once which was explained when I looked at the GPS track and realised it was on an A road and the boat was being towed.

I already double checked the route on my Garmin, I didnt start it until well out of harbour and it was disconnected from its power source on the slip so no drive home data

[Oldman2]

Originally Posted by TmMorris

Looking at the picture of all the kit in the boot, you seem to have a very natty pink jacket. Is a safety feature to get you picked up quicker by sailers?

Hmm, I did notice the dirty pink towel but oh well, the others were all clean.


I'm not a speed freak so not too worried that the top speed may well be lower than the gps says, the boat will always be faster than I want to travel at unless its a glass like sea.
I have to go wash all my kit now.

[GuyC]

I'm glad you had a good day out. I'd agree with Tim Morris in that the sat nav top speed is just returning an outlier from the sat nav calculations. A temporary wobble in the position along with the time could easily give you an erroneous reading.

At least washing your kit will be more productive than sitting in a petrol queue.

[pumpkinking]

Congrats Oldman2! I had a similar experience on my recent holiday with fumes, it actually made me feel quite sick one day when I was just idling around the bay near the slip with little wind, realised what was happening and had to go sit on the slip in the breeze for a while to clear my head!

Solved the problem by moving the tank forward out from under my seat.

[Fenlander]

I mentioned the high speed but wasn't too hung up on it as this was a first outing with loads to consider. I think some two way runs in calm water with better opportunities for note taking might produce some concrete results.

Re the handling and TM's comments.... there is quite a difference across the various SIB models. Our Aerotec with its significant V in the water banks quite hard in a turn and grips the water well behaving a fair bit like a hard boat... reports are that the air cushion floor Excel Volaire has quite a flat cornering stance with a significant degree of skid... all other SIBs be they air floor or hard floor behave somewhere between these two...the Elling has a very flat and very grippy way of turning as befits its semi-twin hull design. I think it is this quick turn ability that makes it feel twitchy sometimes.

As an example see this guy at 15sec... goes into a U-turn on the plane and he just reverses direction with a totally flat grippy turn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx76hfckmrE

[Oldman2]

I found a dry few hours in the garden today to reinflate the Elling and give it a wash down before packing it away for the winter.
I must say i'm impressed with the LifePO4 7.2Ah battery https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08JZ42R1M I bought to power my Bravo BPT12. I inflated at the slip, then again today and used it to deflate, the battery was still showing 13.6v 50% charge when I put it on to recharge after. So very much lighter too.
So while I am drying off the underside of the boat I notice I have a water leak One of the two anti skid ribs isnt sealed and fills with sea water. I think they may be foam filled because I could squeeze it like a toothpaste tube and get the water running out of one end cap in several places. It annoyed me a little as every time I thought I had the boat dry so I could deflate and bag it, more water appeared. I must have been wiping up small amounts of water every 10mins for an hour. The other rib was fine, so it has to be a faulty glue job I guess.


rib whole.jpg


leaky rib zoom.jpg

[The Gurnard]

Hey..great to see you got out before the season ended .. as I read you had a fight with medical issues.

Be glad you didn’t get an F Rib if the water in the fin bothers you. The F Ribs have some kind of sponge? in their folding sections and it dribbles water for days on end. You cant access it as its boxed in with only weep holes to allow the water to drip out. Its murder if you want to winter store it.

Anyhoo..enjoy the new boat..and all the best with your health. Im now at the age ..I think Im starting to dribble too.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Yes nice write up and a good day for the first outing. For me your set up has all the power necessary for your needs you can calculate all you like but theres no point. That engine off fenlander will be the DB and had a good once over before you bought it. Here’s to next season enjoy

[Steve509926]

Good write up OM2, looks like you had a good "maiden" voyage especially after all the trails and tribulations over the past year or so.

You can now start planning all those trips for next year.

[Oldman2]

Thanks everyone for the comments and explanations.
Its only a mile from home to the Main slipway, even less to an old wooden ramp in the next road to me & I was considering if it would be possible to carry the Elling on the roof of my C-Max for that short distance. Preferably right way up keel deflated and without airfloor and seats fitted so its as light as can be, I have a pair of "soft rack" pads that I used to use with a canoe that I thought might be suitable.
I do also have a "proper" roof rack (car has no roof bars) but I'm not sure which would be most suitable.
I dont really mind the slipway inflation when its not busy but in the high season it gets packed so finding space to inflate near the car might be a problem.
The main reason if i'm honest is to remove the double pack going home. Deflate wet & dirty, pack away, get home, reinflate clean, dry and repack.
Putting it on the roof home would just mean 1 hose down, dry and pack. Or if several good days appeared in a row, hose down (maybe) and leave inflated ready for next day.
This is assuming 2 persons loading/unloading.
No, I dont want a trailer I dont have the room. I dont want to buy a van either

Thoughts anyone?

[TmMorris]

A tow bar rack would be the easiest? Roll up the dirty boat any old way, drop it onto the rack, tie it down and drive it home?

I used one for the first time this season and it made life much easier especially as it meant I didn't need to execute a perfect pack up by the slipway, just a crude roll.

Getting it all in the car is doable just hard graft at the end of a long day:



I do now have a trailer which is the easiest solution of all:



But the tow bar rack is a brilliant compromise between the two extremes. Really easy to load the boat onto:

[Steve509926]

On the roof is a good idea providing your fit enough to get it up there!

Diane and I had 12 months of Redneck going on the roof until I succumbed to a trailer. At 58kg it just got to much, and its not just the weight, its the awkwardness of the shape and size. Decided a trailer was the best option before we did ourselves some serious injury.

[Oldman2]

Originally Posted by TmMorris

A tow bar rack would be the easiest? Roll up the dirty boat any old way, drop it onto the rack, tie it down and drive it home?

I do like the look of those racks, I dont have a tow bar though and anyway I can roll it up and put it in the boot to take it home, but I am trying to not deflate it to go home if I can get around it.

[Oldman2]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

On the roof is a good idea providing your fit enough to get it up there!

Well the Elling without the floor & seats is 40kilo and I have no problem tipping it vertical in the garden to drain, I do understand its maybe the bulk that may prove difficult to load up onto the roof.
With the sausage keel deflated the Elling bottom is reasonably flat so I think even on my own I might be able to manage to slide it from the rear up onto the roof. Maybe the tailgate could assist with its gas struts.
Food for thought anyway. I might just have to trial it on a nice sunny day.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Side loading roof rack all winch no lifting

[Old seahorse]

Just Picking up on the comments on packing up a wet boat to take home before cleaning and repacking.
Rib shop have just advertised the open out “envelope” type sib bags, at a price of £40 ( limited stock), to clear.
I find packing after recovery a pain, only to unpack to clean/ dry at home. I’ve ordered one to make it a bit easier for the trip home, and avoid having to clean/ dry my normal bag prior to storage.

[Old seahorse]

Should add that dimensions are shown on their website, with the photos of the product. They say should be good for up to 3.5 m sib, but best check size first!