Initial impressions of Quicksilver 365 Sport HD

[Siberman]

Hi Everyone,
This is my first post after having lurked around for a while. I posted a short introduction in the New Members section but short version is that I am a Swede and use the boat for getting out on remote islands where I go camping, fishing, bird watching and just to enjoy the silence from civilization (lot's of places like that here in Sweden).


Introduction / Background
I recently bought a brand new Quicksilver inflatable and wanted to share some of my initial impressions.

Previous experience:
For the last 3 years I owned an old Zodiac Futura Mark 1 from 1986 that I absolutely loved. It served me well and kept me afloat in any weather. Unfortunately it started to leak between the chambers so it was time to retire it. I used it together with an Evinrude 15 hp two stroke from 1987. A perfect combo, until the engine broke down about the same time as the boat did.


Thus, time to get something new:
After comparing various makes and models I settled for the Quicksilver 365 Sport HD as it seemed to be the most affordable option that also had an acceptable weight (79kg) and the basic functions I was looking for (alu-floor, rugged material, welded construction and safety grab lines along the top of the tubes). I also wanted something a bit more stealthy looking than the bright red Zodiac I had previously, so I ordered the Quicksilver in light grey color -looks great! And, I was lucky to find it a bit discounted which helped to seal the deal.

I have only used it on the water once so far and have nothing bad to say about it's performance. Maybe only that the alu floor makes a bit of screaky noise when moving about on it. Early days, but the Quicksilver is a bit wider than the Zodiac which seem to keep it more stable on the water in wavy conditions.

To propel the boat I acquired a 20 hp Mercury (1979) in surprisingly good condition -although revving a bit so suspecting either ventilation or the propeller hub might be spun. Anyway, more on the water testing is to be done. Hopefully before this years season ends. Already getting cold here in Sweden now in mid September.

Initial impressions of the boat as such
Upon opening the large cardboard box which the little watercraft arrived in I was a little bit disappointed with the overall quality in details such as:

- Plastic "engine plate" on the transom (with a plastic "eyelet" to secure the motor to the transom). The Zodiac had a sturdy metal plate and eyelet. The Quicksilver does feel much less solid in that regard. Not impressed!

- Transom however does feel quite sturdy and is much thicker than on the Zodiac.

- The pump that came with the boat felt unnecessarily large and bulky. It's a hand pump rather than the usual foot pump. Instead of using standard valve connectors it's equipped with some kind of proprietary two pin plastic fitting that looks like it can break easily -which would be a disaster in an emergency situation as I don't think it would be possible to inflate the tubes without this particular fitting.

Of course the tube that is attached to the pump showed a crack in it after having pumped the boat just once. Ridiculous! All I can say is that I don't trust that pump one bit.

- The bow grab handle is ridiculously small. I have pretty small hands so it kind of works for me, but I would like to see someone with large hands try to pull the boat by that handle. Not very well thought out.

- Fuel canister holder. There are small and narrow aluminium fittings riveted to one section of the aluminum floor with a strap attached to them. This is intended to secure the fuel canister to the floor. The fittings look like they will snap at any time and does not exactly ooze quality. I'll probably drill out the rivets and attach something proper once the rivets break off.

- The safety grab lines that go along the tubes are more comfortable to hold on to than the ones on the Zodiac, so that is a plus.

- The PVC material seem to be pretty heavy duty (although no rubber guards along the underside of the tubes, just along the keel).

- There are no oar locks, the Quicksilver comes with two paddles instead of oars that are attached to straps on the inside of the tubes. Not sure if that is an improvement or not. Time will tell.


Assembly
More difficult to assemble than the Zodiac. It's a bit heavier, so that might be one reason for it. But also the alu sections do not really "click" together the same way the Zodiac did which did not feel so reassuring upon assembly. They seem to stay in place though so the concern might be unwarranted.

Also, there are no "stoppers" for the "side bars" which felt a bit strange as the side bars might slide back or forwards. They seem to sit in place securely though so "stoppers" might not be needed.


My comparison with a Zodiac Futura might be unfair as the Quicksilver is less than half the price of a Zodiac, however my Zodiac was 35 years old so in that time Quicksilver have had a lot of time to catch up and they could have invested a bit more in the quality of said details without impacting the price a whole lot.

To sum it all up I am hoping to get along well with the Quicksilver for the next coming years, although the heavier boat paired with a heavier motor is almost at the limit of what I can manage to lift and push. Especially as I tend to bring a lot of gear, gasoline, firewood etc. which do add to the weight. Bringing firewood really does help to preserve the pristine islands I visit. Not to mention it's pretty comfortable. Highly recommended!

I will see if I can post some pictures to better illustrate the points made above.

But for now, there you have it. The Quicksilver 365 Sport HD!


[And sorry for bad grammar and spelling errors -I'm not a native English speaker.]

[Fenlander]

Welcome to the forum and what a great review from someone with good SIB experience of other makes/models.

[smallribber]

Very good review and your English is very good indeed. Must say however that the bad points you mention would put me off a quick silver if I were in the Market

[willk]

Originally Posted by Siberman

Hi Everyone,
This is my first post after having lurked around for a while. ---

[And sorry for bad grammar and spelling errors -I'm not a native English speaker.]

Welcome to RIBnet - nice review. I own a Quicksilver SIB tender and a couple of Quicksilver handpumps. It's all very "leisure" quality but if you look after yours it should give you years of fun.

As for your English, well, some of the native "sPeakurs on here!!" should take lessons from you

[Tonus]

Great review - thanks! I've recently ordered a Quicksilver Airdeck so was interesting to see your notes on the general build quality. I'd looked at the Sport HD - seemed weird to me that it didn't have a seat?

[Siberman]

Thanks for the kind words! Makes me feel welcome to the forum indeed.

Originally Posted by Tonus

- seemed weird to me that it didn't have a seat?

Indeed the 365 Sport HD does not come with a seat as a standard. You might be able to buy it as an accessory. However this is not a problem for me as I am perfectly fine with sitting on the tubes.

By the way, the tubes are reinforced / equipped with non-slip patches where one is intended to sit (four patches -for four people, just to be clear). This is positive in my book and does seem to work out fine. Indeed provides some friction for the old bum

Well well, need to get some more time on the water to test things out a bit more.

Will try to get some pictures up one of these days.

[Siberman]

A couple of quick updates after preparing the boat for the first tour of the year.

Due to lack of space in my garage, the boat has been stored inflated under a canopy in my yard during the winter. The chambers have not let much / any air out during the winter. So far so good.

When trying to top up some additional air however I noticed the valves (all of them) let out air when attaching the pump. The result was a bit better when I added silver tape to the pump ending as a bit of padding.

Unfortunately also one of the pins connecting the pump hose to the pump house broke!

What rubbish!

The hose is made up of some cheap, pretty rigid plastic which I honestly do not trust one bit. This especially as the hose cracked a hole already last year.

Furthermore, the proprietary valve connector on the hose ending also feels like it could crack at any moment.

Another thing I do not like with this boat is that the "water outlet valve" on the transom is located pretty high up which makes it difficult to empty out the water in between the alu floor and the bottom -this makes the boat heavier and more difficult to handle, which is a pain as this boat is already pretty heavy.

On the positive side the rubber and overall construction does feel pretty solid. As it should considering it is a Heavy Duty model, hence the extra weight.

In a couple of day's time I'll be heading out for a 5 day islands tour. Let's see how it holds up.

Happy Sibbing!

[LJB]

Hi Siberman, just joined Ribnet. Saw that you have the Quicksilver 365HD inflatable. How are you finding it?
I have the previous Quicksilver 360HD, owned it from new since 2004. Its powered by a 2007 yamaha 25hp 2 stroke. It rides great, feels solid, boat still looks great for its age, no patches, nothing coming apart. This little boats has taken me to some cool places, love it.

[Siberman]

Originally Posted by LJB

Hi Siberman, just joined Ribnet. Saw that you have the Quicksilver 365HD inflatable. How are you finding it?
I have the previous Quicksilver 360HD, owned it from new since 2004. Its powered by a 2007 yamaha 25hp 2 stroke. It rides great, feels solid, boat still looks great for its age, no patches, nothing coming apart. This little boats has taken me to some cool places, love it.

Hi LJB,
Sorry for the late reply. Last year was a bit of a lost season for me as my 2-stroke engine broke down and I only managed to get my hands on a new engine at the end of the summer. Also had some other issues to take care of + bought a sail boat with a friend which needed some love and attention.

Anyway, this year I intend to pick things back up and intensify the rubber boating. Also just bought a dry suit to extend the season as well as a chart plotter and nav lights.

As I might have mentioned in my earlier ramblings I find the boat itself really sturdy and well made. As to be expected by something labeled Heavy Duty.

The details could be better executed however and last time I used it the bow handle broke loose. This might have been to mishandling from my end as I attach it to my car hook (via a home made thingy) and tow it behind my car.

So now I have to find a way to repair that as an inflatable without a front grab handle is difficult to manage. Will probably post a thread asking for advice on that.

I towed my Zodiac in the same way and never even saw the slightest sign of wear / tear. This boat is heavier though so I guess there is extra pressure on the bow handle patch. Maybe I ought to get one of those mini trailers that can be disassembled. Probably ought to look into that. More money money out the door..

The extra weight of this Heavy Duty boat (including all water that accumulates under the alu floor -which is difficult to get rid of as the outlet hole is positioned too high to easily evacuate all water) makes the boat more difficult to manage by myself. It is at the limit of my capacity -especially with the new 20hp 4-stroke and all gear.

If I don’t plan to stay overnight it simply isn’t worth the effort to pack, lift, mount, tow and get the thing in the water and all that in reverse on the same day -too exhausting!

I do admit that I have accumulated more gear compared to my early happy-go-lucky sib outings. But as you all know, stuff is needed on board. As well as on destination.

It is more of a two man job these days to be honest. My son is a bit too young to be of any real practical use yet, but hopefully he’ll still want to go out with me when he gets a bit older and help out.

Anyway, it is still snowy and icy here in Sweden now so my first outing this year will probably not be for another month or so. And that is pretty early in the season and definitively not something I’d do without the dry suit.

Enough with the rambling for today

Happy boating everyone!

[Fenlander]

Just a comment on excess loads on the standard bow handle. If you are going to tow on the sea or land always pass a bridle arrangement through the bow handle fixed back to the D-rings most SIBs have on the tubes about where the bow taper joins the main tube. If your bow handle is plastic even this diverted load risks breaking it in a snatch situation so best just to go straight to the D-rings.

[Siberman]

Yep, good feedback. I always have a rope connected from the towing thingy to the d-rings as a backup should the bow handle snap. Cheers!

If I’m not able to glue a new bow handle on, my idea is to use flat ropes (not sure about the correct term here, but the ones used for securing loads to trailers) connected to the transom -> under the boat and through the front d-rings to the towing hook. Should work -at least in theory

I have some time to think yet as it’s snowing here today.

[Siberman]

Also, an update on the pump that was provided with the boat. Last year I bought a new foot pump and threw the crappy hand pump in the trash where it belongs

It seems the fitting is (some sort of) standard and not proprietary to Quicksilver. Just make sure to check which one you need.

The foot pump I bought came with several fittings / mouth pieces and one of them fit. The leaking I had experienced had nothing to do with the valves -it was just due to the crappy hand pump.

Quicksilver -if you are reading this.. Get rid of that worthless hand pump. Today!

Hehe