Looking for an SIB - Page 3

Black · 15 September 2007, 09:36

I've been trying to work that bit out too!! - I'll be interested to hear if anyone has experience with these wheels.

I'd like to find that out before buy a Honda boat - as the wheels look essential to the whole thing to me.....

codprawn · 15 September 2007, 14:30

They don't exactly look very strong either!!!

nyx2k · 15 September 2007, 18:07

i have a 3.4mtr sib and the wheels like malthouse sells are fantastic.

my 3.4 will plane with one onboard with 6hp but needs 15hp with 2 adults and a child.

ian parkes · 16 September 2007, 13:00

I have still got the Bravo Hp pump if anyone wants to make an offer . I have kept it so far thinking I may one day end up with another sib .

As for wheels I used to use an alloy Eckla kayak trolley , which stows very easily . and strapped on just fine if you don't want to bolt wheels on the transom.
However wheels are not much use on sand or shingle and after beaching it one day on the outgoing tide I ended up buying some infatable rollers as getting the boat back to the water without them was hard work for 2 people.

codprawn · 16 September 2007, 13:11

I find my wheels fine on sand and shingle - wet sand anyway. Maybe my boat is lighter than yours.

ian parkes · 16 September 2007, 13:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

I find my wheels fine on sand and shingle - wet sand anyway. Maybe my boat is lighter than yours.

Now come on , make your mind up is that wet sand , or shingle and dry sand .

You know what I mean the sort of sand or fine shingle that is even hard to walk on , you couldn't even push a wheelbarrow over it

The 3.8 with a 20 needed ideally 3 people to carry it , 2 could pick it up OK but keeping the bow up needed another hand .

Black · 17 September 2007, 19:24

Just seen a Yam 380s for sale, which I understand has floor boards instead of the inflatable floor - has anyone any experience of this boat? It is being sold with a 15hp 4 stroke Yamaha with little use. The package seems very keenly priced, hence my interest!!

Cheers
Al

ian parkes · 17 September 2007, 20:06

Depends how keenly priced I guess , Yam dont' sell anything thats not good quality , i think the boats are zodiac's

codprawn · 17 September 2007, 21:38

How much is it???

Black · 17 September 2007, 21:49

2002 Yam 380s boat in good condition, and a 2003 15 hp 4 stroke Yamaha engine with 10 hrs use, with launching wheels. Its up for 1500 GBP

codprawn · 18 September 2007, 03:45

Sounds likea great deal to me. I had an even better bargain but it was shear luck. I paid £1200 for my Quicksilver 310 with a Suzuki 15hp 4 stroke - been used 3 times and all the receipts etc - was exactly 1 yr old!!!

If it's in great condition go for it.

Nick Hearne · 18 September 2007, 09:45

Black, it is a good price but it is going to be heavy!!
I had a Jam & yes it was good quality, but I would hold out as you are unlikely to be using it much till next year & a better one will come along!
I bought my 3.8 Bombard & yanie 2 st 15hp for £1600, under a year old & it included launching wheels & 240v electric pump!! I have the invoice & he paid £3219.99 last August!
The set up I have only weighs 77kg for boat & engine but try carting it around on your own & it is more than enough! I recon you are looking at 108kg for the Yamie setup!

Nick

codprawn · 18 September 2007, 13:54

Remember 4 strokes cost a lot more than 2 strokes so I still think it's a good price. Weight is a problem but the big inflatable launching wheels help so much - just make sure there is no weight at the bow before you pick it up!!!

Amber1 · 18 September 2007, 23:43

There's no weight issue with the Yamaha 15hp 4 stroke, I can vouch for that having lifted one in and out of the house, to the car, out of the car, onto the boat, and back again for two years. It's a solid reliable engine, and cheap to run. You'll go all day on 25 litres!

Another thing to consider about air floors is the wear and tear. On our old Bombard 380, we had the ply floor. It was very well finished and sealed, with rounded edges etc. On top of that, we stuck several of the rubber deck wear patches, including where your feet would be, and four under the tanks. This stopped the floor getting damaged, and you could jump about in boots or shoes no bother, without worrying if you were going to burst the floor.

It's always going t be a trade off against weight, just depends what you are after. we never had any bother hauling ours around on a hand trolley, loaded up with gear, and 2 25l cans.

Cheers

Amber1 · 18 September 2007, 23:51

Here's a pic of the old Bombard...

Black · 24 September 2007, 09:12

Thanks to everybody who gave information and experiences.

I went to the boat show on Saturday afternoon to have a scout around and see some of the boats in the flesh. I have to say I wasn't as impressed as I expected by some of the airfloor models, given that this will be my only boat, I know some of you have one as a second boat alongside your RIB's. The other thing that I found interested - and I appreciate the guys on the stands had been there for 7 days - was how uninterested most of them were in trying to help/sell a boat.

I'd just been to see friends on one of the dinghy stands, and stumbled upon the Barrus stand and a very helpful chap called Peter from Blue Water Marine in Salcombe, it must have been fate as that is where I want to use the boat.

I was very impressed with the additional strength and build quality of the HD series of boats, even taking into account that they will be much heavier with the Ali floor. I managed to get a 380XSHD with a 20hp 2 carb Yamaha for only £500 more than Tohatsu wanted for their boat (airfloor) and engine package. Really chuffed and looking forward to picking the boat up in a couple of weeks time. Peter ended up selling 2 boats as my friend bought one too

Oh and I will be having launching wheels and an electric pump!!

Will post pictures when I get the boat in October.

Al

prairie tuber · 24 September 2007, 14:04

Good choice on the hard floor over the air floor. An air floor limits the boats usefulness tremendously. The few extra pounds of the hard floor won't make a bit of difference when launching if you use launching wheels. Nor will it make any significant difference when packing the boat since the floorboards are still much less heavy and bulky than the main transom/fabric portion of the boat.

The only application where I can see where an air floor being the better option is if it is kept rolled up for use as a tender for a small sailboat that does not have the space to accomodate an assembled SIB/RIB, or if it is for emergency usage where it is transported while rolled up in a vehicle such as a fire truck where it must capable of extremely rapid assembly.