New boat - few questions

[SeanKent]

Finally got out in the Aerotec, yesterday evening and on Saturday, both times were brief outings. I've been comparing the Aerotec to my old Zodiac m2c in my mind.

Setting up, my new bravo pump doesn't kick into HP mode (Seamark Nunn seem on the ball with getting it sorted, though I'm no longer within straight exchange terms as Zodiac took so long supplying the boat). I'm still getting used to setting up, hopefully it'll be quicker once I get used to it and have the correct pump. I think I found the ally floor zodiac quicker and easier to set up but this could change. The Bravo gauge that comes with the boat only seems to work when you pump air through it (meaning you can't just check the pressure, you have to get a pump out) Is there a gauge that people can recommend, one that doesn't need to be pumped up to give a reading ?

The bow bag didn't make it into the water, I tried attaching it to the boat but in the process the seams all came undone. Could be a manufacturing fault but I expect Zodiac are using cheap thread that isn't up to the job. More shoddiness from Zodiac, considering the cost of their accessories.......

I need to find some storage (Zodiac have offered to send me a new bow bag but from what I hear these are pretty crap), I want to use the the fuel tank straps for the fuel tank (this seemed to work well) so will be looking for a way to neatly store anchor etc, any ideas ?

On the water - As my two outings have been brief, I didn't check the pressures after being on the water for a bit (I over filled before hand instead) so may not have had the correct pressures. Very different to the old Zodiac, you can feel the waves through the floor, felt much slower, not as stable. I think I may have been getting some flex in the floor, hopefully rechecking pressures will cure this. I need to read up on ventilation and cavitation and start some experiments with shims for the outboard. Something was going on at WOT not sure how to describe it though, the splash didn't seem that bad to me but will try to get some pictures or a video when out with an extra person (hanging on, whilst driving, whilst filming, wasn't possible). Yesterday had some reasonable chop, once I'd been out for a bit I plucked up the courage to give it some going into the waves, jumped a few but then a gust of wind made me think twice as that boat is very light !

Pulling it out of the water is where this boat comes into it's own, the old zodiac was hard work to pull up a shingle beach on your own, the Aerotec is easy, this is the only advantage I've found so far. It's quite a big advantage to be fair, used to dread the thought of getting out of the water with the Zodiac on my own.

I've found it a pain to clean, taking out the air floor, drying etc. With my old boat I'd often leave it in the back of the van, wet, salty and rolled up. I'd use it a couple of times during the week (after work) then maybe on a Saturday and then give it a good clean on a Sunday. Am I likely to reduce the life span of the new boat doing this kind of thing ? I've been told not to leave it rolled up wet but it started to rain as I got out of the water yesterday evening and has been raining since (I wash off and dry in garden as the shed isn't big enough). Will a few days or a week be a problem ? I've assumed when they say don't put it away wet, people mean packing up for a couple of months ?

I'm undecided with the Aerotec (too late to change now) guess I need to spend some more time using it, interested to see how it performs with an extra person and whether engine shims make it more stable feeling.

[Stigomery]

Check out the "rigging an Aerotec" thread, kind of answers the questions about how to best stow stuff. Multiple dry bags lashed to the tubes/bow area seems to work well for most (me too if the entire family and kitchen sink aren't onboard)...

Others are better placed to address your Aerotec woes than I but I think most have been covered in various threads, shim height, splash guards, floor/tube pressure and fitment, etc.

It would be a shame if the only plus point was beachability/movement on land... Missed the point everyone raves about with the Aerotec I feel.

Good luck...

[Max...]

Re' storage - see the rigging an Aerotec for ideas or the what kit do you carry sticky. Anchor needs to go in a hard box ideally.

If the floor was flexing then it was not to pressure. I put minimum 11.5psi in the floor and 3.6 in the tubes this time of year to allow for cold water effect. The last 0.5 to 1psi make ALL the difference.

Mine stays inflated all season unless going down to Devon - I always wash off the salt and any grit etc each time. Only taking the floor out if lots of sand and debris has got in there. Just stand the boat up and hose it out using a hand brush if needed.

If you have no-one upfront in F3/4 then jumping waves go easy in a head sea or you are at risk of flipping in such a light, rear heavy set up, you should at least get a tiller extension so you can get midships.

[SeanKent]

Originally Posted by Max...

Re' storage - see the rigging an Aerotec for ideas or the what kit do you carry sticky. Anchor needs to go in a hard box ideally.

If the floor was flexing then it was not to pressure. I put minimum 11.5psi in the floor and 3.6 in the tubes this time of year to allow for cold water effect. The last 0.5 to 1psi make ALL the difference.

Mine stays inflated all season unless going down to Devon - I always wash off the salt and any grit etc each time. Only taking the floor out if lots of sand and debris has got in there. Just stand the boat up and hose it out using a hand brush if needed.

If you have no-one upfront in F3/4 then jumping waves go easy in a head sea or you are at risk of flipping in such a light, rear heavy set up, you should at least get a tiller extension so you can get midships.

I put 12psi in the floor and 4psi in the tubes (supposedly) as have been told that the gauges are a guide and that its impossible to over fill with footpump.

I guess you get away without taking the floor out as you store it inflated, I'll have to store mine rolled up in the bag and guess the only way to get it dry is by taking the floor out, or is dry not as important as I've been led to believe ?

I have a tiller extension, I found it unresponsive and a pain (maybe I'll try again). It felt on the limit of safety to be honest, good fun though

[Max...]

I would not trust your gauge to be honest - getting 12psi in with a footpump is not possible is it?


Make a simple but highly accurate gauge for a few quid:

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/adaptin...sib-42375.html

If the tiller extension was unresponsive there must have been some flex or looseness somewhere?

[SeanKent]

Originally Posted by Stigomery

Check out the "rigging an Aerotec" thread, kind of answers the questions about how to best stow stuff. Multiple dry bags lashed to the tubes/bow area seems to work well for most (me too if the entire family and kitchen sink aren't onboard)...

Others are better placed to address your Aerotec woes than I but I think most have been covered in various threads, shim height, splash guards, floor/tube pressure and fitment, etc.

It would be a shame if the only plus point was beachability/movement on land... Missed the point everyone raves about with the Aerotec I feel.

Good luck...

Do you mean I've missed the point ? I hope that theres more to the Aerotec than this too. Maybe I just need to get used to it, maybe comparing to my ally floor Zodiac is not a fair comparison.

[SeanKent]

Originally Posted by Max...

I would not trust your gauge to be honest - getting 12psi in with a footpump is not possible is it?

Think the pump says it goes up to 14psi, who knows though, I just pumped till it got really hard to pump it anymore


Make a simple but highly accurate gauge for a few quid:

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/adaptin...sib-42375.html

If the tiller extension was unresponsive there must have been some flex or looseness somewhere?

Not sure I only tried using it once and it was a while ago now.

[Stigomery]

Originally Posted by SeanKent

Do you mean I've missed the point ? I hope that theres more to the Aerotec than this too. Maybe I just need to get used to it, maybe comparing to my ally floor Zodiac is not a fair comparison.

That was a typo, should read "misses the point", I.e. The Aerotec is famed for handling chop and cutting through the waves better than any SIB more than being famed for being a handy boat on land/easy to set up etc... If it was ease of transport, ease of setup, non-splashy transom etc. then a different inflatable floored SIB may have achieved this. That's all I was saying.

Anyways, you have what many believe to be the ultimate SIB so I reckon you just need some practice time, water time, experimenting time and a Bravo that works and you'll be singing its praises before long...

[Stigomery]

Originally Posted by Max...

I would not trust your gauge to be honest - getting 12psi in with a footpump is not possible is it

I think I managed once with my Honwave foot pump... My quads are still recovering ;-)

[SeanKent]

Originally Posted by Stigomery

That was a typo, should read "misses the point", I.e. The Aerotec is famed for handling chop and cutting through the waves better than any SIB more than being famed for being a handy boat on land/easy to set up etc... If it was ease of transport, ease of setup, non-splashy transom etc. then a different inflatable floored SIB may have achieved this. That's all I was saying.

Anyways, you have what many believe to be the ultimate SIB so I reckon you just need some practice time, water time, experimenting time and a Bravo that works and you'll be singing its praises before long...

Completely agree, also wonder whether the experience of buying the boat has left me with a tainted feeling. I feel like a magnet for every bit of defective boating equipment currently in the UK lol I've even wondered whether Zodiac have the chuckle brothers working in the factory !

[jeffstevens763@g]

for your anchor hossbox feeder under £20 heavy duty plastic

cheers

[SeanKent]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

for your anchor hossbox feeder under £20 heavy duty plastic

cheers

Doesn't everything just bounce out of this ?

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by SeanKent

Doesn't everything just bounce out of this ?

no didn't move at all and i was in some rough stuff in Scotland last week if you were worried just make a lid out of white PVC direct plastics sell it, hold it on with a bungee in the middle.

cheers

[SeanKent]

What I'd be really interested to hear peoples thoughts on is whether leaving it for a few days rolled up in the back of the van will be a problem ? (thats straight from the sea)

[John Kennett]

No problem at all.

Any inflatable is best stored clean and dry but nothing bad is going to happen to it in the space of a few days. When I'm using a SIB on and off for a week or so I certainly wouldn't worry about doing anything other than rolling it up and sticking it in the van. When I've finished with it for a while I'll always inflate it at home, clean it off and check everything is OK, then pack it away when it's dry.

It's good to take the floor out of an Aerotec every now and then to clean out anything that has got underneath, but unless you're getting loads of sand and shingle aboard there's no need to do this every time.

That should make using it a bit less of a faff!

[Fenlander]

Shame that you have a degree of disappointment with the Aerotec Sean but as you hint there will be an element of psychology here... you've been through the mill with these three and to find this last "perfect" one had the wheel attachment issues and now the bow bag rip... well it's enough to justifiably put you off them for life.

To address your issues...

Having the Bravo pump HP fail is getting into the realms of "you couldn't make it up" but trust me from experience of multiple SIBs the Aerotec setup should be an absolute doddle after any alloy floor model.

All SIB valves will leak by a little until the cap is put on so you should be able to put that Zodiac supplied Bravo gauge on the valve and in a matter of seconds it will register. Well mine does and the only thing that would stop this would be if the rubber one way flap valve was missing.

You will have read my personal thoughts on how the bow bag looks great but isn't much use to us... but it should last at least one outing!

Re pressures I have to say while they are important in my experience the Aerotec is the least sensitive air floor SIB to flex issues if the pressure is a bit low. Last year on holiday a valve issue lost us 30% pressure in one floor panel half way out and we completed the day without bothering to mess with it as the performance was largely OK. Try that with a flat floor type and it's like piloting a jelly.

In fact Mrs Fenlander happened to comment today (thinking back to yesterday's outing) how in use you never really think of the Aerotec floor as an air type because to all intents it acts as if rigid.

Re speed yes the Aerotec could be a couple of Kts down on your old flatter floor Zodiac with the same outboard... but nothing in the scheme of things.

Re stability I sort of know what you mean... the most stable SIB we've owned was a 3.5m alloy floor Honwave... it's not that the Aerotec is unstable but it just doesn't feel planted not having the heavy alloy floor low down. However... you are going out one up?? Most SIBs and in our experience particularly the Aerotec prefer one extra crew forward to bring the nose down. Also the Aerotec V-hull ability to fairly softly carve through waves is massively improved when it's carrying some weight... one up it tends to bounce off them with Max's warning re the bow lifting too much being very appropriate.

Re ventilation and transom shims etc that will be trial and error particular to your outboard... I really can't belive my luck in finding the DF20 Suzuki (with our setup) was splash free from day one.

Well at least you appreciated the light weight when recovering... but as Stig says you should be finding far more to like than that or you could have saved £1000 by buying a conventional air floor Zodiac.

As JK says if using the boat for a few days just clean it up after a week or so at the end of the period. I think it's leaving them for months at a time full of sand, seawater and perhaps even spilt pop/fuel etc that spoils them.

Our use is mostly one full day and then not for a couple of weeks or more so I properly clean after each use within a couple of days. Leave it in the garden upside down if wet then on a dry day pack it away to go back on the garage shelf.

BTW I agree with you re tiller extensions. I have one and use very infrequently. Makes me feel a little remote from the outboard, spoils a tight turn and they are at risk of coming off making for a real scare. I far prefer to send out the press gang for at least one crew member.

Hope there's something in that lot to help. The Aerotec is currently the best SIB by a mile for our use, load, outboard size, trip type, usual sea conditions, car pack arrangements etc... but it's not for everyone.

[chipko]

So why oh why do we still like these damned Aerotec's?
Overpriced, ridiculous transom splash, no oars just silly little paddles with no straps to secure them, transom falls off and floors fall out on their 10th birthday, poorly fitting floors, dubious build quality of late, and now to cap it all they're not even 3.8m long. ☹️

Oh yes I remember now. When many sibs, and those new fangled folding boats, are backing off in typical UK coastal swell and chop, we're still on the power with a huge grin on our faces. 😀

[SeanKent]

Thanks for everyones thoughts/opinions.

I intend to keep persevering with the Aerotec, I agree some of my utter disappointment may just be psychological, hopefully this will fade if I get some trouble free use out of it

[SeanKent]

Quote

All SIB valves will leak by a little until the cap is put on so you should be able to put that Zodiac supplied Bravo gauge on the valve and in a matter of seconds it will register. Well mine does and the only thing that would stop this would be if the rubber one way flap valve was missing.

I have two Bravo gauges that came with the boat, Zodiac gave me a spare. Neither one registers without pumping air through them and when you stop pumping air through them they stop registering. Are these two defective gauges ? More utter shit from Zodiac, why does this not surprise me lol and you are right you couldn't make this up, Zodiac quality is an absolute joke, they should be ashamed.

[SeanKent]

Originally Posted by chipko

So why oh why do we still like these damned Aerotec's?
Overpriced, ridiculous transom splash, no oars just silly little paddles with no straps to secure them, transom falls off and floors fall out on their 10th birthday, poorly fitting floors, dubious build quality of late, and now to cap it all they're not even 3.8m long. ☹️

Oh yes I remember now. When many sibs, and those new fangled folding boats, are backing off in typical UK coastal swell and chop, we're still on the power with a huge grin on our faces. 😀

This wasn't my experience the other day, I posted a picture of the sea, not sure you'd really be able to tell the conditions from the pictures. In my old boat this would have been perfect, not a white cap in sight but some decent sized waves to go and jump/play with. The aerotec was genuinely scary, felt very unstable and after a gust of wind lifting me as I jumped over a wave I called it a day. I guess its a boat that you can't really use 1 up.