New SIB - anyone been quite as stupid as me??

[Mike B]

Morning all!

Confession time!

After selling my RIB a month ago (due to lack of use and family commitments), I really didn't expect to miss it quite so much!

So after some deliberating I started looking for a SIB to get me back on the water.

On Tuesday night I picked up a Quicksilver 380 XSHD with 25 hp Mariner.

So very excited I headed down to the local slipway yesterday to go for a quick spin, all put together and launched no problems, (its going to open up so much more use for me along the welsh coast being able to launch pretty much anywhere!)

So head out into Cardiff Bay and warned the wife to hold on - open the thottle and........hmmmmm seems a little sluggish..... somethig doesn't feel right.... check the trim ok, keel inflated do probs there.......get the GPS out....max speed 11.2 knts......surely that's not right.....cavatation is terrible and turns like a bus!.... Time for a drink and a think.

Moored her up and headed for a coke.......sad face, thinking "what have I bought, I'm going to be bored of this boat in a month or so.....with diving gear in its hardly going to move.......no chance of pulling a doughnut.......

Checked the pressure in the tubes and headed out again got half way across tha bay and thought...will just check the wheels are ok....... "Sh*t where are the bl**dy wheels"

Yep you guessed it, still locked down in the launching position!!!

Nervously looking over the transom expecting a tangle of warped metal....nope all intact, flip them up open the thottle .............

........23 knts and a fixed grin on my face! It was more exhilerating than the RIB ever was. Concentration is a must as it does get a bit twitchy over 20 knts, but I think a play with the trim and weight distribution will imporve that.....but awesome fun and can't wait to take her out again!

Sooo glad to be back on the water.

Please ease my embarasment by letting me know I'm not the only one to forget the wheels!!

Cheers

Mike

[Channel Ribs]

Lol

:d

[thornbackflound]

Originally Posted by Mike B

Morning all!

Confession time!

After selling my RIB a month ago (due to lack of use and family commitments), I really didn't expect to miss it quite so much!

So after some deliberating I started looking for a SIB to get me back on the water.

On Tuesday night I picked up a Quicksilver 380 XSHD with 25 hp Mariner.

So very excited I headed down to the local slipway yesterday to go for a quick spin, all put together and launched no problems, (its going to open up so much more use for me along the welsh coast being able to launch pretty much anywhere!)

So head out into Cardiff Bay and warned the wife to hold on - open the thottle and........hmmmmm seems a little sluggish..... somethig doesn't feel right.... check the trim ok, keel inflated do probs there.......get the GPS out....max speed 11.2 knts......surely that's not right.....cavatation is terrible and turns like a bus!.... Time for a drink and a think.

Moored her up and headed for a coke.......sad face, thinking "what have I bought, I'm going to be bored of this boat in a month or so.....with diving gear in its hardly going to move.......no chance of pulling a doughnut.......

Checked the pressure in the tubes and headed out again got half way across tha bay and thought...will just check the wheels are ok....... "Sh*t where are the bl**dy wheels"

Yep you guessed it, still locked down in the launching position!!!

Nervously looking over the transom expecting a tangle of warped metal....nope all intact, flip them up open the thottle .............

........23 knts and a fixed grin on my face! It was more exhilerating than the RIB ever was. Concentration is a must as it does get a bit twitchy over 20 knts, but I think a play with the trim and weight distribution will imporve that.....but awesome fun and can't wait to take her out again!

Sooo glad to be back on the water.

Please ease my embarasment by letting me know I'm not the only one to forget the wheels!!

Cheers

Mike

lol ,least you got it sorted,,,,,,,,,,,,,,have fun

[Vintec]

Have to admit that I had the exact same mistake.....
What was I dissapointed when I opened up the throttle the first time on my previous sib. Just bought a Yamaha 30hp for it, havely overpowered, but that was my whole intension. And then NO GO, would hardly plane.... Then when I wanted to put the engine in another trim I saw the wheels were still down there....ahum....

So you're not the only one Mike!

However I've got a RIB now, and I like the fun on the RIB much better then what I had with the sib. Only the acceleration with the sib was far more spectecular.

Vincent

[Mike B]

Thanks Vincent I feel better now!

Originally Posted by Vintec

I like the fun on the RIB much better then what I had with the sib. Only the acceleration with the sib was far more spectecular.

I had the RIB for 5 years and may be I just got complacent and forgot about the first adraline rush. The SIB is a new experience, feels like you have to really "drive" it and is less forgiving. The RIB was a 5.2 metre and felt more "point and shoot" slightly less fun, but more functional.

Mike

[prairie tuber]

I did that once with my zodiac as well - it sure didn't go very well with the wheels down!

[Locozodiac]

Well, once full throttled with anchor line secured to transom, the sib only moved 5 meters, shortly found out what the prob was....(a newby stupidity)

Best sib/engine performance is obtained in second hole from transom, place gas tank, weight towards middle/front bench area, full throttle, will plane faster with an instant bow down. Is your engine transom splashing ? You could update your 25 to be a 30 with as little as $ 5.00 if it were a re-badged Tohatsu.

Happy Sibbing

[PeterM]

this is what a friend did - Took my old jetski out for the first time & these have a large sandbag to use an anchor. He cam back saying he though it was really slow & why was the bow being dragged under all the time - yep you guessed it - he still had 10KG of sand & gravel under the bow!

oh & I regularly leave the wheels down on the SIB - but thay are only the small blac folding ones & I only have 2.5 HP ! Max I have ever had is 5knts !

[Mike B]

Originally Posted by Locozodiac

Best sib/engine performance is obtained in second hole from transom, place gas tank, weight towards middle/front bench area, full throttle, will plane faster with an instant bow down. Is your engine transom splashing ?
Happy Sibbing

I have a bit of a rooster tail off the prop so think I need to play around with the trimming a bit, weight distribution seems fine with a bit of wieght of the front (anchor and some bits). It feels like seems to chine walk a bit on occasionat WOT but I have a few things to experiment with.

Originally Posted by Locozodiac

You could update your 25 to be a 30 with as little as $ 5.00 if it were a re-badged Tohatsu.

Yeah I heard that is sometimes possible, but as the transom is only rated for 25hp and I need to be sure my insurance is valid (used as a safety boat) I can't take the risk.

Cheers

Mike

[Nos4r2]

I went out on someone's Ribcraft with one of his mates, went round the island and stopped off the Needles to do some fishing. 30 minutes went by and not even a nibble so we decided to troll a lure for some mackerel.
He started us moving at a couple of knots, but we came to an abrupt halt and the boat started swinging its nose in a rather odd manner.


He'd forgotten to pull the anchor up...

[JSP]

[chris123]

Originally Posted by Mike B

Checked the pressure in the tubes and headed out again got half way across tha bay and thought...will just check the wheels are ok....... "Sh*t where are the bl**dy wheels"

Yep you guessed it, still locked down in the launching position!!!

Been there, done that .

In my case, it was looking aft and seeing all the weed dragging along that gave me the clue

Cheers

Chris

[ian parkes]

Originally Posted by Mike B

I have a bit of a rooster tail off the prop so think I need to play around with the trimming a bit, weight distribution seems fine with a bit of wieght of the front (anchor and some bits). It feels like seems to chine walk a bit on occasionat WOT but I have a few things to experiment with.



Yeah I heard that is sometimes possible, but as the transom is only rated for 25hp and I need to be sure my insurance is valid (used as a safety boat) I can't take the risk.

Cheers

Mike

I had the same concerns with insurance with a 50 on a boat plated for 40 .

My insurance broker wasn't bothered at all , I called to ask before changing the insurance over from my old boat and also wrote down the details on the proposal . they were more interested that it hadn't exceeded the wieght rating and that the top speed was no more than 30kts .

[Mike B]

Originally Posted by ian parkes

I had the same concerns with insurance with a 50 on a boat plated for 40 .

My insurance broker wasn't bothered at all , I called to ask before changing the insurance over from my old boat and also wrote down the details on the proposal . they were more interested that it hadn't exceeded the wieght rating and that the top speed was no more than 30kts .

Thanks Ian,

That makes it a worth investigating a bit further! Anyone know if a Mariner Marathon 25 can be upped to 30hp? I heard a rumour it was only restricted by a limiting gasket. Time for a bit of googling I think!

Update - just found "Chatts" thread on the conversion and dropped him a PM for info!

M

[Locozodiac]

This will help, just follow complete procedure, both engines models weights the same 52 KG, the difference is that you will have the extra 5 HP at WOT (Full throttle)

Will only need to remove restricted 25 gasket and change for 30 HP gasket, Tohatsu part Nº 346-02011-0

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=25933

Happy Sibbing

[Easyrider]

Originally Posted by Locozodiac

This will help, just follow complete procedure, both engines models weights the same 52 KG, the difference is that you will have the extra 5 HP at WOT (Full throttle)

Will only need to remove restricted 25 gasket and change for 30 HP gasket, Tohatsu part Nº 346-02011-0

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=25933

Happy Sibbing

You also need to advance the timing by 5 degrees by adjusting the linkages- iirc the 25 is set at 18 deg, and the 30 is set at 23deg.

[Stoo]

Nice story. I did the same thing eons ago with Zodiac Mk IIC. I realized halfway down the harbour...

Being the quick thinking guy I was, I explained to the future Mrs. Stoo#1 that this was intentional and meant to protect my engine in shallow water by merely rolling over the rocks rather than whacking the prop~

I don't think she bought it for a minute...

[Locozodiac]

Originally Posted by Easyrider

You also need to advance the timing by 5 degrees by adjusting the linkages- iirc the 25 is set at 18 deg, and the 30 is set at 23deg.

According to tech service manual for that engine, the timming is 20º for 25 model and 25º for 30 model, keep in mind that the timming is linked via the throttle link rod to the carb, and both interact together via the advancer arm, with -2º in both cases you won't have a totally opened 180º carb butterfly, near to, but not spot on. With a converted 30 HP will have a better hole shot at wot, moving more weight faster that with a 25.

Happy Sibbing

[Locozodiac]

Note: Forgot to mention that timming is marked at the right edge formed by the crankcase mating surface, if's done in middle or oposite will have a nearly -2º difference. Adjust timming by means of stopper A untill carb arm/white roller is in the upper portion of the carb cam with a 180º opened butterfly. Retighten stopper A.

Happy Sibbing