New sib needed

[Fenlander]

>>What have you finally settled with after all these years?

It's the now discontinued Zodiac/Bombard 3.8m Aerotec. A niche lightweight air floor with the only true V floor shape of any SIB being a deep V continuing to the transom. For us it's given the softest and most reassuring ride of any SIB we've owned. It is quite narrow and the sloping floor inside doesn't suit everyone but the depth of the V means you feel secure in it not on it like some others.

BTW sorry about sideways pics... since changing to a Mac some of ours do this despite looking correct this end.

[Jenks87]

Originally Posted by beamishken

If you add a console later you will find that your boat actually feels like a bigger boat. The difference between tiller steering & remotes on a console is night & day even on the same boat

So I thought about this in the future, only concern was losing space. I did consider one of those light weight ally consoles which take up no room at all. Definitely something I will look into though. Didn’t want to add too much more weight and lose on power but don’t think it would make much difference if I kept the console small. Cheers

[Jenks87]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

>>What have you finally settled with after all these years?

It's the now discontinued Zodiac/Bombard 3.8m Aerotec. A niche lightweight air floor with the only true V floor shape of any SIB being a deep V continuing to the transom. For us it's given the softest and most reassuring ride of any SIB we've owned. It is quite narrow and the sloping floor inside doesn't suit everyone but the depth of the V means you feel secure in it not on it like some others.

BTW sorry about sideways pics... since changing to a Mac some of ours do this despite looking correct this end.

Very nice and VERY clean. Love the wooden oars. Vintage look to it. Bet that goes very well. That’s one thing I noticed with the rib which looks very similar to that is how the bow pulls in and upwards making it a lot more sea-dynamic (is that a word? If not it is now) very nice ride on that I bet.

[Trello]

I, too, noticed and admired the wooden oars - a very distinguished touch.

The Aerotec seems to have an almost hallowed reputation within the SIB community - why did it ever go out of production?

[Fenlander]

>>the wooden oars - a very distinguished touch.... The Aerotec seems to have an almost hallowed reputation within the SIB community - why did it ever go out of production?

The Aerotec from new came with plastic bladed alu shaft telescopic paddles and no particular place to store other than the supplied bow bag which few folks ever fitted. They were always somewhere inconvenient when needed promptly, Mrs F could never remember which way to twist to unlock/extend and they are a bit fragile for the use you might put an oar to, I've broken a plastic blade on rocks in the past. As my boating experience is rooted in the early 60s when wooden oars were for probing depth, fending off and repelling boarders as well as rowing it was natural to buy this pair when they were in front of me at an auction locally. I glued the velcro oar holders on in the best position for rapid deployment. In a crisis I could lash up a pair of rope rowlocks on the top grab rail and row far easier than using a paddle.

Re it falling out of production... When I bought mine retail was about £2500, double that of a Honwave 3.8 air floor so you really needed to appreciate the attributes to spend the extra... and when Zodiac got into financial trouble 2014-2016, then were bought out, the inevitable range revision happened and the Aerotec was a major casualty. What always surprised myself and others was why someone else like Honwave didn't make their own version to market around £1500, I'm sure it would have been a good seller.

[Trello]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

...in the early 60s when wooden oars were for... fending off and repelling boarders....

Good grief! Where did you grow up?

[Fenlander]

Be prepared... that was our scout motto!

[Jenks87]

Here she is in all her glory, sits lovely in the water, very stable and a cracking fishing vessel.

[Steve509926]

Hi Jenks, looks like a nice piece of kit

[Jenks87]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

Hi Jenks, looks like a nice piece of kit

Thanks mate, cracking little boat 👌🏼

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Jenks87

Here she is in all her glory, sits lovely in the water, very stable and a cracking fishing vessel.

Looks great sits exactly how I like a rib to sit, with the tubes just touching the water at rest so its not planeing on the tubes when running or flopping about with the tubes clear of the water at rest.[emoji106] re the future console taking up space, I find they tend to make the boat feel like a larger boat & often gives better storage options rather than gear lying around the deck. Maybe try & have a go in a similar size boat with a console & see how it feels for you before you commit.

[Jenks87]

Originally Posted by beamishken

Looks great sits exactly how I like a rib to sit, with the tubes just touching the water at rest so its not planeing on the tubes when running or flopping about with the tubes clear of the water at rest.[emoji106] re the future console taking up space, I find they tend to make the boat feel like a larger boat & often gives better storage options rather than gear lying around the deck. Maybe try & have a go in a similar size boat with a console & see how it feels for you before you commit.

Yes I think in the future I would definitely get a small console with back bench seat as that would hold all my fishing gear etc and hide fuel tank. Would upgrade engine to a 25 with controls then if I did that. Definitely a future investment for it. Cheers mate. Enjoying the tiller control on the 20 for now but next year definitely going to invest.