New (to me) air floor SIB - have a been sold a pup?

Blankton · 21 April 2023, 19:45

At the end of last summer I picked up an air floor quicksilver / mercury sib from gumtree. It only cost £160. It was pissing it down when I collected it and the seller just had the main boat blown up soft to show me. It had a puncture on one tube covered with gaffa tape in order for him to blow it up.

I threw it in the shed and this week got it out. I've put a patch on the bit with the gaffa tape and blew it up to let me see if there was any more leaks. Ie also fitted the air floor.

This is my first air floor sib. What has surprised me is that the floor doesn't seem to fit very well. Width wise it is good, but the length seems to stop about 2" shorter than I was expecting.

Blankton · 21 April 2023, 20:13

Potentially I've answers my own question. Looks like there is another item that goes here.

https://www.crowleymarine.com/quicks...els-light-gray

P/N 8039773 (retainer).

It would be good if anyone knew what this part is supposed to look like.

Fenlander · 21 April 2023, 22:39

To me it looks as if the 2003 model had the long single retainer part 3 in that parts list, then the later model changed to the two retainers as shown part 4. Yours looks to be the second arrangement.

The Zodiacs and other makes had tabs on the rear of the air floor that attached to the retainer and that seems to be visible on the air floor on that parts list. Is there no sign yours has had one?

Blankton · 21 April 2023, 22:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

To me it looks as if the 2003 model had the long single retainer part 3 in that parts list, then the later model changed to the two retainers as shown part 4. Yours looks to be the second arrangement.

The Zodiacs and other makes had tabs on the rear of the air floor that attached to the retainer and that seems to be visible on the air floor on that parts list. Is there no sign yours has had one?

There are two tabs on the back face of the air floor (you can just see these in the photo). These tabs are just bits of pvc fabric glued to the back of the air floor. Then there are two blocks on the transom. But there is 2" gap between the two. I thought the parts list was suggesting there was something between the two.

Blankton · 21 April 2023, 22:51

I've got two blocks on the transom, which I think is item 4, but it's item 3 I'm interested. In.

Fenlander · 21 April 2023, 22:59

Yes but read the parts list under the image. Parts 3 & 4 appear to be alternatives for different years... I don't think you get both.

Fenlander · 21 April 2023, 23:01

Ahh so you have the tabs, I see them now. Then your start position is pulling the floor to the transom and fixing the flaps to your two blocks. Then see how far it pulls the floor back from the bow... and if the keel valve still can be reached through the floor hole. If not I think it may be the wrong floor.

Blankton · 24 April 2023, 20:50

Back on it today..... I've managed to fit the tabs into the block on the transom. The tabs have a little tube, like a kids drinking straw that feeds into a p-shaped slot.

The keel valve is slightly obscured, but I could still get in there with a bit of wrestling, so I suspect its just poor design / build quality, rather than the wrong floor.

Now it's all set up I'm surprised how much the gunnel height is reduced by the thickness of the air floor. I'm now wondering if a v air floor might be a better idea for me. I used to fish a lot from my aluminium floor sib and I could stand on that with my knees resting on the tube, they are more like ankle height with this thick floor!

Fenlander · 24 April 2023, 21:05

That’s good, you’re getting it sorted. Yes there is a chance of a poorly dimensioned floor, but perhaps more likely the sausage keel has been replaced or re-glued a bit too far forward

Re the floor to tube depth that’s something I appreciate being as large as possible, a very good feature of my current SIB.

Blankton · 04 May 2023, 15:31

I'm starting to wonder if this might be a bit too much work required on this now. Ive has a slow leak on one of the rear tubes, but couldn't find it. I've eventually found it today, but it's not leaking from the tube, which was why I kept missing it....

In this photo the tube that's leaking is to the left. The tube to the right is the bow tube. The crease that is approximately central is where I believe the baffle is.

The leak is coming out of the seam between the floor and the tubes, where there is a joint in the seam.

It must be leaking out of the tube somewhere and tracking along the floor seam, til it finds a place to escape. I can put a patch over this joint, but I am not sure of the chances of sucsess of patching over a joint,additionally I don't think this seam is actually intended to be air/watertight, it's just reinforcement for the floor (I think) .

Other than delaminating the whole floor to tube joint, to try and see where the tube leak is, the only other thing I can think of is to try a bottle of the seal flex, which you pour into the tubes. I think it must be a small pinhole, rather than a large tear, as I don't see how it could be torn behind there.

Hmm.....

Steve509926 · 04 May 2023, 18:22

If I was using it as a tender I think I would try a bottle of seal flex. Anything more, beach hopping sea fishing etc, I think I'd be tempted to try to repair the tube.

Peter_C · 05 May 2023, 19:26

If it were my boat I would start right there at the leak area where there is a split in the tabbing. Using a heat gun get the material hot hot hot and start pulling back the tabbing until I could locate which side of the split is leaking, then continue removing the tabbing until the leak could be located. Properly patch it directly on the tube, and reinstall the tabbing. A two part glue will be needed. It really is not a big deal.

Blankton · 05 May 2023, 19:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

If it were my boat I would start right there at the leak area where there is a split in the tabbing. Using a heat gun get the material hot hot hot and start pulling back the tabbing until I could locate which side of the split is leaking, then continue removing the tabbing until the leak could be located. Properly patch it directly on the tube, and reinstall the tabbing. A two part glue will be needed. It really is not a big deal.

This sounds logical, and I agree not too technically difficult. I've had a bit more of a look today and it's also weeping out at the transom end. I'm a bit confused as to how it could be leaking though, as there is no seam down there.

Without wanting to drip feed information, there is another area at the transom where there are some splits in the pvc. The bonding of the transom into the pvc is good and the floor seams are good, but the pvc itself has suffered here.

I was going to just put a 6" wide reinforcement across the whole back of the floor, across where these cracks are, which would act as reinforcement and a bit of a rubbing strip. I've also got a pinhole in the sausage keel, where the pvc has split at a crease.

Putting all of this together I'm starting to wonder if this has spent time out in the sun (maybe on a sailboat in the med) and the sun has knackered areas of the pvc. This in turn is making me wonder if I'll just be chasing pinholes for the time I have the boat.....

Steve509926 · 05 May 2023, 20:12

I hate to say this but, when you wrote the title to your thread -

"New (to me) air floor SIB - have I been sold a pup? "

I think you hit the nail on the head

Peter_C · 05 May 2023, 20:48

Well it isn't worth much in it's current condition and would be a perfect project to learn how to do repairs. Then decide if you want to keep it or not. Worse case you spend money to learn new things...learning is always good.

JKY on this board taught me to use a garden sprayer for finding leaks. Saved my hands from pumping a small misting sprayer.

If it is leaking at the split towards the bow and at the stern, most likely the leak is between them. I would split it again, maybe even from the bottom of the tubes for easier access, and pull back the tabbing to cut the distance in half and then once figured out start removing the tabbing for that section until hole is located. Once the one repair is completed before reinstalling the tabbing I would do another thorough check of the entire boat for leaks.

I'd be inclined to remove the entire keel guard and move it back further to recover the transom, after adding in more material. A heat gun is your friend.

paintman · 08 May 2023, 12:03

Nothing much to add, but as it was only £160 you might as well have a go at repairing as you haven't really got that much to lose.
Good Luck.

smallribber · 09 May 2023, 05:58

Honwave T38 ie 3 are a good price at the moment. Might be worth buying one and working on this boat at you leisure as a learning project

Blankton · 09 May 2023, 08:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Easedalenovice

Honwave T38 ie 3 are a good price at the moment. Might be worth buying one and working on this boat at you leisure as a learning project

I did see a new one advertised on ebay for £1350, I'm assuming they might go even lower in person without the ebay fees.

Do you know if the latest ones have still got those stupid trim teb things that poke out the back and necessitate the bendy wheels?

69cmw · 09 May 2023, 09:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blankton

I did see a new one advertised on ebay for £1350, I'm assuming they might go even lower in person without the ebay fees.

Do you know if the latest ones have still got those stupid trim teb things that poke out the back and necessitate the bendy wheels?

They don’t have the tabs.

Tommy c · 09 May 2023, 12:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blankton

I did see a new one advertised on ebay for £1350, I'm assuming they might go even lower in person without the ebay fees.

Do you know if the latest ones have still got those stupid trim teb things that poke out the back and necessitate the bendy wheels?

My son has just bought one from Liverpool power boats.
£1282.
No trim tabs just the whole air floor protrudes approximately 20mm past the transom