New (to me) Classic Mk 2 HD

MD2Colo · 29 October 2012, 12:54

Hello guys/gals;

So yah, I was in the market for an inflatable raft to use here in Colorado... holy hell it was difficult to find a 14' SIB for sale ANYWHERE, much less here in CO but I got lucky and didn't have to make a cross country trip...only 50 miles.

AAAnway, this is basically my first personal boat (used a few Zodiacs in the Army) and I think it will work out well. My goal was to purchase a boat that I could roll up and put in the back of my truck, throw the the engine in and away I go to fish lakes/cruise up and down creeks and rivers.
Boat is an '04 Mark 2 Classic HD, engine is an '04 Honda 20hp 4 stroke. Got them both for $2950, which I thought was a pretty good deal. I can't believe how expensive the FC530s are... but you get what you pay for and this one should work fine for what I need it for.

Engine fired right up, boat could use a bit of elbow grease to clean up but it doesn't have any chalking on the surface, very little rub marks and no patches. Overall I'd give it about 95%. Plus, the guy threw in the chairs, console, radio, etc. I digress

Any special tips on how to store these things and how to fold them up properly?? Never folded one up when I was in the Army, believe it or not.
Didn't come with bags for the floor/boat...need to pick those up from Zodiac, I guess.

Any tips and advice are greatly appreciated!!
This site is great... you guys have some seriously bad-a$$ boats!!!
Thanks

Before purchase

testing motor

home for now

Gilles · 29 October 2012, 16:33

hi there, i know that for tenders you re receiving a bag, well receiving or could buy it optionnally. so maybe no bags and i will advise you too let the tubes inflated if you re not using it for months.
boat and engine look good, enjoy you new toy.
to clean it, there are some special shampoo on the market, or you can also use a eco green shampooo. once a year you could feed the tube with paraffin and put off the alu floor. hope it helps
cheers

Locozodiac · 29 October 2012, 17:17

If plenty of room is available, better keep that beast inflated on top trailer and engine sitting vertical on a proper engine stand. That way will be like the Boys Scouts, "Always Ready"

It's near missin impossible to fold any sib as factory delivered as are vacuumed and then folded to fit nicely inside their carrying bags.

Happy Sibbing

MD2Colo · 30 October 2012, 03:45

Cool, thanks for the info guys

Northern Pike · 02 November 2012, 04:27

You might check your local hockey equipment store for a goalie bag or 2. Should fit in one, and the floor in another maybe smaller one.

achille2124 · 02 November 2012, 17:23

You have a great boat, my first one was this exact model and it was sturdy and gave me many years of happy time. 2950$ for the whole package was a good deal, and the good thing about being a Zodiac is that in 3-5 years when you'll want a bigger boat you'll sell it pretty much the price you just paid.

Like it was said before if you have enough space you should store it inflated with an angle so if there is water left in the boat or it gets wet it'll drain by itself. I also suggest to store they outboard in upright position to avoid any oil spill and that all the engine component soaks correctly in oil.

If you want to roll it, it is not a problem at all and it doesn't damage the boat in anyway. Before rolling the boat, you have to be extra sure that it is extra extra dry, otherwise you'll have nasty and smelly mold growing inside the boat. Also, once it is rolled make sure that you store it out of the reach of any vermin like mices, rats, racoons porkupine etc....Those little bastards have a taste for Zodiac fabrics and make a brand new Zodiac only good for the dumpster.

The best way to roll it is to vaccuum the air out of each sections. You want to start rolling from the transom but before rolling, flip the tube side the boat and flip also the cones on the transom so the total width of the boat does not exceed too much the width of the transom. At the finish, flip the bow section backward so when you finish rolling the transom is on top of the bow.

One little advise also is to remove the plugs of the valves (or protect with styrofoam) because when you roll the boat and put some weight on it you might break one.

Don't store it with weight on top (like the floor for example), I've seen boats that were stored with bricks on it and it bended so bad the fabric that it cracked. Once it is rolled, strap it just to keep it from unrolling but that's it.

For cleaning you might want to go to your marine store. Try to get the original Zodiac Revival paste, it is great stuff, expensive but great. But before using the Revival paste, clean the boat with a hand soap with pumice (like fast orange). The abrasive stuff in it will remove the dirt stuck inside the fabric but won't affect the tube. Final cleaning with Revival paste will give it a good shine.

Hope it helps!

MD2Colo · 03 November 2012, 03:35

Good info!!

SO yah, I as looking at a Bravo BST pump to us for deflating; evidently they seem to be the one to use based on some stuff I've read. I'll look into the Zodiac paste!
Purchased some Amazon Inflatable boat cleaner, but it seems that something with some porous material in it would work better for removing stains and dirt.

As far as the engine goes, I'm definitely going to build a stand and keep it upright as much as possible, I'm sure the outboard wasn't designed to be kept on its side for long.

Appreciate the tips, gentlemen.

Mike

Locozodiac · 06 November 2012, 01:20

You can keep 2 stroke engines lying by it's sides indefinitely, just burn all fuel leftovers inside carb to avoid fuel spills. With 4 strokes will experiment oil spills on floor and unwanted inside engine issues. For maintenance, oil changes and flushing, an engine stand is the way to go. You could add small side wheels to stand for easy stand/engine transportation.

Happy Boating

Nightfisher · 07 November 2012, 08:26

Hi all, I was told not to lay the engine on it's side. Reason being that water left inside the leg could creep up the exaust port and into the cylinders. A chance not worth taking.

Locozodiac · 07 November 2012, 13:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightfisher

Hi all, I was told not to lay the engine on it's side. Reason being that water left inside the leg could creep up the exaust port and into the cylinders. A chance not worth taking.

If it's a 2 stroke, that's why you need to place engine momentarily vertical for short time before laying engine down to know all interior water has gone down through exhaust. Engines should be layed frontal with tiller in up right position, but during transport this position sometimes cannot be achieved so will need to be layed to it's side.

Happy Boating

Nightfisher · 09 November 2012, 15:27

Collected interior water sit's in the upper skeg and does not drain away. Never sit the engine horizontal unless absolutely necessary and if you do, prop the head up 15 or more degrees.

MD2Colo · 10 November 2012, 15:19

It's on a stand now. No worries.

RIBFIXER · 23 November 2012, 09:32

Hi, just a small point but could be important in the future, the boat you now own is a Zodiac MK 2 Classic and not an HD. The difference being that all Zodiac HD boats are constructed in HYPOLON and all the classic boats use PVC materials , a very important difference if you attempt any diy repairs.
Safe and happy boating.

MD2Colo · 23 November 2012, 16:26

Hmm...
I think you're referring to the more higher-end Zodiacs, but I'm pretty sure that the Classic Mk2 SIBs are all PVC, whether they are ST or HD models.
Zodiac says that the HD models are "...strengthened to handle more payload."
http://www.zodiacmarineusa.com/easy-...ssic/mark-2-st
http://www.zodiacmarineusa.com/files...ac_Classic.pdf

HD = 191.8 lbs
ST = 183.0 lbs

I wish they were Hypalon...

achille2124 · 23 November 2012, 19:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by RIBFIXER

Hi, just a small point but could be important in the future, the boat you now own is a Zodiac MK 2 Classic and not an HD. The difference being that all Zodiac HD boats are constructed in HYPOLON and all the classic boats use PVC materials , a very important difference if you attempt any diy repairs.
Safe and happy boating.

The boat you are talking about are named MK2 GR (for Grand Raid). The HD serie in the Milpro line starts with the MKIV.

The Classic MK2 is offered with ST (standard wooden floor) and HD (with aluminum floor). The floor is the only difference between the ST and HD.

So he has a Classic MK2 HD made of PVC-Strongan.