One old guy's outings & kit (Aerotec, Yamaha 15 2T etc)

[Fenlander]

Yes more little triangles than the nice squared off ones of the Palm... and they go backwards so you reach in with the opposing side hand. Fine though for the emergency penknife etc.

[Fenlander]

Another small personal kit item report.

Eight years ago in this thread...

https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/wetsui...ble-71641.html

I chose and bought some Gul 5mm All Purpose dinghy type boots for all my sibbing needs. They proved perfect and I couldn't be more pleased with them. Also lasted well with use on road, pebbles, rocks, sand and green slipways. Due to a small split starting though new ones ordered and delivered this week.

Last ones were a 9 when ideally I take a 9.5, snug but not uncomfortable. Now I always wear a 10 in shoes now so ordered 10s. They were smaller than my old 9s. The replacement 11s arrived today which fit fine, being just a helpful whisker longer than the 9s. You can see in the pic the new 11s on the left are hardly longer than the old 9s. Clearly they have all become smaller.

Would 100% recommend them for similar use to mine.

[Comberboy]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I’m putting my Aerotec 380 up for sale if anyone might be interested - it’s a 2014 example in great condition with excellent transom seam joints and a transom raise. I’ll put all details in the For Sale section but just thought I’d put the word out. Cheers

[Fenlander]

Look forward to seeing it appear in the sale forum.

A 2014 will be one of the last from the final production run so for anyone who wanted to scratch that itch before they become complete history a great opportunity.

[Comberboy]

My ad has been posted on the selling section. Photos are poor resolution so happy to send full size photos to anyone interested. Cheers

[Max...]

Great deal that.

You'll regret it one day though...

[smallribber]

Looking at the Aerotec I am interested to see that it does not have a rear seat. I know some people like to sit on the tubes but I have never done that. Is that how most people use them or is there a way to fit a back seat ?

[Fenlander]

Yes sit on the offside tube or floor until your backside is of full retirement age when a comfy seat is an acceptable option.

To fit see posts 41, 54, 61, 63, 66 on this thread...

https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/one-pe...tec-83658.html

[Max...]

Originally Posted by smallribber

Looking at the Aerotec I am interested to see that it does not have a rear seat. I know some people like to sit on the tubes but I have never done that. Is that how most people use them or is there a way to fit a back seat ?

Depends - if pootling then I sit on the tubes (never liked seats in SIBs) or mock up a seat as Fen' says, if wave jumping/making progress then à la RNLI in a Y or D Class, ie kneeling/left hand tiller/right hand lifeline:

[Max...]

Is that the best avatar you can come up with David - a white prop?! It's not very becoming of your new status...

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by Max...

Is that the best avatar you can come up with David - a white prop?! It's not very becoming of your new status...

But it is a very nice shiny white prop

[Fenlander]

Yep I like a shiny prop.

I think you need to serve longer to be a two prop Mod.

[Comberboy]

Originally Posted by Max...

Great deal that.

You'll regret it one day though...

Yes I’m sure I will 🥴 !

[Fenlander]

Just had two of the best days at the coast in the SIB for a good while. Great mixed cloud/sun weather, accommodation and food all coincided for once.

Day one was an afternoon tide so lots of mooching about, couple of shackles plus a new hat in the chandlers, some food and playing which one we'd choose of the classic yachts.

We'd grabbed the best sibbers parking space in the car park on the front as it is adj the motorcycle spaces which are always empty in the day hence our perfect set up location adj the car. Forecast was light winds and of course as usual they weren't light locally. We'd only made about 2Nm before we were forced down to mostly displacement speed faced with intermittent white caps on the wind over tide waves. All great fun and as usual when that's the character of the run out the return trip was huge fun on the plane surfing back. The Aerotec never seems to get near stuffing into the back of a wave but you do need to be quick to catch veering from a bow steer when pushing on in these circumstances.

I'm always scanning the water for any situations and off out to sea I thought I could see an Atlantic challenge type rowing boat adrift with no signs of movement so we headed out to find it was indeed that craft type but at anchor fishing. Oh well no crisis but you've got to check.

Covered 23Nm and used 10l of fuel which matches the previous Yamaha 15 2T we owned which I recorded on a similar run using 10l over 22Nm.

I like to start with a mid trim post with any altered SIB/outboard set-up and work from there but the Yamaha hasn't a middle one. So far we've used the two out of four available and it was near but not quite right. So I went for three out and that small change has helped the general feel and we reckon the outfit is running as well as the Aerotec ever has in nine years ownership.

Continued...

[Fenlander]

Day two was at a second location in the county. Even hotter and with a teatime tide more mooching and an excuse for coffee and brunch at a waterside eatery overlooking posh hard hulls, none of which we really fancied.

An easy launch from yet another crafty parking space choice with room adj that wasn't big enough for a lined space but great for boat assembly. Only a 30 sec trundle to the slip. This location, unlike the previous day's free launch, attracted a £29.50 daily harbour fee. Ouch.

After nosing out to sea we thought we'd try a run up the estuary for a change. Normally I reckon an estuary is a bit tame after open sea and any speed restrictions annoy. But this time we had reason to want a change so went for it. The experience was actually far more positive than expected going up with the flood to the extent that would be a canoe only at low water. The speed limits were variously 4kts, 5kts, 8kts and a section of unlimited between marker buoys which we used for prop/speed/revs trials.

I'd fitted the Yamaha OE 9" pitch prop in place of the usual 9.75" just for an experiment. Last outing the 9.75" turned in 16.5kts at 5240rpm. This 9" saw 17.5kts at 5720. A brief period at this speed as it exceeds the Yamaha's 5500rpm max revs. The 9" prop gave the whole outfit a better feel right through the speed range so I think I'll leave it on and be aware not to let the speed max out.

There was a lot of group sailing both small and large in the estuary and it did make me wonder, as a sailor in years gone by, to a non sailor how on earth would you guess which way they were going to go next when spread all across the navigable width. I think we tacked as much as them but at least got some friendly thumbs ups.

The Essex police RIB was about again at the pontoon then later mixing it with the jetskis and sailing dinghies.

About a further 11Nm covered and finally used pretty well all of the 50:1 fuel I'd mixed in tanks for the Tohatsu, both pump fuel and Aspen, so I'll now get the Yamaha on its compromise diet of E5 80:1.

It was notable that with the existing 45mm transom lift, the trim three holes out setting and the 9" prop there was zero transom splash which is the best its been.

Just finished the wash down and re-pack earlier. We've added one small scratch to the outer floor material but Stormseal will be fine for that.

So yep a very successful couple of outings and a big thanks to the weather gods.

[Steve509926]

Great write up Fenlander, looks like a really good couple of days.
Where was your 2 launch locations,?

[Brinormeg]

Good you are getting out and about and take the time to give a report

[Max...]

Nice report David.

[Fenlander]

Cheers guys.

Steve it was West Mersea day one and Brightlingsea day two. Sailing areas really, dinghy and live aboard. Both with what I call a hard for a slipway and launch into an estuary at 75% of tide times. Adj pontoons for getting sorted before the off. Also chandlery, toilets, cafe etc at the top of the slip both places.

West Mersea no charges at all. Brightlingsea £29.50 daily or £75 for a year.

Meets my ideal tick list for a day out set up and launch.

[Steve509926]

Hi David, an area of the country I don't really know. Been to Ipswich and Felixstowe on business but that's about it. Looks like another couple of places add to the list.