Questions from a new potential boater!

Hamble Flyer · 21 September 2010, 15:28

Hi -my first post after browsing for a while

I'm looking to buy a SIB for use in North and East Yorkshire mainly.

It will be a mix of river/lake slowish cruising and "light" coastal trips from Humber and Yorkshire coast harbours.

Boat size will be 3.1 to 3.5m usually with 3 adults.

Just a few random questions please -

Given this profile would a 5/6 HP or 9.8/9HP motor be best suited considering weight/economy/speed.?

Is there a case for going for a 15HP on the basis it will spend at least 75% of its life at very low revs?

What fuel economy is likely for these engines at a) 6kts river and b) WOT(ish) off the coast?

What would be the license costs for the River Ouse?(if any)

Do SIB require any form of certification?

Are there any marinas on the Ouse which offer dry storage for the outboard so we don't have to transport it by car each trip?

Thanks for reading this and any replies will be gratefully received - there is clearly a lot of expertise out there on the Forum!

chewy · 21 September 2010, 16:08

Welcome to the forum.
I'd personally go for the biggest engine you can carry. my younger brother uses a 25hp Soozie on his Avon and manages ok.
You don't need any certs or qualifications to use a SIB but its best to do one of the RYA Powerboat courses to pick up the basics.

Hamble Flyer · 22 September 2010, 10:27

Thanks Chewy

I'm unsure about the size of boat to buy. Can someone please point me to some dealerships I can visit to see a selection of inflated 2.5 to 3.5 metre boats to determine their actual "comfort" with 3 adults and some kit plus perhaps a fuel tank. I am aware that most boats do have a weight limit also which may override the physical space issue.

The visit needs to be within 2 hours or so drive from Harrogate on a weekend.

Any suggestions please?

Also....newbie type question (!!) When carrying outboards horizontally in a car, is it best to put them in some form of container? Can they be prone to leaking fuel/oil when not upright?

m chappelow · 22 September 2010, 16:36

Dealerships within 2 hours drive of Harrogate,, ,skipton ,castleford,whitby ,Hartlepool,Hull and Humberside even the lake district .
The river ouse ,,British waterways took it over about 15 years or so ago and there is now a fee ,even below Naburn lock a few miles down stream from york which is then a tidal section a fee is needed .
last time i was on the river ouse at york was at the annual viking festival one sunny crisp cold febuary morning .

there used to be 2 marinas just south of york ,Naburn marina and one across the river near Bishopthorpe ,

with regards to carrying an outboard in a car ,no problems ,,though ,,
4 strokes need to be layed down on one side only ,, there will be a warning sticker that tells you which side ,
2 strokes any side ,
though unless you run the carb dry before you pack away ,either disonect the fuel tank and run dry or use the drain screw on the carb there can be a slight wiff of petrol not much to worrry about though from most engines,

Rib T · 22 September 2010, 18:59

Boat Owners Marine Store. at Castleford are Honwave Dealers they always have a few in.
there. So you should get a good idea for size inflatted and deflatted. address is 16 Methley Road, Castleford, WF10 1LX Tel 01977 735400.

Or the slipway at bishopthorpe although currently they are knocking down the showroom and other buildings and constructing fab new ones.

to run a sib on the river you need a Boat safety exemption certificate lasts one year. And a river license you can get one day ones or a 30 day occasional use, depends on how often you intend to enjoy the river.

lightning · 22 September 2010, 19:07

For 3 persons I'd say you need to be looking at 3m minimum boat size. Our 2.8m Zodiac is great with 2 people but a bit cramped with 3.

Also the 6hp engine won't plane with 3 people in the boat, although it will push it along fine at low speeds.

So I'd say go for a 3m+ boat with an engine of more than 6hp....unless you don't want to do over 6mph.

There's a big engine weight jump from 6hp (27kg) to 8hp (37kg). One exception is the Tohatsu 9.8hp two stroke if you can get a good used one, it weighs only 27kg.

John Kennett · 23 September 2010, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hamble Flyer

Just a few random questions please -

Given this profile would a 5/6 HP or 9.8/9HP motor be best suited considering weight/economy/speed.?

Is there a case for going for a 15HP on the basis it will spend at least 75% of its life at very low revs?

What fuel economy is likely for these engines at a) 6kts river and b) WOT(ish) off the coast?

A 6hp motor will be fine for inland use, but you'll probably with you had more when you're on the sea. A 9.8 2-stroke would be a good choice, and a 15 would be OK, but probably more than you actually need. Fuel economy with any of these is pretty much irrelevant - the biggest problem is forgetting to fill up because you do it so infrequently.

If you are going to be inflating and deflating the boat each time, then light weight and convenience is the key to making your day enjoyable. Unless performance is key, get the lightest motor that will do what you need it to. A 15hp 2-stroke is manageable, but a 9.8 is much easier.

Likewise I'd definitely suggest an airdeck for your type of use. Something like a Quicksilver 340 would be good, or for a bit more money you could get one of the Honwaves or best of all the Bombard 380.

I've had inflatables in a variety of combinations of floor type and motor size, and now have a Bombard 380 with a Tohatsu 9.8 2-stroke. It's underpowered, but will easily plane with me and two kids and will just about get on the plane with 2 adults and 2 kids. Best of all it must be the lightest package for the size and is really easy to store, transport, setup and derig.

Hamble Flyer · 23 September 2010, 09:56

Thanks everyone....some valuable advice there, its a refreshing change as I also post occasionally on a pilots forum where useful answers to "newbie" questions are rare and consist mainly of patronising w***y waving bores!

Just another if you please......is SIB-ing permitted on any of the many reservoirs in Yorkshire?

m chappelow · 23 September 2010, 11:01

[
Just another if you please......is SIB-ing permitted on any of the many reservoirs in Yorkshire? [/QUOTE]

To say how many reservoirs ,lakes and dams there are in yorkshire ,there are very few if any that allow the use of the general public using powered craft,mostly they are private sailing clubs or used for drinking water ,even the watersports centres dont allow powered craft except for there own rescue boats ,there maybe some in south yorks and i think there is a couple of lakes over the pennines on the lancashire/manchester side .
the lancashire sibbers may have a better idea ,, Sale water park and Hollingworth waterpark spring to mind ,,,(not often us yorkshire like going over the pennines into lancashire ,war of the roses ,,lol.

Hamble Flyer · 23 September 2010, 15:07

Newbie question - Do you always use a slipway ramp to launch your SIBs or is there another approach which can be used if a pontoon is available? Probable boat will be 3.1/3.3m and 6HP

I am talking here about river/lake launches where a beach is not available.

Assuming the boat has no trolley, are launching wheels the way to go?

I'm asking these questions in preparation for the "we should buy a SIB" pitch to Mrs Hamble Flyer !

John Kennett · 23 September 2010, 17:21

With that size of SIB you can just pick it up and put it into the water. If there's two of you it's really easy. You can lift the motor in and fit it afterwards (but tie a rope onto it so you don't lose it forever if you drop it!).

A decent set of launching wheels will make moving the boat around on land very easy, even if you don't actually use them for launching.

Hamble Flyer · 23 September 2010, 17:52

Thanks JK - pontoon launching makes SIB owning a more practical undertaking, although I guess one still has to be very careful about lifting the boat in/out to ensure the hull is not scraped excessively along the pontoon edges.

Can "universal" launching wheels be bought which will fit any type of transom ?

jake 4589 · 23 September 2010, 20:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

[
Just another if you please......is SIB-ing permitted on any of the many reservoirs in Yorkshire?

To say how many reservoirs ,lakes and dams there are in yorkshire ,there are very few if any that allow the use of the general public using powered craft,mostly they are private sailing clubs or used for drinking water ,even the watersports centres dont allow powered craft except for there own rescue boats ,there maybe some in south yorks and i think there is a couple of lakes over the pennines on the lancashire/manchester side .
the lancashire sibbers may have a better idea ,, Sale water park and Hollingworth waterpark spring to mind ,,,(not often us yorkshire like going over the pennines into lancashire ,war of the roses ,,lol. [/QUOTE]

You yorkies just can't get over defeat, let it go, it was a long time ago

Seriously though i believe that sale water park is for engine testing only and hollingworth lake as an engine size limit of 5hp if my memory serves me correctly.

I live less than 20 mins drive from both of them and cant use them. My own personal recommendations are for rivers either York or Chester and don't forget the fabulous Lake district. There are 4 lakes that you can SIB on, these being Windermere, Coniston, Ullswater and Derwent. As for the sea I'd go for Whitby, Easy to use, good facilities and great cruising area.

Best wishes

Jake

jake 4589 · 23 September 2010, 20:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hamble Flyer

Can "universal" launching wheels be bought which will fit any type of transom ?

Some SIB's such as the Honwave IE models need special launch wheels, this is because the floor extends past the transom and so the wheels have to bend round the floor. see picture

Please note that this is only on the IE (inflatable floor) Models

wobbley · 01 October 2010, 14:15

If you're using a boat inland on BW waters, you will also need insurance. Just like a car third party is the minimum with £1m cover. I've just renewed my cover on a 265 airdeck with 15hp mariner for just over £43 but had a quote as low as £22 for TP only.
As mentioned earlier, the "Explorer" licence is about £80ish and has 30 one day 'tickets' which is probably the best value. If you aren't going to use it that often, a 'one day' BW licence will cost £6.80 for river use or £11.35 to cover rivers and canals. Licences are available from BW or from two good marinas near you - Boroughbridge Marina, and York Marine at Bishopthorpe.
As for your question about still waters in the area, I haven't found any ,,, -yet. There are a few possibilities that I need to look into.
There is a lake between Elland and Brighouse that I have seen waterskiers on in the past.
There's a quarry lake north of Knaresborough that is used for waterskiing that someone has told me about.
I'm also told Hornsea Mere lets some powered craft on , but being so close to the sea - is there any point?
Our kit fits in the back of the wife's car, (actually it mostly lives there!) so we can 'pop' out and be on the water in about half an hour. Our favourite is going up the Aire and Calder into Leeds and doing some shopping or fishing.
Regarding engine size, it's really a matter of what you are doing and where. I started with a 4hp old Johnson which was not particularly reliable. I then went down the 'reliable road' buying a nearly new 5hp Honda 4 stroke. Reliable for sure, but really heavy and not knowing what I was doing, was a long shaft (!). I then got a 2.3 honda which to be honest pushed the boat along almost as fast as the five and incredibly light.. Finally after much searching and travelling many hundreds of miles I have got myself a 2004 Mariner 2stroke 15hp which is wicked !
One particular passtime I do enjoy is taking the inflatable on a strech of canal with a few swing bridges such as Rodley or Silsden. No need to open them, just duck!

Hamble Flyer · 01 October 2010, 21:30

Thanks for the info Wobbley...interesting comments about the engine power/weight issues

Do SIBs have to use the slipway (and pay £) at Boroughbridge and Bishopthorpe Marinas (and Linton?) or can you generally launch from a pontoon or suchlike?

Same question for the canal network ?

wobbley · 02 October 2010, 00:31

From memory I think it's a tenner to use the slipway at Boroughbridge or York Marine although that can be reduced to a fiver at York if you 'chuck in' from the moorings. There is a public slipway on Blue Bridge Lane at York but you don't get the advantage of handy parking thrown in. I am told the slipway at Kings Staith is also for public use, but this is usually 'hogged' by the rescue boat.
Technically, any pulic place where you can launch safely should be ok. BW are ok with this as long as the crew is capable of launching craft without mechanical means. So as long as you're not using a hiab or a skip lorry, any visitor moorings such as Museum Gardens at York, Naburn, or Boroughbrige, or any lock moorings such as Linton on Ouse or Westwick are free to use for launching and recovering small craft.
Most engines under 6hp are pretty easy to put on the boat once it's in the water, weighing 25kg or less. Outboards of 7-10hp are about 30-40kg and are a bit of a struggle unless Mrs Hamble Flyer is an Olympic weightlifter !!! If you go to 15hp and above you're looking at 50kg plus - probably best with trailer and slipway for these. I've got a little Honda BF 2.3hp that weighs 13kg - you can lift it off the boat with one hand !
If you're in the Harrogate area the Ouse/Ure/Ripon Canal is a must. It's a delightful waterway.

wobbley · 02 October 2010, 00:41

I missed the 'Linton?' bit on your previous post, - this is one to be careful with. Above the lock the BW moorings are between the lock and the slipway. Below the lock the BW moorings are the strange looking floating pontoon with the walkway leading to it, NOT the moorings on the bank below the lock.
Its free to launch from BW facilities but ALL other areas at Linton are controlled by the marina here.
If you do use BW property for launching here and a chap comes up and demands a fiver from you,,,, - chuck him in!

Hamble Flyer · 05 October 2010, 20:20

Thanks Wobbley

I am now getting a clearer picture of the "ins and outs" (!) of SIB operations in my local area which is the Ouse/Ure . . . but still pondering on buying a conventional boat of say 11-12' on a trailer which can live in the garage. Pros and cons with either option I feel, although the SIB is more versatile when considering the occasional offshore boating trip.

I'll keep you posted with progress..........I am renowned for taking my time with things like this!

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