Re: Inflatable boat rollers.

mixyblob · 10 August 2015, 16:23

Bought a pair of inflatable boat rollers about 3 months ago but only used them for the first time yesterday.
Absolutely fantastic, so simple to inflate and use, easy to deflate and take up very little space.
A great recommendation, thanks Gurnard.

The Gurnard · 19 August 2015, 07:50

Glad to have recommended them Mixyblob.. they certainly work for me too .. and its good to see you have an aux engine on the SIB.

IMO..far more important than transom wheels..which only help on land..not at sea where your SIB should be

mixyblob · 19 August 2015, 08:14

The aux is only a 2hp, one step up from an egg whisk. Probably quicker to swim home, towing the boat behind me.
Planning on upgrading the main to a 25hp Tohatsu for next season, the 9.8 is great for the two of us but useless if we take anyone else.

The Gurnard · 19 August 2015, 08:44

My wee 3.3hp two stroke is no bigger in physical size that a 2hp. It has no problem pushing my fully loaded 4.3m sib along at 5 or 6 knots. As long as your 2hp can keep the nose of your SIB into the waves in a rough chop.. you have a chance of surviving...in event of a breakdown on the main.

People often think the Aux is to get home..but IMO its purpose is to give you a fighting chance to get to the nearest safe land spot.. or to stop the boat broaching in a rough sea.

Better being up the creek with a small paddle than no paddle.

mixyblob · 19 August 2015, 10:22

Luckily we do all our boating no further than 2-3 hundred meters from the shore on the rivers Tavy and Tamar.
We have been known to do a "major expedition" as far afield as Cawsand, although still no more than a few hundred meters from the shore ;-)

kaman · 19 August 2015, 20:26

On the subject of small auxiliary engines I went out around the Mull of Galloway last week which has strong tides with my 2.5hp Suzuki 4 stroke as the main and 2.2hp Suzuki 2 stroke as a back up.

I usually take my tohatsu 20hp on the 3.5m Honwave with the 2.5hp as back up.

I though I would give my ageing back a rest and took my two egg beaters out to sea for a run .

No issues at.
It was slow going against the tide however both engines capable of pushing my SIB (slowly) through the tide and chop.
Gets you there - eventually.