SIB material options (used boat)

Arctic · 22 March 2016, 13:09

Ok, now I have sorted the storage and launching plan I am after an inflatable of max 4m to go with my Suzuki 20hp (4 stroke) short shaft outboard. A friend knows a guy selling a 5 year old Humber 13i that should be in Humber's traditional standard orange Hypalon. Another option that has come up is a 2 year old Bombard C3 which I believe is PVC. Neither are close by so I would rather only view one with a view to bringing it home if all is in order.

Both boats take short shaft outboards so that is not an issue.

Does anyone have experience of either boat and, in particular, a view about the age vs material? The boat will be kept on a launching trolley and I have a cover that can be adjusted to fit.

Would the Humber last longer or has modern PVC technology caught up and therefore the newer C3 be a better buy? The Humber is a bit more expensive but I expect it is negotiable.

office888 · 22 March 2016, 13:15

The C3 has all-welded air seams. It still has a hand glued transom and floor.

Max... · 22 March 2016, 13:30

As above it's usually the glue that goes rather than the material - some of the really quite old Hypalon Avon boats seem to go on forever and were beautifully made - I'd put one of those on the shortlist.

Having said that if the boats you are looking at are 2 - 5 years old then you should have no worries for quite a long time.

Given the choice (most of us are shackled by weight concerns and the fact that virtually all the popular SIB's - Zodiacs, Honwaves, Aerotec etc are PVC only) I'd have Hypalon all day long if I could. Nothing beats an old Avon or Zodiac in grey Hypalon and varnished marine ply in terms of aesthetics and build quality.

otilly · 22 March 2016, 13:44

I had a C3; completely desintegrated after 20 years. Unrepairable. Made a nice bonfire.

Arctic · 22 March 2016, 15:00

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. I'd really like a hypalon boat from Avon as the old ones were great. I haven't had any luck finding a good one recently. Shame they don't make them anymore.

All things considered, the hypalon Humber would probably be the better boat then. Any thoughts on the build quality of Humber's products? I have heard both good and bad things, but there are some old boats still in use.

Max... · 22 March 2016, 15:10

Cannot comment really on the Humber's with no experience but the Avons' are reasonably common and come up on eBay quite a bit. Where abouts are you?

(Very jealous of your easy access to the water/storage set-up).

office888 · 22 March 2016, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by otilly

I had a C3; completely desintegrated after 20 years. Unrepairable. Made a nice bonfire.

I'd say you got your moneys worth.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max...

As above it's usually the glue that goes rather than the material - some of the really quite old Hypalon Avon boats seem to go on forever and were beautifully made - I'd put one of those on the shortlist.

Having said that if the boats you are looking at are 2 - 5 years old then you should have no worries for quite a long time.

Given the choice (most of us are shackled by weight concerns and the fact that virtually all the popular SIB's - Zodiacs, Honwaves, Aerotec etc are PVC only) I'd have Hypalon all day long if I could. Nothing beats an old Avon or Zodiac in grey Hypalon and varnished marine ply in terms of aesthetics and build quality.

Newer designs tend to have drier rides than their older counterparts. Older boats are usually designed around 2-stroke outboards, so if you put a 4-stroke on them, they perform like garbage.

Back in the days of DuPont Hypalon(R) and Avon Rubber Co. CSM, those boats did last forever...but, those days are gone now. Both companies no longer produce Hypalon/CSM fabric. All of the production has gone to Pennel & Flipo or Achilles JP.

I completely agree with you on the older wood! Zodiac used to own a share of a tree farm that they harvested all of their mahogany from...

Arctic · 22 March 2016, 18:45

The boat will be kept and used in Sweden. The C3 is fairly local, the Humber is back in the UK but I will be over there early next month. It is a bit of a pain to get a boat to where I am working so a SIB is best and it must match the engine I have available... 20hp short shaft 4 stroke. I tend to get around a bit so SIBs are a great way of exploring the coast and are fairly easy to move around on a pallet.

Is the modern Hypalon currently used very different to that used by Avon & co. in the past?

Or is it a bit like the first GRP boats... heavily laid up as no one had experience with how they'd hold up.