Storage

[Notebook]

Hi
Talked to a guy with a sib he bought second hand. Said a few things
Don’t go below 8hp if going around the coast
Leaving them outside, stored or on a buoy will eventually rot the joints.
Something about storing inflated upright.

Showed me a bit coming away on his rib. Going to glue it bit by bit

Any comments on the above?
Also what type of pvc are honwaves made from? Good I hope.

Thanks

[Mikefule]

I no longer use my SIB s much as I used to, but there was a period a few years ago when it spent a lot of time in inshore waters, sometimes off the south Devon coast, sometimes off St Abbs (north sea coast of Scotland) and in the sea lochs of west Scotland, and out of Oban into the sea there. I did as much on the 3 hp 2 stroke that I had at the time as I did on the 15. It was lighter, which translated into easier transport, launching and recovering.

In a small SIB, when it gets choppy, you're often more comfortable sticking to displacement speeds rather than planing and slamming, and 3 hp was enough for that. My longest day was 24 miles on the 3 hp.

This was solo or with one passenger, and with one or two sets of scuba gear onboard.

So, "Don't go below 8 hp if going around the coast," is no more than one opinion.

You need your boat to be able to make progress against the worst conditions (wind, waves, tide) that you will be out in. Fighting 8 kt tides in the Bristol Channel, you'd need to be comfortably on the plane. Or you can do what sailors do: time your voyage to work with the tides.

Fighting 6 ft waves and a blow, you may opt to take it steady rather than risk catching the wind and flipping over.

More power is not always the answer especially in a small boat.

As for the joints rotting if the boat is stored outside, there are many variables such as tube material, climate, salt or fresh water, whether the boat is protected from seagull droppings etc. Plenty of boats are left safely at moorings or stored outside on trailers, and are checked, cleaned and maintained regularly. Plenty of other boats are left and half forgotten for several seasons and suffer for it. On the other hand, I stored my previous boat folded in a rural barn for several years without problems, moved it to a suburban garage and it was half eaten by mice and had to be written off during the first winter in its new quarters.

[Notebook]

Thanks
They guy went somewhere and probably against tide and wind struggled to get back at any speed.
I wouldn’t plan to go out if it was choppy, would go upstream inland.
Sounds like leaving / using it for a Few weeks or so Before washing and storing in my shed sounds ok.
I was thinking around 10hp. Tomahatsu or Honda.

[Mikefule]

Originally Posted by Notebook

Thanks
They guy went somewhere and probably against tide and wind struggled to get back at any speed.
I wouldn’t plan to go out if it was choppy, would go upstream inland.
Sounds like leaving / using it for a Few weeks or so Before washing and storing in my shed sounds ok.
I was thinking around 10hp. Tomahatsu or Honda.

Some people will say go for the biggest engine you can afford that your boat will take. Others will say the heaviest engine you can easily carry on your own.

Personally, I feel that an important distinction is between those with an internal fuel tank and those that need a remote fuel tank. There are pros and cons to both: remote is better if you are doing long distances as it's easier to swap over tanks than it is is to pour fuel into the top of an engine. However, a real consideration is that a remote fuel tank takes up floor space in a small boat. An external tank is also several more opportunities for splits and leaks in the fuel system.

My ideal size would probably be 6 hp which I think is the biggest you can get with an internal tank. Others will disagree. Valid opinions = N+1 where N is the number of people you've asked.

[Notebook]

Originally Posted by Mikefule

Some people will say go for the biggest engine you can afford that your boat will take. Others will say the heaviest engine you can easily carry on your own.

Personally, I feel that an important distinction is between those with an internal fuel tank and those that need a remote fuel tank. There are pros and cons to both: remote is better if you are doing long distances as it's easier to swap over tanks than it is is to pour fuel into the top of an engine. However, a real consideration is that a remote fuel tank takes up floor space in a small boat. An external tank is also several more opportunities for splits and leaks in the fuel system.

My ideal size would probably be 6 hp which I think is the biggest you can get with an internal tank. Others will disagree. Valid opinions = N+1 where N is the number of people you've asked.

Looking at tohatsu, it says internal fuel tank 1.15 ltr
On a 6hp 4 stroke.
That correct? How far would that get you?
My 4x4 would Get off the drive on that.
Thanks

[Notebook]

Just read the Honda 6 says 1.1ltr around 60 mins.

[Mikefule]

Fuel consumption for an outboard is usually measured in units of time rather than distance. However, it will vary according to throttle setting.

On my longer trips, I used to take a remote tank (thus negating one of the benefits of the smaller engine!) and use the squeezy bulb to pump fuel into the outboard's integral tank. I preferred the ease of setting up, launching and recovering with a small engine and my heavier faster engine fell into disuse.

There is also a psychological effect that a small engine at medium revs feels like it is making god progress, whereas a larger engine at just above idle may be pushing the boat at the same speed, but feels like you're not getting anywhere. These days, most of my SIBbing is on rivers and canals where there are speed limits.

[Notebook]

Thanks for that.

[Notebook]

Another question. What size outboard do you use?
Why pump it in?
Could you not top up from a system like a box of wine?
Real dumb one next. Ready- if you secure your boat to a buoy. How do you get to shore?
Don’t laugh.

[Mikefule]

My current set up is a 3.1 Zodiac with a choice of 9.9 hp 4 stroke, 3 hp 2 stroke, or a Torqeedo electric.

The 9.9 runs off a remote tank and is good for several hours without refuelling.

The 3 hp has an integral tank. On the river, I'd be happy to refuel from a small can using a funnel. On the sea, hanging over the stern to do that would be risky. This is when I might refill by pumping the fuel from a separate tank. This is what I used to do when I spent long days on the Scottish sea lochs many years ago. It is safer than hanging over the stern using a fuel can and funnel.

The Torqeedo electric is really for the sailing dinghy although I seldom use it. I have used it on short river trips on the SIB.

If you leave your boat moored to a buoy, you have 3 options:

• Swim ashore.
• Use a smaller boat as a tender.
• Some complex arrangement of pulleys to pull the boat out to the buoy: unlikely. However there are ways and means of setting up a short term system of anchors so you can land on a beach then pull your boat out to deeper water.