Totally Lost

[SantaCruzin]

Hello all!

Anyone mind pointing me in the right direction on a few questions I have about a SIB, or is it a RIB? As I said...I'm pretty lost. Long story short, I needed a galvanized trailer for my small sailboat and found a great deal on one that happened to have a 1983 Achilles SD-140 on it. To my surprise, it seems to be in pretty good shape and while it may not have many years of use left in it, I'd like to make use out of it if I can. Specifically, I'd like to use it for short near-shore fishing missions in the Monterey Bay. My experience is with small sailboats and a variety of power boats, and I've been coming up with more questions than answers on how to get things set up. So...some questions:
1. I currently have an 8 HP Honda outboard that's been the kicker on my Bayliner Explorer. It's got a long shaft which I know is not ideal, but for light use would anyone say definitely not to head out with this setup?
2. We've got little kids so time is at a premium. I'm thinking a lot of my trips will be heading out at 5AM for a few hours so I'll need some nav lights. Any recommended setups for that on a RIB?
3. Other than holding air in the chambers, any safety checks you recommend before heading out?
4. What is the preferred trailer setup for a RIB bunk-wise? Currently there's a single 4' bunk on either side at the rear of the boat and then a "platform" down the center of the tongue leading up to the bow stop. It seemed to work, but I don't want to assume.
5. Any hot tips for fishing out of a RIB in regards to ways to hold poles, transport your catch, etc?
6. Anything else to know?

[User name]

It's a RIB if it has a solid floor (not counting removable floor boards installed over a soft floor), and a SIB if it has a fabric/soft floor.

There are transom risers available that will allow you to mount a long shaft motor a little higher for use on boats that are designed for short shaft motors. Using a long shaft without a riser will put a bit more torsional force into the transom itself and that mightn't be in the healthiest state at this age.

Holding air is important obviously, but spray it down with soapy water to make sure there aren't any small leaks that aren't so obvious. Minor leaks, particularly at seams on a boat of this age could become more serious leaks when the boat is put under load. Also check that the internal baffles are ok and not leaking into the next chamber. In that case, a puncture in one chamber will result in the others deflating also.

You can get glue-on mounts for rods but my preference is the clamp-on style that I attach to the transom and the seat board. It means I can reconfigure it depending on whether I'm fishing alone or taking others out with me and I don't have to worry about the strength of the glue bond.

For transporting your catch, you can get a soft bait bucket. It's basically a fold-up PVC bag with a zip closure net on top. Just fill it with water and leave your catch in the bag. You can also zip the net top closed and leave it overboard on a rope so that the fish are kept alive and fresh for longer.