What to buy - Aerotec/ Honwave/ F-Rib?

[Fenlander]

Outboards are mostly very reliable and a clean looking one is often a good sign of decent maintenance. They need to start from cold with just a couple of pulls then soon settle down to a steady idle... rev freely with a raspy but not jangly noise. In and out of forward/reverse easily. Stop and restart on one pull when hot. Can't check much more at someone's house in a tank.

[mm289]

Really helpful, thanks Fenlander. I had seen a Aerotec/15HP Mariner OB package for £2200 but it was circa 2006/7. The Data plate on the Aerotec says CE 0607 which I am guessing is a June 07 build?

Anyway, I was thinking at 11 year old it was pushing it a bit although it looks very clean.

Cheers,

MM

[Max...]

Check it out but aim for under £2k and try and get some extras in that package - I would not be too concerned with the age thing for a mid/late 2000's - if you do the fingernail in a seam test and see if anything lifts. LJ's - many of us on SIB's use buoyancy aids as more practical and suited to the use but you must make your own decision on this. Decathlon have a really good range and they are well made too IME.

[Fenlander]

>>> I would not be too concerned with the age thing for a mid/late 2000's - if you do the fingernail in a seam test and see if anything lifts.

Max I know glue isn't your favourite Aerotec topic but to be fair to MM he needs to know or could end up with a disaster of a purchase. I'd only not mentioned it in detail before as with his initial £3k budget and the possibility of that 2016 one on here it wouldn't have been an issue.


To expand MM...

On any Zodiac/Bombard over 10yrs old a very careful check needs to be made on the glued seams floor-tubes and transom-tubes/floor. Age and heat causes the glue bond to fail. Age is the obvious factor as you can check from the serial no. plate but the boat's exposure to light/heat/use is an unknown. Do beware any where the owner says we kept it at our holiday place in Spain as strong heat in other than the UK can be a factor.

Personally I've not seen any with glue failure at the 10yr point but owned one at 18yrs old which needed repairs and read many reports on here of boats from the early 2000s suffering. So from 10 to 20yrs there is a probability/possibility curve you have to be aware of.

Here is where a member did an amazing total re-glue on a 2001 last year... http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/bombard...oor-77045.html

And here a member who had the transom come away suddenly on the water (and in the thread two more members report similar)… http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/aerotec...off-73242.html

And this where a member had the transom come away on his 2005 that he'd not long bought... http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/bombard...air-69880.html

And finally a very worthwhile long thread where two members went to see the same 2003 Aerotec and had differing views on its condition... at post #28 Neil who bought it very honestly says he was sold a dud and it needed a complete floor/transom re-glue at £360. Bear in mind Neil is experienced in inflatables and knew what he was looking for and even then the problems weren't that obvious on viewing... http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/bombard...ree-71504.html

I have an idea though MM. Buy the guy's £3k 2016 Aerotec package on here and sell off the OB. A little used 2016 model 20hp should fetch enough to leave you with a 2yr old Aerotec that would be around £2500 new** for £1500 or less. Possibly the best age vs cost balance you'd ever get. A thought???


**A side note it's almost impossible to buy a new Aerotec at the moment as they've been out of production again for some months.

[Max...]

I'll certainly bow to your superior knowledge with older AT's and re-gluing. Just saying don't automatically dismiss one by age especially if not *that* old. Plenty of older ones soldier on way past the sell by date. Storage and local conditions will undoubtedly have something to do with it.

Sound advice re' wheeler dealering if you have the time/space/inclination - both David (I think?) and myself have been through a cycle of buying/selling/splitting outfits over a number of years (for me the most beneficial is a trailer/boat/outboard/extras set up) that you can 'break' up - keep what you need, sell on what you don't and within a few years you effectively end up with a 'free' outfit that suits you perfectly.

[Fenlander]

Yep I'm sorry to bang on about the glue thing but once MM said he would look at the lower priced outfits I though that many offered do not state the year and when asked they tend to be in the date range of the failures we've seen on here. So I would have hated MM to have bought such an outfit... had a glue issue a few months in... and asked quite reasonably... "you all knew why didn't you mention it".

I don't think our SIB upgrading and outfit splitting has seen us do quite as well as you but it has meant our past 10+yrs sibbing at worse has never seen an overall depreciation of SIB or OB funds and at best we're probably a bit up overall.

Of course having bought Aerotec new in 2015 and OB in 2016 these will both lose but as long as we keep for 5+yrs the yearly loss is fine.

[Fenlander]

>>> sidetracked by Fenlanders Garmin Echo DV45 thread and now thinking of something similar as well

There is only so much you need for a SIB but gadgets are always on the boys toys radar. Many folks don't bother with a small plotter when sibbing but I come from a past of larger boats so still like to know where I am as if drawing a lot more water... old habits and all that. There are many models/makes to choose from but I'm happy with the Garmin. On offer here at £239.95 which is about what the included free chart software would cost at retail... Chartplotters: Garmin Echomap CHIRP 45cv (dv) Excluding Transducer (010-01565-10)


Not that I wish to encourage of course...

[mm289]

Guys, really appreciate the open dialogue and advice, I am on quite a few forums with my various "hobbies" and many forums struggle to engage in these conversations without getting very "sensitive", so I really appreciate it when contributors are as open and well mannered as you guys


Cheers
MM

[mm289]

Re the "age" thing......


It's very useful to know worst case scenario's then you can buy fully aware. I restore old cars when I get the time and my modus operandi now is too buy basket cases as I know exactly what I am buying and have the skills to repair to my standards. Equally, some good friends are looking at buying a VW Bay Camper so went to look at one for them at the weekend and was able to point out all the good/bad and potential bits based on my reasonable experience in that area.


On the boating front I recognise I am at present a novice so any advice is fantastic - it also helps me to walk away more easily! Was in communication with a seller last night/today on a package which was really cheap but the seller couldn't remember its age even though he bought it from new, despite asking 4 times in different ways he couldn't even give me a rough idea - so at that point I just backed away!


Take the point on Whitesharks one re splitting up. I think the only factor in that is ideally I would like a bit more of a "package", just to save me the hassle of buying lots of stuff new like pump, anchor, lines, wheels etc....


Cheers,


MM

[mm289]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

There is only so much you need for a SIB but gadgets are always on the boys toys radar.

Is the story of my life - but in my defence, I think it will be a really useful piece of equipment combining depth sounding, fish finding and route planning all in one, so safety/fun/ease of use all covered off in one go!


I did do my Shore Skipper many years ago so have some familiarity with navigation/COLREG's etc and also have booked myself on RYA Powerboat 2 for 2 weeks time, so I should be a bit better informed after that as well


Cheers,


MM

[Big Al C]

Originally Posted by mm289

Really helpful, thanks Fenlander. I had seen a Aerotec/15HP Mariner OB package for £2200 but it was circa 2006/7. The Data plate on the Aerotec says CE 0607 which I am guessing is a June 07 build?

Anyway, I was thinking at 11 year old it was pushing it a bit although it looks very clean.

Cheers,

MM

That CE number is not the date..... it's on a separate plate on the back of the transom...... last 2 digits gives you the year...... if it's not there.. you can find it stamped into the transom behind the alloy thumb screw plate.

[mm289]

Thanks Al, most of the sellers on e-bay/Gumtree don't seem to have a clue about the age of the outfit (or don't want to say!).

That info is helpful as I will know where to look when I go see one.

Cheers,

MM

[Boatozzy]

Thought I might add that I am now part of the Bombard Aerotec club! There was me speaking to Fenlander over the weekend about getting my existing rig serviced which will now be put up for sale. I somehow woke up this morning with another boat in the house

@MM289 this is my 3rd SIB so I am guilty of what seems to be normal behaviour when getting into Sibbing. Happy to share my first experiences and a few pics this weekend if the weather is good for a run down to the coast

[Fenlander]

Congrats Boatozzy... we now have matching outfits... well except I assume yours is high speed red? I hope you like it when you get on the water.

[mm289]

Thanks Boatozzy, welcome any experiences you can share

Slightly off topic, but if anyone is coming down Kent way this weekend there is a great classic car show on at Deal/Walmer next to the lifeboat station on the Saturday (26th). I only do a couple of shows a year and this is one of the best, lovely location by the beach. loads of interesting cars, couple of bandstands etc etc.

Could combine a SIB'ing weekend with viewing some lovely cars and bikes.

If you do get down I will be there next to the Royal Marines bandstand in the american car section - not quite a "classic" yet but one of my more reliable ones

Pop by and say hi

Cheers,

MM

[Neil Harvey]

Originally Posted by mm289

Re the "age" thing......


I restore old cars when I get the time and my modus operandi now is too buy basket cases as I know exactly what I am buying and have the skills to repair to my standards.
MM

I bought Fenlanders original battered grey Aerotec.
It is now falling apart at the transom, and the large patch to fix a split in the side has been removed (it started coming off).

I will probably scrap it. But, if you want to get a "basket case", a full transom and floor re-glue is about £360 from Ribshop in Swanwick. You'd be left with an old AT, with many other patches etc, for the cost of the re-glue (might get away with transom only for about £180; I'll give it away if it's of interest.

PM me though, as I don't look in here too often

[Big Al C]

The CE mark is to do with EU safety tests,,,,, my first aerotec I thought I had a 0607 boat,,, plate was missing from the back. Found it stamped into the transom when doing a lifting block for the outboard to sit on. Turned out to be 01. Sold it last year with no signs of glue letting go.

[Boatozzy]

Yes it's Red Will be going through the forum this week picking up Aerotec tips.

[Fenlander]

MM that's a chunky looking motor. I've been a car enthusiast all my life, Mrs Fenlander and I have owned over 80 between us. I enjoy carrying out all my own work to a pro standard and currently I have an excellent example of a 16yr old car, she has a minter of a 10yr old pillarless coupe. But I won't sidetrack this thread any more down car lines....

Big Al that's good your old one was free of glue issues at 17yrs. It's evident they don't all suddenly fail at that age but there have been enough suffer the issue to alert potential buyers to it.

Neil just the other month when I was prepping our current Aerotec for holidays Mrs and I pondered if the old one might still be going. I'm not totally surprised it isn't as so many other member's transoms have failed in the 3yrs since I used that boat. Also since I did the spot repairs to sections I have heard that when you use solvent to clean areas it weakens the adj glue hastening its failure. So now if I were doing another I'd have the whole job done in one as you did with your next Aerotec.

[Fenlander]

Boatozzy btw I must mention if I'm right thinking you have a 2013 it's important to check your Suzuki had its timing belt changed. If it has been dealer serviced it should have been but if not failure could cause a nasty breakdown. They are due at the fourth yearly service and one item I wouldn't risk leaving.