jwn74, I have an aluminum hard deck and roll up deck you can measure. I am in San Diego, so you can get the exact dimensions then go and buy your marine plywood.
PM me and i will send you my email.
They suck up weeds like mad. To the point of needing to tilt the motor and rake them off. We used a hand held garden tool for this job, its surprisingly hard to reach back there while on the water. Rocks not so much unless you are in water so shallow the tubes are scuffing.
Performance wise most jets lose about 20% of the rated HP compared to a prop. In my experience with them they are quite inefficient in the mid-range too. Its idle or full throttle.
Unless you have a specific need for a Jet (running in rivers or around swimmers as a rescue boat) I would stick with a conventional prop.
I had an E-Tech 40hp with a DuraJet lower on a Zodiac F470. I never had a weed problem but I tend to steer clear of the weedy patches anyway.
I agree with Captnjack- if you don't need a jet for reasons stated above then you are better off with a nice stainless prop. The performance will be better with a prop. We were doing some night ops with swimmers in the water so the added safety of the jet was a plus.
Attached please find some tech specs (propaganda from the jet folks) on the prop Vs. jet.
They suck up weeds like mad. To the point of needing to tilt the motor and rake them off. We used a hand held garden tool for this job, its surprisingly hard to reach back there while on the water. Rocks not so much unless you are in water so shallow the tubes are scuffing.
Performance wise most jets lose about 20% of the rated HP compared to a prop. In my experience with them they are quite inefficient in the mid-range too. Its idle or full throttle.
Unless you have a specific need for a Jet (running in rivers or around swimmers as a rescue boat) I would stick with a conventional prop.
Thanks Captain! I am really thinking about getting an ETEC 65 commercial (rope start, tiller) for my boat once I need to replace the current motor. Was concerned about the weight of a 240 lb etec on a 470 but it seems to be the norm for military applications nowadays.
I had an E-Tech 40hp with a DuraJet lower on a Zodiac F470. I never had a weed problem but I tend to steer clear of the weedy patches anyway.
I agree with Captnjack- if you don't need a jet for reasons stated above then you are better off with a nice stainless prop. The performance will be better with a prop. We were doing some night ops with swimmers in the water so the added safety of the jet was a plus.
Attached please find some tech specs (propaganda from the jet folks) on the prop Vs. jet.
The "Durajet" is really more like a Kort nozzle on a prop than a Jet. Agree its probably better for those who just want swimmer/diver protection. Performance-wise it looks pretty damn good too. For shallow water running where there are logs and stumps in your river, this is what I meant by "Jet".
The "Durajet" is really more like a Kort nozzle on a prop than a Jet. Agree its probably better for those who just want swimmer/diver protection. Performance-wise it looks pretty damn good too. For shallow water running where there are logs and stumps in your river, this is what I meant by "Jet".
Ah, yes, a Yamaha Outboard Jet lower will come at cost in HP. The benefit is running in much more shallow water than an Etech DuraJet or traditional outboard.
I have another boat that was made by RiverPro. It will run in 3" of water at 50mph. The bottom is thick aluminum that is made for harsh river conditions. Basically it is a Jon boat with 200 hp jet. Merc put the 250hp Optimax power head on the jet drive just to get the 200 hp output. That's a 20% loss of power and the inboard jet drive system is much more effecient than a outboard jet drive system. The RiverPro is the best boat I have ever seen on a river but it was not designed for big water or open water. It is a rough ride in big waves. I've got my wife talked into letting me keep the RiverPro and my project SeaRider 5.4 for the lakes.
I have an older 55 Evinrude on F470 with hard deck. I have had several of these boats. I had a Merc 50 4 stroke, a Johnson military 30 horse and a Honda for a short time. I have run 25's and 15's on smaller Zodiacs. I have been diving off of these for many years and barely get on step with a full load and 4 stroke. I like the look and theory of the jet drive, and they suggest no loss of power, but I would not want to gamble. If I did, perhaps someone with experience would know if there is a way to adjust the pitch like with a more conventional prop? My fellow Winnipeger is right on the money, the 2 stroke etec 65 is a 240 lb motor with a great hole shot. They will want $7200 new, and no one stocks it in Canada yet. My transom handled a 50 4 stroke easy, but you need to keep the boat tight. (which is tricky when the lake freezes over night).
Sorry to go off topic, but I was thinking of upgrading to one of these types of boats. I currently have a Futura MKII. How do these boats handle rough water compared to something like I have? I sure would love to have the additional space!
I went from MkI to F470 10 years ago. Night and day. On the lakes there is a hugh difference in the chop. You will need to trailer or crane the F470 if you launch solo as you will cause damage doing it alone. The MkI sits and will likely sit until the kids want to play with it. The only disadvantage is weight and price. Excellent for diving.
Hey Martini, Re. that bag, its definitely Zodiac. Their accessory line is branded Access. You can see in the pics there is an aluminum extrusion attached to the transom which has a tubular slot running its length. The bag has a cylindrical tag along the length of its back, like heavy piping, which slides into the aluminum thus securing it.
Guess I got lucky when they threw it in with the boat. Those MilPro boats look wicked!
Hi Guys,
These are the boats we use in the Marines. We use a Tohatsu 50 and they go like a rocket with just the coxswain in. Instead of fuel tanks we use Avon fuel bags and carry 4 which gives us a range of about 80nm.
Ours are Hypalon and weigh 650kgs with engine and fuel and are supposedly man portable. The aluminium hard floor is a major pain in the arse to fit, the roll up slatted deck with jump off board our preferred choice.
They come with a manual that says they're a militarized Zodiac fastroller Mk3 if that helps anyone.
They are majorly robust and take a hammering from us due to the nature of the job. They work brilliantly in surf due to the speed tubes.
Hey Martini, Re. that bag, its definitely Zodiac. Their accessory line is branded Access. You can see in the pics there is an aluminum extrusion attached to the transom which has a tubular slot running its length. The bag has a cylindrical tag along the length of its back, like heavy piping, which slides into the aluminum thus securing it.
Guess I got lucky when they threw it in with the boat. Those MilPro boats look wicked!
Thanks NP, I searched everywhere, the nearest I could find was the type that attach to a thwart seat. No worries though, I've bought a bag designed to mount on an ATV which suits my needs quite well
Had no idea this page has gotten so long. The follow up on the floor leak....seller wanted me to mail the floor back to ohio, then reglue it, then have them send it back. It was too much hassle for me. So now I just have a slow leak in the HP floor that I top off before I go out.
Some people are asking how it handles seas...I have never thought these boats handle chop very well, these boats meaning soft bottom inflatables. The chop really slaps and pushes the bow around, and in big enough chop (1 t 3) you really can't go too fast, i.e. plane. You can try, but getting thrown out of the boat is likely. This is my experience using these boats with tiller motors.
I have had these things out 10 to 15 miles diving when I was young and stupid, and can say they are nearly impossible to flip or sink. My idea of fun however has changed as I've matured, and now I'd much rather go offshore in a 26 foot cat then an inflatable.
Someone asked about comparing to futuras, etc. The 470 and certainly the 530 are better left inflated and on a trailer, and launched at the boat ramp, rather then deflated in the back of a pick up.
I've worn out a couple of transoms storing and deploying inflatables a couple hundred times, so now I just leave it on the trailer.
In my opinion, for a recreational user, these boats are ideal for someone who wants to do rivers, creeks, intracoastal waterways, or who live in an area with good dive sites within a couple miles of shore.
I'm going to take mine a couple miles offshore this week and do a dive or two, will try and take some pics...
I've finally decided to stop trying to fish off these boats, as no matter how careful you are a hook or fin will find paydirt no matter how careful you are.
Ive gotten some amazing gas mileage out of the etec. Sometime soon I'm going to post my result of running a two gallon tank dry on some smooth water and post up my numbers.
I'm guessing I got about 14 to 15 mpg last time out with 450 pounds payload onboard. And this was in some really crappy wind chop.
I wish I could try other props on this Etec 25 without having to buy a whole bunch. Im guessing with the weight of the boat only being 400lbs. fueled, a very aggressive larger diameter prop could be used, giving even better fuel burn and top end. The stock is a 12 inch.
I know this is an older post but has anyone found a cargo net specifically designed for a Zodiac FC470? The links below no longer work. Who made these?
Quote:
Originally Posted by martini
Just thought I share my recent learnings on the subject of storage...
Another heads up for anyone interested: While my google search terms went from zodiac bag to cargo bag etc etc, I turned up a cargo net designed specifically for the FC470. This I thought could be really handy as well as adding to the "Mil-factor". (Did I just invent a new catchphrase? )
They're made for the US military so I guess they're really well made but priced between 300-400 USD made me hesitate briefly!
However I came across an eBay auction yesterday where there was 4 (brand new) for sale at $49.00 Needless to say there's only 3 now but if anyone's looking for a bargain:
I really like this. Can you send me the template or drawings?
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newport F470
Here are some photos of the hard deck I recently built. I made it from marine grade plywood. I'm still trying to figure out what to do for the joint between the fore and aft boards, although the boards work fine and stay in place by themselves.
I have a crude template I used. You can have it if you want. Its just a drawing on cardboard.
My FC470 is a 1992 model boat. I am currently running the factory roll up floor. (I have an extra floor if anybody wants to buy one) Anyway, I found a decent deal on a used Yamaha 40hp short shaft Jet. The transom on my boat calls for a short shaft motor. My question is, will I notice the loss of power between a prop & a Jet on this size of boat? I also like the looks of that marine grade plywood floor! It looks like the floor I put in the bed of my 54 Ford F-100!
I know this is an older post but has anyone found a cargo net specifically designed for a Zodiac FC470? The links below no longer work. Who made these?
It turned out the net didn't fit the bow of an FC470 at all, it was rectangular in shape. I cut it down to fit better and played around with the attachments etc.
Search for Load Tamer cargo nets, buy one for a pick up truck or similar and chop it to suit. Don't pay too much though, they're nothing special really.
A lightly loaded F470 is ideal for a 30 HP minimum, will have more fun than with a 25. You need to air top tubes and air deck to factory recommended working pressures with gauge once sib is floating for some minutes rest to let time for pressure to stabilize, then top again if needed.
Some months ago beated (20) F420/470 sibs equiped with 30 & 40 HP engines on a mile race with flat calm, no wind waters. Shamely on them, all were beaten with a 430 rib with just a portable 18 HP engine, due to : all were under inflated rocking worst than a large marshmellow, their problem, not mine.
Needless to say there's only 3 now 
