can i change out an air deck floor for an alu floor

[neo]

Hey up guys
i have a hydro force sunsaile 3.8 with 15hp murcury the boat has an drop stitch air deck floor and wondered if i could refit it out by buying an aluminium floor and fitting it in. is there anything on boat with alu deck that the alu deck sits on or attaches to or does it just sit in the same as an air deck.
Regards ian.

[The Gurnard]

Hi neo.. welcome to the forum.

I saw your first post which was basically asking the same question..but I didn’t answer it because I don’t know anything about the Hydroforce brand of SIB.

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/sunsail...elp-74836.html

However as on one else has offered any advice..here are my thoughts.

I have done a quick search and note that HydroForce do make an airfloor and also an Aluminium floor in the 3.8m size SIB. Presumably you would be purchasing the floor..stringers and inflatable keel from them to do the conversion? If so..they will certainly be able to give you the answer you are asking.. ie..is it a straight swap.

If you are wondering about putting a solid floor into your hydroforce from another brand of SIB..or perhaps making a home made one.. its worth remembering that your safety is dependent on the integrity of the boat ... if you are at sea and the waves get up. As such it is not something I would do but that doesn’t mean others may not do it.

If its of any help .. I doubt if an airfloor would just slot into place on my solid floored Quicksilver Brand SIB ..so perhaps its not quite so simple as a straight swap ? There are no extra fittings in a SIB with a solid floor.. but it has a tight fit under the tubes when pressurised so it can’t come out..and its overall length is pretty exact too so it stretches the tubes out to their correct length.

Hope that helps some ..My opinion only .. others may have different opinions or even some experience with the Hydroforce Brand of boat

[neo]

3 times now i have written full page replies to your comment and when i go to post it says i am not logged in when i and and refuse to write it again sorry and thank you so much for the information

[neo]

but yet now it will send. WOW

[Rover310]

Originally Posted by neo

3 times now i have written full page replies to your comment and when i go to post it says i am not logged in when i and and refuse to write it again sorry and thank you so much for the information

That's because your account log-in will 'time out' if you tend to write long posts. .. I'm sure it's just part of the sites security features.

[Pikey Dave]

Before you post it, copy it & if it fails, just paste it back into a new post. Have you ticked the "keep me logged in" box ?

[neo]

yes thank you that is what i was meant to do everytime but forgot each time

[jeffstevens763@g]

I would say that you carnt fit an Ali floor straight in because it's not the correct profile or size to fit, having said that if it's an inflateable keel you could try making a plywood floor the boards would need to fit very snug under the tubes and the keel blow up enough to tension the floor skin. If you buy exterior ply from B&Q cost wouldn't be that prohibitive to try.

What is the reason to change are you getting the floor ripple?

[Fenlander]

**Edit: Ahh very similar thoughts to Jeff!

Broadly speaking there's nothing very different between the design of the SIB tubes/floor/transom between and air deck version and a hard floor version. As Gurnard mentions in both cases the design/size of the floor, air or hard, just needs to snugly fit in the join between tube and floor fabric so it's all kept tight. The way hard floors are made when the final two panels are pushed down where they meet they stretch the boat tight.

You would have to get in touch with the supplier of your SIB make to find out if they did air & hard floor versions of the same design... and then but a new floor if avaialble.

But it's never worth the trouble. If you are unhappy with your air floor just sell it and but a similar value alloy floor model.

If you wanted though you could make a wooden floor from marine grade ply for your SIB using the air floor as a basic template. Still fiddly and more trouble than it's worth in my opinion.

[neo]

The company does the mariva 3.8 with the alu deck and does the sunsaile (what i have 2 brand new ones of) 3.8 which comes with the air deck both from what i can make out are the same boat just different floors
i have one complete setup with the air deck and the another sat brand new in the box with no deck full stop. so was just contemplating putting an alu deck in it (i got both boats brand fire new for half the price of just one so could not pass up on it)

I contacted the company on Friday and there reply was > i am sorry i cannot comment on this issue all i can say is we sell some boats with air decks and some boats with aluminium decks.

As you can appreciate i was blown away with the wealth of information in the reply, and asked to speak with someone within the company with the knowledge regarding my issue. (awaiting reply)

Thank you for the comments guys

[Fenlander]

>>>asked to speak with someone within the company with the knowledge regarding my issue.

That may take a while. Boats like this are likely to be Chinese made in batches where anyone can contact the factory and ask for ... say... a 3.8m air floor SIB in white with a blue rubbing strake and a brand name of your choice affixed.

They tend to have the spec the the factory dictates and... whatever they may tell you... the UK seller/dealer will not a lot of say in any changes/specs because they are being made to a generic design and labelled as several different brands.

Not saying it's a bad thing but a very different setup to a "proper" company like Zodiac.... and even they've had their iffy moments in recent years.

[Rover310]

Given that SIB air floors have differing shapes and dimensions, you'd either need a hard floor made by the OEM specifically for your model boat, or you'd need to go the scratch build route.

So what's wrong with your air floor that has you wanting to replace it with a hard floor?

[neo]

Yes i see what you are saying fenlander and i am afraid you are probably right,
and rover i have 2 boats of the same spec (hydro force sunsaile 3.8) both are brand new one is a complete setup (oars, seats, floor, liner, and keel) the other is just the liner (the liner being the boat itself) and keel but no floor and was just wondering if i could put an alu floor in that boat

[Fenlander]

If you want to get that effectively unuseable boat with no floor useable then I'd make a plywood floor.

[neo]

no i am sure at the very least i could buy a new air deck to go in to the other boat. to be honest i aint in no rush to do anything i have a perfectly good boat which i use all the time for fishing and it does everything. i only ask about the alu floor just as a thought and do research to see if it is possible

[neo]

Hey guys just an update on the deck issue, i received a reply back from the company this is what they said.
Dear Ian,

Thank you for your email.

As previously advised the Sunsaile 3.8 is sold with an inflatable floor and a foldable aluminium floor.

Unfortunately as yours does not have the aluminium floor, we cannot advise whether you can fit one to it or not.

Please accept our apologies for not being able to assist you further.

If there is anything else we can do to assist you please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind Regards
Gavin
Customer Service Team


Tel: 0345 576 0116
E-mail: support@bestwayaftersales.co.uk

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[jeffstevens763@g]

So does your floor you have fit both your boats?, will they send you dimensions of the Ali floor?

[neo]

Yes both of mine are the same spec boat.
But this now is the second time i have send an Email asking for details and both times they have come back with we sell some boats with alu deck and some with air decks,

its darn right annoying that a company can sell this things but yet have no knowledge about what they are selling and have an Email address that states that they are customer service/after care its a total and utter joke

I will not stop banging my had against the company wall till i can get some answers

and the chances are that seen as they do the air deck and the alu deck in the same boat they will be no difference in the make up of the boats i have posted a pic of the boat without the floor in this is the only one i have on my pc (prior to cleaning it after being out fishing

[neo]

no i have not lol god only knows how to upload a pic on here :S

[jeffstevens763@g]

https://garden.jardinitis.com/produc...etaxoC1gjw_wcB

ask these if you can buy one with both floor types.