different searider hulls?

dodl · 23 July 2008, 19:34

Hello,

3 years ago, i had a Avon Searider 4,70. The boat was rock stable and i was really satisfied with it.
Thought of buying one again, since there are no 470 on the market i'd go for a 5,4m.

Now my boat had a very stable deck, about 1cm thick, with plywood core. Below there were some kind of sealed "compartments". The deck was reinforced at the stern (because of a righting bag?). Everything very rugged and stiff. It was not any kind of a special model, the normal 4.7 in the de luxe version. Built around 1988.

In a german forum i read about a SR 5.4 where all those things are not included. Just a simple 5mm GRP Deck, nothing else. Big trouble with the transom which is weak by design (and rotten).

Did Avon change at some time the construction of their hulls?
I dont want to go from Austria to UK by car, just to find such a junk boat.
What i want is again the same bulletproof design i had on my last SR.

Are there any infos, charts or something else, where i could find out if a boat i'm looking at, is the solid version? Just in case there had really been a redesign sometimes in the past?

many thanks
martin

Downhilldai · 23 July 2008, 22:32

I've never seen a moulded GRP deck on a 5.4 Searider - maybe it was an Adventure? Some of the newer ones have a GRP deck

Come to think of it, maybe the Deluxe models with bucket seats, windscreen and 'bonnet' have moulded decks

dodl · 23 July 2008, 23:12

My old one was a deluxe with windscreen and had the plywood core. And some kind of weird design below the deck. The "compartments" i mentioned. They seemed to really act as additional compartments and fulfilled the purpose, stringers do on more conventional hull designs.

So this can not be the reason, not on those old models. The deluxe had a stable deck.

I always thought those SR's all have this design. But then i don't have a reason to doubt, if a guy who has his transom cut away from the hull, writes that his deck is only 3-5mm simple GRP.

thanks
martin

yorfuoj · 14 August 2008, 09:59

I think Avon is owned by Zodiac now - possibly the reason for weakening a good old product !
There are plenty of very good deep V hulls, I know one made in France by a local shipyard close to Nice, which can make the deck fitting as you want, with nice console, lockers, hypalon 1670dtx pontoon, etc ... and good price, direct from manufacturer to customer.

And he has a very nice catamaran line too - I have one !

yorfuoj · 14 August 2008, 10:01

this shipyard name is Apoge Polyester, email is : apogepolyester@yahoo.fr