Got the boat! (SR4) a few qu's...

[akirk]

A lovely drive down to Hampshire today and picked up the boat (Avon Searider SR4 bought from ebay) - very pleased with it... (some detail photos can be seen at Snipe Photos - click on the guest button and look for searider detail album)...

The trailer is an Indespension in very good condition - boat / tubes / etc. look good to the casual look...

but of course it has raised some questions - no doubt 100s still to come, but for now - I wonder whether wiser heads than mine will know some answers??!!

Fuel: the fuel tank is stored within the jockey console - the tank just fits in through the gap - but it is a 12 litre tank which doesn't seem very big...
- what is fuel consumption likely to be (pootling on the Thames / playing on the Solent) - 40hp Mariner 2 stroke from 1989 on the back.
- if that is the largest container which will get through the gap into the space under the seat - presumably a second could be added (space there) - is it simple though to change fuel out at sea / etc.?
- would you put another fuel tank somewhere else?

Kill Switch: the kill switch sits on the controls box - but is very fiddly to pull out to put a kill cord over... (it then clicks back in until you fall overboard!)
- how do folks pull these out?
- what ending for a kill cord is needed for this?

A-frame: the a-frame attachments don't look all that good the frame seems quite firm - but not sure I would rely on it for towing etc.
- is this something to fix?
- or leave to support aerial / lights only?!

Floor: there are holes in the floor - some empty / some with bolts in them
- is this a cause for concern (water into floor etc.?)
- console is screwed to floor and not flush fitting - likely issues?

Age: seems to be a 1989 engine (by serial number), and boat is either 1986 or 1989 (there is an overlapping 6 and 9 as the last figure on the transom)
- any known issues or nothing to worry about generally? (boat was in use last week...)

Thank you for your patience in reading this - any thoughts welcomed - very exciting to now have the boat - now just need to find time to put her on the water!

regards

Alasdair

[wakefox]

Kill cord - mine is the same, the end is a loop which sits over the switch. To push out the switch stick the ignition key in the little hole on top.

Fuel tanks - usually very easy to switch over on the move, just disconnect the fuel line at the tank and plug it into the new tank.

Edit: although it looks like your control box is mounted so you can't do that with the key?

[Boats&Outboards]

Originally Posted by wakefox

Kill cord - mine is the same, the end is a loop which sits over the switch. To push out the switch stick the ignition key in the little hole on top.

Fuel tanks - usually very easy to switch over on the move, just disconnect the fuel line at the tank and plug it into the new tank.

Edit: although it looks like your control box is mounted so you can't do that with the key?

I think the kill cord switch has been rotated within the control box, you need to turn it back anti clockwise 90 degrees, to do that it means opening the box up,

Then it's the hook and hoop style kill cord as advised. Whatever you do DON'T be tempted to run without one,

Peter @ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ askboatsandoutboards4sale@sky.com ~ 07930 421007

[9D280]

Kill switch - other option if it's in a pain of a place is to move it to the console. That's what I did. Those ones are a bit of a double edged sword - if you do go over the side, your crew can switch it straight back on and come & fetch you. Down side is if they then go over the side with no cord attatched......

Tank - 12L is quite small. As said, swapping hoses is a dawdle. Option 2 is the Avon seats are usually designed to take a 22 / 25 L tank. A new plastic one will set you back £20-30. Then you have 12l spare.

As for the A- frame, I wouldn't use it for towing anyway. You probably have two U- bolts on the transom one either side of the engine. (alsio useful for lashing to trailer) Most put a bridle between them, and tie the tow rope to that. Has three advantages - sprreads the load, puts the pull right at the opoihjt where the power is coming form and the bridle has a bit of sideways give, so you can still manoever the rib (the tow rope slides along the bridle, so lets the stern turn more naturally)

[diverbert]

As for the fuel tank i would look if i could find a bigger one that fits under the seat and use this one as a spare. (there are lots of models tanks)

Killswithch like said leave it and use the rope with the loop no problemo at all.

All the others befor me said it and its right don't tow on the A Frame!!!! So don't reinforce it (so you can't make the mistake of doing so!. You could look on the site of www.turboschwing.nl for an solution for this problem. it is a tow device using the bracket of your engine and protects the engine to. Furthermore the point of towing is after the engine so you get lots of grip and don't loose your rib.

I would check if the floor is wet (internal) and if not put some epoxy resin or bolts with sikaflex in the holes.

Last i don't know

reg.
bert

[Boats&Outboards]

[QUOTE="9D280"]Kill switch - other option if it's in a pain of a place is to move it to the console. That's what I did. Those ones are a bit of a double edged sword - if you do go over the side, your crew can switch it straight back on and come & fetch you. Down side is if they then go over the side with no cord attatched......

Highly unlikely to have the rescuer falling MOB at the very time needed in emergency but easily prevented. Carry spare kill cord which is advised anyway, problem solved

Peter @ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ askboatsandoutboards4sale@sky.com ~ 07930 421007

[lizardland]

Mine came with a console that was too small to fit a tank in, one of the previous owners had fitted a couple of stainless brackets on the deck forward of that which make sensible tie downs for a 25l tank. I've got another 30l tank aft of the console strapped at the back of the jockey seat. They're easy enough to swap over. I've got a 40hp Mariner on mine, I wouldn't want to go too far on a 12l tank.

[akirk]

Thank you very much all for your great comments and help...

Peter - that makes so much sense - will open and try to rotate the kill switch! - and yes, I am convinced of the value of kill cords (and spares!)

Fuel - I am not sure that a bigger tank will fit under the jockey seat - so perhaps one in front of it would be better, and then leave the jockey seat one as spare... Is it a case of the bigger the better - or is there a capacity over which it is not worth it for an SR4 (i.e. wouldn't be able to empty it in even a day's use...) i have no idea yet on fuel economy (any owners - would be great to know this - even if only roughly...) lizardland - what do you get from yours?


ref a-frame & holes - makes sense - will leave as is!
Bert - how do you check wetness of floor? - just visual, or do you need to probe it?

many thanks

Alasdair

[9D280]

Originally Posted by Boats&Outboards

Highly unlikely to have the rescuer falling MOB at the very time needed in emergency but easily prevented. Carry spare kill cord which is advised anyway, problem solved

For the avoidance of doubt I wasn't trying to say that was a good idea, but the fact still remains that type of switch can be set to "run" without a cord in place, and Mr Sod wrote a law that only ever applies in scenarios like that.......


Other useful SR4 fuel tank facts - you can fit 2x Hulk 30L tanks between the transom braces. Granted, you loose all your aft deck space!

Distance wise my old SR4 with a 30 worked out about 0.8 / 0.9-ish L/mile as per the rib norm!

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by 9D280

Kill switch - other option if it's in a pain of a place is to move it to the console. That's what I did. Those ones are a bit of a double edged sword - if you do go over the side, your crew can switch it straight back on and come & fetch you. Down side is if they then go over the side with no cord attatched......

I agonized over this but eventually replaced my Yamaha kill switch (Little red button held out by the key) with the Merc type (the same as the OP has: toggle switch activated by a loop around the switch.)

My reasoning was that it's much more intuitive to simply flip a switch and restart, versus: Find the spare kill switch key, get something to pry out the button because you can't do it by hand, insert the key, start engine, figure out how to maneuver back to me.

I have a spare kill key in the console, but for a quick MOB recovery, I wouldn't insist they use it (especially if it's me in the water.)

Other folks may have different opinions/practices.

By the way, before rotating the switch, I think (you'd need to verify this with an ohmmeter) that the switch operates both ways (open or short when activated) depending on which terminals are connected. Might simply need to move one wire on the back.

jky

[akirk]

By the way, before rotating the switch, I think (you'd need to verify this with an ohmmeter) that the switch operates both ways (open or short when activated) depending on which terminals are connected. Might simply need to move one wire on the back.

good point could be dramatically wrong otherwise!

will be testing / playing with the boat on the Thames - so actually MOB can probably stand up and walk to the bank in places - so safe way of learning the boat - but part of buying the boat is teaching children safe usage, so we will do controlled MOB with kill cords and other boats around etc as drills anyway - so def. will have two or more!

I am assuming that it is a kill cord such as this: ???
Force 4 Kill Cord- Mercury/Mariner - Only £7.95 - Force 4 Chandlery

Other useful SR4 fuel tank facts - you can fit 2x Hulk 30L tanks between the transom braces. Granted, you loose all your aft deck space!

Distance wise my old SR4 with a 30 worked out about 0.8 / 0.9-ish L/mile as per the rib norm!

Awesome info - will need to check on mine as there is an additional seat in the back there: as per photo - but would be ideal as I prefer not to be using the space by the engine for people etc... however - do you not want the weight forward? but maybe putting petrol there and people forward is best?!

Alasdair

[Boats&Outboards]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

I agonized over this but eventually replaced my Yamaha kill switch (Little red button held out by the key) with the Merc type (the same as the OP has: toggle switch activated by a loop around the switch.)

My reasoning was that it's much more intuitive to simply flip a switch and restart, versus: Find the spare kill switch key, get something to pry out the button because you can't do it by hand, insert the key, start engine, figure out how to maneuver back to me.

I have a spare kill key in the console, but for a quick MOB recovery, I wouldn't insist they use it (especially if it's me in the water.)

Other folks may have different opinions/practices.

By the way, before rotating the switch, I think (you'd need to verify this with an ohmmeter) that the switch operates both ways (open or short when activated) depending on which terminals are connected. Might simply need to move one wire on the back.

jky

My point exactly. I prefer them. In emergency MOB situation I'd be more concerned about getting the guy back onboard rather than worrying about falling out myself and not having the cord fitted (although it is possible i guess) and as I said right at the start DON'T be tempted to use it without the cord at any other time....it's pointless having it then.

With regards to rotating, the wiring stays in the same location the housing rotates around with the switch, it's held in place the same way as the ignition barrel with a threaded plastic "nut" which tightens and clamps both sides together. You can only get to that from inside the control box. Your not actually altering the electrical positions or workings of the switch, if you look at it's current position the "run" position is to the right and that will simply revert back to the top. I'm not entirely sure why somebody would have moved it in the first place mind

Peter @ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ askboatsandoutboards4sale@sky.com ~ 07930 421007

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Boats&Outboards

With regards to rotating, the wiring stays in the same location the housing rotates around with the switch, it's held in place the same way as the ignition barrel with a threaded plastic "nut" which tightens and clamps both sides together. You can only get to that from inside the control box. Your not actually altering the electrical positions or workings of the switch, if you look at it's current position the "run" position is to the right and that will simply revert back to the top. I'm not entirely sure why somebody would have moved it in the first place mind

I understood what you were saying before; and agree that it is possible that someone turned it around (though I can't see any reason either, unless they had no idea how it was supposed to work.)

But, if it's a simply a miswire, it's probably easier to swap the wire from one end of the switch to the other. As I recall, the switch is fairly well buried in that little half-housing thing. Might be wrong on that; I didn't look at it all that closely, and now it's installed in the console, so I can't see it too well. Options are usually good things to have.

[Boats&Outboards]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

I understood what you were saying before; and agree that it is possible that someone turned it around (though I can't see any reason either, unless they had no idea how it was supposed to work.)

But, if it's a simply a miswire, it's probably easier to swap the wire from one end of the switch to the other. As I recall, the switch is fairly well buried in that little half-housing thing. Might be wrong on that; I didn't look at it all that closely, and now it's installed in the console, so I can't see it too well. Options are usually good things to have.

Sorry but unless I'm missing something the wiring has nothing to do with it. The problem here is that the OP cannot get to the little gap at the "top" of the housing used to push the switch down, as it's been rotated clockwise and is blocked by the side of the boat ? So what does the wiring have to do with it ?

Peter @ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ askboatsandoutboards4sale@sky.com ~ 07930 421007

[akirk]

Originally Posted by Boats&Outboards

Sorry but unless I'm missing something the wiring has nothing to do with it. The problem here is that the OP cannot get to the little gap at the "top" of the housing used to push the switch down, as it's been rotated clockwise and is blocked by the side of the boat ? So what does the wiring have to do with it ?

Peter @ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ askboatsandoutboards4sale@sky.com ~ 07930 421007

That seems to be the case - will have a closer look tomorrow I hope...

Alasdair

[9D280]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

IMy reasoning was that it's much more intuitive to simply flip a switch and restart, versus: Find the spare kill switch key, get something to pry out the button because you can't do it by hand, insert the key, start engine, figure out how to maneuver back to me.

Agreed. Which is why my spare clip is right by the button!

[akirk]

Originally Posted by 9D280

Agreed. Which is why my spare clip is right by the button!

of course the real answer is to not fall overboard

Alasdair

[Nick Hearne]

I think you will be able to fit one of these in the console!
NEW 22L OUTBOARD FUEL TANK & LINE AND GAUGE BOAT RIBS | eBay UK
Outboard Fuel tank red with gauge, Easy carry handle | eBay UK
I have one in my Sr4 it will last all day normally!

Nick

[akirk]

Thanks Nick - looks good!

Alasdair

[Rib T]

I have the sr4 with a Mariner 40.

Just pottering for an afternoon ie 3/4 throttle drains about 30 litres.

Canarfon to puffin island through the menia and back to the launch site cruising used a full 25l tank and about 5 litres of the spare that was 3/4 throttle and with 4 people aboard.
However we didnot travel in a straight line and spent quite a bit of time messing around. As im sure you will too.