More Searider questions !

MustRib · 18 June 2007, 00:36

I just got back from Scotland after picking up my new (to me) SeariderSR4.
There is no Avon plate or serial number plate that I can see. The owner is not the first owner and said neither were with the boat when he bought it.

The engine is a Yam 40 2 stroke commissioned in 2001 with (according to the previous owner) only 30 hrs run time. It started first time, good tell tale, its a pull start, and looks in top condition inside and out....very very clean.
A slight bit of corrosion/paint damage on the bottom of the skeg. Otherwise immaculate.

The boat itself has the spray cover, dashboard etc ... back to back seats.
The hull looks to be in good nick and the transom.... BUT I have several questions that maybe the forum can help with.

The Transom is braced with two stainless steel braces...these appear to be bolted all the way through the hull. There are two large bolts and nuts coming through the hull. Is this correct?

If Noah's ark had a tender, then I'm sure it had the valves from my searider
as original equipment. They seem archaic, with a loose fitting cover and some sort of spring clip arrangement. On the way down from Scotland I had to stop and pump up the tubes on the trailer as it was all looking a bit saggy back there. The tubes themselves seem OK..a few patches, but nothing major....but the tubes have been recently painted with grey hypalon paint, so not easy to see what condition they are in in terms of wear.

I know one of the SR4 owners on here has had his boat re-tubed.
Any forum members that do this service?
Anyone recommend someone I can take it too?
Anyone know a rough price for doing this?

The tubes - I have a feeling - are the weak link in the boat, but under all the paint its hard to tell.

I want to strip out the back to back seating... there are no obvious console fixing points in the floor. Anyone got some good Jockey console advice?
Can a console be sikkflex'd and fibreglassed to the floor or will it need
to be fastened in with self tappers as well? I am worried about penetrating the flooding part of the hull.

Yikes... sorry for the long post.

thanks all
Andy

MustRib · 18 June 2007, 01:01

Also...does anyone know what pressure the tubes should be inflated to ?

thanks again

Tim M · 18 June 2007, 10:35

About 2 psi.

The serial number may still be stamped on the back right hand side of the transom near the top. If you can find this you can find the year. I believe it is the last two digits.

The valves sound about typical. They may well be whats causing your leak, although by the sounds of it there are lots of other things which could be factors too, eg a leaking patch. Get some very soapy (washing up liquid) water in a bucket and paint it on whilst the tubes are hard. You should be able to tell if there are leaks elsewhere by doing that.

A re tube would probably cost up wards of £2k. There are lots of people on here who will be able to suggest companies to do it.

Do you have any photos you could post?

Nos4r2 · 18 June 2007, 17:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by MustRib

I just got back from Scotland after picking up my new (to me) SeariderSR4.
There is no Avon plate or serial number plate that I can see. The owner is not the first owner and said neither were with the boat when he bought it.

It's to the right of the engine on top of the transom if you stand behind the boat as Tim M says-or if you get your head right down under the bow dodger there may be a serial number plate attached to the tubes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MustRib

The boat itself has the spray cover, dashboard etc ... back to back seats.
The hull looks to be in good nick and the transom.... BUT I have several questions that maybe the forum can help with.

The Transom is braced with two stainless steel braces...these appear to be bolted all the way through the hull. There are two large bolts and nuts coming through the hull. Is this correct?

Yes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MustRib

If Noah's ark had a tender, then I'm sure it had the valves from my searider
as original equipment. They seem archaic, with a loose fitting cover and some sort of spring clip arrangement. On the way down from Scotland I had to stop and pump up the tubes on the trailer as it was all looking a bit saggy back there. The tubes themselves seem OK..a few patches, but nothing major....but the tubes have been recently painted with grey hypalon paint, so not easy to see what condition they are in in terms of wear.

Those are the original 1970's Avon valves-as Tim says, I'd bet they are most of what's causing the leaks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MustRib

I know one of the SR4 owners on here has had his boat re-tubed.
Any forum members that do this service?
Anyone recommend someone I can take it too?
Anyone know a rough price for doing this?

Yes-I'm sure they'll be along shortly

Quote:

Originally Posted by MustRib

I want to strip out the back to back seating... there are no obvious console fixing points in the floor. Anyone got some good Jockey console advice?
Can a console be sikkflex'd and fibreglassed to the floor or will it need
to be fastened in with self tappers as well? I am worried about penetrating the flooding part of the hull.

Take a look at this thread. It's from when I did exactly that.
The seats unbolt-just remove the bolts and fill the holes with Sikaflex.

I used sikaflex and a lot of stainless self-tappers to fix the console down with. As long as you make sure there's plenty of sikaflex in the drilled holes for the self-tappers before you screw them in and the screw threads themselves are covered in sikaflex too then don't worry about them penetrating through into the flooding hull-nothing will get through. I bedded the console down onto a LOT of sikaflex too. It hasn't moved in over 2 years of hard use...

MustRib · 18 June 2007, 21:25

thanks guys...
Nos... what size self tappers did you use (if you remember!).

I will post some pics later this week when I get the rib back out of the garage!

Has anyone had just the valves replaced?
Any tips on someone / somewhere that can do this?

Andy

Tim M · 18 June 2007, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by MustRib

Has anyone had just the valves replaced?
Any tips on someone / somewhere that can do this?
Andy

http://www.ibs-boats.co.uk/download/ibscat.pdf

Page 9

Nos4r2 · 18 June 2007, 21:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by MustRib

thanks guys...
Nos... what size self tappers did you use (if you remember!).

I can't remember but I used about 8-10 of them each side.

MustRib · 21 June 2007, 04:19

so having been away for three days I was pleasantly surprised to find the tubes had stayed up!
I had to swap it from the trailer that it arrived on, to my own trailer, and while doing this noted that the keel rollers had stuck/peeled off paint from the keel. On closer examination and having taken off the "dash" I noticed that the hull is painted a completely different shade to the original colour!
Instead of "Rescue Orange" its more like "Orangey Red" and I think it is probably household domestic gloss paint as well!

So... should I leave it be and see how much the North Sea strips off the hull, or should it get stuck into it with the power sander!

I removed the home made looking back to back seats, and the screen and dash. I also want to take out the bow dodger.
May seem a basic question, but as its bonded to the tubes, should I be cutting it with a heavy duty scissor, or taking the box cutter to it?
Either makes me nervous I have to say.

thanks
Andy

9D280 · 21 June 2007, 10:41

MustRib,

I have a very similar model of SR4, but my screen has split almost in two. For various reasons (lack of time being most of them!) I have opted to leave the dash / screen arrangement on my boat, as it is fitted with a "hybrid" jockey seat behind the dash so I get the best of both worlds!

Assuming you haven't binned it yet, would you be up for swapping it for some cash or a suitbale quantity of a bevarage of your choice? If nothing else it will save me a lot of messing around with fretsaws etc.

Cheers.

MustRib · 21 June 2007, 12:42

Hello 9D,
the perspex was a replacement piece, not the original and hasnj't been cut very well. It also has small crack in the corner.
The dash was faced with some black painted plywood and when I removed it,
it was covering the original fascia which had been cut out for some dials and switches.
You are welcome to any of this FOC if you can pick it up or arrange to have it picked up. To be honest, unless you are passing the area, its not really worth it.
cheers
Andy

ian mcconnell · 21 June 2007, 16:15

hi mustrib, your 4m sr looks in great condition, if that is houshold paint its going to flake and peel off in no time, if you can put up with that then fair enoth. However i found the best route was to use paint remover, i tryed sanding mine back it takes forever, the paint remover made very light work of it. I used International paint & primer, great stuff drys to a smooth & very strong finish.

Also i removed the bow dodger from my first 4m SR, it seemed to make more sense to cut it off than to try to remove completely. If your careful a set of good serated scissors is all you will need, try it you can always remove completely later.

good luck

MustRib · 21 June 2007, 18:15

Hello Ian...thanks for that ...
It looks in good nick largely due to the Hypalon paint I think.
When I stick my head under the bow dodger, the tubes are in "original" and discoloured nick... no choice but to use more Hypalon paint I think.

Can I ask you... were you nervous about using paint remover on the hull?
which paint remover did you use? Does it have any effect on the tubes?
If I am going that route, and I think I shall, I will use it inside as well and try to get back to the original rescue orange colour.

Did you spray the hull or use a roller/brush?

thanks in advance

Andy

Nos4r2 · 21 June 2007, 20:40

I removed my bow dodger with a stanley knife with a fresh blade from underneath. I left part of it on there so I could add eyelets in future in case I wanted to lace another dodger on to keep camping gear dry.

MustRib · 21 June 2007, 22:59

thats a good idea...dont suppose youcan put a zip in hypalon?
Does anyone on the forum know of anybody mouldingbow lockers/anchor lockers for the SR4?

Nos4r2 · 22 June 2007, 00:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by MustRib

thats a good idea...dont suppose youcan put a zip in hypalon?

You could probably glue a zip on but I doubt it'd last long and it'll hurt if you fall on it. It'd cost a fortune too.

MustRib · 22 June 2007, 00:54

hmm.. think its gotta come off...
Maybe I can use it to make some pockets to attach inside the tubes!

Nos4r2 · 23 June 2007, 19:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by MustRib

hmm.. think its gotta come off...
Maybe I can use it to make some pockets to attach inside the tubes!

Might be worth keeping for patches-it's colour matched nicely

I made mine into a sea anchor.

MustRib · 23 June 2007, 22:40

I have another question for SR4 owners...
There is no bilge drainer, so what would you recommend?
Bilge Pump or drilling the transom and fitting an elephants trunk.

Nos4r2 · 23 June 2007, 22:44

I had a 1000gph bilge pump on mine and it did the job well enough that I didn't need trunks.