SIB Identification challenge!

jack.watts · 22 August 2016, 22:05

Hi all, need some help with identifying a SIB, sorry about the pictures it's pitch black so bit great haha! Basically it's an old sib belonging to our scout group we want to try and restore, it's in a pretty rough condition! I think it's an old Avon, some think it's ex-rnli as we are right next to the station but not sure, used to be called Marlin! Any help would be greatly appreciated, also any advice about starting to get it sea worthy again would be great too, we are on a tight budget so a retube is probably out of the window already!

jack.watts · 22 August 2016, 22:06

More photos

idsebby · 22 August 2016, 23:35

Probably wanna place this in the inflatables forum. Looks like an old Avon? Do you have the floor for it? Tubes look in great condition can't tell untill it's blown up.

First things first blow it up till it gives a nice thump like a drum. Then take a spray bottle spay it down with soapy water. See if you find any bubbles, if ya do that's where your leaks are.

Be systematic about it do a section at a time. Slow leaks will look like a ton of very mini bubbles. Big leaks very big growing bubbles.

Might as well give it a scrub after you found your leaks.

These old boats are made very well and will last a long long time!

idsebby · 22 August 2016, 23:37

Could be a class Y??

cgoing · 23 August 2016, 12:28

Yup definitely looks like an Avon

chris123 · 23 August 2016, 20:10

What is the overall length?

jack.watts · 23 August 2016, 23:05

About 3m, i'm now thinking Avon S300 maybe?

idsebby · 23 August 2016, 23:38

I thought the s300 first but look at the size of those tubes. My old s500 didn't even look that big deflated. That's why I was thinking class Y. I suppose also because the floor color difference.

chris123 · 24 August 2016, 21:05

Martin Chappelow is probably the best person on here to say if it is a Y class.

From the Y class thread 3 metres is a bit short - according to Mart the ealy Zodiac Y class were 3.2 metres growing to 3.5 metres for later models. Looks a bit different to an Avon.

Any signs of name badges or numbers missing or removed from the tubes? What type of valves are fitted - post a photo of them?

Cheers

Chris

Nos4r2 · 24 August 2016, 21:31

Very early Avon-I see the 1960s/70s black rubber valves. I can see where what looks like an old Sportboat logo was in the 3rd pic.