3.8 Airfloor Honwave SIB wanted

[Katie.harker]

Money offered depends on the condition of the boat.
Ideally, with transom wheels
Within 1.5 hour drive of Chester, North West England.

[stuart_mcgill]

I presume you have seen the 3.5meter one posted up in the For Sale section in Derby... probably bordering on the 1.5hour drive from Chester but sounds a good setup!

[Duluxdoggy]

Originally Posted by stuart_mcgill

I presume you have seen the 3.5meter one posted up in the For Sale section in Derby... probably bordering on the 1.5hour drive from Chester but sounds a good setup!

That's the aluminium floor one. We are looking for air floor. A lot lighter.

[Katie.harker]

But thank you for pointing it out, just in case.

Manners, Dulux!

[Duluxdoggy]

Originally Posted by Katie.harker

But thank you for pointing it out, just in case.

Manners, Dulux!

Woof!

[xchsurfers]

hi.
I had two of these and they were both the same.
I brought a brand new 3.8 with a brand new 20hp Honda and a rechargeable battery pump (perfect set up we thought)
well we thought wrong. great for trolling around, as soon as you got up on the plane the floor would bend like a banana from bow to stern, it felt like driving you car with the handbrake on.
All pressures were correct.
If you and your passengers sat on the floor to keep it down it would go like a rocket.
contacted Honda about this, they sent down another boat with no explanation as to why it would bend.
Anyway guess what, the second boat done the same thing, i even tried to over inflate the floor, didnt cure it.
If I were you I would go for the 4mtr with Ali floor and a 20 hp engine.
hope this helps.

[Fenlander]

Well lets hope the Honwave 3.8 they've bought brand new (announced on another thread) for delivery by this weekend does not suffer like that!!

[Katie.harker]

Yep, unfortunately, Dulux was too impatient to wait and find a second hand one.

[Duluxdoggy]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Well lets hope the Honwave 3.8 they've bought brand new (announced on another thread) for delivery by this weekend does not suffer like that!!

I couldn't agree more...

[Stigomery]

As a T38 owner I have suffered the bulge... I believe it happens no matter what people tell you, the only SIB of 3.8m and over that I've heard does not suffer the bulge is the Aerotec.

My experiences of the bulge are:

- it is an occasional annoyance
- only happens over about 16 or 17 knots
- tends to happen more often when following the waves
- loading and balance has a massive effect as does correct pressure in the floor
- seats in or out has an effect - it's exacerbated by no seat, and with 2 seats in the boat is much more rigid/less prone
- yep, when it happens bad it feels like the handbrake is on, quite frustrating
- when it doesn't happen the T38 is a lovely boat to own and drive
- the T38 remains the best boat for me regardless of the occasional annoying bulge

Stiggy

[Fenlander]

A very fair and balanced view Stig.

[Duluxdoggy]

Ok. So am a little concerned about this problem. But the benefits of the air floor, and the places we are likely to be using it very rarely will we get up to that speed anyway.

Just gonna have to wait and see how it works for us.

I bought the bravo Bp12 pump so should be able to get the pressure correct at least.

[Stigomery]

Originally Posted by Duluxdoggy

So am a little concerned about this problem. But the benefits of the air floor, and the places we are likely to be using it very rarely will we get up to that speed anyway.

I wouldn't be concerned about it... I'm a speed freak, seriously if it was that big an annoyance I would have swapped boats by now.

It's a great boat, hugely versatile and capable, not to mention hugely transportable. My getting on the water time is less than 20 minutes from parking up, heck I throw the boat on the roof rack of the car or Landy when I'm only travelling short distances although I've done 70 miles with it on the roof before, then "on the water" time is less than 5 minutes...

I need no help in all of this so it is a perfect single person set up and go boat although right on the edge of things weight-wise.

All essential stuff when you have a demanding/impatient wife and 2 kids ;-)

Every SIB is a compromise... else we'd all be driving RIBs...

And... it feels very safe/sea-worthy...

[warder54]

Yep floor pressure is critical, top up after 15 min on the water as the contact with cold/cool water will cause a pressure drop. Never been a major problem on my 380 with both seats fitted - until some mice chewed the tube/floor joint. They never got right through but far enough to cause a VERY slow leak, that's when I had the hadbrake experience too! Getting round to fixing it in the next few weeks then selling it as I also have a hard boat and an F-Rib 360. I love all 3 but the wife says no-one needs 3 boats (I wanted a mate to have the use of the 380 to buddy up with me!)