storing inflatable boat

[chipben]

hi ive recently bought a 3.1m avon i think it was made 1986. serial no. avb43071 e686.
as i bought it secondhand i got no information about how to store it, inflated or deflated?
also i wasnt sure what presure the tubes and keel should be inflated to?
any help would be appreciated
i havent used it on the sea yet but i wondered how they perform/handle?
i posted this in the avon forum but not much is happening there would be good if any of you guys could help

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: storing inflatable boat

Hi there, when you store your inflatable it needs to be inflated but not pumped hard, what I normally do is just give it about 2 seconds deflating time .... so press the release valve for 2 seconds and that is fine .... on all the chambers and the keel, if you store it with an engine on you need to keep the motor tilted down and support it from underneath with a block of wood or paint can or something, just so that the engine won't hang on the transom causing the tubes to rip if you know what I mean ........ when pumping your boat it needs to be hard but not to hard, I will say about 100psi, when you sit on the pontoon it should not dent in, it should be firm yet bouncy ... haha that sounded like something else ...... anyway you should play it by feel ...... what motor are you running on this boat?

 

[chipben]

Re: storing inflatable boat

At the moment i hang it in a cradle i made up, from the ceiling in my garage so the motor is stored seperatley.
After 3 or 4 days it looses a bit of pressure i think this is normal tho.
I was told recently that it should be inflated to 3psi!
I thought it sounded soft, 100psi sounds nearer the mark.

I bought a mariner 15 at the wkend to replace my 1973 mercury 4.5 and what a difference it made!
The boats rated for a maximum of a 10hp engine, i know a lot of people will say im stupid for doing this but hey.
It took about 5-10 seconds to plane with 400lbs (me an my dad)+ gear, is this good?
Also i didnt open it to WOT as the engine an transom seamed to be bouncing about quite a lot. The water was flat hardley a ripple on it. I was woried the engine may rip the transom out of the boat. Is this possible?

 

[Snowdrggn]

Re: storing inflatable boat

Chipben,
Most regular inflatables seem to reccomend 3.5 - 4psi. Which feels quite hard. Some high performance inflatables like Duxx boats and Zap Cats go up to 10 psi MAX!. Check the plate on the transom, there is probably some info on it. pressure may be stated in bar or millibar on it, so read carefully! If you use a bellows style foot pump to inflate it (single stage) I doubt you could get it over 5 psi. You could also ask a dealer or check the manufacturer's web site. A lot of them have a free download user's manual on them. If you use a gauge, at 4 psi, you will find that it will be a lot harder than you wouild think! If at rest in the water, you see the transom mounts "sinking" into the tubes with the weight of the motor, you are probably underinflated.

Cheers,
Snow.

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: storing inflatable boat

At the moment i hang it in a cradle i made up, from the ceiling in my garage so the motor is stored seperatley.
After 3 or 4 days it looses a bit of pressure i think this is normal tho.
I was told recently that it should be inflated to 3psi!
I thought it sounded soft, 100psi sounds nearer the mark.

I bought a mariner 15 at the wkend to replace my 1973 mercury 4.5 and what a difference it made!
The boats rated for a maximum of a 10hp engine, i know a lot of people will say im stupid for doing this but hey.
It took about 5-10 seconds to plane with 400lbs (me an my dad)+ gear, is this good?
Also i didnt open it to WOT as the engine an transom seamed to be bouncing about quite a lot. The water was flat hardley a ripple on it. I was woried the engine may rip the transom out of the boat. Is this possible?

15hp is perfect, don't worry I have a 30hp modified on a inflatable with a max rating of 5hp ....... anyway ... 5 - 10 seconds is fine, but you need to pump the boat much harder, if you don't then you can rip the transom out yes .... I have done that so believe me ... it is not fun to swim in freezing water with a motor under you one arm and everything else that you can save under the other arm .... anyway .... I pump my boats very hard, but not so hard that it is about to pop, it seems like everyone are scared to pump the boat nice and hard, all inflatables are built with pressure releasing valves so it is ok ...... I unfortunately can't give you a pressure reading as I always pump by feel, I would say about 100psi but that seems wrong cause the system that differ world wide ..... so when you pump it it should not dent when you sit on the tube, it should be bounchy, about the same pressure as an un-open plastic coke bottle ...... if that can give you a idea ......

 

[chipben]

Re: storing inflatable boat

ok i think it was probably really under inflated i have been using a bellows type pump ill get a modern type with a gauge built in and ill bear in mind the "un-opened botle of coke feel" rather than the ten ton tess feel.

Once ive got used to the boat/engine and its properly inflated would it be safe to open the throtle much quicker?

deejaycee your boat looks good what is it, does it have a ridgid hull?

 

[Snowdrggn]

Re: storing inflatable boat

Chipben,
With the bellows pump, if you weigh 200lbs (approx 90 kg) or less, just go until it pretty much quits gaining pressure. For the keel, go until it does quit gaining pressure, unless the floor pushes up to the point you are getting nervous.

Deejaycee, not all boats have a pressure releif! I ma on my third that does not,. 2 were Zodiac, and the present one is a Zebec.

Cheers,
Snow.

 

[chipben]

Re: storing inflatable boat

ok cheers snow.
what are these small inflatables like on the sea when its not dead flat like a lake or river?

 

[Snowdrggn]

Re: storing inflatable boat

Uhhhh..............



Wet?


*Grin*

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: storing inflatable boat

ok i think it was probably really under inflated i have been using a bellows type pump ill get a modern type with a gauge built in and ill bear in mind the "un-opened botle of coke feel" rather than the ten ton tess feel.

Once ive got used to the boat/engine and its properly inflated would it be safe to open the throtle much quicker?

deejaycee your boat looks good what is it, does it have a ridgid hull?

thanx for the kind words ..... nope it is not a rigit, it is a full inflatable and more of a cat hull ...... if you have inflated your boat properly you can open the throttle, do quick turns you will be fine .... as long as you wear a life jacket and the motor's kill switch, enjoy .......

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: storing inflatable boat

a little inflatable like that is quite bumpy an unpleasant really in the sea with the wind blowing really hard ....... you can drive it but it is not great .......

 

[chipben]

Re: storing inflatable boat

yep i found out that they are a pretty bumpy ride even on a lake with just the ripples made by the wind.
Ill find out this wkend just how bumpy they are on the sea for the 1st time.
Im already concidering a bit bigger and more modern inflatable

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: storing inflatable boat

enjoy .......