Avon Newbie - Engine tucking under

[Stormdog]

I bought an older, year unknown (Serial Number AVB57574A989 if someone can identify the build) Avon Redcrest 9' Dinghy. Using the stock Avon Transom mount, with a 4 HP (The placard rated hp) Mercury Standard shaft engine, tilted out to last hole, at about 1/4 throttle and higher, the engine, along with the mount, are "tucking under" the boat.

How can I correct this?
Will rigging a higher mount help?
Is it a height of thrust issue?

Thanks

 

[jnewtonsem]

Re: Avon Newbie - Engine tucking under

Is the boat properly inflated?

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: Avon Newbie - Engine tucking under

I had a redcrest a few years ago and had the same 'problem'-but it didn't seem to bother the boat.I used to get it to plane with an old 3hp Seagull Worth inflating it as hard as possible though.

Does yours have floorboards?

 

[Capt Ron]

Re: Avon Newbie - Engine tucking under

Your Avon would be a 1989 model.
More air, pump it up. About 2-3 psi is the recommended pressure. Doesn't sound like much but that's a lot of air and internal surface.

Here's an owners manual online that may cover your boat:

http://www.avoninflatables.co.uk/generic/text/dinghies_man_xx.pdf

Good Luck,
CaptRon

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: Avon Newbie - Engine tucking under

Your Avon would be a 1989 model.
More air, pump it up. About 2-3 psi is the recommended pressure. Doesn't sound like much but that's a lot of air and internal surface.

Yep. Get it to 3psi and it'll feel rock hard.

 

[Stormdog]

Re: Avon Newbie - Engine tucking under

Thanks for the 1989 ident!

and, Thanks for the manual.

I inflated it with a (yickes) air compressor, and don't have a pressure gauge (at least one that reads that low, sure I have car pressure gauges), so perhaps I have been too conservative.

I built a little inflation nozzle, with quick disconnect... I keep reading about can't inflate them too much ... but I certainly could at 100 psi! I went this route after looking at pumps at ****'s Sporting Goods and Wal-mart ... no foot pumps (which must take a million pumps ??), only these little 12v mini motor things for $20 - $30, built in China, and my compressor did a great job, and still took several minutes.

Do you guys really pump up your boats by hand/foot?

Recommendations on where to get a gauge that will work with this technique?

It seems to be a consensus that my problem is being underinflated ... pump it up to Rock Hard??

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: Avon Newbie - Engine tucking under

Doesn't take long to pump up from flat with one of these:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAVO-10-LITR...hash=item360019145592&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318

Just pump til you can't get anymore air in.

You need a pressure gauge if you use a pump like this:-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Double-Action...hash=item200219359461&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318

as it'll go to around 11psi.

Ribshop sell a low pressure gauge that works accurately on Avon valves-google their name as I can't post a link to them or it'll be removed.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Avon Newbie - Engine tucking under

i have used the exhaust side of my shop vac to inflate, and my air compressor.

 

[Capt Ron]

Re: Avon Newbie - Engine tucking under

I use a Coleman hand pump from Wal-mart to inflate my Avon 285 Rollup. Find it in the sporting goods section by the air mattresses. Cost less than $10. A little black tape around the largest nozzle makes a tight fit to the boat's valves and the pump is double acting to move a lot of air.
I find that sitting on a 15" stool puts the pump at a desirable position to just use my arms to pump the handle.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8223667

Using an air compressor is a risky deal without a pressure gauge. You really have to watch that an overinflation situation occurs. With the hand pump you know when to stop because it gets harder to pump all of a sudden. Just about the time that you have decided that you have pumped long enough. You can continue to stuff air in but it won't be easy or neccessary.

Also, I take the pump with me on the boat.
CaptRon