BACK FROM MY FRANCE BOATING ADVENTURES, I didnt drown heehee. Pics as promised.

[zodiac340m]

WOW, what as nice experience I had, some calm some bad, some high winds, some real rough all around good boating experience for a beginner to inflatables. I have some pics to post as promised as well. I have experienced all kind of winds, tides, streams, currents and bad weather. That little boat handled itself really well considering I was just above turtle speed. It handled two spring tides with seas 8 meters higher than charted data, and spring lows with charted data. I handled very heavy spring tides at the mouth of the Elron River which is a big river in Brest France, had a bit of a struggle there cuz current was really really fast. But boat still handled well considering we were on the lowest speed. met some one meter swells and winds blowing off the land in opposite direction. So all in all, I have experienced some bad conditions and good ones and am here in one piece to tell it all We had the pleasure and permission for launching from the Yachting area in Brest which made it really great boating. The only regret I have with the boat is not having a trailer. Its a royal pain in the BUMMM to inflate set up deflate take down each day. Tho we got fast and efficient at it its still a pain in the neck.

Here are a couple pics on our trips, apparently I can only load five at a time. Will post a few more on next page

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Ok, here are some more.

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Last batch. I have more but its more or less the same. I took videos but cant load those.:facepalm:

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Oh by the way, we had NO problems with engine starting and everything. I was even able to anchor in 30 meters of water and do some fishing but didnt catch anything. I love that little rubber ducky now. if I had a bigger engine I would have braved many more beautiful waters. But next time. I was cautious with the advice i got here, tho I saw people with 4hp going out much farther in the open sea I didnt. I went where I thought I was able to handle it and get back to safe ground if need be. But the water ways were very very crowded so if anything had happened, someone would have helped.

I also noticed many yachts powering back to port with only 4 or 5hp motors. These were big boats

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Hola Zodie,

Welcome back to safe & dry port, very nice to read that the charming lady had a great time with hubby, dogs and sib. Now you are an expert firing the little engine and infating/deflating sib. Why didn't you leave sib/engine at the marina and not going for all that strenous hassle.

Happy Boating

 

[sasto]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

That's really cool! Thanks for sharing...Z.

Stupid.....nah, unimformed question....How did you get that rubber thing there?

 

[sibsub]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

That looks like good fun! Thanks for sharing pictures. Cute doggies.

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Hola Zodie,

Welcome back to safe & dry port, very nice to read that the charming lady had a great time with hubby, dogs and boat. Now you are an expert firing the little engine and infating/deflating sib. Why didn't you leave sib/engine at the marina and not going for all that strenous hazzle.

Happy Boating

Hi sea rider, now you can put a face with the name heehee. Anyhow, it was a load of fun much more than I expected and if only we didnt hav so much bliming rain. We had about ten good days and the rest rainand buhhhhh cold. We are going to boat this weekend at a lake here about 50km from mannheim. Looking forward to it.

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

That's really cool! Thanks for sharing...Z.

Stupid.....nah, unimformed question....How did you get that rubber thing there?

Heehee, i sasto. We had to buy a Thule overhead box for top of car to haul the boat and then the rest in the trunk as it was too much for back seat plus our travel stuff. But it all worked out well. We were the show of the marina to be blowing up and deflating all the time we got known and the dogs too lol.

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

That looks like good fun! Thanks for sharing pictures. Cute doggies.

It was a blast and the dogs love the boat and their life jackets. They knew once I put it on them we are going to have fun. That little boat is not that little afterall. Most of the stuff were stored in the seat bags and out of the path and only the anchor and life ring were up front and bag with food and water. There was still plenty of room for a few more passengers. I love that little duck.

 

[Pack Rat]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Oh by the way, we had NO problems with engine starting and everything.

What did you discover you two were doing wrong starting it?

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

What did you discover you two were doing wrong starting it?

LOL, we DIDNT open gas valve and primed the rubber ball too much and there was no gas in engine LOL, I suppose that is usual beginners stupid mistakes? But now we do the checklist which I didnt have done before, now it works great. Yesterday I purchased a little electric engine as well cuz there are many places in Germany that do not allow gasoline engines. Its not expensive but I hope it will at least push the boat better than oars. Its a Rhino VX 34

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

What did you discover you two were doing wrong starting it?

LOL, we DIDNT open gas valve and primed the rubber ball too much and there was no gas in engine LOL, I suppose that is usual beginners stupid mistakes? But now we do the checklist which I didnt have done before, now it works great. Plus once we had opened the valve after the fact it flooded the carb. One Frenchman had to assist us only once cuz it flooded, but once we got him to show us what we were doing wrong it worked with no problems whatsoever. Now we know if the carb is ever flooded simply remove the spark plug and dry it off then replace. You live and learn huhhh?

Yesterday I purchased a little electric engine as well cuz there are many places in Germany that do not allow gasoline engines. Its not expensive but I hope it will at least push the boat better than oars. Its a Rhino VX 34

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

One method that never fails and re starts engine right up when having flooded carb is to remove plug and with a lighter, light electrode and sing Happy Birthday Plug, let all gas burn out, don't do it near fuel tank though, just in case. Retighten plug with plug wrench to it's specs on cylinder head and start engine.

Normal cold engine start : Prime bulb, close ckoke, place handle at start position, pull rope with punch max 3 times, if engine does not start, open choke and keep pulling cord untill starts. Pulling rope with choke closed more than max 3 times will flood engine.

Happy Boating

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

One method that never miss and re starts engine right up when having flooded carb is to remove plug and with a lighter, light electrode and sing Happy Birthday Plug, let all gas burn out, don't do it near fuel tank though, just in case. Retighten plug with plug wrench to it's specs on cylinder head. After primming bulb, close ckoke, place handle at start position, pull rope with punch max 3 times, if engine does not start, open choke and keep pulling cord untill starts. Pulling rope with choke closed more than 3 times will flood engine.

Happy Boating

Yeah, that is what the Frenchman did, he asked for a lighter and I was like WHATTTTT then he did exactly as you said. So you live and learn, now we know. I take notes of everything so next time we wont have a mishap. We will go to the lake this weekend and take electic engine but may row most of the time. So we have a choice now row, electro engine or noisy Honda lol. Using a gasoline engine is forbidden in many many places in Germany and very limited. So by having a back up we can now go boating in areas I only looked and lusted for from the bank.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Zodie,

Just to take my nail out comparing 5 HP behaviour & performance, when using 340 sib/engine combo, with hubby, doggy and equipment, which was the max throttle you used for pushing that combo, did you ever reached wot (full throttle) seems small portable engines while pushing heavy weights no to rev higher 3/4 to wot, what was your experince like ?

Happy Boating

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Re: Hi GUYS, I am back and I didnt drown

Zodie,

Just to take my nail out comparing 5 HP behaviour & performance, when using 340 sib/engine combo, with hubby, doggy and equipment, which was the max throttle you used for pushing that combo, did you ever reached wot (full throttle) seems small portable engines while pushing heavy weights no to rev higher 3/4 to wot, what was your experince like ?

Happy Boating

We were mostly on turtle and a tad bit more, never even got to half and the boat was moinvg very nicely gthru the current and stream. Never really had a problem or the need to go faster. That little boat handled so well and hta little 5hp was really very reliable and more than I had expected. We went against some strong current and winds and it still handled. The day we had some bad weather we went the slowest the engine will go and the BOAT still moved without a problem. The boat can carry a max of 670 kilos I think we were like 250 kilos at the most.

Today we used the new Rhino electric engine I bought on Friday. It was a dream, it pushed the boat very well at level 3 5 was the highest, at 5 poewr it was really moving very fast. I used it on three because I got a feeling of sailing it was so lovely. Of course we used this on a lake here. Oh and I also bought a used 480 meter canoe on ebay today lol.

 

[azzurro]

Re: BACK FROM MY FRANCE BOATING ADVENTURES, I didnt drown heehee. Pics as promised.

That boat does look great!

It's nice you exorcised your devils. Previous advice is always welcome, but somehow you have to get there and make that boat yours. It's the same as babies.
So now hubby is not so sceptic, is he? It's about time he demands more power!
I just wish my wife was as positive as you ... she still panics sometimes. I think she does not feel comfortable because of manual starting a 20hp.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: BACK FROM MY FRANCE BOATING ADVENTURES, I didnt drown heehee. Pics as promised.

I think she does not feel comfortable because of manual starting a 20hp.

There's a huge pull effort difference between 5 and 20 HP engines, specially for ladies or skinny guys. LOL!!

Happy Boating

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: BACK FROM MY FRANCE BOATING ADVENTURES, I didnt drown heehee. Pics as promised.

That boat does look great!

It's nice you exorcised your devils. Previous advice is always welcome, but somehow you have to get there and make that boat yours. It's the same as babies.
So now hubby is not so sceptic, is he? It's about time he demands more power!
I just wish my wife was as positive as you ... she still panics sometimes. I think she does not feel comfortable because of manual starting a 20hp.

Thank you very much. The little boat is very comfortable. As soon as either of us get our boat license which is DIFFICULT to obtain in Germany we will go straight for the max of 20hp. the boat license is complicatesd and contains 4u80 questions all of which you must know. They make it particularly difficult to get but I or he will before long. Cuz I wnat to take this to the north sea and elsewhere. I want o be captain. This is one very safe little boat. Tell your wife she has nothign to be afraid of. My hubby is sometimes a scarey cat also. lol