Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

[Guest]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Definitely meant Great Kills, lol. Too much OT and it appears it will be extended through the Holidays!!! The money is not bad but I feel like I lost my whole summer! Headed to Aruba in a few weeks though... that should help, lol. Have a look at the Easy launch wheels site. Those are the wheels I have on the 340, I modified them so I can use smaller wheels for the concrete ramp. I can switch between the big wheels and the modded wheels in a couple of minutes but the big wheels have so much surface area they are great in sand! May still not be enough for your boat but the site seems to imply they will work up to your size. They are expensive though and seeing as you already have wheels.... The great thing about having a few other guys around is.... you have a few other guys around. We can definitely get er launched just about anywhere, with maybe an extra trip to/ from the shoreline at most. I have a hand held VHF. It's waterproof and it is supposed to float. Not eager to try that part out though. It's great, when I remember to bring it.. i'm gonna make a must take bag, lol.

As for Sandy hook, I figured if we made it down that far we would spend a lot of time for sure, catching or not!

Getting thrown from the boat was a learning experience.. it taught me when to back off and how the boat feels close to the edge, though truthfully it can get you without warning. Each boat seem to have it's own feel having piloted three different inflatables. The best thing about it all is knowing for sure that all the safety stuff worked.. the lanyard stopped the boat, the vest kept me afloat and I was able to pull myself back in with the side rope! Hard lesson but one well (L)earned. Lol. I am still a little nervous about the lost at sea thing but truthfully that is very unlikely where we are now. I did have an adventure in Florida (Sebastian Inlet) where the tidal flow out to sea was very nearly too strong even for my 15hp at the height of the outgoing. I first anchored til I got my wits about me and then used a tack course almost like sailing to get back where I wanted to go. Absolute worst case I would have waited an hr or so on anchor for the tide to slow.. which it inevitably would. All of those little incidents have served to make me more comfortable in knowing that if i don't panic i can survive even my bubble headed moments. In all honesty at no time was I more worried about anything more than losing the boat/ motor.. which can be replaced. Out to sea with no power and no chance of swimming to a safe place.... THAT scares me. So the trip to the Bahamas will have to wait (I hear some guys make it over in 16 footers with 40 hp motors... on less than 10 gallons of gas!!!!)

the only way I will go to Bahamas is with a 200hp jet ski with a least 16 gallons lol.

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Not sure on the fuel consumption for a jet ski but you may want to be safe and say 25 gallons, lol! They are fast but I think they are fuel hogs. I doubt I would be so bold to try such a crossing even with a 16ft and 40 horses but who knows. I am up right now working on a cargo carrier. Figure if we are not having an outing I will use the time on boating related endeavors. On a separate note, I have a bad feeling the day will come and go (tomorrow) without so much as a spritzer for a shower! We'll see but I think the weather man is gonna screw the pooch on this one, and we might have had a window of opportunity.

 

[smashed]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Smashed,

4-5 seconds to be on plane if good, at least the sib planes without efffort, if wanting faster plane need a higher HP engine. At 4900-5000 rpm at wot you are lugging the engine, not good for extended boating wot periods. You'll need to go at least 2-3 down pitches for revs to be around 5500 which would be best for that boat/engine/family loadt configuration.

Lifters will probably add some extra rpm, but minimum. You need engine punch and full HP is achieved at near max wot, so you are currently running a under HP engine. Even with you alone, you're in the poor side of the wot rpm range stated for that engine. Is that the new 420 you are running ?

Happy Boating

Sea Rider,

I just came back and reread your comment and noticed I didn't answer it completely.

I tried the lifters and am not thrilled by the result, however I didn't attempt any adjustments yet. Will decide what to do with them. I believe the right way to go is changing the propeller and just ordered a 5 pitch 4 blade one. I will use it with 2+ adults on the boat. Still remains to be seen what the rpm will be. I assume the 5 pitch 4 blade will have similar RPM to a 6 pitch 3 blade prop. But more or less I was shooting in the dark. I went for the high thrust label, assuming it will suit my needs. I will get another if this turns out to be totally different than expected. I am shooting for 5500-5800 rpm, as you suggested 5500, and hopefully don't get above the 6000 mark.

And yes, this is my new Saturn SD430. It is about 40 pounds heavier than the 13' SD385. The 5250 rpm at WOT was on a 600 pound setup (boat, passengers, motor, battery and gear). Adding another 170 lb passenger decreases the RPM to 4850 in calm water, makes planing pretty hard to get to - more than 10-12 seconds. Speed is reduced roughly by 2 mph. Will report results with the new prop in about 10 days.

Sinistre, you have real stories from your outings. I appreciate you share them, I couldn't imagine that the currents can run so fast in the Raritan Bay. I will be more careful. While fishing the tides were moving the boat with 2-3 mph which wasn't too bad, but I understand that is all depends on the spot. When the upper bay empties after high tide, through the narrow mouth of the bay, the water must be pretty rapid. I must rethink my anchor setup - I only have 50 ft rope and a 3-4 pound anchor. First I will try a longer rope. The depths around Sandy are in the 25-50 ft range so far.

 

[Guest]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Went out today because I did not believe the weather man and pretty decent day. Water was very close to flat. Using a 6hp with 2 passengers was tough. Due to the low hp and the 20" transom planing was difficult. I would get on a plane and lose it over and over again. The front passenger got off the front seat and sat on the tube further up and it helped a little. I gotta figure out how to raise my engine via transom extender to lose some of that nasty drag. Some I will explain some of my issues maybe I can get some help. 1) 20" shaft had a lot of drag. 2) pulling the boat up the ramp is super tiring (with transom wheels).

 

[smashed]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

I am glad you had a good time on the water, Weimed. As this 6 hp is just a temporary solution, you must think of transom extender that won't require drilling holes in the transom plate. It will be challenging. Maybe you can gain an inch by attaching the motor higher on the transom motor mount. I don't know if deflating the hull-chamber is a good advise, but when my hull deflates (I guess I have a pinhole) my engine starts to cavitate, which I suppose. So you may play with hull pressure a bit. Also, I guess you adjusted the transom angle of the motor. If not - try 2-3 positions.

I must look at your transom wheels to understand the problem. I have no problem with my Saturn 430, it is surprisingly easy to pull it up the ramp by myself. Make sure that the wheels are not in contact with the transom due to improper installation.
Sinistre I took a look at the Easy Launch wheels and must admit they are very expensive. I will post pictures of my DIY wheels.

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Feels like everyone has been busy but me! Lol. Let's see.. in order of how the questions/ issues came up... I didn't realize exactly how much bigger that 14ft'er is. Checked the site and videos... VERY NICE!!! I do have a few interesting stories, I try to get out as much as I can... invariably I take a wrong turn at Albuquerque from time to time, lol. I love to share the tales as it may help someone not follow in those EXACT footsteps and I generally consider all my water experiences positive (even if it takes time for the positivity to sink in, lol). For instance, Sebastian Inlet is notorious (standing waves 3-4ft of nasty looking white water... normal... and it isn't even the worst offender in that regard!!) and if I had cared to look it up, I might have got an inkling before I even considered going to sea there, btw, I didn't. I had sense enough upon seeing those white water sentinels, to call it lunch! As for an anchor, what type are you using? I find that it makes a world of difference. My favorite now, by miles, is a claw/ Bruce style. A small one will have great holding power in most types of bottom. They are beyond good in mud, muck and sand (read a bear to break free such a small anchor... but that's a good thing! ). If you have the claw style, the 3-4lb'er should hold and if not the 8(ish) one will definitely. I have both and never NEED the 8. I usually have at least 100 ft of anchor line and recently purchased 2- 100 ft lengths of a thinner line. I am hoping that they will hold (working strength of 60lbs). Because they are so thin, 100 ft takes up no room at all and allows me the "comfort" (durability not withstanding) of 200 ft of scope. I am hoping there is a safety margin built into that working strength rating.

Weimed, I am so very glad one of us had the sense to check behind the weatherman, and was rewarded for so doing! The summer is passing us by and every day out is a good one. Your 6hp woes are as Smashed noted, temporary. 1st, I believe you will get some extra oomph when you're leg (motors' not yours, lol) is not so low in the water. 2nd.... 15hp baby, or as Yoda might say... "All will be well when you use the Force!" Lol. Hope you got the second set of pictures. They are my cargo carrier... a work in progress, but it should help make transit easier , and as we know every little bit helps. When I get time I will upload pics of some of the things I have been working on.

Smashed,

How long does it take for your tubes to noticeably soften (is there a normal sounding way to ask that question???) With a fishing hook sized pin hole (hint, hint) it takes quite some time to notice it on the 340. If it is noticeable in a short while (a couple hrs after fill up) the pin-hole might be slightly bigger than you realize. As such, it would lead me to check that the valves are sealing properly, as this will leak air at a faster rate. As for transom wheels, I am somewhere between you and Weimed on the ease of pulling the boat up the ramp (it may just be that ramp) but I have a feeling you may just be a bigger/ younger guy. It's very doable but it is tiring, especially after a long day on the water. it was easier with the big wheels of the easy launch but they had their own compromises. And yes, they were expensive, but I got them when I had more money than brains, lol. Actually, I envisioned I would be doing a lot of beach launching.. which I have not to date... turns out it's mostly illegal in NY, lmao... whodathunk!! I figured no quicker way to a quick ocean jaunt than to launch from its doorstep. I specifically had Jones Beach Fall Striper run in mind. Sometimes the fishing is absolutely sick... about 3 casts length away from shore or further... It was the first motivator for my "pocket boat"


P.S. wow this was long... insomnia is a killer, lmao!

 

[Guest]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Took my boat out today but no sign of fish . Even though I already became somewhat decent putting in the hardwood floor it's still a major pain! Next summer an air floor is a must. Also will help wi my behind hurting from sitting on the tube for so long.

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Took my boat out today but no sign of fish . Even though I already became somewhat decent putting in the hardwood floor it's still a major pain! Next summer an air floor is a must. Also will help wi my behind hurting from sitting on the tube for so long.

See... I said it before, i'll say it again... those wood floors are a pain in the *****!!!:laugh:

Where abouts did you go?? Remember to iook for birds!!! I may be free on Monday early afternoon (12-ish). Will also be going out Sat. Btw, I ordered your umbrella rig. Just need to decide what you want to hang off of it (tubes or rubber shads). I hear the cocktail blues are invading the bay. That umbrella lure is absolutely killer on schooling coctails. I have caught 4 at a time and 2-3 is common!!:joyous:

 

[smashed]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Sorry guys, been busy and it is gonna get worse. But we absolutely gotta get out on water this weekend. If Sinistre says he likes Saturday, then lets make it on Sat. I can be there early morning or whenever convenient for you. The winds are calm early on Saturday and the tide is high at 10 am.

Sinistre, The tube that looses air is unfortunately the hull, and it seems to affect the bow hight in about 2 hours. It is noticeable, because the motor cavitates. I will find the leak, no worries. It is not a knife damage, lol.

It must be my custom wheels that help me manage the boat, haha. Well honestly, I dunno. I bet I am not taller or wider than you guys. We will see how heavy the boats are when we meet. I am a bit afraid to use the front handle to hold the boat as it may tear the plastic. So it is heavy. Has held for now.

I will see if anyone will be joining me on Sat, and if not I am coming alone. Last time took 2 of us 20 minutes to put the boat in the water, the other party is the faster one, I am just wandering around. However, I wouldn't mind a mini competition on floor assembly with Weimed. The winner gets Sinistre's 15 hp motor for the day. Deal?!

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

To quote Moses the Omega Man... "from my cold dead hands", lmao. Actually we can switch out motors for a bit if u want to see how your boat runs,with it but the new ride is ready and she'll be looking forward to wearing her pumped up kicks (feeling very pop culture this am Saturday is good for me. I know what you mean on the front handle. The quicksilver has rope all around the perimeter and i usethat for pulling. Saturn does not. Been thinking about a long term fix. Dunno at this point. Btw, what time Saturday? Driving or boating over?

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Hopefully Weimed can get out to play for a little bit! I know he works weekends. Usually, he's free mon or tues. I will be (free) on Mon 9th after around 11am, so if anyone's up for a repeat, lol, I could be at the ramp by 12ish!!

 

[smashed]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Hi Sinistre, no worries on the motor, I was just teasing, but thanks on willing to swap for a moment. I might try my new 4 blade prop so will have enough to play with.
The 14' has rope all around, but with the 20" tubes it comes too high and the handle is more convenient to carry the boat. On the Saturn you probably can connect with a short rope the two D-hooks on the bow, that are meant for tolling, and use the rope as a handle. I may try the same thing... So we will get her out for the first time tomorrow? Nice.
I will be driving tomorrow. The winds are suppose to get stronger later in the day.
I think I can do 8 or 9 am. Whatever you prefer. It is getting chilly in the mornings.
Unfortunately I will be busy during the week and can't make it Monday.

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Hi Sinistre, no worries on the motor, I was just teasing, but thanks on willing to swap for a moment. I might try my new 4 blade prop so will have enough to play with.
The 14' has rope all around, but with the 20" tubes it comes too high and the handle is more convenient to carry the boat. On the Saturn you probably can connect with a short rope the two D-hooks on the bow, that are meant for tolling, and use the rope as a handle. I may try the same thing... So we will get her out for the first time tomorrow? Nice.
I will be driving tomorrow. The winds are suppose to get stronger later in the day.
I think I can do 8 or 9 am. Whatever you prefer. It is getting chilly in the mornings.
Unfortunately I will be busy during the week and can't make it Monday.

Weimed just got back to me. He can't do tomorrow until very late in the day 5pm-ish which is too late for me. He is game for Monday tho... guess I just HAVE to go twice, lol. Only kidding about the Charlton Heston Quote. You are welcome to switch up with me, honestly curious about the 9.8 anyways. I do of course want to try my boat with the 15 though since it will be my first time out with that boat. Likely to have some "ooohhhhhh, that's different" moments. I imagine your transom angle will be similar so if I get it set right for one it should be for the other as well. Really looking forward to seeing the 14ft in real life. 9am is safer bet. I have something to do this evening so i will likely be getting in a little later than I'd like. We should definitely try to beat out the wind. Not sure how the boat is gonna handle one up in wind and I know the Zodiac caught some wind when Weimed and I took it out with the 15... twitchy... and we had his weight to move around. We'll see. I am eager to see how she'll ride and the differences between that and the Quicksilver.

 

[smashed]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Great Sinistre! The 20" tubes felt different in wind conditions than the 18" but this may just be my imagination. I hope we don't have to deal with wind at all tomorrow. I'll see you around 9 am at the Flatbush Ave ramp. If your plans change for any reason, just let me know, no worries.

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Great Sinistre! The 20" tubes felt different in wind conditions than the 18" but this may just be my imagination. I hope we don't have to deal with wind at all tomorrow. I'll see you around 9 am at the Flatbush Ave ramp. If your plans change for any reason, just let me know, no worries.

Will do. Will PM you my number. See ya in the AM!

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Just in case someone is only following this single thread (and running the risk of missing out on ALL of the exploits of ALL of the pocket boaters on this forum) Smashed and I made it out this AM and had a blast. Unfortunately, Mother nature was not as cooperative as she could be so wind/ wave conditions and lack of "finny" friends made for tougher conditions than I would like. I posted on the Calling All New Yorkers, Jamaica Bay... thread since I was already on that thread w/ Weimed. I will upload videos and pics to both threads. Smashed, I have to thank you again for everything. Check out the other thread as I gave you major Kudos!!

 

[smashed]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

I am finally back home. It was a 15 hour journey, 12 of which I spent on the water. I am barely hanging, so will share more tomorrow, but it was a great experience, or should I say adventure?!

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

As promised the videos...


I apologize beforehand for the momentary lapse of decorum (Greeting in first video) and duration and content (phone was dying and there were too many waves to film while underway at power) of the videos. More videos will come as soon as I get them!! Lol.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27Udl9AF_S8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6TUnOr6NvY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZlPDd0SQ9g

 

[Sinistre1]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

Yesterday afternoon's outing...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGqb68mvGt4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw-oqMeLMCo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKkFOFO1eiA

Enjoy,,, We did!

 

[smashed]

Re: Buying an inflatable from Defender's store. Anything wrong with that seller?

I am finally back home. It was a 15 hour journey, 12 of which I spent on the water. I am barely hanging, so will share more tomorrow, but it was a great experience, or should I say adventure?!

After those 11-12 hours on the water on Saturday, I spontaneously decided to check for boating opportunities on the Delaware river on Sunday. There are a bunch of free ramps there both on PA and NJ sides. We launched on the kayak ramp next to the bridge of I80. Very clear water and beautiful scenery. We went upstream and crossed one of the shallows but then got stuck on the second one. The motor hit some rocks and the speed was almost the same as the speed of the current, so I gave up and did some fishing.

I will share my experience from the Saturday outing in the NY/Jamaica Bay thread, but here I just wanted to post my thoughts on the boat.
As I said before, the boat is great (for flat to light chop water) and hard floor is easy to assemble as long as the tubes are inflated halfway. In lightly choppy water the boat planes and handles without any issues. The 10 hp motor planes the boat with 1 person and 100 pounds of gear. 15-16 mph is what I achieved at WOT.
The problems with handling start when there is heavier chop/small waves, a foot and higher. It becomes very hard, uncomfortable, unpleasant not only to get the boat to plane, but also to keep the boat planing. Handling (when planing) under such conditions also brings concerns for the integrity of the boat transom. At these conditions and with moderate winds blowing in the opposite direction my speed was about 5-6 mph at most. Although my 10 hp motor is light at 60-65 lbs, I am still afraid that constant jumping over waves and landing from 1-2 feet could tear the transom from the tubes. Not so much with the 60 lbs motor, but definitely with a motor over 100-120 lbs I would be afraid to ride the waves.
So, learning from my experience, I will stay away from the water on conditions different than flat to light chop no matter how powerful my engine is.

The difference in transom thickness of 12 and 13 footers and the 14' boats is noticeable. 30 hp on the 12 or 13' boats? That will be scary. May be possible, but is outright dangerous IMHO, especially in the open ocean.

The boat handles 3-4 feet waves well, however if the waves are severe and dump water in the boat, I can imagine the situation becoming life threatening in no time.

Dammit! I think I got a reality check crossing that bay! Will be more careful in the future. Still love the boat and think it is fun in flat water though!