Sea Rider
Supreme Mariner
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2008
- Messages
- 12,345
Been assembling Sibs for many years, now with a Rib nothing to assemble, but occasionally still use a 320 alum deck Sib along a 2 strokes 5 HP Tohatsu OB where a trailered Rib has 0 access to be launch from shore.
-Take Sib and Floorboards out of their carrying bags.
-Unroll Sib on a clean flat surface. No need to put oars under deck for assembly.
-Fully extend bow, transom and side tubes, open all air valves.
-Wet lower deck fabric, upper keel, lower floorboards and contours with a generous soapy water application.
If your Sib has alum floorboards that clatters when on plane, one easy way to reduce or even cancel annoying noises is taping with electric tape the whole length of each floorboard front edge before assembling them.
-Slide front wooden bow floorboard fully in. Align rear end to remain parallel to transom.
-Slide under small transom slats rear C cut alum floorboard right at middle of water drain valve.
-Join second middle floorboard to wooden one and third floorboard to transom one, form a tent between both. Align floorboards sides facing each other in a perfect straight line for an easy side joiner assembly.
-Step on tent to flatten out middle floorboards against lower deck fabric.
-Wet well each side joiner sides specially both middle cut grooves.
-Once aligned in middle floor deck, at an angle insert each side joiner groove against aligned floorboards sides and rotate them fully down, will snap in very easily. Assembling with a previously wetted soapy deck assures easy floorboard slide and perfect contour alignment while inflating tubes.
-With hand slide keel air valve to rest in bow’'s middle floorboard upper hole.
-Close all air valves, Inflate air chambers gradually with foot, hand or electric pump to their factory working pressure, usually 3-3.5 PSI. If counting with a pressure gauge or a pressure gauge and hose combo much better. Once finished Inflate aligned keel to same pressure.
-Screw all air valves caps in place.
-Sit OB right in middle transom.
-Fabricate 2 square pads using sib’s fabric, rubber, tire bladder, whatever and place them between OB’s round clamps and Sib’s transom plate. Tight well with hand both clamps eyes to face each other, secure with a padlock, piece of rope and forget all about re tightening clamps from time to time which is the most stupid way for any light OB to be raised during propulsion and fall off from transom into the deep blue. Pads will also decrease OB vibration transmitted to transom.
-Rest Sib on water for a short time period for air pressure on chambers and keel to stabilize, re inflate again to factory specs before departure.
Top inflation assures top Sib rigidity and glide with 0 OB stressing transom along awesome navigation and extreme fun.
Re inflate Sib to specs if will be left moored or anchored till next day outing, some deflation will inevitably occur during the night and early morning. An under powered OB with maximized pitch prop will make a difference powering a shorter Sib, will not plane combo out but will achieve a much better fast displacement speed compared to a factory delivered prop.
The whole assembling process before Sib floats should take 20-30 minutes depending on the air pump used.
Happy Boating
-Take Sib and Floorboards out of their carrying bags.
-Unroll Sib on a clean flat surface. No need to put oars under deck for assembly.
-Fully extend bow, transom and side tubes, open all air valves.
-Wet lower deck fabric, upper keel, lower floorboards and contours with a generous soapy water application.
If your Sib has alum floorboards that clatters when on plane, one easy way to reduce or even cancel annoying noises is taping with electric tape the whole length of each floorboard front edge before assembling them.
-Slide front wooden bow floorboard fully in. Align rear end to remain parallel to transom.
-Slide under small transom slats rear C cut alum floorboard right at middle of water drain valve.
-Join second middle floorboard to wooden one and third floorboard to transom one, form a tent between both. Align floorboards sides facing each other in a perfect straight line for an easy side joiner assembly.
-Step on tent to flatten out middle floorboards against lower deck fabric.
-Wet well each side joiner sides specially both middle cut grooves.
-Once aligned in middle floor deck, at an angle insert each side joiner groove against aligned floorboards sides and rotate them fully down, will snap in very easily. Assembling with a previously wetted soapy deck assures easy floorboard slide and perfect contour alignment while inflating tubes.
-With hand slide keel air valve to rest in bow’'s middle floorboard upper hole.
-Close all air valves, Inflate air chambers gradually with foot, hand or electric pump to their factory working pressure, usually 3-3.5 PSI. If counting with a pressure gauge or a pressure gauge and hose combo much better. Once finished Inflate aligned keel to same pressure.
-Screw all air valves caps in place.
-Sit OB right in middle transom.
-Fabricate 2 square pads using sib’s fabric, rubber, tire bladder, whatever and place them between OB’s round clamps and Sib’s transom plate. Tight well with hand both clamps eyes to face each other, secure with a padlock, piece of rope and forget all about re tightening clamps from time to time which is the most stupid way for any light OB to be raised during propulsion and fall off from transom into the deep blue. Pads will also decrease OB vibration transmitted to transom.
-Rest Sib on water for a short time period for air pressure on chambers and keel to stabilize, re inflate again to factory specs before departure.
Top inflation assures top Sib rigidity and glide with 0 OB stressing transom along awesome navigation and extreme fun.
Re inflate Sib to specs if will be left moored or anchored till next day outing, some deflation will inevitably occur during the night and early morning. An under powered OB with maximized pitch prop will make a difference powering a shorter Sib, will not plane combo out but will achieve a much better fast displacement speed compared to a factory delivered prop.
The whole assembling process before Sib floats should take 20-30 minutes depending on the air pump used.
Happy Boating
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