New potential Zodiac owner with questions

[hankyknot]

Well it looks like this might be the year I finally get a boat. I have my eye on a 17.5ft Zodiac Grand Raid that is for sale locally but I have a couple of questions that will no doubt parade my ignorance for all the see and snigger at.

Being an inflatable boat whats the typical choice for trailering such a beast, do I need a special trailer? I have read people stating they unpack the boat, inflate it, attach some launching wheels then roll it down to the water, no mention of the size of the boat but I'm assuming fairly small. If this is the case do they inflate and deflate each time, surely that cant be good? Also what do you inflate one of these with?

Next I have no idea what sized engine to put on the boat, the ad says up to 65HP but I'm not planning to go to PEI and back in my lunch hour so whats a sensible size here?

Finally, and this is the one i'm most embarrassed to ask but better to look stupid for a while than be stupid forever because I'm too embarrassed to ask.

Seating. Whats the score on seating in these things, I've seen people sitting on the tubes and merrily thrashing through the surf but I dont own any camo gear or night vision goggles so the SBS approach may not be for me, is there an alternative, can I buy seats or benches after market for this type of boat?

I thinks thats all the questions I have for now, any and all advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance folks

 

[Capt Ron]

Re: New potential Zodiac owner with questions

hankyknot,
First off welcome to the wonderful world of Iboats, where there's never a stupid question asked.

I have a 9' Avon and will try to impart a little knowledge, I inflate my boat on the ground and then slide it in the bed of the truck bow first. Then I mount the 3hp Johnson. At the ramp I just grab the motor leg and pull the boat out of the truck directly into the water. Having done 75% of the inflation with the shop air compressor at home, I finish off with the manual air pump after launching.

For an rib that's 17.6' a trailer is a must have. The boat should remain inflated and the motor permanently installed (bolted). You can adjust the pressure with a manual pump if needed. I use a large double stroke bicycle type pump from Wally-World.

Have you tried a Google search on this boat? A quick look reveals quite a few websites w/information that you may be able to use.
Here's a direct link:
http://tinyurl.com/rcydpf

Capt Ron

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: New potential Zodiac owner with questions

Hi

Before buying such a large sib, there are some simples questions to ask yourself :

1-Why do I need such a large sib for
2-How many mates will usually be with me
3-What do I intend to do with the boat
4-Will I have sufficient house space to keep a sib/engine/trailer configuration.

To get a decent sib/engine performance will need minimum a 50 HP engine on the back. You can always place extra seats, if going for the Zodiac get at least a 30 HP engine, If Tohatsu 30 HP, 2 strokes still available, go for it, won't make the boat fly away, but will take you there. Don't forget the trailer.

Happy Boating

 

[highN'dry]

Re: New potential Zodiac owner with questions

That is a huge boat and yes it will need at least a 50 horse engine to perform correctly. I think you should shop a smaller boat with a 25 horse two stroke.

 

[nobrainsd]

Re: New potential Zodiac owner with questions

I have never wished I had a smaller boat with less hp. Whether the Grand Raid is appropriate for you really does depend on your most frequent use. It would be a bit big to deal with if you don't have a trailer or a couple of friends present whenever you launch. But if you can afford a trailer and have space to keep the boat on it, then why would you want to go smaller? Inflatables don't have as much floor space as you might imagine. The tubes take up a lot of room. I run a Futura MK11 and the open floor space fills up fast. If you want to run with a crew you are definitely going to want the biggest boat you can get. There are a number of seating options, what is appropriate depends on the type of floor the boat has. Seats are really nice, sitting on the tubes for an extended period of time is not very comfortable. Seating will suck up floor space big time. It doesn't take a special trailer for a zodiac, but it does have to be of an sufficient size and the bunks should support the hull and extend just beyond the transom. Supporting the transom itself properly is very important. It is not that difficult to take a trailer set up for a hard hull and adapt it for your inflatable. When buying a used inflatable it is a good idea to thoroughly inspect the vessel. Leaking floor seams or transom seams are not always readily apparent upoun visual inspection. Fill the boat with a few inches of water and you will find it easy to see if there are any leaks. I would never purchase an older inflatable without doing this simple check. Inflatables have their issues. You have to treat them with care. But the light weight, great stability and shallow draft open up a range of possibilities that a hard hulled boat can't match. Good luck and be sure to post pics when you decide to join the boating community.

 

[nice-diver]

Re: New potential Zodiac owner with questions

my trailer

my 15.4 zodiac GR MKIII:18 gal soft fuel in bow; helm station; battery and oil injection tank; and now have a 1x10 tied on for a seat; aluminum transom is a cut down jetmotor mount to use the 40hp long that came with the boat