Achilles aluminum deck roll-up inflatable

[BK]

I am ready to get a new inflatable as my 12 footer is just too big and heavy and does not fit on the deck very easy. I am looking at the new Achilles LSR 9'6' sport tender with a roll-up aluminum floor. The question I have is; would the aluminum slates flex back to its orginal shape after the stress of high speed? When I jump into the boat would the metal flex back or again, bend so it would no longer roll up? As I write this, it seems like metal would be a bad choice for a deck, why would they make it out of a material that does not flex back?

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

We have been very happy with our new Highpressure Air Floor. As long as you have the right two chamber pump with a guage so you know you have it inflated to 9-11psi you will be very happy. It is every bit as stiff and any of the rollup floors or the sectioned plywood ones, yet it rolls very small on the foredeck. Ours is a 9-9" one that weights 75lbs, it cost $999. The only thing better is a true RIB.

[Mark Prouty]

Nice combination that I have:
Mercury Airdeck
Tohatsu 6hp 4 Stroke

I put a little hydrofoil on the outboard. With one person, the dinghy will plane out nicely and do about 14/15 mph.

[BK]

Duane, I looked at the airdeck and they are very light which I need. Where did you get yours? Seems a very good price. My inflatable now needs a little air in the morning, the cold water from the night before deflates it a little. Do you have the same condition?

[Captain Steve]

I have seen 2 airdeck models where the seams let go....your floor is now a cylinder about 18inches in diamenter. Both of them were at WM...returns of course.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Our's is a Maxxon. They are the actual manufacturer of many of the other namebrand boats being sold out there.

We went with the model 300. It has a lot of features not found on many of the other boats. The other one I had settled on was the Mercury, but they couldn't get to the price point.

http://www.boatownersworld.com/maxxon/m ... series.htm

We bought it locally here in Seattle at a very reputable dealer, Ballard Inflatables. They had it in stock for the same price as on the web.

I already had a 6hp Yamaha motor in the shed that we use on it. On our test runs with my wife and I on board we hit 14 knots on the GPS. It will plane out even with all 5 of us on board, but we have to lean way forward to get out of the hole. I think it could benefit from some fins as well, or maby those spring loaded trim tabs.

[Mark Prouty]

I already had a 6hp Yamaha motor in the shed that we use on it. On our test runs with my wife and I on board we hit 14 knots on the GPS. It will plane out even with all 5 of us on board, but we have to lean way forward to get out of the hole.

That is exceptional. I wonder if the larger surface area accounts yours being able to plane with a larger load. I could plane with two people possibly - never plane with 3 people. Mine is only 7'11" as apposed to your 9'9". We both have 6hp motors. Mine is a 4 stroke yours is a 2 stroke.

By the way, I folded it up and put it away last weekend.
Gave the motor the old Stable and fogging treatment.
Changed the lower unit grease.

I'll be breaking out the snowmobile and snowboard soon.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

What is the life-expectancy of an inflateable boat? There is a Zodiac, (XRS I believe), Rigid Inflateable Boat, at an auction I am going to on Saturday. It seems to be holding air, but it has several patches and the coating is peeling off in some areas. At some point I would assume it would be beyond repair. Anybody have any experience with one of these?

[BK]

I bought my 12 foot, Boat US hypalon material inflatable boat in 1993 and not had a problem with it until 2 weeks ago at the Catalina trip. All 4 valves starting leaking air. The dealer gave me 4 new rubber washers for the outside screw-in cap and the problem was solved. I took in the removeable inflatable keel so he got me the right size rubber washers. He said all valves leak air and it is the screw-in cap that keeps it air tight. BTW, I only use my inflatable during the summer and trips to Catalina, otherwise it is in the garage.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Our older Hypalon one is over 10 years old and in great, near new shape. It has never been stored outdoors however. That is the big killer, the UV rays. Hypalon will last longer than PVC in the sun, but they both will degrade if stored outside. Protected properly I expect both of mine to have many decades more life.

[Pouw Geuzebroek]

I have a question regarding inflateable boats on a Mac which puzzles me for a long time already. I am in need for one but wander where to store it when sailing. What do you guys do? just tow it on a line behind the Mac, or inflated on deck between the hatch and the mast, or somewhere above the outboard hanging on a selfmade construction. Alternatively I was also thinking about one of those fold up aluminium boats which you can easily store on deck against the railing.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

If inflated, ours will be out back under tow. Otherwise it lives rolled up on the foredeck just behind the hatch. It's out of the way there, low enough that it doesn't block the view forward or get in the way sailing. You can still go in and out the hatch, which is important for the kids, and it even makes a nice bow seat when under way. It does obstruct the view out the front windows down below but we usually keep the curtains closed on those anyway.

I just roll the boat up on the deck with the bow forward and then tie it on each side to the lifelines. The inflatables grab ropes are usually exposed along each side when rolled and I just tie to those. My plan is to put two caribiners on the life lines so I can just clip to the dinghy grab line on each side.

It's preferable to get it out of the water. Now that we have a spiffy electric high pressure pump we are more willing to pull it out and deflate it more often. Towing the dinghy alone will cut almost a knot off your speed. Towing it with the motor on it is even worse. We store the dinghy motor on a bracket on the starboard transom which also lets it serve as a backup motor when lowered.

[Jeff Ritsema]

If inflated, ours will be out back under tow. Otherwise it lives rolled up on the foredeck just behind the hatch. It's out of the way there, low enough that it doesn't block the view forward or get in the way sailing. You can still go in and out the hatch, which is important for the kids, and it even makes a nice bow seat when under way. It does obstruct the view out the front windows down below but we usually keep the curtains closed on those anyway.

I just roll the boat up on the deck with the bow forward and then tie it on each side to the lifelines. The inflatables grab ropes are usually exposed along each side when rolled and I just tie to those. My plan is to put two caribiners on the life lines so I can just clip to the dinghy grab line on each side.

It's preferable to get it out of the water. Now that we have a spiffy electric high pressure pump we are more willing to pull it out and deflate it more often. Towing the dinghy alone will cut almost a knot off your speed. Towing it with the motor on it is even worse. We store the dinghy motor on a bracket on the starboard transom which also lets it serve as a backup motor when lowered.

I wonder if anyone has investigated using dinghy davits out back the Mac.
I actually measured for davits on my Mast 28 and discovered that the clearance was there to allow for them. (likely very similar for the Mac). My reluctance to do this on a new boat stopped me short. I'm still considering them though and wonder if there are any others considering this option.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Personally, I think dinghy davits would be better suited on a larger boat than a Mac. They are not inexpensive and would put quite a lot more weight on the stern especially if you were hoisting a wooden or fiberglass dinghy which could weigh almost as much as your 50 HP outboard. Since the davit arms would have to stick out quite a bit to avoid the outboard engine (not such a problem on most conventional inboard sailboats), that would put a pretty large moment on the stern of the boat which could change the balance enough to degrade performance pretty significantly.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

To me it's a width thing. The mac is only 7'10" wide. Hang my 9'9" dingy back there crosswise and it's going to stick out quite a bit on each side which would be a pain around docks.

I still think a mac version of www.dinghy-tow.com is the best answer, but I haven't had the time to work out all the attachment details on the busy transom of an X. I'm sure it could be done though. I may try to whip up a cheap EMT version of one to try out. It's just two standoff poles with some attachment brackets and a couple block and tackles to do the lifting. I think I'd need some S shaped poles. It would be nice to leave the motor on the dinghy but not have all the drag.