Manual for Zodiac Medline 1 2001

Davidfross · 20 June 2019, 10:49

Hello! I’m a new RIB owner with an old boat looking for the owners manual.
If anyone can point me in the right direction, I’d be quite grateful.
Thanks!

willfinch36 · 20 June 2019, 14:08

Don't have a manual but do have a 2001 Medline... after anything specific?

Davidfross · 20 June 2019, 14:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by willfinch36

Don't have a manual but do have a 2001 Medline... after anything specific?

Thanks for responding. Just in process of buying it. Was hoping I could familiarize myself with its manual. I may have questions soon!

Davidfross · 21 June 2019, 02:05

Any idea what the life expectancy of the Medline is?
Mine looks great - know it’s 18 years old - is there a known life expectancy for this model that you know of?

office888 · 21 June 2019, 22:00

Contact Pomerleau Les Bateaux,

Léonard Fraser
piece@pomerlo.com

They can help you get a digital copy.

Zodiac still sells replacement tubes. Make sure the transom isn’t rotten. Other than that, the boat is solid fiberglass in the deck and hull.

Davidfross · 21 June 2019, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by office888

Contact Pomerleau Les Bateaux,

Léonard Fraser
piece@pomerlo.com

They can help you get a digital copy.

Zodiac still sells replacement tubes. Make sure the transom isn’t rotten. Other than that, the boat is solid fiberglass in the deck and hull.

Many thanks. Really helpful.
Transom rock-solid -the hull is quite thick on this thing!
David Ross

Davidfross · 22 June 2019, 11:42

Thanks for this! Request sent!
Question; unsuccessfully tried to remove centre console windshield for cleaning. Screws turn freely. Would you know whether or not I have to remove instrument panel to get it off?

office888 · 22 June 2019, 16:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davidfross

Thanks for this! Request sent!
Question; unsuccessfully tried to remove centre console windshield for cleaning. Screws turn freely. Would you know whether or not I have to remove instrument panel to get it off?

Zodiac goes back and forth between screws and thrubolting on windshields.

Given the age, I would take off the panel anyways to inspect and clean electrical connections.

The #1 cause of vessel loss is electrical fires

Davidfross · 30 June 2019, 13:23

Took your very good advice re checking electrically - found and fixed 5 issues with the trailer, then moved to the Medline - unfortunately when I attempted to remove instrument panel to access instrument wiring I had no luck. The same issue - screws turn, but don’t come out.
Every one behaves identically, so this is a design feature.
Still haven’t found a manual, so I’m stumped.
If anyone can point me in the right direction, I’d appreciate it. I wrote Pomerleau 2x but no response yet.

Davidfross · 13 July 2019, 14:52

Hi. Want to acquire a repair kit.
Realized I don’t know the composition of the hull tubes - are the tubes made of PVC or Hypalon?

willfinch36 · 15 July 2019, 08:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davidfross

Hi. Want to acquire a repair kit.
Realized I don’t know the composition of the hull tubes - are the tubes made of PVC or Hypalon?

PVC I believe

Davidfross · 06 March 2021, 11:46

Strongan Duotex is a fabric originally developed by the Espace Division of Zodiac France as part of a joint project with CNES (National Space Research Center). Developed to be better at air retention and water intrusion than ordinary PVC it was further refined and developed to be Thermobonded by purpose built machines existing only in Zodiac France.

Basically PVC was a truck cover material that was semi-water tight but not airtight, (more on this later). The Zodiac answer from the joint space research project took 8 engineers and technicians and a support staff of 14 to tackle.

“Welding” of PVC used in the knockoff industry is a lap seam. One layer is placed on top of another and heated under pressure to make the bond. This technique will make most PVC materials watertight but leaves something to be desired for airtightness.

To accomplish this technical feat Zodiac developed their thermobonding process where two precision cut pieces are butted up edge to edge and overlayed on the outside for mechanical strength, and the secret internal layer overlayed on the inside defeated air leaks and made the bond airtight.

Zodiac Strongan Duotex outside seam

Zodiac Strongan Duotex inside seam
While seeming relatively simple to the layman, the material science and process engineering was very difficult and very costly. Zodiac invested heavily in the engineering of the process and at the time it was considered a gamble. The old guard of neoprene sand and glue construction people never thought PVC could have the air retention of Hypalon/Neoprene. Zodiac’s gamble paid off, and dramatically lowered the costly labor process involved by 75% while producing a boat unparalleled in air retention and strength. This hyper-technical approach catapulted Zodiac’s aerospace and leisure products divisions to the forefront of their respective industries. Yes from the humble beginnings of Maurice Mallet’s sewn and varnished balloons in 1896 to 21st century space exploration and Strongan Duotex inflatable boats Zodiac reigns supreme.

To sum it up in a few words Zodiac’s Strongan Duotex fabric is the gold standard for air retention and modern inflatable boats.

Saying that all boats are not cut from the same cloth is a gross understatement. Buyers should beware the great pretenders in the market today all vying for your hard earned dollar.

Today when I went to IBC’s repair shop to measure the differences in thickness from one brand to the next I was amazed at the startling differences between the Zodiac Strongan Duotex and the ordinary PVC from the other manufacturers. The average measurement in mils or thousandths of an inch of the most basic Strongan fabric was .040″ and the next best competitors came in at .015 to .029″ or one to two thirds thinner. The average thickness of a Thermobonded seam was on the order of 1/8″ or .125″ compared to a seam of .030″ to .060 for the others .The Zodiac fabric is thicker by it’s self than many other manufacturers seams! So thickness of the Zodiac Strongan coupled with the additional thread in the scrim or substrate of the Zodiac Strongan fabric adds additional strength and resistance to forces such as torsional loading over all other manufacturer’s samples compared.

Much has been written about the dreaded UV rays and the havoc it wreaks on boats. Myths abound on the internet of UV radiation turning boats brown and causing them to “pop” while exposed to the sun. I would refer you to the earlier paragraphs to note that Zodiac’s Strongan was developed with the space program in mind. Believe me there is far more UV in space than at the waterline.

UV damage mechanisms of the various materials here on Earth generally cause what’s known as “photo-bleaching”, whereas the material in question turns white not brown. The mechanism is virtually the same for PVC, Hypalon, and even diamonds! Look at an old car dash, did it turn brown, or is it whiter and bleached looking? I thought so! Short wavelength high frequency radiation in the UV regime and it’s interaction with matter is well understood. One simply can’t take a random website’s claims as truth these days, we’ve even added “fake news” into our language to define this phenomena.