Looking to purchase a zodiac futura

97t-bird · 13 August 2010, 19:05

Hi I am interested in purchasing a zodiac futura mark III with the upgraded seats with console and a 60hp yamaha along with a trailer..... I was quoted $15,630 u.s. for all of that. I have never purchased one of these new just a used 10ft zodiac many years ago that I loved dearly it was a 94 and used it till the floor started to seperate then tossed it.

If anyone has any opinions on the boat or price I was quoted that would be great. Thank you.....Greg

spartacus · 14 August 2010, 10:46

Any reason you're looking at a SIB instead of a RIB? The Zodiac Futura Mk III is 4.5m long. I'd only consider it with aluminium floor (HD specification). Should fly with a Yammie 60hp on the back - that's the maximum hp rating for the transom. What's the principle use of the boat, how many people on board, sea or lake, etc?

Tube material with be Strongan (PVC). I know Zodiac are making some leisure boats in hypalon - such as Pro RIB series. Comes with 5 year warranty as standard.

Price wise, in the UK the Futura is £4,500 for seating and console, up to £1k for a decent galvanised trailer, and around £6,500 for a new Yamaha F60. Total: £12k. US currency conversion: $18,730.

Used to have a Zodiac GT and a Pro. Fantastic boats, well made with good dealer network. Accessory price-list will make your eyes water though. Only moved away from the brand for deeper V hull for rough weather use.

97t-bird · 14 August 2010, 12:27

It was the one with aluminum floor......It will be primarily used on the chesapeake bay in calm water creeks and near shore for fishing/crabbing maybe tubing and just cruising around. I also plan on using when I travel if there is water nearby to explore small creeks/rivers. I would usually have 2 people at most 4 on board. No particular reason I was considering a SIB I just really like the look or the futura mark III with the console it just seems like a decent layout as far as the seating goes. If you could suggest a different model that would be great. I would prefer new as these boats in the U.S. are kinda hard to come by, that is anything larger then about 9ft. I would be open to a rib but prefer to keep the price around 15,000 us dollars.

I was looking at a 26ft sonic performance boat but am starting to realize that I would most likely get more use out of a zodiac.....Other then traveling long distances and going far from shore,,,,

spartacus · 14 August 2010, 20:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97t-bird

It was the one with aluminum floor......It will be primarily used on the chesapeake bay in calm water creeks and near shore for fishing/crabbing maybe tubing and just cruising around.

Even with the aluminium floor, you can deflate and disassemble for general maintenance. The oversized tubes give the boat fantastic bouyancy and the speed tubes underneath are a key design feature. I used both of my Zodiacs on the west coast in the Atlantic and always felt safe, even with a decent swell.

Quote:

I also plan on using when I travel if there is water nearby to explore small creeks/rivers. I would usually have 2 people at most 4 on board. No particular reason I was considering a SIB I just really like the look or the futura mark III with the console it just seems like a decent layout as far as the seating goes. If you could suggest a different model that would be great. I would prefer new as these boats in the U.S. are kinda hard to come by, that is anything larger then about 9ft. I would be open to a rib but prefer to keep the price around 15,000 us dollars.

They're easier to come by over here, but more in the older design style. Easy to tow, launch and recover. However with a 110kg F60 on the back and 25-50 litres of fuel on board, if you are high and dry with a retreating tide, you're there to stay!

Quote:

I was looking at a 26ft sonic performance boat but am starting to realize that I would most likely get more use out of a zodiac.....Other then traveling long distances and going far from shore,,,,

I agree - small is better. A 26' boat is fine for open water runs, but the Zodiac is the one that wil put a grin on your face.

Sharkbyte · 14 August 2010, 21:27

"I agree - small is better. A 26' boat is fine for open water runs, but the Zodiac is the one that wil put a grin on your face."

My regular vessel has not turned a wheel (also on a trailer) in the three seasons since we picked up the Futura.

Funny, the Futura was initially purchased as an inshore, messing around fishing boat, and the bigger vessel was kept for the serious stuff!

The smile factor cannot be underestimated, and the trip distances keep on growing!

prairie tuber · 17 August 2010, 14:18

Defender Marine is clearing out some new Zodiac G470s (the black military version of the Futura Mark III with inflatable floors) for $ 3995.00 Here is a link.

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=37135

With a budget around 15,000 - 16,000 there are other (more durable, higher performance) SIB options in that size range worth considering.

Sharkbyte · 17 August 2010, 22:39

Quote:

With a budget around 15,000 - 16,000 there are other (more durable, higher performance) SIB options in that size range worth considering.

Well give him (and me) a clue....

No tiller jobs / silly jockey consoles, mind. ;-)

prairie tuber · 18 August 2010, 08:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharkbyte

Well give him (and me) a clue....

No tiller jobs / silly jockey consoles, mind. ;-)

Well you could get a slightly used zodiac FC-470 for about the price of a new futura Mark III. Same size and general design, but made of heavy hypalon, which will be considerably more durable than PVC.

For a little bit more money (~ $ 10,000 US), you could get a brand new South African built SIB, such as a Gemini Dive 470 or 530 (very high end stuff), made of heavy hypalon. That leaves about $5,000-6,000 for the outboard & trailer. Figure about $ 700-1,000 for a good condition used trailer and ~ $4,000-5,000 for a very good condition used outboard in the 50-60hp range.

For most SIBS (and especially if use in large waves or whitewater) tiller/jockey seat setups will provide far better boat control than low slung bench seat & steering wheel setups. It will also gobble up less space. The bench seat/steering console setup of the PVC futuras is directed toward the recreational boaters for light duty applications. For heavier duty applications, Zodiac's military/professional division has some nifty jockey seat/console set ups

prairie tuber · 18 August 2010, 13:25

Forgot to include a link to what zodiac offers;

http://www.zodiacmilpro.com/product/...20sequence.pdf

97t-bird · 18 August 2010, 16:10

Those sibs look like great purpose built boats, they also don't look very refined to me and although the jockey console may be better in certain circumstances the recreational futura just looks more refined, especially if 3 or more people will be going. I will be using the boat almost as a second boat or toy as my family has a much larger 37ft cabin crusier. I will be fishing/crabbing and crusing around to local restaurants and bars maybe some tubing with friends. I wish i could get it made out of hypalon but can't. It is very hard to find somewhere locally to buy these things, the place I found even has to order the futura for me.

My father is constantly telling me I am wasting my money on a blow up boat and trying to convince me to get the 26ft sonic or a 23ft center console. Anyone got any pointers or advice to help me convince him the futura is worth it........I am buy this on my own but want him to feel comfortable using it....What kind of conditions can this recreational mark III futura with 60hp handle......Thanks everyone

jyasaki · 18 August 2010, 20:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97t-bird

My father is constantly telling me I am wasting my money on a blow up boat and trying to convince me to get the 26ft sonic or a 23ft center console. Anyone got any pointers or advice to help me convince him the futura is worth it...

Yeah: Fill em both up with water, then see which one you can still get to move.

A 26 or 23 foot hardboat is a different critter than a 16 to 18 foot inflatable though. For one thing, if you don't have a fairly big tow vehicle, you're not going to get too far with the hardboats.

I'd guess you could pull the inflatable, fully rigged, with a 4-cylinder pickup or so.

jky

Sharkbyte · 18 August 2010, 21:26

Quote:

"For heavier duty applications, Zodiac's military/professional division has some nifty jockey seat/console set ups"

....but how much extra are they, Prairie?

and out of interest, have you got a current price list for all of the Milpro models? I can't find anything on the net. Very tasty indeed.

Cheers

Wayne

prairie tuber · 19 August 2010, 01:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharkbyte

....but how much extra are they, Prairie?

Oooooh don't ask! I know they want outrageous prices for their military accessories

I enquired about that quickmount outboard bracket once and it was ridiculous. I don't know if they actually publish prices, I think you have to enquire by phone (they probably want to ensure that the person on the other end of the phone is still breathing when they quote a price).

Having said that, those images should provide some cool ideas. And a good aluminum fabricator should be able to make something similar up for a fraction of what zodiac wants if you provide him with the plans.

What I've got in mind for my seating system an open aluminum framed jockey seat (with a side hinged seat cushion) that will cradle my polyethylene military jerry cans. A simple tubular loop handhold up front and tiller operation.

97t-bird · 19 August 2010, 03:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

Yeah: Fill em both up with water, then see which one you can still get to move.

A 26 or 23 foot hardboat is a different critter than a 16 to 18 foot inflatable though. For one thing, if you don't have a fairly big tow vehicle, you're not going to get too far with the hardboats.

I'd guess you could pull the inflatable, fully rigged, with a 4-cylinder pickup or so.

jky

True on filling them up with water, Towing is not going to be a problem as we have a Ford 250 with the v10 and 4:10 gears which would make towing the 26ft Sonic like its not even there let alone an inflatable lol.

How about the puncture resistance how easy is it really going to be to puncture one of these tubes on the pvc futura? I had a small 1994 10ft zodiac and never had a problem but was always super cautious, and what would happen if a puncture happened when I was a bit out from the shore?

prairie tuber · 19 August 2010, 03:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97t-bird

How about the puncture resistance how easy is it really going to be to puncture one of these tubes on the pvc futura? I had a small 1994 10ft zodiac and never had a problem but was always super cautious, and what would happen if a puncture happened when I was a bit out from the shore?

I don't think you have to worry much about fish hooks or bouncing off some rocks puncturing the PVC tubes. On the other hand, messing about with knives/broadheads/gaffs while in the boat would be pushing your luck. Even if one chamber did ger punctured, there are several others that would provide all sorts of bouyancy. I've completely swamped my boat while some large rapids, and the boat was still totally stable even when filled with water.

97t-bird · 19 August 2010, 14:38

Ok great thats what I was thinking, if I was going to be cutting bait I would not be using a very pointed knife anyway........What kind of conditions could this Futura mark III handle as far as chop comfortably on plane like maybe 1ft seas etc....?

Thanks for your help its really encouraging to purchase this and 15,000 us for the whole package doesn't seem that bad.

kelson · 19 August 2010, 14:57

It really comes down to what you want to do. I have a mk2 Futura. It is an older boat and I have had to put some work into it. It gets great gas mileage, it is easy to tow, I can launch without a ramp on all sorts of beach types, the inflatable is amazingly stable for it's size, it can handle large surf and it cruised home with one big hole in a tube with no problem.

That stability thing is huge. Try fishing in a smaller hard hull with four people. You really have to watch your weight distribution! Everyone can stand on one side of the Futura and we aren't pitching anyone out. Yes, You can puncture the tubes with fish hooks. I'm always telling my crew "Don't F'n hook the boat!" It has only happened once.

No jockey seating for me. I want to be comfortable when I'm poaching concerts on the Bay, fishing or watching my buddies surf.

The inflatable is nimble and handles in and around surf. Some of the places I go would not be accessible to many hard hulled vessels. I have had my Futura swamped and it floated nicely until the drains could clear the boat. That Zodiac sure does handle some abuse.

I found that I go out more now that I have access to the Futura. It's just so easy to grab a couple of gallons of gas and hit the water. However, I am seriously looking at a 21 foot ski boat for hydrofoiling and I empty my wallet into my friends center console hard hull for offshore fishing. Figure out you will be doing 90% of the time and let that guide your decision.

kelson · 19 August 2010, 15:00

As far as to how the boat handles chop, it depends on frequency. Wakes or wake driven chop on the bay and in channels sucks. Out in the ocean I deal with surface chop and waves much better. The Futura is not going to give you as smooth of a ride in bad conditions as a hard hull or rib. That's why I have suspension seats

prairie tuber · 19 August 2010, 15:07

Kelson,

I noticed your seats are custom and sit a fair bit higher than the standard futura set up. Can you provide a bit more info about them?

jyasaki · 19 August 2010, 15:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97t-bird

What kind of conditions could this Futura mark III handle as far as chop comfortably on plane like maybe 1ft seas etc....?

The boat is not going to be the issue. It will handle a lot more than you will be willing to endure.

Swell won't be a problem unless it gets large and fast (makes for steeper faces.) I had my 14' out in some 10 foot seas (which seems pretty stupid looking back on it.)

Chop comes in all sorts of flavors, so you can't really put a max size on it. A small confused chop is worse than a larger, more organized chop. As an aaside, I found that, besides the bumpiness, the spray blowing back into the boat was pretty uncomfortable. Crosswinds suck.

jky