New sib honwave or zodiac 3.5 to 4m

@je · 30 July 2012, 15:16

Hi all,

I finaly decided it is time to buy a new sib.
Currently own a 3m yam but it is too small for my needs.
I wanted to buy a new one last year but life was in the way....

I cannot trailer the boat as there will be a caravan behind the car.
So i will transport the boat folded on a roofrack and the engine in the boot of the car.
Not the most ideal way but for me the only option of boating.

For the engine i really like the honda 20hp for power to wheight ratio.
For the boat i really cannot decide yet.

I want to use the boat with 2 adults en 3 kids, towing a tube and fishing.
Since i have to lift the boat ( packed) on the roof of my car i wonder if a 4m sib wil be too heavy.

Anybody have some experience with this?
How do others travel with a caravan and sib?

As regard to airfloor vs alu, i prefer airfloor for the wheight and alu for all the rest.
However i think and airfloor model (t38) may be even heavier to lift on the roof of the car, since with an alu one you can separate the alu panels from the boat.

Any advise between a honwave 35 or 40 vs zodiac zoom 350 or 400?

The only airfloor i like for my needs is the honwave t38.
Looks very roomy, but i dont know about an airfloor and small kids.
Getting in and out the boat, with shoes on etc....

Regards,

Edwin

Salty · 30 July 2012, 15:29

I have a T38 airdeck and wouldnt like to try and lift it onto the roof of a car on my own

I can just about lift it into the back of my pick up unassisted.

I dont know what the weight split is on the T40's but both bags together weigh in at 86kg so if it was an equal split 43kg is still quite heavy to lift onto a car roof (The T38 is 48kg)

Hope this is of some help

steco1958 · 30 July 2012, 16:20

I have a Zodiac 3.8 Futura S up for sale, (No good to you on Trailer with remote) it has the Honda 20hp 4stroke on the rear.

There is no way I would put it on the roof, too much weight will seriously affect your cornering, and you don't want that with the caravan on the back.

Steve

Max... · 30 July 2012, 17:33

Not sure what car you have but transporting an air floor SIB on the roof fully inflated (we have a 110 Land Rover) is a piece of cake and just about the most practical and fastest way to go boating, from parking by the beach you can be offloaded and on the water in 10 minutes. We have a 3.4m and leave the launching wheels on - easy for two adults (myself and my very slight wife) to lift up (slide it up the side of the vehicle) and secure with 4 ratchet straps - solid as a rock. Pull up on the beach, undo straps, flip the boat off and ready to go.

A 3.8m Honwave will lift up easily - I would go for a 15hp *2 stroke* Yam or Tohatsu as the perfect partner - a 4 stroke 20hp weighs a ton.

With two adults and presuming the kids are small you will be OK with a ringo but not much else is really practical to tow behind a SIB with that load.

Airfloors are great if properly inflated and obviously (?)

the kids will be wearing sensible flat 'boaty' shoes - do run a search on the forum though - loads of previous topics on 'which boat' etc.

I briefly had a 3.8m alu floor Yam - totally different beast to the air floors and weighed a ton in comparison - far too bulky and heavy to manhandle.

MattD · 30 July 2012, 19:22

I have a 20hp tohatsu 4 stroke which is a very similar weight to the Honda and It's heavier than it sounds. You certainly wouldn't want to load it in the car on your own. Not sure about the Honda but my tohatsu has to be led down in a particular way to prevent oil leaking out and doing damage, would imagine the Honda is the same. Doing that single handed would very difficult. The tohatsu is about 500 quid cheaper new than the Honda and is exactly the same engine as the 20hp mariner or mercury, the Honda is much quieter however).

The T40 is pretty heavy and you would struggle like hell putting it on a roof assembled, the last time two of us tried carrying mine off the trailer we dropped it

Packaged but split I'm not sure of the weights but it might be worth looking up the total packed up size and seeing if you could put it inside the caravan. I have never used a roof rack but it does seem a bit much to put on the roof.

Salty · 30 July 2012, 20:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max...

A 3.8m Honwave will lift up easily - I would go for a 15hp *2 stroke* Yam or Tohatsu as the perfect partner - a 4 stroke 20hp weighs a ton.

You must be a lot stronger than me then!

Like I said, I wouldnt like to try and lift it roof height on my own too often.

Max... · 30 July 2012, 21:05

Not on your own-it needs two adults to comfortably do it.

@je · 30 July 2012, 21:29

I am driving a bmw 5 series touring.
The roofrails can hold the wheight without a problem.

The biggest problem is getting it up there..
I also own a portabote which is about 37kg.
I can get that on the roof just barely by my own.
With 2 it is no problem.

If i go fishing it will be either with my sons, then i can drop 1 bench and put it all in the car.
Or with the whole family, then my wife can assist to some point to put it on the roof.
I will not put the boat fully assembled on the roof.

still it is a lot to lift.

MattD · 30 July 2012, 22:47

The problem you would find is how akward the items are to handle. Not so much the actual weight. A four stroke outboard feels bonkers heavy.. far more than it actually is because it is vital that you keep it in a particular orientation and the weight is mostly at one end. The weight almost gets amplified against you.
Your best bet would be to ask the dealer if you can try loading what you want to buy in to your car/roof rack. You will probably be a bit shocked how hard it is.

Stoph · 30 July 2012, 22:47

Just on my first trip with caravan and sib..caravan obviously on the back!, don't start putting boats or engines in the van...most caravans only have a couple of hundred kilo allowance and by the time you have knocked off gas bottles,crockery,food,clothing,bedding,awning and all the other stuff the wife insists you need you ate probably close to the van weight limit already...my engine went in the boot with rolled up boat and launch wheels. alloy floor,empty fuel tank,life jackets,pump went in roof box, I reckon 40kg on the roof and 90kg ish in the boot. I'm lucky in that the boot on a vectra estate is huge and nice stiff suspension helps with taking the weight and tow stability. Worked fine like that and that's the way it will be going home when we're done..hope that helps...Chris

Landlockedpirate · 31 July 2012, 00:17

I have a HonWave T40 and a 20hp 2 stroke Yamaha, which I usually transport on a trailer.

But when towing my other boat I have to take it down. The engine is just about OK to move around with myself and 14 year old son. We can just about lift the boat when fully assembled, but I doubt we could lift it high enough to get it on a roof rack. With the floor boards removed its a piece of cake to move around.

I did have a 3.2m HonWave with the air floor, you couldnt remove the floor and although the total weight was less than the aluminium floor versions it was much more difficult to shift because you couldnt split it up. (Blowing it up was a doddle compared to the T40).

Max... · 31 July 2012, 06:56

Seriously chaps - bung it on the roof - cannot see what the fuss is about getting it up there, our 3.4m Zodiac weighs about 35kg (same as a child) - once you have tried it inflated on the roof not many would go back to all the inflating/assembly/de-flating/packing/inflating for cleaning/drying/deflating/packing..... SIB's are great for packing away in the boot for a long journey on holiday or whatever or freeing up space in the garage in the winter but for general use in the season roof top carrrying is so much easier, quicker and convenient in so many ways. Pics here:

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/sib-on-car-roof-42774.html

As I noted re' engine a 4 stroke is a big lump and hassle to load in a boot due to the oil factor - a sub 36kg Yam 15 2 stroke makes much more sense.

@je · 31 July 2012, 13:23

Well just for the sake of it i tried my yam 300 on the roof.
It is an old yam with wooden floor, not a very light one.
Getting it up the roof was no problem.
I put the back roof tail as far back as possible.
Put a blanket on the back window and just pushed the boat up there.
I think it is even easier than on the landy as the estate is much lower and the back window is on a perfect angle.

So maybe i have to adjust my quest for a 4m a bit and get a not too heavy 350.
For holidays i can then pack the boat up and put it on the roof racks folded up with 2 persons.
And for the fishing trips around the house i can just slide it up there on my own.

Currently i have a honda 8 hp wich is about 37 kg ( not the new version wich is 42).
I can get it in the car without much troubles.
My car has a flat loading boot so i just have to tip it over in the car.
Not much lifting is done.

How much difference will there be in pulling power ( pulling a tube for the children) between a 20hp honda or a 15 hp 2stroke yammy?

How is the quality on the zodiac 340?

Max... · 31 July 2012, 13:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by @je

How much difference will there be in pulling power ( pulling a tube for the children) between a 20hp honda or a 15 hp 2stroke yammy?

How is the quality on the zodiac 340?

Re' engine - well - it's 25% less power of course but pick up will be quicker and weight less. As for Zodiac quality - amongst regular SIB's (ie not commercial spec HD build) they are IMHO the best but others to consider are Honwave, Avon and Quicksilver but maybe the latest Zodiacs are not so good - I always preferred the look of the traditional long cones rather than the newer blunt ones.