SIB Identification ??

[HighlandR]

Hi all,

Been reading and learning as much as possible on the forum here over the past few months while looking for my first SIB ( first ever boat ) and it finally arrived today!

It is a Mirage, does anyone here own one or can anyone tell me anything about them ?
Does the company still exist ? for spares etc ?
What model boat is this ?

From the previous owner I have been told :

Made from Hypalon, length around 12ft, rated upto a 30hp motor.
Age : around 12-15 years old.

The boat and floorboards have been designed to accept a rigid keel, however the owner never had or used one on it - where could i get profile drawings / sizes so that i could make one ?

I have a 5hp motor and will be using the boat for inshore fishing / snorkelling and just general cruising, not high speeds - but still the idea of the floor skin underneath flapping around and putting tension on the seam doesn't seem a good idea, so I'd like to find or make a keel soon as possible.

Any thoughts or ideas on a suitable keel ?

What would you recommend to improve the fading on the tubes ?
From reading here on the forum I understand the fabric actually degrades with UV rays and it is impossible to " t-cut " the colour back, but is there anything that will restore maybe some of the colour for a good period of time and help protect the material ? ( non-silicone dressing of some sort ? )

Can anyone tell me anything else at all about these boats from experience ? Is it suitable for 2 person fishing / snorkelling ?

Are the eyelets at the front canopy used to hold a perspex windscreen ? What is the black antenna mount-type thing at the bow used for ?

Have attached some photos

Thanks in advance for any help or advice guys!

[camelgas]

If I was you I would take up the floor boards and have a look and a measure first.

recon you are right about the screen, could that holder have been for a nav light ?.

[m chappelow]

If you are looking at making a wood keel its going to be a case of removing the floor boards ,

inflate boat to working pressure then try suspend the boat up off the floor using the tubes /sponsons,either by some tressles or the like as long as the floor can hang down to its natural position ,

get something like a straight length of wood( same width as the floor ) that will go into the floor board groove ,

start at one end and move it along the groove using a ruler say every 20 cms or so measuring the vertical distance between the floor and the stick that marks where the floorboard bottom should be , and add a bit more on say a couple of centimeters for the floorstretch ,it wants to be a tight but not over tight fit when in use,
best to make up a mock up keel from cardboard/hardboard some cheap/scrap wood before committing making the final keel from decent wood .

with regards to the rubber mount on the bow dodger a lot of the continental made boats had a small flag/pennant advertising the manufacturer ,as camelgas says some boats such as Zodiac had the option of removing the flag & mounting battery powered Nav lights though the fitting usually has a bronze thread in the bottom .

[Landlockedpirate]

I honestly think it would be easier to simply glue in an inflatable keel rather than mess about making a wood one. They pop up on ebay all the time, like this one Inflatable Boat Keel | eBay

I agree with the poster above, the mount on the bow is probably for a pennant and it can take a windscreen. They are very easy to make, use perspex from B&Q, but beware they are incredibly easy to break, we used to go through at least 1 a holiday as kids !

The boat looks great and should easily carry 2 for fishing or swimming, but I'm not convinced its 10-15 years old, would suggest its more likely to be 20 to 30. It shouldn't make a difference, a hypalon boat is good quality, just check the seems carefully before you use it.

[Locozodiac]

Starnge that nice sib doesn't have a keel, does front wooden panel have a middle hole ? If so, used to have a inflatable keel. Buy a spare proper lenght keel and you are done with this issue. Hypalon boats not sun abussed, properly stored in shade can last more that 30 years.

Try to get a fabric color restorer for tubes. Can paint wooden floors with polyurethane paint to look brand new. Congrats, a very eye catching Italian sib.

Happy Boating

[azzurro]

I do love that splash hood. Get a windscreen now!

[HighlandR]

Hey, thanks very much guys for the quick replies and kind words !

Camelgas - I had never thought for a second about it being for a nav light on the bow, havnt seen any new sibs with lights mounted on the bow like this, i really like the option for making a safer boat.

Would like to fit lights to fish early mornings or into the evening, but that will have to wait until later until i get familiar and comfortable in handling the boat in daylight.

M chappelow - Thanks very much for the explanation of marking out the keel line, have some sheets of hardboard here which would be ideal for a template.
I can see the ease of just getting an inflatable keel and fix it in place, but I'm thinking that won't work as well as a rigid one? not as durable, wont burst etc? I don't mind making one if it will make the boat handle much better, is this worthwhile or should i just throw a tube in and forget about it ?

The underside of the floorboards have a worn section ( varnish rubbed off ) down the centre where the keel should be, this is what gave me the impression it must of had a rigid keel fitted. ( See photos ) There is also a metal fitting of some sort in the front panel - locking bracket ?

Landlockedpirate - What height should the windscreen be? Is there alternative plastic sheeting that might not be as brittle as the perspex ?Polycarbonate sheet ?
I just had a vision of the perspex sheet breaking and a sharp corner puncturing the tube !

Locozodiac - Been searching around online reading reviews on various Hypalon cleaners / restorers but most seem to say pretty much the same thing that they last only a few days then the shine will fade and not really do anything for the fabric other than give a little UV protection, being a boater on a budget I worry a little after seeing the prices of the cleaners and if needing re-applied every week or so.. it will leave no money for fuel! Will keep searching for a suitable product at a friendly price.

I have so many other questions guys but don't want to ask too much all in one post !

After the keel and fading tube issues, my next question is on how best to re-finish the floorboards / transom and oars.

They have been varnished long ago, but now started to peel / fade.

Light sanding all over with 120 grit to remove loose varnish, degrease then varnish / paint ?

Is it better to use a hard finish polyurethane or soft - will a soft varnish absorb dents etc and reduce chipping ? or should it be hard as possible ? Also - i am undecided wether to varnish or paint, thinking black floorboards might suit the boat well...

After varnish or paint, I need to figure out the seating and make it comfortable for 2 people to sit and fish all day and have easy access to tackle / gear etc - i first thought of the standard wooden board across the tubes with a foam cushion or some sort... but a backrest would really be great for long fishing sessions.

We have a large fishing tackle box that doubles as a seat that has a backrest attachment. I wonder if it might be possible to fix the box on the floorboards somehow to prevent it moving around but also be easily removable... Do any of you guys have custom made seats / backrests ?? if so, I'd love to see ! please post up some photos of your boats and setups !

[HighlandR]

How many coats of varnish do you recommend ?