Transom dimensions - Zodiac 360 Fastroller

[IanH]

My Fastroller is in its bag and I'm in need of the dimensions of the transom so I can investigate some launching wheels. The only measurement that I can find online is the width, but it doesn't say where this is measured so is useless.

Does anyone have access to the exact dimensions of the 360's transom? I'm even after the thickness - I've got a photo that looks like its 22mm thick, but I need to specify a transom thickness (options 20mm and 25mm!) if I go for a particular type of fitting.

Thanks

[thornbackflound]

Would it not be better to get it out of it's bag and get the true dimentions with a tape measure ?,then atleast you will have the correct measurenents.

[IanH]

I wouldn't have asked if it was possible

[IanH]

I'm going to reword this.

My Mariner 9.9 short shaft outboard is (674-433) 241mm from cavitation plate to bottom of fin. If the outboard is placed on the transom such that cavitation plate is in the correct recommended height in relation to the bottom of the transom, how far will the fin be below the bottom of the transom?

According to dimensions of my outboard, bottom of fin to top of transom measured vertically is 674mm. If the transom is designed for short shaft, would it be fair to assume its a 15" (381mm) transom on the Zodiac 360 Active-V Fastroller?

I am looking to buy some wheels and do not have access to the boat and need to know how far below the bottom of the transom the wheels need to be to provide enough clearance for outboard to be placed on transom without the fin touching the ground.

The wheels that I am considering provide 298mm clearance below the transom. The dimensions of the outboard indicate that I need 674mm measured vertically from top of transom to clear the ground, so assuming a 381mm transom, I would get 293mm protruding below the transom - either a well designed set of dimensions for the wheels or 5mm is too close for comfort assuming measured dimensions are for the vertical and transom may not be perfectly vertical.

It all comes down to how standard are the heights of transoms and how standard is distance between transom mount and cavitation plate of a short shaft outboard. Would you expect any inflatable designed for short shaft outboard to correctly position the cavitation plate of any short shaft outboard?

I suspect that the answer is no as Ive just compared the dimensions of Mariner 6HP and 9.9HP which differ in length below the transom by 20mm (top transom/bottom fin) and 100mm (top transom to cavitation plate)

[Fenlander]

Ian I owned a 360 18mths ago and used it with a 2001 Mariner 15 short shaft 2-stroke. I had two different sets of transom wheels fitted, both the type you remove as I don't like flip-up types.

From having four different inflatables and four different short shaft outboards over the same period I can confirm they are all slightly different in their transom heights and shaft lengths. So getting it right is crucial hence I guess your questions.

I found it impossible to judge which transom wheels would suit from looking at a photo and would not want to be trusting dimensions given to you even in good faith. Looking at your actual boat's transom is really the only answer or looking at an identical one in the flesh and taking your own dimensions. Note there have been some changes to the 360 over the last few years and this may or may not affect the transom if you plan this job based on any other boat than your own.

Surely you could wait until you can get your own boat out?

If you Google transom wheel images you'll see that many sets only just get the skeg off the ground with the outboard in the running position, if the ground/slip is bumpy you may still catch the skeg. Some wheels fit such that the skeg would drag all the time. You need to make sure you get wheels with the longest legs to get the skeg safely in the air.

But I'd ask why you don't just lift the outboard a bit? I put mine into the shallow running position when the wheels are on and that's enough to lift the skeg well clear of damage so we can wheel the outfit over very uneven ground. You could even pull the outboard right up surely?

There is another aspect you need to think of. Some transom wheel sets are designed for the top mount to go in the existing hole in the Zodiac transom. I had a £60 set from an online supplier for the 360 and when using the existing top hole the tyres were closer to the bottom of the boat than I liked.

After the first launch/retrive I was horrified to see the extra weight of kit we put in before trolleying to launch, and springy nature of the air floor as it's wheeled over bumps, meant that the tyres impregnated with small bits of grit from the car park had worn small marks in the bottom fabric. Over a few more launches I'd have been looking at patching it.

The last thing I'd say is be very wary of the quality of the frequently unbranded ones mostly about online. Some are OK but others have very thin walled tubing with poorly sized holes in the nylon wheels such that they are hard to spin right from new, add in a bit of sand and they virtually seize.

Hope that all helps you think about it a bit.

Scroll down this thread to see my 360 with its fairly tall genuine Zodiac transom wheels, and the outboard almost touching the ground...

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/zodiac-...iew-42937.html

[IanH]

Thanks for the comprehensive reply.

Re engine when moving - when I wheel it I expect it to be in partially raised position but when I am lifting it onto the boat, I want it to be in vertical position. No idea why, but I just do as it make me feel better that I would be getting positioned correctly. The reality is, if my assumption is correct and calculations valid, it would be a perfect height off the ground as the lift from off to on and vice versa would be height neutral and it would be simply a matter of lifting it slightly up then move forward and down with total lift height that of the engine bracket. Engine is on weight (37kg) limit of what I feel comfortable lifting having had a hernia op a few years back.

[Locozodiac]

Ian,

If your keel/transom height has 40 cm will not experiment water back splashes, if under 40, say 38/39 probably no issues if the Mariner happens to be a rebadged Yam. If it's a rebadged Tohatsu will experiment water splashes. Distance stated on manual is just a refference from where to start, but in reality a wot spin is a must do to check sib/engine performance and make a fine tunning height adjustment if needed for combo to perform as expected.

Happy Boating

[Fenlander]

Ian I fully understand what you mean about lifting the outboard on in the vertical position and I tend to do the same. I have the potential for back issues and always set the inflatable up in a place where I can wheel it right to the back of the car so the outboard lift is just a couple of yards from car to transom.

Are you wanting transom wheels that flip up or are you OK with ones you remove?

[IanH]

I am seriously considering the ones from Solutions-Seller in Germany but they have no track record. Even though they offer a full refund, there is still risk involved if they are not ideal. I am looking for wheels that stay attached to the boat but are easy to flip with cold hands - it will be inflated about 200 meters from launch ramp and wheeled between so I don't want to have to return to inflation point once boat is in the water.

The wheels from solution-seller and Beachmaster (removerable) look ideal for this but the Beachmaster ones are prohibitively expensive in the UK as you need to import from NZ and pay in US$ so by the time that you pay VAT, FX conversion and customs handling charges you have added on the cost of a pair of launch wheels bought new from the UK.

[Fenlander]

Ian I've had a good look at the website for those wheels and the video. They are a neat idea but I can see many possible issues.

The mounting bolts are much closer together than many other types which could load up a small area of the rather thin transom on the 360, also this would give a greater possibility of the uprights buckling with that minimal attachment length.

The legs look quite short and I note in the video the tyres are close to the bottom of the boat and the outboard looks to be just touching the ground when upright. These two factors would mean to get any chance of these wheels working in the way you want they would have to be mounted as low as possible on the transom. But on the 360 the air deck is quite thick and you can't mount the legs so low that the nuts inside rub the back of the air deck so that limits how much height you can get.... you may find for this point alone they aren't suitable.

Even if they did actually fit I'd be worried about two operational aspects. On a bouncy road or slip could the wheels bounce out of their position and turn sideways while you were wheeling the boat? Similarly in the folded up travel position could they bounce out and fall down at speed in choppy water? As far as I can see in both folded and running position they rely on gravity to keep in position.

Lastly there is no way I'd want these bolted to the transom when folding, transporting and storing the boat. They will add weight, perhaps enought bulk to stop it fitting back in the bag but most of all they could chafe the tube material.

I understand what you say about not wanting to return to the car after launch if you had wheels that are removed each time but it would make the choice of wheels (the genuine Zodiac ones like I have or similar) so much easier.

For years we've had no problem getting the car close enough to the launch site to walk the wheels back and for this years hols where we will be operating from a cottage one road back from the seafront I've found a strong zip bag that will take the wheels assuming we're all too lazy to take them back to the cottage and keep them in the boat. They stow OK in our underseat bag.

[IanH]

Thanks for your input again

Im pretty sure that they will fit as I did once take some photos with measurements (just not the height of the transom). Im pretty sure that the airdeck will clear.

The wheels are secured by springs not gravity. But yes, I have already though about what happens if the spring fails.

I don't think storage will be an issue. They do bags to fix over then wheels to prevent contact with the boat material and the bag is so loose a fit plus the cone ends being to the side of the wheels, I don't think they will add much bulk.

Between launch site and storage site is 200 yards, two locked doors and flights of stairs. Don't really want to leave boat alone whilst I return wheels to where the gear will be stored.

So you can see that I want to exhaust every avenue with these wheels before I ditch the idea of them and start considering options for importing some Beachmaster wheels. Ironically Ive spent alot of time in NZ and have family there but no trips are planned in the foreseable future. The problem is, until any wheels are seen in the flesh, I just cannot be sure on final suitability. I did check out an alternative of the Zodiac wheels and they really did not fit the bill at all. Even though the German company have enough faith in the wheels and their german engineering quality to offer a full money back 14 day warranty. Unfortunately, 14 days and 4 holes in the transom is too much of a risk for me to take at present and Ive got a couple of months before I get chance of going near water.

[Fenlander]

Oh well these particular wheels do seem to be the nearest to what you want and you've considered the negatives... I think you will have to be the forum tester for them!