Zodiac 3432

[bobrien]

Hi,
I just purchased an 1985 model Zodiac 3432 SIB with an Evinrude 50 HP motor.
I got the whole lot for good value I reckon (1500 euro) complete with road trailer. http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/1262880
I'm a little concerned however that the trailer supplied is not a proper fit.
When loaded on the trailer there is no support directly under the transom. This is not a problem when the engine is not mounted, but I'm worried that transporting on the road with the engine mounted (heavy 50 Hp motor!) the transom may become damage or tear away from the rubber due to no support underneath it?
Is this boat enginerred to take this type of strain? My road journeys will be relitively short (about 15km each way) however I dont want to take any chances.
Should I get the trailer modified?

All feedback appriciated.

Thanks,
Barry

[kelson]

With the engine mounted on the transom you definitely want to have support under the transom itself. If you are going to transport the boat with the motor on for short distances on smooth roads and don't have support for the transom itself then be sure that the vessel is fully inflated so it doesn't sag or strain under the load. My Futura came with the trailer boards set up so that they did not support the transom. I moved them back so that they extend past the transom just a little. I also had to move the trailer axle position to get the correct tongue weight. Some inflatable trailers have supports under the tubes themselves rather than the floor. That is fine, but is not advisable in sandy, dirty and gritty conditions. I can handle some abrasion on the floor, but work to avoid abrading the tubes themselves. My tubes ride unsupported and do not touch the wheel fenders or any other part of the trailer. In addition, because I four wheel down dirt roads with my trailer, I added a transom saver to support my tilted outboard motor. If you can't carry the outboard in the vertical position the outboard leverages on the transom considerably when you bounce along if it isn't secured. A new boat won't probably experience any outright failure, but regluing the transom is a pain and the long term life of the glued seams will not be as good if you continually exert stress by running with the transom unsupported. How you set up your trailer really depends on the conditions you will face and the length of the tow. Do not assume that the trailer will come set up properly.

[chris123]

When I got my SIB, I had a chat with one of the guys responsible for building and testing them. His ideal SIB trailer was:

1. Bunks under each sponson, for as much of the length as possible.

2. A central bunk under the keel.

The bunks want to be positioned so that when the boat is fully inflated, the weight of the hull is shared evenly between the three bunks.

I would say you definitely want a support under the transom as a minimum.

Cheers

Chris

[bobrien]

Thanks for your input guys.. very helpful and Informative .
To answer the question even further, there is a good post in this scetion "Outboards permanently fitted to SIB's" It gives a lot of info on the subject also.

Thanks again,
Barry