Zodiac Grand Raid MK3

[roody262]

Hello Everyone,

We have recently bought a zodiac grand raid from ebay, the boat came with a good quality snipe trailer and no engine.

The boat itself is in good condition and holds air well. We've bought a 40 HP mariner engine for the boat with will hopefully very well suited to the boat and what we want to use it for.

The tubes are hypalon and I would like to know the best way to clean/care for these. The boat will best used on the sea so I imagine a good rinse down to remove all the salt from the tubes. Are they any products you would recomend to product the material?

Here is the eBay ad for the boat -> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...ht_2640wt_1167

[roody262]

Went down to the boat today and got some pictures.













Anyone on here more knowledgable than myself that could give me some more information about the boat (date it was built, operation of the valves and what the various codes and numbers on the boat refer to). Also, how can i get the glue off the tubes?

[Geoff_Jubb]

Very nice mate! You must be pleased as punch.

I was removing glue from my boat at the weekend and used a paint remover attachment for your drill. It was an absolute godsend! It is like a scotchbrite pad. I tried to find it in the tool section but couldn't and found it by mistake in the paint section.
Go steady with it though, as it can get quite hot.
Its in this thread... http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?p=346866#post346866

What is the piece on the back with thumb screws?
Cheers,
Geoff

[roody262]

Cheers for the info, will have a look around for something like that.

We're not sure ourselves what they are for, we don't know much about the history of the boat. The previous owners bought the boat in a auction just for the engine and then sold the boat on eBay. Can only imagine they were put there and a quick release for the engine? Not too sure.

Definately am very pleased with it, it's a beast compared to our 3.6m suzumar inflatable. Can't wait to get it on the water in the summer!

[Stoo]

That puppy will fly with a 40. I had a similar setup years ago and it was all I could do to hang on when the boat was empty. Hopefully your engine has a kill chord... Use it!

Those valves are intercommunicating... Turn them this way and you can fill all tube sections from one location and balance the pressure. Turn them the other way, and it isolates each chamber from the next, in case one is torn.

In you last photo, there is something on the tubes is there? Of is the rubber worn from the Hypalon?

[thornbackflound]

Originally Posted by roody262

Hello Everyone,

We have recently bought a zodiac grand raid from ebay, the boat came with a good quality snipe trailer and no engine.

The boat itself is in good condition and holds air well. We've bought a 40 HP mariner engine for the boat with will hopefully very well suited to the boat and what we want to use it for.

The tubes are hypalon and I would like to know the best way to clean/care for these. The boat will best used on the sea so I imagine a good rinse down to remove all the salt from the tubes. Are they any products you would recomend to product the material?

Here is the eBay ad for the boat -> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...ht_2640wt_1167

Nice Sib, how long is the Sib mate,looks a beast and you say longer then your 3.60

[spartacus]

Originally Posted by roody262

Hello Everyone,

We have recently bought a zodiac grand raid from ebay, the boat came with a good quality snipe trailer and no engine.

The boat itself is in good condition and holds air well. We've bought a 40 HP mariner engine for the boat with will hopefully very well suited to the boat and what we want to use it for.

The tubes are hypalon and I would like to know the best way to clean/care for these. The boat will best used on the sea so I imagine a good rinse down to remove all the salt from the tubes. Are they any products you would recomend to product the material?

Here is the eBay ad for the boat -> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...ht_2640wt_1167

The Zodiac Grand Raid MK3 (15'5") with aluminium floor system (HD) is a great boat. If you're using a tiller-steer, then 40hp is fine and it will fly. If you were opting for remote steering, then a 50hp Yamaha 2-stroke (if you can find one) would be better.

The hypalon material can be cleaned with a product called Rib Revive. It's suitable for hypalon or PVC. You can also use a 3M Marine Outdoor Vinyl as an additional treatment to protect the tubes.

The serial numbers on the boat is a manufacturer code/serial number followed by the year of manufacture (thin-strip starting ES, I presume for Spain). In this case (2003). Has maximum capacity for 8 people, is a 'category C' boat for inshore waters, and has maximum load capacity of 1270kg which is huge.

The glue on the tube, is probably because this boat was used on the continent and either had a boat name or registration number on it. I'd take it easy regards the 'sanding idea' Wouldn't take long to break the surface of the hypalon and expose the weave. Better approach would be to try a little MEK. Wear gloves and try a small area first.

The valves are pressure-release valves. Turn the valve to 'inflate' and pump each valve to operating pressure (in stages), then put on the valve cap. Then turn the valve to 'navigation' when underway. Top up with air as required.

[roody262]

Yeh the boat is a BEAST, lot bigger than my last inflatable (3.6m) at 4.7m! Always used to find the suzumar would struggle against bigger waves hoping this boat will be rigid enough to tackle a decent sized surf with confidence.

Engine wise - we are going for a 40hp with tiller control have been waiting for the right one to come availiable on eBay or boatsandoutboards. Unfortunatly I've got to go back to university soon and wont be back down here to play with the boat till the summer when it will get a big clean up etc and will get a load of use out of it this summer!

Spartacus - What changes in the valve when you turn it from Inflate to Navigate? Also what sort of maintenance do the valves need? Have seen a thread saying they can be dismanteled, would this be necessary? What sould you lubrication would you apply to them?

[spartacus]

Spartacus - What changes in the valve when you turn it from Inflate to Navigate? Also what sort of maintenance do the valves need? Have seen a thread saying they can be dismanteled, would this be necessary? What sould you lubrication would you apply to them?

They are inter-communicating pressure release valves. By turning to 'inflate' you can effectively pump the boat from one valve from stern to bow. For this to happen all valves will need to be turned to 'inflate'. After you've inflated the boat, turn the valves to 'navigate' which now isolates the chambers. You can adjust the pressure as required.

Maintenance-wise, zodiac sell rubber diaphrams that pop into the valve. Over time they dry out or become distorted, allowing air to escape. They also sell rubber inserts that go into the valve cap to ensure complete air-tightness. I normally remove all the valves at least once a season, wash in a mild detergent and dry thoroughly. Fit the new diaphrams and rubber valve cap inserts. Apply a thin smear of Duckhams marine grease to the threads of the valves and tighten. Job done.

[roody262]

Cheers for the information. As they say, you learn something every day. I cant get my head around how the inter-communicating function works will look around for a diagram unless you have a link to one?

Where would be the best place to get hold of the diaphragm valves? A local Zodiac dealer or contact Zodiac directly? Do you have the part numbers by any chance? Wish I had to boat in front of me to play around with to get my head around how it all works!