New SIB owner

Blankton · 02 May 2019, 20:37

Hi All. I have just taken a punt on a Zodiac SIB from Ebay. My dad had one of these growing up, but other than that I haven't owned a boat before.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zodiac-C3...rdt=true&rt=nc

Its clearly a fairly old boat, but I thought it looked in good condition. The seller has mentioned that it might have a slight leak, which I guess is why it was such a reasonable price. Hopefully the seller is honest this is all it is, just a slight leak - not that the seams are all knackered!

I was in two minds whether to bid, but I felt that the seams I could see looked to be quite tight (I have seen some where they are visibly lifting).

If it doesn't sink

, I am planning on using it around the Carrick roads as we normally have a couple of weeks in St Mawes each year. I am into my fishing, so I will be using it for a bit of bass fishing (outside if the nursery zone). I'm looking forward to getting onto some nice areas inaccessible from the shore.

I live in leicester, so I may also have some trips to North Norfolk - Thornham, Burnham, Morston etc. Location is really why I've opted for a roll up boat, rather than something solid.

I am collecting the boat tomorrow. I'll get it inflated over the weekend for a look. To look for a leak - would it be a good idea to fill it with water and look for any seepage out of the bottom?

Limecc · 02 May 2019, 20:44

Does it come with a floor which is missing in the photo?

Blankton · 02 May 2019, 21:19

yes, its got a wooden floor. I dont think the seller could be bothered to fit it in the photos.

Although, now the question has been asked, I am not 100% sure that there might be a couple of bits missing from the floor. On our old Zodiac (going back 20 years in my memory) I think there were two profiled stretchers with a slot in them which fitted on the side of the wooden floor. These rested in the recess between the bottom of the tubes and the floor. In this picture you can see that the middle floor sections narrow by an inch or so, I did wonder if these stretcher sections should be present and fit just here. I reckon I could knock some up with a bench saw and router pretty easily.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has a wooden floor like this? Is this one missing these bearers, or has the design changed over the years....

jeffstevens763@g · 03 May 2019, 16:19

counting from the bottom no 1 board should be in between 2&3 then in the waisted bit each side should be stringers to make the floor solid over the 3 boards 4 & 5 flex with the bow all boards should have h section or similar to keep the joints together

Blankton · 03 May 2019, 19:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

counting from the bottom no 1 board should be in between 2&3 then in the waisted bit each side should be stringers to make the floor solid over the 3 boards 4 & 5 flex with the bow all boards should have h section or similar to keep the joints together

Thanks very much. You have confirmed my thoughts with respect to the stringers. I collected the boat earlier. The owner had never had these parts, but I can see wear marks on the edges of the panels where they would have fitted. Owner said "that makes sense, it did used to flex a bit"
I don't suppose you have a set and could post up a picture or rough dimensions. I am planning on knocking a pair up. Obviously the length must be about equal to the waisted bit and the slot wants to be a mm or so thicker than the panels. I seem to recall that the cross section was slightly tapered with rounded corners. Perhaps 2" high and 1" high. That's what I'll aim for if I can't find a plan.

jeffstevens763@g · 03 May 2019, 20:10

I carnt help I just deduced from my expearence with SIBS call central marine services in Ilkeston they are zodiac dealers speak to Jason or Walter they will sort you out

Fenlander · 03 May 2019, 23:50

Two images attached... one a floor from a 1970s Zodiac of mine giving a general idea. Then an image of a modern stringer plug from a Honnwave.

Both have similar profiles.... slot for floor... flat bottom... and top that slopes to nestle into tube.

pagick · 04 May 2019, 03:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Two images attached... one a floor from a 1970s Zodiac of mine giving a general idea. Then an image of a modern stringer plug from a Honnwave.

Both have similar profiles.... slot for floor... flat bottom... and top that slopes to nestle into tube.

I’ll send pic with measurements. Stand by.

pagick · 04 May 2019, 03:48

Here is my stringer.
I have a zodiac futura 2013. the stringer fit into the match profile on the edge of my floor sections. For your floor the wood may be square so then change the notch to match. Also if my memory is right from an older boat I had the bottom had a slight curve to not chafe the floor, but that was 35 years ago so...
I hope the drawing goes. Ive been having trouble with pics lately.

Blankton · 04 May 2019, 06:56

Wow. Thanks for the replies and particularly taking the time to post pictures and sketches. I'm glad I joined the forum.

I'll have a go at making a pair. I suspect as long as they taper nicely into the tubes and don't rub, I will be ok. Bit the concensus seems to be flat bottom and tapered upper, so I will go for that.

Do I go balls-deep and order some nice oak or mahogany, or just get some pine from B & Q. I can see which way this is going - I'm probably about to spend the same in hardwood that I spent on the boat!

Fenlander · 04 May 2019, 08:16

Much modern timber is very poor compared with 50-100yrs ago, oak and mahogany often being quite brittle. Best wood might be birch or hickory as it helps to have a degree of flex rather than being brittle. Hickory was always the wood of choice for hammer and axe handles, golf clubs etc.

I wouldn't use pine/softwood from DIY stores.

Not sure what length you need or what your woodworking tools/abilities are but a good start might be something like a hickory axe handle of the more regular shape along its length then plane the underside flat, plane the topside angle and machine the groove??

https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/Hold...00302/p/147003

jeffstevens763@g · 04 May 2019, 16:28

I would be tempted with these

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=2931136

Fenlander · 04 May 2019, 16:56

I nearly linked those Jeff... but the price compared poorly to pickaxe handles ha ha!

jeffstevens763@g · 04 May 2019, 17:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

I nearly linked those Jeff... but the price compared poorly to pickaxe handles ha ha!

My thoughts on this is he lives not far from central marine services he could take the boat there for a cost assessment on the work required it might not cost anything if it's knackered at that point he's only lost £175 if it's doable by himself he could buy his glue off CMS for their trouble and also get a price for the floor parts or the repairs he could have a good boat for sub £500 IMO.
There's also a chance if not viable to him he sells to CMS for what he paid for it or at least recoupe some dosh they would use the material and parts for repairs, he sells boats too might be a part x on offer worth a bash. just thoughts

Blankton · 04 May 2019, 19:27

Hi all. Thanks for the comments. I have made a pair of oak stretchers today. Will post up some pictures. I do like the idea of having this CMS chap survey the rest of the boat though and may do this.

Blankton · 05 May 2019, 08:47

Thanks to the pictures that were uploaded, and a random bloke on ebay that was selling an old zodiac and sent me a picture I was able to bodge up a plan. It seems that the design has changed a bit over the years, the ones on my dads old boat were definitely a sort of oval cross section.

The local timberyard doesn't have a lot of hardwoods, I settled on some 1 3/4" square oak, 2m in length. this works out at about 48mm, so it was a little shy of pagick's dimensions (I've just realised that you are in the USA and did the measurements in mm - thanks

this always feels like pulling teeth in work meetings

)

First thing I did was to put in the slot. I had a 10mm router cutter which wasnt deep enough, or a 12.7mm which was. The boards were about 11mm thick. Ideally I'd have ordered a 11mm bit, but I was eager to get going, so I used the 12.7.

The floor has "feet" on the bottom of it consisting of two trips of wood on each panel which are 23mm high. I decided to put the slot 20mm from the bottom of the stretchers, as I was a bit concerned about stressing the seams right into the corners of the boat.

I fitted some guides to a router and cut the slots in:

Next step was to add the taper. I would have run it through a table saw, but Ive been watching a guy on youtube called "Tips from a shipwright" He insists on planing anything like this, by marking lines along the length and tickling away with an electric plane. So I tried this.

It worked quite well

Even with the pictures, the design is a bit of a stab in the dark, I may have to tickle them up when I do a test fitting, but they look the part. My main concern is stressing the seam by jamming something too large into the gap between the bottom and the tubes. Close up there are a couple of blemishes where I slipped with the plane and router, but from a distance they look ok.

Fenlander · 05 May 2019, 09:41

They look excellent... great job.

You might just find you have to chamfer back the slot entry edges so they are not a straight push onto the floor as the way you fit them is to roll them onto the floor. Usually the fit is too tight to push the stringers beside the floor then slot in. You might be OK though as the oversize slot will have somewhat the same effect.

But the trial fitting will tell all.

jeffstevens763@g · 05 May 2019, 09:49

thats a brilliant job once fitted and varnished up it'll look like new

pagick · 05 May 2019, 15:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

They look excellent... great job.

You might just find you have to chamfer back the slot entry edges so they are not a straight push onto the floor as the way you fit them is to roll them onto the floor. Usually the fit is too tight to push the stringers beside the floor then slot in. You might be OK though as the oversize slot will have somewhat the same effect.

But the trial fitting will tell all.

I’d try to assemble the main floor and slip the 3 board/two stringers in as a single unit. If the slot was tight it would be easier. You might need to strap the stringers tight to floor then pull strap out.
My old sib assembled this was easily (minus the strap). My aluminum floor has the stringers roll in like Fenlander said.
How ever you get it together by the time you do it 3-4 times it will be twice as fast as the first time. Congratulations on the nice build. P.S. rub paraffin wax on the stringers ends and flash with heat. It will keep the water out. Use candle like a crayon to do this!

Blankton · 05 May 2019, 19:27

I've unpacked the boat today and pumped her up. The seller said that the keel leaked. I was going to put some leak detector on it, but I could hear hissing from the valve. A bit of an inspection and I found this, which I think could be the cause.

I didn't think at the time, I could swap it for one of the tube valves and see if this fixes the problem, before I splash out on a new valve. I will do this tomorrow!

I have also knocked up a frame so I can inspect the bottom as the owner also reported a small water leak around the bottom.