Honwave stringers aluminium floor

[Clarky021]

My lads ended up with a t35 ally floor honwave and assembled it yesterday,it's a used boat but been stored rolled up for a while in a guys garage.
He got the floor sorted but found fitting the aluminium stringers was tricky and very tight to get in.He ended up using a rubber mallet but it took him a while.
Has anyone got any tips on how to fit the stringers and should they be that tight to fit in?
.I watched a you tube video on it and it looked like they just popped in against the floor.
Is it best to have the boat half inflated when doing this?,Any tips or advice appreciated.

[kaman]

Half inflate it.
You could mix a little washing up liquid in water and put it in a hand held squirty bottle.
Lightly spray it along the floor/tube and stringer.
It is a bitch to set up if it's cold as the tubes contract and are less ply able.
My 3.5ae is permanently trailered.
When I take the floor out for cleaning I always do it on a sunny day.
I let the half inflated tubes sit in the sun to warm up before putting the floor back in.

[dave3235]

Hello clarky

1.This is the best way i have found.Unroll and put the boat on the bag.
2.Put enough air in so it sits about 4-5 inches off of the ground
3.install the floor and stringers so they are in line with the groove semi seated or seated.
4.With two people, lift onto it,s side and tap along the stringer untill it locates .
This should do the job and no mallet.Also use a bit of diluted washing up liquid makes it seat better.

[Fenlander]

Clarky I have to admit when we had our 3.5AE it was the most tricky boat to set up we've owned.

All advice above good but worth mentioning our experience (and yes it overlaps with advice above) so you can mix and match everyone's ideas to suit you.

Definitely a pig when cold and also for the first few times when it was new. Yes easier with a bit of squeezy mix on the SIB/stringers where they bind up. I did initially resort to the rubber mallet but decided it ought to be done without.

The degree we inflated prior to inserting the floor was like Dave just so it had some air in and probably less than half full... the more you put in to gain tube shape the worse it gets.

For us a really important tip was to assemble the oars and lay them on the ground under the floor a few inches in from where the stringers sit so the floor is supported just above ground.

I have to admit when we bought it this hassle was just OK and I reviewed the boat as OK when you got used to it as I had help setting up (we are mostly a daily setup each time we go to sea) from Mrs F and 2 teens. But as life moved on and I ended up mostly setting up on my own I sold it and went to a much easier wooden floor and then onto air floors.

Having said that I loved every other aspect of the Honwave... roomy, sturdy and stable.

[dave3235]

+1 inflation you must be able to grab the stringers through the tubes when on its side

[paddlers]

Agreed it's the worst bit of owning an aluminium floor Honwave. I find 50% inflation then get someone to lift the tube while pushing the stringer into position from inside the boat.

There's definitely a knack to it.

[Duggy]

As above.

Make sure you're on a perfectly flat surface if possible. Partially inflate and make sure that the floors are central in the boat.

[rossymtb]

As fenlander says. When I had Ali or plywood floor Sibs. I always lay the oars underneath the floor so it leaves the tubes to hang off the edge type of thing. Makes life so much easier to assemble.
Or failing that. Put it on its side.

Less air the easier