How do I protect the underside?

[Lazy Kipper]

Hi, new to the forum. We've just bought a used Honwave 380ie and she's a beauty. We'll be using it for going ashore from our boat and for exploring the East Coast. We're a bit worried about scuffs and scrapes from sharp stones and wondered what people do to protect the underside?

[calibra]

My boat is a PVC one, I was thinking about gluing some thick patches to the underside.
I've not given it much thought yet so I don't know if it's the way to go

[Peter_C]

Simple, don't let it touch sharp stones.

Where do you foresee having it touch sharp objects?

While dragging it up a beach? Don't do it without transom wheels.

Accidentally hitting something in the water? Get a depth finder with an alarm, and be careful.

[kaman]

Originally Posted by Peter_C

Simple, don't let it touch sharp stones.

Where do you foresee having it touch sharp objects?

While dragging it up a beach? Don't do it without transom wheels.

Accidentally hitting something in the water? Get a depth finder with an alarm, and be careful.

Yep second all of the above.
The bigger the tyres on the transom wheels, the easier it will be to pull the Sib along a sandy or shingle beach.
I use a cheap roll up foam camping carry mat when I bring the Sib out of the water onto a stoney / shingle beach.
Roll the mat out and pull the Sib out of the water with the wheels .
Use the mat as a barrier to rest the floor / keel of the Sib on whilst it is beached.
I use a strong galvanised pole and rope rig up to help me get a better grip of the bow - see pic.
No mat in the pic as sib is on a nice soft sandy beach.

[calibra]

Kaman, would you be willing to post some photos on how you mounted the second engine?

[kaman]

Calibra there's a long thread on here from last year when I made the bracket to mount the auxiliary engine.

Essential bed time reading lol.


http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=60215

[Amukinado]

I cannot find the need to protect the underside of the boat while navigating. The height of the keel is so small that you would have to be sleeping to hit anything.

I navigate constantly on low depth water where the rocks are only 40 or 50 cm away from sea level and I've never hit one.

[Lazy Kipper]

It's not the fear of accidentally hitting a rock, more the potential when coming up to a beach. Having had a solid floor RIB I guess we've become complacent!

[John Kennett]

You're more likely to damage a GRP hull than an an inflatable on a beach. There's no problem resting it on the ground, just don't drag it.

If you're coming ashore somewhere really spiky then get the transom wheels down and get out of the boat and support the bow before you ground.

[kaman]

As I mentioned above the old camping mat is good on the beaches with spiky stones sharp edges of broken sea shells, barnacles and my all time favourite crushed razor fish shells.
Don't know if I would have damaged the underside over the years if I had not used the mat but it takes only a few seconds to roll it out and peg it down. Consequently my underside is unblemished lol!
It gives me peace of mind when I'm off rambling and the Sib is sitting like a beached whale marooned on the beach.