Landlubber Q's re:inflatable boat ownership

D. Jones · 23 June 2014, 20:05

As a complete novice to boat ownership I would like to chuck some questions up if I may, to find out if SIB ownership is a realistic proposition for me.

At the moment I live in a second floor flat - therefore no shed or garage access - but I do have a spare room. Further I drive a Golf sized hatchback (looks a lot like a Golf, actually - even down to the badges...).

So what I'm trying to determine is, how realistic it would be to own and run something along the lines of a 3m-3.6m SIB + removable hard floor and a 10/15hp 2 stroke.

Just how difficult would it be to get an engine in and out the back of a car? As far as getting it up and down stairs I'm thinking stairclimber trolley.

In addition, once the boat is out of the water should it ideally be dried off before it gets deflated and stored over winter, for example?

Basically I suppose I'm trying to find out of anyone else actually lives in the same sort of place with a similar sized car - does it take the shine off ownership, having to deal with stairs, no garage/garden, limited access to the car boot, etc?

Would love to hear from anyone in similar circumstances. I live about 7 miles from the Tyne/Newcastle, so have thoughts about launching off a slipway with some wheels on the transom and making my way down to Tynemounth and up the coast or whatever. What do you think...?

Harrys Game · 23 June 2014, 20:10

Can you not rent a secure garage near you? Dragging the boat etc upstairs to the flat will knacker you in a very short time. Regards Jim

beamishken · 23 June 2014, 20:20

We used a 2.9m air floor sib as a tender for the last 10 years and we always brought it home for the winter
I could just manage to carry the boat rolled up so I guess the answer is yes if you can handle 30 odd kg of awkward load upstairs the outboard shouldn't be a problem assuming you go for a lightweight 2 stroke
It's not ideal but if it gets you on the water then worth the effort in my mind

ShinyShoe · 23 June 2014, 20:25

15hp is the limit of portability. Bigger than that people don't put them in the boot. But big difference from lifting from car to inflated boat to taking it up stairs.

3.6m Sib is big. Not sure on weight but certainly in terms of bulk stairs is gonna be tough.

Fuel inside a house would be a concern.

Where you thinking of launching?

You any experience outside the Tyne piers... You are kind of in the north sea... If the wind direction is wrong it can be 'interesting'

6kt speed limit on the Tyne...

Poly · 23 June 2014, 20:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

You any experience outside the Tyne piers... You are kind of in the north sea... If the wind direction is wrong it can be 'interesting'

6kt speed limit on the Tyne...

I think you may have confused two posters... the OP is about as far from the Tyne as you can get!

Landlockedpirate · 23 June 2014, 20:33

Its possible, and if its the only way you can get on the water, I'm sure you can find a way.

Look for a maximum 3.1m air floor (with removable floor to make it even more portable.) The dinghy on its own will weigh about 30kg and then you can carry the floor, oars, seat etc afterwards.

You need to keep the engine weight down, because they are really awkward to carry. The best option would be a Tohatsu 9.8hp, they are the holy grail and only weigh 26kg but a good one will set you back £1k (If you can find one). Other than that I would set your sites a little lower at 8hp, something like a Yamaha only weighs 28kg. Most of the 9.9/15hp (they are usually the same engine) weigh 35-40kg.

I think its all doable, but like Shineyshoe I wouldnt store fuel inside the house.

Peter_C · 23 June 2014, 20:39

I don't see a problem moving the boat around and carrying it up and down the stairs. Where I do see a problem is the smell of petrol from the fuel tank and engine. YUCK! No way would I store that inside a place I lived.

ShinyShoe · 23 June 2014, 20:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poly

I think you may have confused two posters... the OP is about as far from the Tyne as you can get!

Really?

Quote:

Originally Posted by D. Jones

Would love to hear from anyone in similar circumstances. I live about 7 miles from the Tyne/Newcastle, so have thoughts about launching off a slipway with some wheels on the transom and making my way down to Tynemounth and up the coast or whatever. What do you think...?

Nothing in that OP would suggest he was planning to use the Tyne would it...

ShinyShoe · 23 June 2014, 20:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

I don't see a problem moving the boat around and carrying it up and down the stairs. Where I do see a problem is the smell of petrol from the fuel tank and engine. YUCK! No way would I store that inside a place I lived.

Or the smell of the foisty Tyne when it gets put away a bit damp..

D. Jones · 23 June 2014, 21:00

Thanks for the replies guys, got a few things to think about.

Renting a garage isn't possible ATM.
I can store the fuel elsewhere.
I'm happy to consider a slightly smaller boat, like 3m.
Happy to consider a 9/10hp as well - thought the extra hp would come in handy for the interesting conditions
How would I get rid of the river smell, if I was to potter about on one?

ShinyShoe, I have no experience at all.

A further question, can anyone point me to a website/link to a decent guide to outboard ownership/servicing and usage - ie, what to do re:storage/flushing etc?

Just had a thought, there *may* be the possibility of access to a garage - but for now I would like to plan as if there isn't.

Thanks again for the input

ShinyShoe · 23 June 2014, 21:06

Flushing.

You have two methods... A house connected to the water intake either with a direct fitting or muffs or a big bucket like a wheely bin.

Either may be hard if you have no garden or drive. So ideally your slip has water...

You run the engine on clean water for a decent chunk of time.

ShinyShoe · 23 June 2014, 21:07

River smell. Wash down. But to be fair it's not the Tyne that's the issue it's the wet...

ShinyShoe · 23 June 2014, 21:12

Smaller boat outside the Peirs? No experience in a SIB out there. Would need the right conditions. But you might not know they are wrong till you are there...

PowerBoat 2 course would be worth doing..

D. Jones · 23 June 2014, 21:18

Re: the smell/wet - OK, if it mainly gets used in decent conditions then once it's out of the water and in the sun it should dry off with a bit of help with a towel. Maybe I could reinflate it in the spare room, dry it off properly then pack it again - maybe use some sort of MucOff spray or something, as long as it's not something that'll affect the tubes/glue etc.

About the engine - I know nothing of marine engines, I need to start at the beginning. They are water cooled, presumably - so is it sea water that needs to be flushed out?

Don't understand the "run the engine on clean water for a decent chunk of time" - what am I missing here, because I woud have thought the petrochemical industry might be a bit worried reading that..!

beamishken · 23 June 2014, 21:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

Where you thinking of launching?

You any experience outside the Tyne piers... You are kind of in the north sea... If the wind direction is wrong it can be 'interesting'

6kt speed limit on the Tyne...

might be better off launching at Whitley bay or Cullercoats as going through the tyne piers into open water can be 'interesting' as shineyshoe says

the piers are almost a mile long so you are quite a way out in the north sea or a small boat

there are two fast watercraft areas upriver above Newcastle one at derwenthaugh and the other at newburn/ryton where you can explore the river in reasonable safety about 3 hours either side of high water

probably a safer bet if your new to boating

Max... · 23 June 2014, 21:27

Anything is possible and chapeau for anyone keen to get on the water but a boat, engine and all the associated gear up two flights of stairs and stored in a flat?? Seriously, I think you'd make a maiden voyage with it and never ever again.

I find it enough of a PITA sometimes and my SIB stays inflated all season in the garage next to the Landy with the fuel, engine etc all ready to go and five miles from the sea.

If, you really, really want to go for it then I think a 2.7m air deck and 6 hp is where I'd think the absolute maximum set up is given your very limiting circumstances. And sticking to rivers, harbours etc.

Check the guides on this site and the search facility for everything you need to know regarding gear, engines etc.

Poly · 23 June 2014, 21:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max...

Anything is possible and chapeau for anyone keen to get on the water but a boat, engine and all the associated gear up two flights of stairs and stored in a flat?? Seriously, I think you'd make a maiden voyage with it and never ever again.

D. Jones · 23 June 2014, 21:42

Beamishken, maybe Sunderland would be a better bet - I don't like the sound of those piers at Tynemounth at all. However, those stretches of the Tyne upstream sound pretty interesting and considerably safer than Tynemounth - will look into that, thanks.

Thanks for the advice Max, not really what I wanted to hear but I need to be told these things - if I don't get grounded occasionally I start to think about things like seeing if a small tent and a mountain bike with the wheels off would fit in a SIB for a mini tour of a couple of coastal campsites, or something

ShinyShoe · 23 June 2014, 21:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by D. Jones

About the engine - I know nothing of marine engines, I need to start at the beginning. They are water cooled, presumably - so is it sea water that needs to be flushed out?

Don't understand the "run the engine on clean water for a decent chunk of time" - what am I missing here, because I woud have thought the petrochemical industry might be a bit worried reading that..!

If the petrochemical industry is worried then this entire forum would be having a field day. Half the posters on here account for the carbon emissions of a small third world country!

I meant run it (on petrol) with either water running through it or it running in a water barrel. The water in the engine is normally sucked from the sea by a little water wheel (impeller) so you need to replace the salty water with fresh water so that when it dries out the salt doesn't crystallise and block the water flow. The impellor means you can't just squirt water in without running the engine. Running engine needs running water through it to stop you frying the internals...

D. Jones · 23 June 2014, 22:05

Thanks for the clarification, Shiny - you clearly underestimated just how little I know... (as recommended I've got a lot of searching to do)