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24 October 2002, 11:10
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#1
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Town: Hilton-of-Cadboll
Length: no boat
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,801
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Puff needed!
Hello folks
Whilst up in Scotland last week, my electric pump for the SIB gave up the ghost. Having been forced to inflate it with the hand pump a few times I decided that the pump needs replacing PDQ (I'm still knackered!).
The pump cost me about £60.00. Today I just purchased an electrical pump for my car and motorcycle tyres, you know the type, plugs into the cig lighter on the car. This cost me £12.00! Why such a huge price difference!
Right, the boat pump is basically a small 12v motor with an impeller blade at the front in a small plastic housing. Printed on the front of this plastic housing it says 'Made in England'. I took the housing off to see if the pump could be repaired. The device was VERY simple. Apart from the plastic housing all that was there was a switch and a 12v electric motor (the main component). On the electric motor was a sticker ‘Made in China’!
Now I know that these motors are VERY cheap. For example you can buy a rechargeable electric drill for £9.99 – these are ‘Made in China’. I know that the shops buy these for about £5.00. The importer gets them for about £3.00, and they are shipped all the way from China! I wouldn’t mind betting that they use the same motors as the boat pump. So the motors must cost about 50p each. Add on a bit of injection-moulded plastic, assembly costs, distribution costs, and what do you have. A HUGE profit.
What can I do about this?
Well, I’m not sure but….
Can I buy a car pump and adapt it for the boat? Cut off the valve adapter. Attach hose and boat valve adapter. Then pump away. Stop when tube is almost ‘hard’ then finish of with a few strokes of the hand pump (as I did with the boat pump).
Hmmmmmmmmm.
Boat – high volume, low pressure
Car tyre – low volume, High pressure
Will this cause a problem? Can anyone help? Does anyone else care? Who will be the next Education Secretary? Will Charles and Flanker ever see eye to eye?
Keith (always a friendly face) Hart
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24 October 2002, 11:18
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#2
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Edenbridge
Boat name: Scorpion
Make: Scorpion 8.5mtr
Length: 8m +
Engine: 315hp Yanmar Diesel
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 696
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Car Pump
Hi Keith
I've seen a few people pump up the tubes with a car pump. It will be fine. Just stop before the tube gets very hard.
Julian
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Julian Lyas
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24 October 2002, 11:38
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#3
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Sevenoaks
Make: Avon
Length: 4m +
Engine: 40hp Mariner
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 79
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Bed Pump
Hi Keith,
How about an air-bed pump. Agian this is designed for high volume / low pressure air. I have just bought one of these (12v Portable Airbed Inflator) and it inflates a double airbed in about 5 minutes.
Cheers,
Andy.
z
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24 October 2002, 11:47
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#4
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Edenbridge
Boat name: Scorpion
Make: Scorpion 8.5mtr
Length: 8m +
Engine: 315hp Yanmar Diesel
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 696
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Keith
This is all you need. Check out the price.
Bellows Pump
Bellows foot-action pump (Give you legs like Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank).
Muscular Madness
Megastore Price: £4.99 (€7,90)
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Julian Lyas
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24 October 2002, 12:22
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#5
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Member
Country: Greece
Town: ATHENS
Boat name: SUN KISS II
Make: Nuova Bat 9 Falcon -
Length: 5m +
Engine: Outboard Mercury 115
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 639
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Keith,
You can do the job with a hand pump, or a foot pump, or even with that 12V air inflator.
No need to say that the hand and foot powered devices will make sweat. The 12V will inflate the boat BUT not as stiff as it must be. There are devices specially made for the job, with pressure regulated cut off systems. Thety are made in Italy, or at least Italy is the last stop before the get on the shelves.
I have one of those and it does inflates my rib, (from completly diflated), within 6 to 8 minutes.
Unfortunatelly I haven't got a scanner installed to send a photo.
I bought that pump 4 years ago and it costed about 75 euros.
It's expensive I know, but it does the job, AND there are spare parts available too.
__________________
Michael a.k.a "Bat Falcon"
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24 October 2002, 13:21
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#6
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Town: Hilton-of-Cadboll
Length: no boat
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,801
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Doh! Doh! And double Doh!
What a fool I am. I forgot all about the SUCK. You see the pump blows the boat UP, but it also SUCKS the remaining air out so it can be packed. On a boat pump you just take off the hose and attach it to the suck end and then deflate the boat.
You can't do that with the other pumps.
I'll have to think about wether it is worth the extra £40.00 or so to get that last bit of air out.
Keith (my brain hurts, well it would if I had one) Hart
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24 October 2002, 14:12
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#7
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Member
Country: UK - Wales
Town: Milford Haven
Boat name: Various
Make: Commercial
Length: 10m +
Engine: Screw / Voith / Jets
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 792
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What about buying a separate 12v car vacuum cleaner as well for £15.... even with the car blower it'd still be cheaper.
Get the right attachment on the end and you're away - can use it for cleaning the car then too
-Alex
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24 October 2002, 15:53
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#8
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Falmouth
Make: Tornado
Length: 4m +
Engine: 40hp yam
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 99
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Gas
Keith,
You can, and i am sure there are reasons not to, buy a dive cylinder and reg second hand or use your own dive kit and adapt one of the pipes to fit your tubes. (gaffer tape and hose often work sufficently)
It works, doesnt need power and the smaller cylinders can be carried aboard for inflation and emergancies on the water.
Not sure this is the best soloution for you but it is an option.
Toby
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24 October 2002, 16:58
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#9
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RIBnet supporter
Country: UK - England
Boat name: Little Wing
Make: Searider 5.4
Length: 5m +
Engine: Tohatsu 90
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,069
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Novel idea from Toby Budd.
Keith, if you're interested, I could supply you with a cylinder of nitrous oxide to inflate Quicksilver.
You could then laugh all the way to the orkneys but don't light your pipe on the way..
Alternatively, you could buy, from Hollywood Marine, a massive foot pump which has a blow and suck option for 27quids.
David.
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24 October 2002, 17:39
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#10
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Member
Country: UK - Isle of Man
Town: Peel, IOM
Length: no boat
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,511
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Keith
I came across this hi press/low thingy thing when buying something for my tender.
On the big boat I have got an electric jobbie but this requires an electric point that has a proper electrical circuit to handle it (ie not a cigarrette lighter point.
For the tender I have got (and this may be your answer) is to use a (in my case, Zodiac) foot pump that has a variable adjuster on it. You start by pumping large volume, low pressure, then when it gets full-ish, you change to one of the next two settings which delivers higher pressure but lower volume till the boat is full.
Hence minimal effort for maximum result (should be Brian's motto).
Another advantage of using this type of foot pump is of course that it has a deflate capability as well.
By the way, much impressed that Quicksilver has a cigarrette lighter, or have I misread that bit?
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24 October 2002, 17:51
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#11
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Town: Hilton-of-Cadboll
Length: no boat
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,801
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I suppose I could blow it up with a car pump and then to deflate it I could roll on it. That would get the air out.
But seriously folks (now we know he's kidding) I do like to stand and watch the thing going up to the sound of an electric motor rather than the sound of me puffing and panting.
It seems that the blow is no problem, it's the suck that is the difficult part.
Keith (I said Suck) Hart
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24 October 2002, 20:01
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#12
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Devon
Boat name: White Ice
Make: Ranieri
Length: 5m +
Engine: Suzuki 115hp
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,015
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Quote:
Originally posted by Keith Hart
I said...
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Careful Keith...
Two threads have gone missing already today! (have they been "moderated"?)
Anyone care to tell me if there was a "punch-up" - I've been busy all day so haven't kept my eye on things?
Luv 'n' hugs
Rich.
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24 October 2002, 20:13
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#13
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Town: Hilton-of-Cadboll
Length: no boat
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,801
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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Love and Kisses to you all
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Keith ( ) Hart
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24 October 2002, 20:15
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#14
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Devon
Boat name: White Ice
Make: Ranieri
Length: 5m +
Engine: Suzuki 115hp
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,015
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This is getting scary
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25 October 2002, 06:37
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#15
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Member
Country: Greece
Town: ATHENS
Boat name: SUN KISS II
Make: Nuova Bat 9 Falcon -
Length: 5m +
Engine: Outboard Mercury 115
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 639
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Brian,
Keith's Quicksilver has a microwave installed under the engine's hood (tinywave is the correct word). Needless to say that there is a cigarrette / pipe lighter.
__________________
Michael a.k.a "Bat Falcon"
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25 October 2002, 22:23
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#16
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Worcester
Boat name: Cheap 'N' Cheerful
Make: Avon C
Length: 3.5 metres
Engine: Mariner 8HP O/B 2 stroke.
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 134
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Keith you did say "Puff Needed" and NOT "Poof needed" didn't you?
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26 October 2002, 07:19
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#17
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Town: Hilton-of-Cadboll
Length: no boat
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,801
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He he he he he
Charlie (my mate with the big workshop next to my house in Scotland) just telephoned. He's repaired my boat pump. Clever sod he is, and THEY said that there were no servicable parts.
Still I'm going to puy another of the £12.00 car pumps just to see if it would work.
Keith (all suck and puff) Hart
PS Davison, yes I said 'p U ff'.
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26 October 2002, 08:05
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#18
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Southampton
Boat name: Hissing Sid
Make: Ross Smith Cobra
Length: 6m +
Engine: 200HP Optimax
MMSI: 235038046
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 3,804
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Try:
www.towsure.co.uk
they have quite a few different pumps in their catalogue. Cheap aswell. Unfortunately they don't sell poofs though! It's not that kind of web-site.
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26 October 2002, 18:20
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#19
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: SOUTHAMPTON
Boat name: Won't get Fooled Again
Make: Ribtec
Length: 6.5
Engine: Honda 130
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 888
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Be careful in Towsure Keith it can get addictive. There is a lot of good stuff in the shop.
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20 January 2003, 09:18
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#20
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Town: Hilton-of-Cadboll
Length: no boat
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,801
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Hi folks
Out of curiosity I adapted the car tyre pump just to see if it would work. It doesn't. Whilst the pressure is very hight the volume is so low that after 10 minutes of pumping there was hardly any air in the tubes. At this stage the pump was about to blow up so I gave it up as a bad job!
Well, at least I know for sure now.
Keith Hart
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