Reinforcing SIB for Beach Landings (and other Q's...)

[MMessina]

Hi all —

New member here with an old boatquestion! I have a 1980 Zodiac MK II GR that I bought last year in very good condition (used briefly as a yacht tender, then on a trailer for a looong time). It was a great deal, so I'm hoping to put enough love into it that it lasts me a while. That said, I plan on using it mostly for transport to / from the local islands in my area (I currently live in downeast Maine, where cobble and rocky beach landings are often non-negotiable).

Now, I'm used to driving / landing MK V HDs in very technical conditions, and have been so impressed with the construction and durability of those boats that my perception of 'acceptable landing conditions' is probably a bit on the extreme side (you could run those things onto a pile of broken glass and they won't flinch)! Understanding that my boat is a lot older and certainly not as rugged as a MK V, I'd still like to be able to land comfortably without wearing on the hypalon too much.

I also have a slightly newer Achilles (not sure the model name, it seems to be their version of a MK II) that has a busted transom, but the pontoons are still good: I got it with the intention of using it for scrap hypalon (ie: to laminate a second layer of hypalon onto the soft hull of the MK II). Is that crazy? If so, what other methods (besides transom wheels) would you recommend to reinforce the hull?

I'm also curious to see what people with older zodiacs do to care for the aging topside hypalon. I have a pot of CSM glue to reseal some of the seams as the original glue breaks down under UV, but ideally I'd like to take preventative measures to keep it sealed and safe. Any recommendations are hugely welcome.

Thanks for reading!

[SixtyNorth]

I like the Grand Raids, they are good, solid boats. How about bonding sacrificial strips of hypalon/ rubber to the bottom of the tubes and keel, protecting the main points of contact, in the same way the heavy duty inflatables are reinforced? It is not difficult to do.

Patches can be used to reinforce and protect the tube tops, either hypalon or some heavy duty non-slip treadmaster type of patches e.g.

Non-Slip Material for RIBS - Henshaw Inflatables Ltd

But, I would make sure all seams etc are sorted prior to applying any patches. No doubt someone more knowledgeable will be along soon to offer better advice!

[Locozodiac]

Check this out, it's a tech contribution from a US boater called Jrdamien. Buy a roll pf thick PVC material, cut to desired size and glue well under tubes.

What you never should do is power any inflatable out of water at speed over rocky or sandy beaches...

Happy Boating

[TheRange]

Originally Posted by Locozodiac

Check this out, it's a tech contribution from a US boater called Jrdamien. Buy a roll pf thick PVC material, cut to desired size and glue well under tubes.

What you never should do is power any inflatable out of water at speed over rocky or sandy beaches...

Happy Boating

Hi Locozodiac, this looks interesting, do we have any feedback on how this worked out? I've been reading up on attaching keelguards to RIBs but so far haven't found user experience from gluing to soft bottoms.



Cheers!