Total newbie with questions about my Achilles SGX-122

syncrobutter · 11 January 2019, 22:46

Hi All!

First post for me, but I have been browsing the forum for a few months as I learned more about RIBs and SIBs while searching for one to buy. Last night I finally picked one up locally in the Seattle area, a 1993 Achilles SGX-122 with a Nissan 18hp 2 smoke. I've never owned an inflatable before, but wanted to get one to improve my fishing and crabbing prospects.

I searched for answers to my questions below but couldn't find any answers, hopefully the voice of experience from you all can guide me on my way!

Question 1: Is it OK to use my truck bed for transport of the inflated SIB?
I bought the boat without a trailer, and I would like to avoid trailers if possible since that improves my options for getting close parking/access to the water (in my case Puget Sound) for beach launches (I am planning to add transom wheels). I would like to keep the boat inflated all the time and have a good place to store it inflated at home. My truck bed is 6 feet/1.8M and the boat is 12 feet/about 3.7M. As long as the outboard is off, is it ok to just lift into the truck bed and strap it down with half the boat including the (empty) transom hanging out the back? I am attaching a picture from the maiden voyage home last night.

Question 2: What do i need to use to inflate?
This boat did not come with a pump (quite stiff even though previous owner says he has not inflated it during his 18 months of ownership), I realize that I can buy an official Achilles brand foot pump but was wondering if there is anything magical about the valves or if I could instead get some sort of generic pump or adapter... extra points if it is something I can attach to my compressor! Sorry for such a basic question, total newbie!

Fenlander · 11 January 2019, 22:59

Hello SB and welcome to the forum.

I guess your way of carrying half supported might be OK for very short distances but not ideal for longer ones or bumpy roads. Could you make up a couple of wooden rails and have it slide up and a bit over the cab so it was better supported?

I'm not familiar with the valves on your SIB but I guess you can buy an end adaptor and use any of the generic foot or 12v electric pumps. As your tube pressure will likely be 3psi or less it's taking a real risk using what I assume might be a 100psi compressor in case your pressure regulation isn't accurate or fails.

Great outboard you have, sold as a Tohatsu over here. Easy to work on and known for being reliable.

syncrobutter · 11 January 2019, 23:05

trying this image attach one more time...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Hello SB and welcome to the forum.

I guess your way of carrying half supported might be OK for very short distances but not ideal for longer ones or bumpy roads. Could you make up a couple of wooden rails and have it slide up and a bit over the cab so it was better supported?

I'm not familiar with the valves on your SIB but I guess you can buy an end adaptor and use any of the generic foot or 12v electric pumps. As your tube pressure will likely be 3psi or less it's taking a real risk using what I assume might be a 100psi compressor in case your pressure regulation isn't accurate or fails.

Great outboard you have, sold as a Tohatsu over here. Easy to work on and known for being reliable.

Thanks for the reply!

Sliding up/over the cab is definitely an option, maybe flip it upside down since this one has an inflatable air keel? I'll experiment with that idea. Getting it up there may be a challenge, this SIB is 161lbs/73kg and I will usually be loading it myself without a helper, but I can probably figure something out.

For adapters (keeping in mind I know next to nothing about RIB/SIB valves) would I just get a generic "here is an inflatable watercraft pump with adapters" kind of bundle and one would be likely to work? Sorry for such a basic question, I can share pics of the valves if that is helpful. The only other inflatable I've ever dealt with is an inflatable paddleboard, and it had a sort of interlock mechanism on the valve. I'm guessing that there is no general standard for valve interface like there is for tire tubes (where Schraeder and Presta valves cover 99.9% of what is out there)?

pagick · 12 January 2019, 01:59

Load the boat the other way. Transom to cab. A sheet of plywood would help hold the keel at its largest part. The keel has a rubber wear strip so any chafing you could get of upside down isn’t happening. You can add wear strips to the bottom of the main tubes to protect from rash from your truck and beaches. Or carpet the plywood sheet.
A foot pump with high/ low pressure is best. Making the boat as full as possible with out going over pressure is definitely what you want. And foot pumps are a work out with out the high/ low pressure capabilities.
All boats have different pump connectors. Mine has two different on one boat. WTF?
If you need more details on this you can “PM” me
My buddy lives on the sound. Beautiful

syncrobutter · 12 January 2019, 02:56

Some detail of my valves

syncrobutter · 12 January 2019, 03:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by pagick

Load the boat the other way. Transom to cab. A sheet of plywood would help hold the keel at its largest part. The keel has a rubber wear strip so any chafing you could get of upside down isn’t happening. You can add wear strips to the bottom of the main tubes to protect from rash from your truck and beaches. Or carpet the plywood sheet.
A foot pump with high/ low pressure is best. Making the boat as full as possible with out going over pressure is definitely what you want. And foot pumps are a work out with out the high/ low pressure capabilities.
All boats have different pump connectors. Mine has two different on one boat. WTF?
If you need more details on this you can “PM” me
My buddy lives on the sound. Beautiful

Interesting, I will try transom first next time. Good idea on adding/reinforcing wear strips, I dont see any good way for me to load that doesnt involve lifting part of the boat onto the tailgate, then pushing it in the rest of the way. I suppose I could drop a side gate (the truck can drop 3 sides resulting in a flatbed) and load it in that way but I am not sure that would be any easier. A piece of plywood with some carpet on it or even a big piece of melamine would probably cut down on wear and tear and make it easier to load the boat by cutting down on friction, I will experiment with that a bit too.

I added pics of the valves in previous post, I suppose I should also be looking to replace or overhaul these as part of normal maintenance? The previous owner did not know when they were last serviced or replaced.

Thanks for the feedback and info!

Kurt · 12 January 2019, 15:54

Like your truck Syncrobutter! The Achilles valves are easily available, inexpensive, and easily replaceable (you take the valve out when you deflate the boat). Good idea to carry an extra with you. Be careful putting hard/heavy items against the valve caps, especially the one on the front floor for the inflatable keel. Rough rides can crack the cap and the valve will slowly leak. The inexpensive Bravo foot pumps can be acquired through Defender and they work fine.

Tim M · 12 January 2019, 16:59

I used to move my SIB around in the back of my Nissan Navara pickup all the time. Would overhang slightly. The tailgate helped to support the boat. I never took it on any crazy distances but for usual traveling would normally transport with the engine on. Reverse down the ramp and then manhandle it off into the water. Worked really well.

RichardinNZ · 15 January 2019, 08:25

Echoing Kurt... Nice DOKA...I guess a syncro? Still stock engine? Always wanted one... Especially a Syncro 16.

syncrobutter · 15 January 2019, 16:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurt

Like your truck Syncrobutter! The Achilles valves are easily available, inexpensive, and easily replaceable (you take the valve out when you deflate the boat). Good idea to carry an extra with you. Be careful putting hard/heavy items against the valve caps, especially the one on the front floor for the inflatable keel. Rough rides can crack the cap and the valve will slowly leak. The inexpensive Bravo foot pumps can be acquired through Defender and they work fine.

Bravo pump and three new valve assemblies on the way, I figure at $22 USD each (and with no history on the ones I have installed today) I can afford to switch these out and carry the "old" ones as emergency spares. Thanks for the info on cracking the one at the bow, I was thinking of mounting my gas can there (I will be going out mostly solo so wanted a bit of weight forward), still might do this but will be much more conscious of the possible issues when test fitting it etc. Thanks!!

syncrobutter · 15 January 2019, 16:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim M

I used to move my SIB around in the back of my Nissan Navara pickup all the time. Would overhang slightly. The tailgate helped to support the boat. I never took it on any crazy distances but for usual traveling would normally transport with the engine on. Reverse down the ramp and then manhandle it off into the water. Worked really well.

Good to hear! It's easy to get this engine on/off the transom and I have a "treasure chest" in this truck (rear engine and rear transmission, so the doors just forward of the rear wheels open to a storage space large enough to crawl inside) so I think I will stash the gas cans and engine in there when transporting. My intention is to use this boat locally in Puget Sound, so I can launch as close as a mile from my home and am unlikely to go more than 10-15 miles or so, all on surface roads... no highway.

syncrobutter · 15 January 2019, 16:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichardinNZ

Echoing Kurt... Nice DOKA...I guess a syncro? Still stock engine? Always wanted one... Especially a Syncro 16.

Thanks! It's a 1989 "Tristar" Doka, originally from Sweden (they never sold these in the USA, only the 7 passenger van and 5 passenger camper configurations sold here). It is my daily driver and on the weekends it becomes the family car, seats 5 in relative comfort and is just fun to drive. I've had it for about 8 months and am slowly setting things right, lots of little things to do on a vehicle of this vintage. It has a stock petrol/gas "DJ" engine putting out 112HP and stock 5 speed manual transmission, 14 inch model. This one is a rear wheel/2wd model and since it does not have a limited slip that really makes it a 1 wheel drive model

I actually own another vehicle on the same platform (called a "vanagon" here in the states, T3 most of the rest of the world) which is a 1986 Syncro Westfalia (camper with a kitchen, cabinets and a pop top tent) with front and rear lockers and a decoupler, a crawling gear etc. Over the last 2 years my wife and I have performed a ton of work on that vehicle including an engine swap and also a rust resolution/body restoration with a windows-out repaint in our little home shop. So, I am very familiar with these vehicles as well as with the Syncro world! There is quite a following for these vehicles here in the "Pacific Northwest" including Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. A 16 inch Syncro would be ultra rare in the States, never imported here originally... very cool vehicles.

syncrobutter · 15 January 2019, 16:48

Some pics of my VWs:

1986 Syncro Westfalia before paint (black panels are those I have replaced due to rust)

Painting the Syncro in my home shop (with plastic sheeting to make a "paint booth")

After paint, reassembly

Camping after the body work is complete

The new kid on the block, Tristar Doka (note there are two other Vanagon/T3 campers in this picture... very popular around here!). If you squint you can see some of my crabbing gear in the bed.

Fenlander · 15 January 2019, 18:30

Neither VW would suit our vehicle needs but they both look really cool. Well done on the camper restoration... it looks great.

Kurt · 15 January 2019, 19:41

Beautiful work on the VW!

Having my gas tank in front is exactly how I cracked the cap :-) Didn't stop me from keeping it there though. Just put something between the two hard surfaces.

jeffstevens763@g · 15 January 2019, 20:12

Great camper refurb

syncrobutter · 16 January 2019, 00:18

Thanks for the kind words guys! Working on/restoring cars is something I know about, SIB ownership is not