Which roofrack for 3.5M RIB (Ford Ka) - Page 15

Fenlander · 02 April 2017, 09:07

We look forward to hearing if it does the job.

Firstrib · 02 April 2017, 09:19

River is closed for the boat race from Wandsworth Bridge upstream so will launch from alternative slipway in Battersea, if I go out today.

Firstrib · 15 April 2017, 13:07

Firstrib · 15 April 2017, 13:08

Small tear where the transom was reglues. How can I repair this. silkaflex alone or glue or patches?

Firstrib · 11 February 2018, 10:49

So, I am buying a new roof rack for my newer car from micksgarage.com Ford Focus.
Anyway - two questions today:

1. I want to buy a new or used bag for my Aerotec 380, any ideas where from the old one is ripped and not in a good way

2. A recommendation for an all round good prop for Aerotec 380 for speed
not too pleased with my current one.

HDAV · 11 February 2018, 13:09

Get a tiny tach to check the rpm your motor is making and pitch prop accordingly

That a laperpelina rack? Look for a used one on eBay £140 at micks garage £50second had bit dusty I can cope for £90 saving.......

Try chas newen marine in Putney for a bag they are bombard dealers I think

Firstrib · 11 February 2018, 13:13

Hi HDAV Yes thanks, LP Yes. Good tips. I will try eBay and I guess pay out for a new bag

HDAV · 11 February 2018, 14:22

The bars seem ok but I would be upset had I paid £140! Focus are fairly common should be plenty of racks for sale ford genuine, Thule, LP etc for half the price of new minimum

Owners manual should also list prop specs and sizes for rpm ranges

Firstrib · 11 February 2018, 22:02

Got bars for 40 pounds. Mont Blanc steel

Firstrib · 26 May 2018, 12:54

Thoughts on Bombard Aerotec 380 prop on a Mercury 25HP 2004 2 stroke: I wrecked one of mine (am running on spare), a 13" prop, which with one up, can do about 21 knots max. Is this a good all round choice, or is my desire for SPEED worth it by going for a different pitch for the new prop, or not really much in it? I could have two props, one 13" and a second with a different pitch?

Fenlander · 26 May 2018, 13:20

You are not getting much extra speed above our 20hp with a 10" prop so I wonder if a 13" is a bit too far over propped? Ideally you need a small tach to know if the OB is reaching its revs.

Obviously someone running a 25hp on an Aerotec would be best to advise.

jeffstevens763@g · 26 May 2018, 15:05

i have a 10, 11, 12,pitch for my 25 suzuki trying to mimic the same conditions on different days is very hard but i found i max at 22 kts will the 11 losing 1 kt with the 12 and although heavy weighted with the 10 i got a little over 20 kts so i would say if tested on the same day there would be 2kts in it over the 3 props but the 10 if by far better for working the throttle in rough conditions to keep planing speed or getting back on the plane and the 11 for fair conditions where the throttle needs less use i would expect the lighter aerotec will outperform my max speed personally top speed is not an issue its being able to maintain the plane and work the throttle to get a better ride

Firstrib · 26 May 2018, 17:45

Thank you Fenlander and Jeff. I have no access to a tach so I think I may as well go for a 10" (whatever that means) and change my order down at Chas Newens. Thanks so much. Happy boating, I plan to go out on Monday.

Firstrib · 26 May 2018, 17:51

I have switched my order to a 10": working the throttle in rough conditions to keep planing speed or getting back on the plane

Fenlander · 26 May 2018, 17:54

You cant go wrong with a 10" for overall performance. An 11" would likely be OK too, 12" risks being wrong as I believe the 13" was but fine for a spare. It is a bit of guesswork with no tach (you can get an Ebay one for £15 for the future??).

The Aerotec is no speed machine (in it's top speed ability)… you need a lightweight RIB with flattish hull profile for that.... and calm waters.

jeffstevens763@g · 26 May 2018, 19:23

I'm running at 5650 rpm ish with the 10 pitch that's 10 1/4 x 10 with 70 lts of fuel and camping gear plus my lump alm seas

Firstrib · 04 June 2018, 21:50

Feeling despondent - the fourth time out this season, this time on the Solent with 5 up and the boat starts to come apart at the seams - again. Not catastrophically as nothing came undone, but stretched and I couldn't plane because the angles changed as the seams stretched and folded. See pictures. The whole 25HP outboard leant back in the water and the angles were all wrong. It got progressively worse over a 25 mile round trip Gosport to Beaulieu.

In the end had to adjust the outboard on the most extreme setting to sit it more upright in the water.

Contemplating another trip to the glue repair boatyard, or am I doing something wrong? It always seems to go wrong like this when I have a lot of passengers. I did pump up the floor manually after the electric pump failed, so not sure I got it 100% right on inflation, but looked and felt as firm as usual.

The boat specs seem in tolerance. Max motor is 72KG, mine is 52KG. Max payload is 690KG, with 5 up, 44 litres of petrol, anchor and bags and toolkit, mine is about 450 so under weight.

Feeling like I want to buy another inflatable now but I love the Aerotec really but fed up with having my boat in repair in the summer :( Any encouragement or learning appreciated.

Max... · 04 June 2018, 22:48

I'd be tempted to go for a hard floor SIB in your shoes as that's a big payload and presumably you have lots of helping hands. I love the Aerotec but it's at its best with a 15 or lightweight 20 and two people. Loading it up IMO does not help it - the Yam 360 discussed in the eBay topic is a bargain, sell on the 15 and pop your 25 on.

Fenlander · 05 June 2018, 00:21

That's frustrating,

Sadly the hard fact of life is you have an older Aerotec that has suffered glue failure... and so far not been repaired to an OE standard or the repairs would have lasted. From the way it's stretching I'm going to guess they didn't do a full transom removal and cleanup but glued up the seams in situ??

Personally I don't think it's the weight. If you bought a 2yr old one (as an example) I reckon it would easily withstand your use for another 10+yrs.

Have a look at this post and particularly the bottom right image on post #3. Do you think your repairers really took the transom and it's attachment parts back to individual items and cleaned up. From the way your transom seems to be moving within the outer glued strips that are still attached I'd say they didn't.

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/bombard...oor-77045.html

Firstrib · 05 June 2018, 20:10

Thank you Fenlander, thank you Max. The floor seams also are dodgy, see the air and puffy look underneath.

Fenlander, I think you are right, the gluing is old and perhaps the latest repair has not been done as well as it could be. Where the actual repair was made before the glue is holding. But not elsewhere. You are right, the weight should not be a problem.

The problem is, I can't really afford another boat and I usually go out with 2 or 3 people not more so this should not be a problem. Also I love the V shaped hull, it's such a great boat for the money and space and portable by me in my Ford Focus now (yes gone up in the world from Ford Ka) so am loathed to look at another one on the credit card. Not much space in a small flat in Fulham.

Good news is that I am sharing a happy video before the problems from two weeks ago and that my new prop, Chas Newens suggest an 11" for my boat, has arrived. Perhaps I need a plastic boat or aluminium boat to put on the roofrack and keep behind the hedge by the bins (not really).

So I need more glue repairs, Fenlander, I can't begin to entertain the glue repair that you shared as I haven't got the patience or time or equipment and can see it going wrong and never floating again. Any ideas?