Hello from Essex

[Fenlander]

How about an Excel Volaire 3.9...

https://www.excel-inflatables.co.uk/...volaire390.php

At £1259 new perhaps £200 more than a Honwave T38 but they look interesting with a unique (in the UK market) floor design and seem to be getting favourable reports. It weighs 12kg more than the Honwave which may or may not be an issue for you.

[Jimbolio]

Cheers champ. 12KG is not a deal breaker, it's still lighter than the ally floored T35 (2nd choice) I'll make sure to have my weetabix before setting out.

It looks like a easy win with the built in bumpers (read:training wheels)

https://www.excel-inflatables.co.uk/...volaire390.php

Engine costs will naturally have to be reduced based on the upscale of £ on the craft.

Any suggestions for muscle to throw it along the pond, a second hand river plodder will work for some time & assist in the easy upsell later...

*Heads back to ebay to try and find a suitable used lump to power it but doesn't know quite what to look for*

[tamsbairn]

Welcome to the forum
Happy boating
tamsbairn

[Jimbolio]

Cheers!

Just got hold of a Mercury 15hp 4stroke (used and unseen) for what I think is a fair price.

We’ll see in a couple of weeks when I collect and get it serviced

Should really have bitten Tim’s hand off for the Avon, I see you’ve got it on fleabay now...

[Jimbolio]

After reading much advice I’ve actually ended up with Tim M’s Avon.

Must be fate!

[Fenlander]

Robust motor and a robust SIB... well done. Look forward to hearing how you get on with it... pre voyage questions welcome!

BTW you do know the forum convention we require a picture of it set up in the living room!!

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Robust motor and a robust SIB... well done. Look forward to hearing how you get on with it... pre voyage questions welcome!

BTW you do know the forum convention we require a picture of it set up in the living room!!

The engine has to be on the dining table first

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

The engine has to be on the dining table first

For maximum forum points you also include pictures of the cylinder head coming out the dishwasher!

Now you are getting close to being afloat it seems like a good time to highlight a couple of beaurocracy things in Brian’s original, very detailed, post which reveal has age and previous scale of boating!

1. You don’t need to register on the SSR unless you are planning to take the boat abroad (or doing things with marine mortgages).

2. CG66 has been replaced by SafeTrx. Essentially it is a mobile app operated by the RYA free of charge which lets you share boat details and simplified passage plans with the Coastguard to help make any search/rescue simpler.

[Jimbolio]

Picked up the Avon retro beast this morning

Planning on getting a decathlon £40 pump (shame they are collection in store only) to get it inflated for cleaning up...

Can anyone help with a link to a suitable inflation adaptor for this valve please..?

[Tim M]

Glad all went well this morning - sorry I couldn’t be there myself! You don’t need a special adaptor as such - if the hose fits in the hole then you’re good to go. Most air pumps regardless of what they’re for come with several plastic fittings for different valves so chances are the ones that come with the pump you’re looking at should work.

I left all the valves in the “open” position by the way so make sure you close them all (by turning the white thingy) before you start pumping otherwise all your hard work will escape rather quickly!!

[Jimbolio]

Cheers Tim

All - I’ve been thinking about a starting a new thread to document my total novice journey, trials and tribulations, costs, photos, videos, what I think I should do vs what I should have actually have done, how to get it past the mrs, etc.

It might help some other new guys in the same situation or at minimum, provide a source of amusement for the veterans...

Would this be considered a good thing, or a total waste of forum space?
Where would be the best section to start it in if it’s considered a goer?

[Fenlander]

It would be an excellent idea and of interest to newbies and oldies as well as a place to keep the journey of your sib experience. Look forward to it.

Btw best in the Inflatables section.