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New member and new "owner" of a Zodiac FC470
In fact: the title is "Restoring a Zodiac FC470 Marine Commando – water inside shock-absorbing tube?"
Hi everyone,
My name is André, and I’m the (hopefully still happy) new owner of a Zodiac FC470 Marine Commando, which I bought at a Navy auction as "unserviceable." I’ve been piloting different Zodiac models in a variety of conditions for over 30 years, but this is the first time I’ve decided to actually own one.
The condition of the boat is... well, let’s say it’s worse than terrible 😅. It had been sitting outside for over 5 years, surrounded by overgrown vegetation and ants. I’m still in the middle of a full clean-up. So far, I’ve found two tiny holes (totally fixable) and started replacing some of the valve base fittings.
My first goal is pretty straightforward: get the tubes to inflate — and stay inflated!
But here’s a new one for me: I noticed that one of the shock-absorbing tubes has water inside — probably rainwater, since it had neither a valve nor a cap. I’m looking for a way to dry out the inside of that tube. Has anyone here dealt with that before or have any practical tips?
I’m still reading a lot and figuring out the best way to approach the rest of the restoration, but those two holes will be first on the list.
Thanks in advance — and I’m already learning a ton just by reading through this forum!
Cheers,
André
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