Avon Searider Copy? Cable routing ideas

dogcatfish · 11 January 2006, 13:04

Greetings all.

As old season has just finished, am now tasked with fixing up rescue boats for new season. The rib I am working on was sold to us as an Avon Searider 5.4m, however it lacks the flooding floor. It looks like a searider, and has the same feel as a genuine one, but has no means of identifying it. Told it was the "commercial spec" (have a feeling this is rubbish), but it seems to be doing us fine. Anyone know if there is an easy way to find out if it used to have the flooding floor?

In the same vein, we are looking to upgrade the steering system to hydraulic, as the 90hp engine is overpowering the rack and pinion wheel. I have looked in the other threads for selection of hydraulic unit and made a selection. Would anyone suggest running the cables through the floor cavity from console to engine? I know some Ribcrafts use this technique. I am not entirely sure about the watertightness (?) of the floor, but it sits on a mooring all year happily, so it can't be that bad. No bungs for drainage either... Would there be any precautions worth taking if the decision was made to route engine steering, controls and electrics through the rib floor cavity?

Cheers,
Nick
CBC Rescue Officer

ADS · 11 January 2006, 13:15

I can't really comment on hydraulic steering, but others with more experience will add comment soon.
Regards the flooding hull, it may well have been blocked up, I would think the best way to tell if its a commercial spec is to ring up avon with the serial number. I always thought the non commercial 5.4s had the back to back seating and windscreen, although yours may have been converted.

Alex

EDIT:

Apparently, Avon currently make three variants of the 5.4: Commercial Rescue, Offshore Oil, Navy Type.

Specs here: Avon Commercial Inflatables 5.4

Rogue Wave · 11 January 2006, 13:21

If you already have access to the floor cavity then I guess you could go under it , however I wouldn't unless I had to.

Run them along the deck close to the console and make at little chequerplate bridge at the back to protect the cables from step damage

dogcatfish · 11 January 2006, 15:09

Like the idea of the chequered plate. Other option would have been to buy proper cable piping to route it. Old stuff was just hosepipe

. Bloody useless, easily split and caked full of mud, oil and sand. Had fun cutting that out!

WRT searider copy. Unfortunately this one has had the usual problem of new tubes (no searider logo) and many paint jobs, so there is nothing actually identifying it as a searider. To my eye, it looks similar to the one I have been using at the local sailing school, but without the holes in the hull for flooding. That is why I was beginning to question it (I thought ALL seariders had that flooding floor). It's a good boat anyway, and fun to drive (a bit too fast for a rescue boat, though

).

ADS · 11 January 2006, 15:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogcatfish

WRT searider copy. Unfortunately this one has had the usual problem of new tubes (no searider logo) and many paint jobs, so there is nothing actually identifying it as a searider. To my eye, it looks similar to the one I have been using at the local sailing school, but without the holes in the hull for flooding. That is why I was beginning to question it (I thought ALL seariders had that flooding floor). It's a good boat anyway, and fun to drive (a bit too fast for a rescue boat, though

).

Post a few pictures if you can, Rogue Wave is Ribnet's Searider expert, im sure he could tell by a picture of the hull shape if it was a SR or not.
Good luck with the mini refit.

Alex

Rogue Wave · 11 January 2006, 15:36

does the transom have any serial numbers stamped in the s steel running alomg the top. theres a bloke on here called David Manning did a very nice job of tarting up a searider, he posted pictures of it in the gallery.

MikeCC · 12 January 2006, 18:42

Unless the job has been done very tidily, you should see evidence of the 4" hole near the bottom of the transom. There's also a couple of 1" holes (1 either side) near the bow just below the first ridge in the hull. These allow air in as water is pushed out of the back.

Quote:

theres a bloke on here called David Manning did a very nice job of tarting up a searider, he posted pictures of it in the gallery.

Mine is the very SR that Mr Manning 'tarted up' although I think the owner after him did a bit of un-tarting.

Rogue Wave · 12 January 2006, 18:48

I tried to buy your boat off Dave and then Phil after it came into his posession, but got beaten to it twice.

dogcatfish · 13 January 2006, 12:22

Back to the other topic. Loved the idea of chequerplate to cover the cables, however I am concerned about it's corrosion. They only make it in aluminium (stainless would never bend to shape anyway), and bending aluminium breakes the anodising on the metal and it loses it's protection. Also, if the boat is swimming with water (regular on mooring), it may cause problems with the metal A-frame too. Had originally considered idea of using normal cable piping to route cables, but the size and agility of some of our rescue crews would demand something tough!

Rogue Wave · 13 January 2006, 12:30

if it's a genuine Searider and Avon A frame it may well be Ali