Help with design on modifying inflatable

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Xyberz, Aug 10, 2016.

  1. Alumination
    Joined: Oct 2013
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    Location: Knoxville, Tennessee

    Alumination Junior Member

    A tunnel hull helps with speed.

    I don't think it will help with taking on heavier seas.

    How much power are you using?

    Have you seen Caesar inflatables ?

    http://www.ceasar.us/17_thunderbolt_photos

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Xyberz
    Joined: May 2014
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    Location: United States

    Xyberz Junior Member

    Very good tips and I do keep that info in mind. I also have enough safety gear to make a person with OCD proud. Not only do I have an excellent waterproof portable VHF radio, but lifejackets enough for 5 people with super loud whistles attached, and even 45in red inflatable tubes for every person should we have to bail on the boat. Of course since I'm on a dingy, I don't have one to bail out as one would typically have on a large boat.

    So just because my endeavor sounds stupid, please don't confuse it with being completely ignorant to safety all together. Smart people can do dumb things and if anything, it's doing the dumb things that give you the experience to even become smart in the first place.

    As for my boat, it has a carpeted wooden floorboard with protected edges so it will never have a chance to have splinters and puncture the PVC. It's insanely stable and we stand, walk, and cast far on it without any issues. If you closed your eyes and sat on it, you would NEVER know the difference of what you're riding on. Of course I understand that any inflatable has it's limitations, but then again even regular boats do too. Both like you say have pros and cons.

    If you want to know why I went with something like this, it's because of the fact that I can't keep a RIB, pricing, and space constraints. I have no trailer nor can I keep one anywhere. This boat has been proven for nearly half a decade in waters of nearly every type. I do understand it's not meant for extremes nor will it ever intentionally be put into those conditions.

    Of course I will eventually upgrade but this is something fun and being someone very handy with tools, I gave it a shot and honestly I'm having a ton of fun with it. My intentions is to see what the possibilities of this are, of course within reason. This isn't meant to be one all to end all for me. Just a super fun project and I was hoping to bring that attitude into this forum except I immediately was met with a wall of resistance, skepticism, and constant doubt.

    Well anyway thanks for the good info again. I've studied lots about inflatables, portables, and even making my own boat. I've learned a lot and hope to continue learning a lot more since boating is really the best way for fishing, especially here where shore fishing has become rampant over the years and have depleted shoreline fish stock.
     
  3. Xyberz
    Joined: May 2014
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    Location: United States

    Xyberz Junior Member

    That thing looks impressive! I'm only using a small 3.5HP outboard. Was gonna go 6 but someone in another forum convinced my it'll never plane so I was wasting my money. Oh well, but eventually I may end up getting a 15HP motor. My goal is not sheer speed, my goal is for a fishing boat and I have never seen a speed boat catch more fish than a slow trolling one.

    Speed is nice to get to fishing spots quicker but I guess that's an oxymoron when you consider fishing is a pretty patient sport. I'll definitely check out that link though. Thanks for that!
     
  4. Alumination
    Joined: Oct 2013
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    Location: Knoxville, Tennessee

    Alumination Junior Member

    So, what is the boat doing now in choppy water that you want to change?

    A cat hull is definitely less likely to roll than a deep-v but you have a small flat bottom boat. Are you thinking that the foam will increase buoyancy on either side and help to stabilize the boat?
     
  5. brian eiland
    Joined: Jun 2002
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    Location: St Augustine Fl, Thailand

    brian eiland Senior Member

    You might have a look thru a few of these discussions/links.

    http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/multihulls/catamaran-tender-replace-rib-50834.html

    http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/powerboats/peter-r-payne-sea-knife-blade-hulls-36781.html

    Here is onee particular posting i made, but I have yet to find where I posted some sketches....
     
  6. brian eiland
    Joined: Jun 2002
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    Location: St Augustine Fl, Thailand

    brian eiland Senior Member

  7. brian eiland
    Joined: Jun 2002
    Posts: 5,067
    Likes: 216, Points: 73, Legacy Rep: 1903
    Location: St Augustine Fl, Thailand

    brian eiland Senior Member

    ...and I found this posting of mine...
     
  8. Fred Roswold
    Joined: Mar 2005
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    Location: Hong Kong

    Fred Roswold Junior Member

    You have some good ideas about what you could do to turn a flatbottomed inflatable into a bit more of a seaworthy ocean craft and I've done exactly that. I had a flat-bottomed 12ft avon inflatable (with inflatable floor) which was not good in the ocean, however the problem was more that the entire boat was not stiff enough to take chop and waves with a good sized motor on the back. In my case I needed a cheap and quick fix since I didn't want to spend a few thousand dollars an a RIB.

    1. I took an old, well used, long board and cut it in half and chopped the back, glassed the open foam parts and put it in the inflatable under the floor. This gave a nice shape to the bottom and made a much better boat out of the soft bottom avon. However it broke. the impacts of waves were too much for the long board halves. I threw the broken long board in the trash.

    2. I made a strong back out of PVC pipe which I inserted under the floor. It had two longitudinal pipes which fit on either side of the inflatable keel tube and a cross piece in the back against the transom and a round bit at the front which was held under the bow tube by the inflated tubes. Some wood bits on the transom held the back in place. This stiffened the avon sufficiently to withstand a 25hp merc and I used this boat this way for 10 years. Putting in and talking out the strong back when I wished to put the dingy away or get it out was extra work, as was stowing the strong back when not in use. but the solution worked brilliantly; I had a good open water dingy with almost no extra cost. Of course a RIB would have been better but they are expensive.

    Don't let people tell you that you can't do this.
     
  9. W9GFO
    Joined: Dec 2014
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    Location: Olalla, WA

    W9GFO Senior Member

    This is the only forum where I have seen someone ask for help while making demands in the way they are answered, then feel justified in berating other members when their demands are not met. Not just in this thread either.

    I once acquired a 12ft Zodiac that had no flooring and a torn bottom. My solution was to cut out the floor leaving about 4" of material all the way around. I then built up a deep vee hull out of 1/4 ply, glassed it then glued it in place. It worked quite well in the ocean. I don't know how long it lasted, I lost track of it when I sold it.
    Doing this on a Zodiac that is made of very durable material is questionable at best. Doing something similar on an inflatable with flimsy material, to be used offshore, is simply foolish, and that is definitely my opinion.
     

  10. brian eiland
    Joined: Jun 2002
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    Location: St Augustine Fl, Thailand

    brian eiland Senior Member

    Keep experimenting,...it's fun.
    ...and remember you are not suggesting this craft will be an offshore vessel
     
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