Help for newbie - size and PVC thickness?

[canuckjgc]

Hi all,

Graduating from a canoe to an inflatable. I'm looking at China made soft bottom boats with Mehler PVC. 2 adults, 2 smallish kids.

I'm looking at a 15' with 6'3" beam and 20 inch tubes with fiberglass transom. I can't view it in person before buying. Is this big enough for 4 people? The price is about $2400 but it has 1.2 mm Mehler (vs 0.9mm korean PVC in other cheaper boats). We will be beaching the boat, but is there a huge performance difference between 1.2 and 0.9?

The other option is a 16.5' with a 6'10" beam but I'm not sure if that is overkill, and it is more money.

We boat in larger lakes, rivers, and protected ocean inlets.

Any help appreciated here. Boat will be on trailer and stored on trailer outside in the winter, but it gets below freezing for a couple of months here on the west coast.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Help for newbie - size and PVC thickness?

Some answers:

A 420/430 sib with ideal 2 stroker 25 HP minimum and 30 HP maximum motor would be perfect for that size and 4 people, 460/470 are extreme large and bulky for manipulation. If both fabrics sibs are well inflated with a gauge to their correct working pressure once on water, won't have any performance difference, as there will be no tube, keel flex, the thicker gauge will have minor abrasion issues, will hold more sun punishment and wil last longer. If price difference is affordable, go for the thicker fabric or let your wallet decide Get a thick cover if sib/engine/trailer combo will live outside environments.

Happy Boating

 

[canuckjgc]

Re: Help for newbie - size and PVC thickness?

Thanks. I'm guessing that a 15.5 inflatable with the 1.2 mm PVC and 6'3" beam would be pretty seaworthy? We'll be in big lakes and protected inlets, but even there, 3 ft waves are not unheard of.

I want to move away from the canoe after a few close calls in rough weather.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Help for newbie - size and PVC thickness?

I'm guessing that a 15.5 inflatable with the 1.2 mm PVC and 6'3" beam would be pretty seaworthy?

A 460/470 sib will look as a aircraft carrier for 2 adults and 2 teen agers, generally both 420/430 and 460/470 has same width, tubes & transom, just bit larger and slight more deck available space, better check real sizes before ordering, or repent forever, to have some slight idea of both sizes.

420 : http://www.pbase.com/locozodiac/image/91828584
460 : http://www.pbase.com/locozodiac/image/107411857

420 is for 7 and 460 is for 8 passengers, sibs are more stable than any other type of boat, including any canoe, so size and stability are in close proportion to max carrying passengers on board for that given sib lenght and because all sibs has very low center of gravity. A 380 can handle pretty well 4 passengers, but 420/430 is a better size roomy option for just 4 and gear.

Happy Boating

 

[canuckjgc]

Re: Help for newbie - size and PVC thickness?

Perfect, thanks!