New inflatable

I have an old RIB Zodiac that I'm considering replacing. Earlier this summer, I took my tender off it's davits and tied it up in my slip. I've become accustom to no dingy, leaver, outboard and braces on my swim platform and like using the transom door - like it's supposed to be used instead of crawling over the gunwales.
I am considering getting a plywood or aluminum floor with inflatable keel and outboard. Yes, I know I'd have to inflate and deflate, mount and dismount the outboard - but we would just use the inflatable when on the hook for the weekend or at a marina for 3 or 4 days for crabbing, snooping, etc.
I know I'm not the first guy to do this so I ask you - where do you do your inflating and deflating - especially when on the hook. I suppose once you get some air in it you can throw it over and continue inflating if you have a decent pump. What do you do?

Marlinmike

Re: New inflatable

I use the swim platform kind of like a ramp. Lay out the boat on that, even if part of it is in the water, it won't sink. Then start inflating. I would recommend getting a boat with either an inflatable floor or a roll up slatted floor so you don't have to deal with floor boards on the water.

Re: New inflatable

I do mine the same way on the exstended swim platform.

Re: New inflatable

Thanks guys for helping me make my decision.

Labor Day is coming up and the new inflatable will be a ball for the Grandchildren in Friday Harbor, WA.

Have a GREAT Holiday!!

Re: New inflatable

My wife and I went through Friday Harbor about 10 years ago while on vacation. Indeed, I can visualize boating around there in an inflatable, sounds like a blast, even for adults.

Re: New inflatable

Oh how I wish I had my Inflatable when I lived on Whidbey Island so I could have visited places like Friday Harbor.

Re: New inflatable

Just a quick follow-up to our Labor Day weekend. We left Edmonds at 2:00 pm on Friday and rolled into Friday Harbor about 6:00 pm. After dinner and enjoying the band in the park it was time for "shrimping by flashlight" - a favorite of our granddaughters. Even though the shrimp were still pretty big, grandpa convinced them of the 'catch and release' program.
Saturday, early afternoon we got around to pumping up the new inflatable. The suggestion of my dealer was great, at least the part about using a wet/dry vacuum and then topping off with a foot pump. Problem, as it turned out is we didn't know the floor was supposed to be 11 psi (turns out the pump that comes with the boat wouldn't have pumped that high anyway). Then, after wrestling with the new Honda 15hp I finally got it on. I swear the listed 100# was more like 150# - it was quite a wrestle, but i won. So it was fun putting around, breaking in the motor at trolling speed and too rough to "open'er up" anyway - in fact, downright scary. And because of the wrestling match of getting the motor mounted I was determined to tow home. So after about $100 at WM for towing bridle and special floating rope, getting fueled up at FH and setting course for Edmonds we quickly damn near sunk the inflatable. 20/20 hindsight says towing would have been more successful had the floor been fully inflated. So after another wrestling match in the middle of San Juan Channel (it was smooth and sunny) we had the motor in the cockpit, the boat bailed out, deflated and piled in the corner of the cockpit, we were on our way home. We went home through Deception Pass, Skagit Bay and Saratoga Passage. It was a beautiful trip past Camano, Hat and Whidbey Islands. All in all it was one of those "learned alot on the inaugural trip" trips and we realized on our way home we didn't even crack the bottle of sparkling cider we bought for the christening - go figure. My next project is to fabricate a mount for the outboard on the transom and fabricate a simple block and tackle boom crane similar to my Brutus Pot Puller that will mount to my downrigger swivel base for lifting my motor from the mount to the dingy transom.

Re: New inflatable

marlinmike

I am glad I am not the only one pushing the limits of portability.

I fold up a 200lb 14' inflatable and load it and a 175lb motor regularly.

Thank goodness it is not on a swim grid!