Bracing items to an aluminum floor.

[brook011]

Hi everyone,

New to this site, I found it digging around through reviews of inflatables. I recently picked up a Saturn SD470 and I am trying to secure the fuel can and battery box. I'm looking for ideas of how to secure them and other items. I'm going to have a NRS frame over the top so I have that for rail mount space, but still can't seem to find any good pics of utilizing floor space. Thanks

Ryan

 

[Sea Rider]

Why do you need a 470 carrier for, which HP engine have you chosen to propel that long sib ?

Happy Boating

 

[brook011]

No Title

Going to be setting it up to troll salmon with some friends. I have a smaller Sea Eagle 9 that I love, but it really only is good for just me. I wanted something bigger to get the dogs into, or possibly some friends fishing. I currently have a 2 stroke 8HP Mercury on the back of it, it will never pull skis but its not made for that, I need something that can keep me going at 2-4mph for 3-6 hours at a time to target king and coho salmon. If I can hit 20mph, that will get me in and out of my offshore fishing spots in about 5 minutes, which I think is fine for offshore safety. I might consider a 15 at some point, but they're freaking beasts and weigh double my 8. Current weight of the boat is about 285lbs with motor, though I'm getting ready to add an NRS frame sometime this week or next.

I plan on trailering it too, this isn't meant to be a pack in the trunk boat. I'll post some pictures of my work in progress, it's a very large boat so you're right in steering people away from it. I knew buying this I would be trailering it. Once you get over 12 feet you can forget putting it in the trunk... though now it's making me want to replace my SE9 with a small kaboat as my trunk boat.

Attached obligatory dog boat pic. She's pretty content to just sit in the bow. Color I went for was "don't run me over red".

 

[Sea Rider]

Rayan.

Congrats nice red sib,we aware of bulls, it's not that I steer away boaters going for a 430/470 sibs, those huge long, wider roomier sibs are for at least 4 and up, that's comfy seated or being your personal club sib, definitely not for 2-3 boaters specially the ones that buys those mentioned sizes through Internet without knowing or having seen its pysical size before and once arrived exclaiming...Gee didn't know it was that huge carrier.

The larger a sib/rib will demand a larger HP and consequently a bigger & heavier engine. If planning going that far away off shore distances with loaded sib a 8 HP will be insufficient. If sib will live on top trailker go for at least a 30 HP engine and leave it transom seated.

Happy Boating

 

[brook011]

I actually was shocked at how big it was, but then bought a trailer realizing I will never need anything bigger than this. I will usually have me and two dogs inside of the boat doing lake fishing and trolling, but the boat will regularly see more people. With me and two dogs with equipment, it is too big by about a foot, but leaves me room up front to pull a triangle canvas over the bow to allow for some shade for them.

I hope it lives a long time, I'm investing in it like it will last 5-10 years. I protect my other Sea Eagle with pvc protectant and clean it regularily, it still looks new at 3 years. Still nervous I didn't go hypalon though my guess is my next boat will be hypalon or welded pvc of some sort.

As for my motor, it will mostly be just me and two dogs for now until the motor gets upgraded. I know if I want to get 4+ people on it and go I need something bigger than an 8hp. A large 30hp would be really nice, I imagine it would be like a rocket ship with just one person on it.

I would not recommend the SD470 to anyone unless they are SURE they are trailering it. I knew buying this I would put it on a trailer, I'm ok with trailering it and then rolling it to the beach. It's not heavy, it's just big

Do you have any ideas on how to tie-down battery and fuel to the floorboard? I was hoping to tie them down and use that weight to help balance the boat. Thanks for your responses, your boat looks great

 

[ggirf14]

I find you question interesting and unanswered.

I will have to secure a lot of stuff to tunnel hull type (expecting delivery of the boats in two weeks). I'm planning to use rounded head bolts with thread going upward. Keeping the bolts length short enough to use dome nuts
Bolt type: http://www.portlandbolt.com/products/bolts/button-head.html
Nuts type: http://www.anzor.co.nz/nuts/dome-nuts/product

I expect the floor to kind of crush-compress when tightening. You may want this as it will conceal more the bolt limiting high points rubbing on the back side. I would prefer to avoid by using large washers or strips of aluminum stock. I would use standard nut to do an initial set up then cut the bolts to exact length to use dome nuts for final assembly.

That's my plan If any one have better suggestion please share to save us the trial and error process.

 

[Sinistre1]

I just got an aluminum floor for my Saturn and I plan to add D anchor rings/ anchor points using pop rivets. Haven't done it yet but I did use the riveter to add rivets where some were sheared due to shipping. It seems to work well and will allow me to add non heavy duty items without destroying the floor.

 

[brook011]

It looks like rivets would work fine for it, smart idea. I would rather keep the modifcations of the floor to small holes, I just want to be able to lock the battery and gas can down safely, and maybe have some extra crates mounted for storage.

 

[Sinistre1]

Those are the very items I intend to "lock down".... Fuel tank with tie downs and a milk crate to clean up the front and place fish directly into.

 

[mrdrh99]

I just got an aluminum floor for my Saturn and I plan to add D anchor rings/ anchor points using pop rivets. Haven't done it yet but I did use the riveter to add rivets where some were sheared due to shipping. It seems to work well and will allow me to add non heavy duty items without destroying the floor.

Did you replace the air floor? If so what made you decide to? I just got the mc365 but haven't put it on the water yet.

 

[brook011]

Same Sinistre1, I need to have that stuff not move at all, maybe a couple crates for storage. I'm putting an NRS frame over the top and my electronics and lighting is going to be setup on that.

 

[Sinistre1]

I wanted The aluminum Floor To HAVE options. In all honesty it does weigh more than I expected and makes the completed boat a bear to handle even with the launch wheels. I only used it once... on a mud covered ramp to boot... but I had to remove the motor to move the boat upon days end. I'm heading out now for trip two... Chesapeake Bay! !! Hoping the weight is less of an issue... it DOES make the boat more solid. As for performance, don't know yet. Couldn't open her up last trip. Hopefully this one. There is also a small learning curve with assembly and taking apart. But now if I go out cruising with friends, it will feel more like a traditional boat

 

[brook011]

No Title

I have an SD470 Sinistre1 Even if I put wheels on it I'm not rolling the thing anywhere. Two people cannot move it either with the side handles. I trailered my boat. I own a Jeep that can tow 7000lbs but honestly almost anything can tow a trailered inflatable. I've seen videos of a Prius towing an inflatable. The trailer in the photo I picked up for 150$, sanded and repainted, put new galvenized hardware on, tires and bunks.

Still alot of work to do, I just got the motor running nicely - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t4CpTYzIW8 -- but will probably have to eventually upgrade that, it was hard to pass up an 8hp mercury 2stroke for 400$ completely clean.

You're right though the floor is intense. I took a few trips on my Sea Eagle 9 with a friend and it honestly sucked. Marine plywood no keel. You could stand on it but without that support from the keel, it was like putting a piece of plywood over a waterbed. That meant constant sitting which turns into fatigue when fishing quickly. I thought about going with a 12-13 foot for two people, but I'm going to be in unprotected water quite a bit and want to be able to handle that confidently.

I'm getting it all setup for salmon fishing at the moment, waiting on my NRS frame to come, those things are really what turn this from a raft into a fully functioning fishing rig. Going to mount a cooler and some higher up seating in the front, along with thigh rails for bracing yourself. That'll let me get rid of the aluminum benches too and give me room for my Lowrance, as well as a support brace for a downrigger.

Let me know how the boat does, the 365 was the other one I was looking at.

 

[Sinistre1]

Ok, quick and dirty... It runs like a true boat, tracks better, almost no porpoising and by leaning forward just a wee bit the remaining amount is gone. I'm almost surprised how much better the hard floor feels underfoot as far as feeling like i'm on a "actual" boat (read non inflatable) and .... this part i'm not sure abou... it either feels much better at speed or i am not moving as fast as I was. The sensation of speed is decreased... now if it is still running at the same speed this would be a great thing... The boat would be a good candidate for more horsepower as it doesn't seem as a I would be riding the ragged edge. In a word the boat feels more civilized. It is quite a bit heavier to move.. oohh, last thing. I don't get nearly as much bow rise with this floor. I guess having some weight forward of my position acts like having ballast or another rider.

 

[ReelSlow72]

I just got an aluminum floor for my Saturn and I plan to add D anchor rings/ anchor points using pop rivets. Haven't done it yet but I did use the riveter to add rivets where some were sheared due to shipping. It seems to work well and will allow me to add non heavy duty items without destroying the floor.

I've always used rounded head bolts when securing things to my floor boards. I have an inflatable floor so I lay a piece of plywood down that is cut to fit the interior - Put the bolts through and cover them with some duct tape - always works. That way its plastic on plastic. Haven't had any trouble yet. Considering your floor is rigid the rivets should work just fine. Great idea - I'll have to keep it in mind.