Avon Searider 5.4m

[Shootit]

Hi
Seriously looking at a very nice condition boat as above..has brand new tubes and the hull has been re glassed etc all done by a pro Inflatable guy.
It also has a 2011 90hp yamaha 2 stroke fitted.

Im wanting to know from those with experience in these boats about the problems the flooding keel will cause when launching and retrieving?
Wondering why they didn't make some kind of system where you can flood when at rest as it obviously a handy feature for fishing etc.

Also how would this boat perform with that motor and say 3 onboard?

Would a 4 stroke be better apart from fuel savings but then higher service costs..im thinking not because of the extra weight ie 90 2stroke 120kgs 90 4stroke 170kgs! an lower CC rating.

Sorry for all the questions be interested to hear from any owners of these i hear also they are great handling boats if it cuts up a bit rough too?

Cheers
Adrian

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Avon Searider 5.4m

Congrats very nice combo. Will fly to Mars with a 90 HP engine and just 3. We have a 520 rib with a Yam 60 and it's scary sht with 5 at wot, a rib outperforms any wooden or alum floor sib. Go for it, cuts water perfect and tubes slightly touches water. Take it easy on the throttle and always have kill cord attached to you...just in case.

Happy Ribbing

 

[Shootit]

Re: Avon Searider 5.4m

Congrats very nice combo. Will fly to Mars with a 90 HP engine and just 3. We have a 520 rib with a Yam 60 and it's scary sht with 5 at wot, a rib outperforms any wooden or alum floor sib. Go for it, cuts water perfect and tubes slightly touches water. Take it easy on the throttle and always have kill cord attached to you...just in case.

Happy Ribbing
Thanks for the response Sea Rider..Do you think it is overpowered as in out of balance..if i purchased could always downsize the motor to even a 70.
What sort of performance would you expect from this rig compared to yours?
Do you have the flooding keel design..if so does wouldn't it make launching/retrieving especially in shallow water more difficult?

Adrian

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Avon Searider 5.4m

That Avon 540 seems is equipped with max engine, generally ribs are recommnended for max engines to carry max load and passengers with no stress to engine, this doesn't mean that if ribbing light loaded or with 1/2 of total passengers recommended for that sib you can't go for a shorter size engine. Nobody runs at full throttle, would need to be a shareholder of Exxon, BP, to do so. On the other hand, the bigger the engine the guzzler.

Yeah, a Yam 60-70 HP will be excellent, or stay with 90, throttle to fast plane and reduce speed to optimize fuel consumption while maintaining rib on plane. If we would make a race with both ribs as equipped, definitely the 520 will stay behind, 30 HP does make hole shot/speed much difference. The 520 is rated for max 75 Hp horse, that's why a 2 strokes Yam 60 HP does it fly to the moon...

Have not tested 520 max speed with a gps nor full throttled as engine was still undergoing break in period from new, performance is outstanding for any rib, are large & wide, with thick tubes, plenty of deck space and not that heavy as a conventional fiberglass boat matching same size. By flooding keel design, do you mean double deck ? Most ribs are double deck, if not, deck would be too heavy and rib probably will flood worst and sink in case of a unexpected hull collision against a rock.

If ramp launching/retrieving with a trailer and depending how much water is under hull, definitely rib will weight more, it's recommended once in a while to make a trailer wheely and open internal deck plug to get water out from internal deck towards transom water plug. Don't forget to tie bow against front trailer when wheeling as rib/engine could slip out of trailer and put you in a very bad mood

Happy Ribbing

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: Avon Searider 5.4m

I love that boat.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Avon Searider 5.4m

I love that boat.

Zodie,

You are still in Kindergarten, but with your true love for sea adventures, will soon be ribbing...

Happy Boating

 

[Shootit]

Re: Avon Searider 5.4m

That Avon 540 seems is equipped with max engine, generally ribs are recommnended for max engines to carry max load and passengers with no stress to engine, this doesn't mean that if ribbing light loaded or with 1/2 of total passengers recommended for that sib you can't go for a shorter size engine. Nobody runs at full throttle, would need to be a shareholder of Exxon, BP, to do so. On the other hand, the bigger the engine the guzzler.

Yeah, a Yam 60-70 HP will be excellent, or stay with 90, throttle to fast plane and reduce speed to optimize fuel consumption while maintaining rib on plane. If we would make a race with both ribs as equipped, definitely the 520 will stay behind, 30 HP does make hole shot/speed much difference. The 520 is rated for max 75 Hp horse, that's why a 2 strokes Yam 60 HP does it fly to the moon...

Have not tested 520 max speed with a gps nor full throttled as engine was still undergoing break in period from new, performance is outstanding for any rib, are large & wide, with thick tubes, plenty of deck space and not that heavy as a conventional fiberglass boat matching same size. By flooding keel design, do you mean double deck ? Most ribs are double deck, if not, deck would be too heavy and rib probably will flood worst and sink in case of a unexpected hull collision against a rock.

If ramp launching/retrieving with a trailer and depending how much water is under hull, definitely rib will weight more, it's recommended once in a while to make a trailer wheely and open internal deck plug to get water out from internal deck towards transom water plug. Don't forget to tie bow against front trailer when wheeling as rib/engine could slip out of trailer and put you in a very bad mood

Happy Ribbing
No by flooding keel i mean that model of Searider and maybe others?..the keel fill water water at rest..which adds stability!

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Avon Searider 5.4m

Have not seen that system, probably a new tech development for Avon ribs, so it fills alone under keel, probably some holes under hull, no valve to open, right ? Stay with that 90 HP, as the flooded hull will add extra weight to the overall rib weight.

Happy Boating

 

[slance]

Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Have not seen that system, probably a new tech development for Avon ribs, so it fills alone under keel, probably some holes under hull, no valve to open, right ? Stay with that 90 HP, as the flooded hull will add extra weight to the overall rib weight.

Happy Boating

The water ballast hull is a really nice feature for some applications and not so great for others. The SeaRider is a Commercial boat and is now sold under the Zodiac brand name, no longer Avon.

Water ballast hull is great for rescue use, diving, as a chase boat for sailing instruction. Hull fills up with water thru forward holes in the hull, then exits thru the evac port in the transom upon acceleration.

Biggest downside is that the boat cannot stay in the water or growth will occur inside the hull and you cannot clean it.

SeaRider is an awesome RIB.

S-

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Most rib have 2 parts, upper deck & lower hull, how much is lower hull flooded, would you say it's top flooded, so you would need to stay with max recommended engine to move/compensate that extra water ballast weight and water evacuation to maintain nice hole shot and top end speed, right ? Is there a lower hull water valve on top deck ?

Happy Boating

 

[slance]

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Most rib have 2 parts, upper deck & lower hull, how much is lower hull flooded, would you say it's top flooded, so you would need to stay with max recommended engine to move/compensate that extra water ballast weight and water evacuation to maintain nice hole shot and top end speed, right ? Is there a lower hull water valve on top deck ?

Happy Boating

Sea Rider.
The space between the hull and the deck fills with water. There is no lower hull valve above. The exit port allows the water to evacuate the hull when you hit the throttle. With less hp, then the water will evacuate more slowly, but it will still evacuate and the hull will come up on plane. If one is looking for hole shot, I'd suggest going with larger hp or going with an SRR or SRMN commercial RIBs [which are not water-ballasted hull models], instead of the SR (SeaRider).

Given your forum name, you should be the guy who knows everything about this model boat

S-

 

[Shootit]

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

There must be a way you can Bung this feature so that its used only when you need it?

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Given your forum name, you should be the guy who knows everything about this model boat

Sorry, we are still one sib back, don't know if id' like that feature to be permanent, Shootit, good idea to bung this feature, coluld place removable round rubber seals to close them when don't wanting a flooded hull. Having most ribs a water valve on top deck, you could flood hull too for better hull ballast if in the need. Will need to make a rib trailer wheely to get water out through transom water valve.

"Hole Shot" is the response a sib/rib/ has at throttle to move from stationary into plane, the least time, the better, will depend on boat size, engine HP, load, prop & water conditions.

Happy Boating

 

[Shootit]

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Thats what i think do re the bungs.....just figuring out how it can be done well and effectively..i think it would make it a much more user friendly boat having that choice.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

That water ballast keeps the boat from flipping over in moderately heavy seas. Defeating that design benefit would probably not be the greatest idea on the planet. However, like everything else, worse case worries can be safely ignored under the right conditions, by the right people, with the right amount of luck.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Sea Riders are British expensive toys made for their particular seaworthiness and conditions probably won't find elsewhere, that's why many other manufacturers don't make hulls that way. European top end toys would be prohibitive priced down here...

Happy Boating

 

[Shootit]

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

That water ballast keeps the boat from flipping over in moderately heavy seas. Defeating that design benefit would probably not be the greatest idea on the planet. However, like everything else, worse case worries can be safely ignored under the right conditions, by the right people, with the right amount of luck.

Ummm even without the water ballast it would be pretty difficult to tip over an inflatable sitting at rest..as we know one of the most stable platforms out there!
And while the ballast would be nice when needed for stability this boat to me is more about the hull shape and dry ride.
Having the ballast full when launching and retrieving would only be a pain so for the days when im fishing in calm conditions which is often id like the option to close this feature off befre heading out.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

Re: Not new technology by any means. Standard SeaRider feature for over 50 years.

The tipping occurs while in heavy seas with little momentum. Keep in mind this is a rescue model design that was intended for rough water. As I said, "worries can be safely ignored....".