First time boating experience!

[Guest]

putting in the wooden floor boards in the stock zoom was pretty tough, their were some metal pieces I guess to hold the boards together couldn't get them to stay as soon as try pumping they fall out, the hell with them. Put the floor boards in and pumped myself into a sweat..... boat pumped to best of my ability, engine connected to transom and ready to go. row my way deep enough to lower the engine into the water. I start it ... throttling high, slowly as the engine warms up I am lowering the throttle. HALF WAY INTO LOWERING THE THROTTLE THE FREAKING PIN IN THE THROTTLE HANDLE FALLS OFF!!!!!. NOW I HAVE NO CONTROL OF MY THROTTLE. I PULL THE SAFETY KEY OUT. I TRIED A PAPER CLIP AND IT WOULD BREAK AS SOON AS I TURN THE THROTTLE. I'm like screw this I need to fix this home, deflate the boat and getting ready to leave. Park rangers pull up and tell me I cant launch from this location its federal property. So horrible 4th of July. going to home depot to buy a screw and a bolt.

 

[Guest]

Re: First time boating experience!

Things I will bring on my next fishing adventure
1) need some kind of bimini to hide from sun (thank god I dumped sun screen on my self)
2) wooden floor boards are a pain in the arse, going to look for a lighter alternative (aluminum half the weight floor)
3) setup time (even though first time took over an hour.. without electric pump) so electric pump is a must!!)
4) Transom wheels are a must!!!!!
5) Cooler with wheels optional but better then carrying 5 bags with it flying all over your boat (dump everything in your cooler, get to your desired fishing location then figure it out.
6) Check list of things you want to bring with you. Reason I say that, I forgot my clips that hold the rowing paddles in place.

 

[ronaldj]

Re: First time boating experience!

I am so sorry
I tried to warn you about the pump.
As to the floor. That is the reason I went Air Floor. I tried to set the 350 up at the dealer and damn near had a stroke. Just like you described.
I am still on the fence about the launching wheels.
The third party wheels require you to put holes in your boat. Putting holes in a boat is never a good idea to me even if it is the transom.
The zodiac wheels are like $300.
I still may order them from ebay thou
In the short term I made a PVC dolly that looks like this

It cost me about $25 in parts. I got the wheels from HF and the pvc from HD
Best of all it breaks down
I also got an app on my phone that tells me all the places I can legally launch in del. Md and VA
I couldnt agree more about a top.
I have been using a chair umbrella

 

[Guest]

Re: First time boating experience!

That dolly looks bad azz

 

[Guest]

Re: First time boating experience!

That dolly looks bad azz

Going to have to build one just like it! Home Depot here I come! What length is it?

 

[ronaldj]

Re: First time boating experience!

This is not my design
I modified it
Here are the basics
2x 10' 2 inch schedule 40 PVC tubing-recommended sch 80, but I couldn't find it close by.
2x 2" end caps
4x 2" t-connectors
4x 2" corner connectors
1x coarse thread 3' long 1/2" thick steel bar
4x 1/2" flat washers
2x 1/2" lock washers
2x 1/2" nuts -could probably use nylon lock nuts instead
2x metal e-clip thingys
1x 1/2" drill bit
1x 1/4" drill bit
2x 1/2" wheels -mine are from a pair of boat brackets, which we didn't want to use as it involved drilling into the transom
Started by measuring out how large I wanted it to be.
The wheels end up being about 2' apart. The top mount part is about 18" width x 2' long. I have a tie down too that I will use when dragging the boat around, so it doesn't just slip off.

 

[Guest]

Re: First time boating experience!

This is not my design
I modified it
Here are the basics
2x 10' 2 inch schedule 40 PVC tubing-recommended sch 80, but I couldn't find it close by.
2x 2" end caps
4x 2" t-connectors
4x 2" corner connectors
1x coarse thread 3' long 1/2" thick steel bar
4x 1/2" flat washers
2x 1/2" lock washers
2x 1/2" nuts -could probably use nylon lock nuts instead
2x metal e-clip thingys
1x 1/2" drill bit
1x 1/4" drill bit
2x 1/2" wheels -mine are from a pair of boat brackets, which we didn't want to use as it involved drilling into the transom
Started by measuring out how large I wanted it to be.
The wheels end up being about 2' apart. The top mount part is about 18" width x 2' long. I have a tie down too that I will use when dragging the boat around, so it doesn't just slip off.

Going to Home Depot with your recipe

 

[fbpooler]

Re: First time boating experience!

That dolly is similar to what I made for our kayaks. Worth its weight in gold when you want to move the kayaks to the water.

 

[ronaldj]

Re: First time boating experience!

The cool part is that it breaks down and you can tailor it to your boat.
There are no wrong diminsons

 

[Guest]

Re: First time boating experience!

The cool part is that it breaks down and you can tailor it to your boat.
There are no wrong diminsons

thanks for your help, I am in the process of building my cart aka dolly. quick question is it hard to get it under the boat once the wood floor, cooler, rods, ob and everything else is inside. Also how do you strap it down when it wont stay leveled

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: First time boating experience!

Hi Weimed,

You have been experimenting floor assembly frustration, there's a way to do it faster and appropriate. Unroll sib on a flat clean surface, assemble wooden panel in strict order as stated on owners manual, once done, place oars under middle sib next to side tubes floor fabric, wooden floor will rise. Apply soappy water to side joiners and snap them into aligned floorboards. Flat portion of side joiners must face bottom lower fabric.

Air matress electric pumps are usually low pressure high air flow, you can use that one but will need a hand or foot pump along to air top tubes and keel accordingly. If making a transport cart make sure that both side supports rests under tubes and not against lower deck fabric, or will end damaging lower fabric.

Were you confortable with the 350 interior available deck space, a larger sib is heavier than next shorter size, but to count with more space is priceless as you will find out as soon you start filling the 350 with extra gadgets that are impossible to count on a 310 size.

Happy Boating

 

[Guest]

Re: First time boating experience!

Hi Weimed,

You have been experimenting floor assembly frustration, there's a way to do it faster and appropriate. Unroll sib on a flat clean surface, assemble wooden panel in strict order as stated on owners manual, once done, place oars under middle sib next to side tubes floor fabric, wooden floor will rise. Apply soappy water to side joiners and snap them into aligned floorboards. Flat portion of side joiners must face bottom lower fabric.

Air matress electric pumps are usually low pressure high air flow, you can use that one but will need a hand or foot pump along to air top tubes and keel accordingly. If making a transport cart make sure that both side supports rests under tubes and not against lower deck fabric, or will end damaging lower fabric.

Were you confortable with the 350 interior available deck space, a larger sib is heavier than next shorter size, but to count with more space is priceless as you will find out as soon you start filling the 350 with extra gadgets that are impossible to count on a 310 size.

Happy Boating

with two people it was great. I don't think I will damage the bottom fabric because the tubes are at around 28 inches and my cart will be 24" wide only give 2-3 inches on each side. the aluminum floor board connectors are a pain, I will buy a heavy duty rubber hose slice it open and use it the same way.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: First time boating experience!

The aluminum floor board connectors are a pain, I will buy a heavy duty rubber hose slice it open and use it the same way.

Are you saying you will replace both floorboard conectors (side joiners) with a heavy duty rubber hose slice opened, if so, unless they are state of the art manufactured to fit sideways tight, at the first wave jump all floorboards will become apart. Side joiners are bit tricky to asssemble at firt time, but once you have practice the assembling procedure will be much easiert and faster to do so. BTW, alum panel floorboards are as heavy as wooden ones and same PITA to assemble too.

Happy Boating