How is your zodiac setup?

[D44boy]

Just wondering if anyone wants to post pics of things are set up in your zodiacs.....seats, coolers, anchor, life vests, ropes, gas tanks, just everything. Want to get ideas of how guys do it!

 

[jondavies]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?

I don't have any pics at hand but here are some quick descriptions that might give you some ideas on how to rig your boat. Let me know if you need more details or specific pics.

Seats: Throwable floatation cushion (which doubles as a float for a current line). I sit on the cushion on the floor with my back against one tube and my feet up on the opposite tube -- my boat has tiller steering and this is a very comfortable position for cruising. If I need better visibility, I sit on the tube. The only time I've used a proper seat was when camping at Lake Powell. I bolted a folding bass boat seat to the lid of a sturdy plastic storage box. It was useful for extended cruising and fishing but it took up a lot of space and I don't use it when I'm diving.

Coolers: I only take a hard cooler if I'm camping. When I'm spearfishing and the weather is warm, I take an insulated fish bag with ice.

Anchors: 2kg bruce claw with 15' of chain and 300' of line in a small crate.

I made up a 6' bow line with a heavy stainless clip on each end. One end is clipped to the bow of the boat. When I anchor, I tie an butterfly knot in the anchor line and clip it to the other end of the bow line. This way, I don't have to go up to the bow to untie the anchor line when I want to move the boat.

The bitter end of the anchor line is tied off to a float with my name and contact info on it. If the anchor gets impossibly fouled or if I have to move the boat in an emergency, I can dump everything quickly and come back and retrieve it later. If I'm diving, my backup/emergency anchor is a weight belt tied to the current line. If I'm camping, I take a small folding grapple as a backup/stern anchor.

PFDs: I strap them under the lifeline that goes around the bow. They don't take up space, they are easy to get to and they are hard to forget.

Ropes: I have short dock lines with stainless clips on the end. They double as gear lines when I'm diving.

Gas tanks: My main tank is a 12 gallon tank (I got the taller version rather than the wider one so it uses less deck space). If I need more gas, I carry a 5 gallon can.

Main VHF and fish finder/GPS combo: Mounted on stainless steel brackets on the transom. When I first got the boat, I didn't want to carry a big battery, and tried to run the fish finder off a small 12v AA pack. After a while I got a small PWC battery and I think it's worth the space it takes up. Electric start is nice

Emergency gear: I keep all my CG required gear/emergency gear (aside from the PFDs) in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid -- cheap, tough and waterproof. Items include handheld GPS, flares, satellite beacon, navigation lights, flashlight, towing bridle, bilge pump, small hand inflation pump, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, waterproof coats, drinking water, energy bars etc.

Tool kit: Basic tools and repair supplies in a small dry box.

Handy storage: I put one of these mesh pockets on the transom for keeping stuff like the handheld VHF radio, sunglasses, whistle, sunscreen water bottle etc. The suction cups don't work too well so I modified with a hook.


Deck mat: My boat has an aluminum floor and stuff slides around on it. I got one of these rubber drainage mats and it helps a lot. Also protects the deck from tanks/weights and other abuse: http://tinyurl.com/7hm2x2z

 

[D44boy]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?

Thanks for your description. Sounds like you have a lot more than me. Good to imagine your setup though.

 

[mudslinging79]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?

I had a wood box/bench seat I made for the fish finder mount and battery, as well as the anchor, net rod holders, etc, but now im going to use a cooler that fits between the tubes for storage of the battery, etc. my anchor line now resides in a 5 gallon bucket, get one with the lid, cut a hole in the center, and just poke the line in and let it lay how it wants. it sounds wierd but less tangles. I use a folding grapple anchor, and the hole in my bucket lit is big enough to drop the butt end of the anchor in for storage.
my whistle is tied to a central point, fllares and other emergency gear ride in a gym bag that has a tupperware container in it for cel phones, wallet, etc as well as some essential tools and spare parts.
gas is either tied down in the bow, or im the stern, depends on the situations. it was about a season of trial and error to figure out what was essential and what wasnt, as well as where to stow gear.

 

[M9.9]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?

Hi all, I marked this thread as you'll have some excellent tips and have thought-out great ideas especially toward saving space!! Excellent thread.

 

[D44boy]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?

Thanks for all your advice guys! Really gives me something to think about with mine, since I'm still a newb. Like you guys said, some of it is just trial and error though! Thanks from Hawaii!

 

[Peter_C]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?

I have learned a lot from the internet, and the folks who have offered so much valuable information. Some I learned from watching other people make mistakes, thrown in with a little trial and error of my own, and the rest I learned the hard way.

The boat is primarily used for scuba diving, and therefore configured for divers. We have 4 tag lines mounted to the floor board in the bow. It is a Zodiac Futura Sport GT MKII HD, with a length of 4.2 meters. Hanging off the boat back is a two stroke 40hp Evinrude.

This photo shows how I have my GPS setup on a simple aluminum bar strapped on top of the fuel tank. Hard to see but the Tiny Tach is mounted on the tiller. I always carry a Save A Boat Dive Kit, which has a white rope and clip to make sure it stays with the boat in a roll over. This means carrying everything needed to perform simple fixes on the spot, including a DVOM (Along with most everything needed to repair scuba gear). The battery is a very nice AGM from Odyssey that one of my friends donated to the boat. The battery is mounted in a USCGA approved battery box. Since pull starting a boat sucks, I added a starter motor and relay with the push button for the starter mounted right next to the GPS (Starter push button is a sealed waterproof unit). Since it wasn't originally designed to handle a battery the boat didn't come with a rectifier nor a voltage regulator. After searching Ebay I finally won one from a motorcycle for $12 shipped, that works excellent. I only carry one spare paddle seen on the starboard side, but should really carry two, although usually we do have plenty of paddle fins onboard. The dive flag is the while plastic pole on the port side. You might also notice a nice wakeboard handle. This is my stay in the boat handle. Works awesome having a nice solid object holding the driver in the boat while traveling over rough water. I have considered adding windsurfing straps even like the racing Zap Cats have.

Below you can see the harness I built to tie the anchor off to and if the boat ever needs to be towed. The reason it is important to have multiple tie off points is if one tears out the second one can mean the difference between surfacing to an empty vast ocean, or your boat right where you left it. You can also see my anchor rode with the thimble at the junction of the rope to the chain. For connecting the anchor to the harness I just tie a quick knot in the anchor line and use the locking carabiner to attach it.

For my anchor bucket I wanted something breathable that would mount solid and be out of the way, and it just happens a milk crate fit the bill. We have a container store that sells them new, and yes I purchased a legal one. The boat will never be put in the water with out an anchor so it is a permanent fixture. There is 320 feet of line with 15 feet of chain and a Hooker anchor. The anchor just happens to fit perfect into the milk crate. The front bounces but it never flies out since the back legs are locked in place. The anchor harness come over the bow and attaches to the milk crate for storage. The end of the anchor line is tied to the milk crate to keep stupid from happening. All the cheap orange lifejackets also attach to the milk crate. Scuba tanks usually wind up on each side of the milk crate.

I need to finish my 19" Wheeleez project for beach launching, then mount the lifting eyes for the sling, and install a 3" elephant trunk next to the battery on the starboard side. The trailer is also getting a receiver hitch mounted to the front pole so the boat can be winched back onto the trailer with a cheapo Harbor Freight ATV winch. All parts cut, just need to weld them up, and bolt them on. Today my bilge pump switch arrived, and I already have a 500 gph pump to go under the deck. The top deck will be handled by the elephant trunk.

Anyhow that is what I do right or wrong. Hope it at least helps others in some way if only to serve as entertainment.

 

[mpj76]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?



Like This. I just put this together and haven't done a sea trial yet. Hope it works. It's meant to be a sunshade/gear organizer. I still have to install an overhead compartment and some misc. tie downs. It is super solid. It's mounted to the aluminum floor via carpeted feet (also 2 x 4) that tuck under the tubes. Eye bolts at the corners can be used to ratchet it down during highway towing. I use to have a similar shade made out of PVC but it was too flimsy and kept coming apart or cracking. It also sucked to deal with tarp deployment in the wind or watching people get in front of me at the dock while I was setting up. If I had to guess, it probably weighs around 75 lbs. The top of the roof is painted white. Maybe I'll add an "H" for helicopter landing excercises.

This rig should allow me to throw lightweight but space consuming items such as life jackets and folding chairs up top or into the future compartment. A traditional bimini places all the infrastructure on the sides which happens to be where I need to ingress/egress while diving. Plus, it's sturdy enough to climb on top of. This might come in handy for observation or just getting drunk and jumping from it which should be pretty fun.

 

[D44boy]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?

Wow! That looks pretty solid. I like the idea that you can "get rid" of light weight but necessary stuff like lifejackets by putting them on top. Jumping off of it might be pretty awesome as well

 

[mpj76]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?

I found a pretty good way to handle the anchor line mess. I got one of those small plastic extension cord reels. Makes line retrieval super fast and neat. No more tangled line! Watch out if you ever use the typical portable gas tank. Sometimes the tank side attachment can get knocked loose without fully popping off. Your engine won't start, the bulb feels primed, visual line check passes but no ignition. I learned that on my maiden vogage. Luckily it only took me ten minutes to figure out. A roller coaster of stress and relief for sure.

 

[mudslinging79]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?

you interested in sharing your plans for your sunshade deal?

 

[mpj76]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?

I didn't have any plans to go from. I just measured, cut, and assembled after thinking about it a while. Do you have the same boat? If so, I can measure the pieces for you. If not, I can take a few pics so you can see how it was assembled, attached, and a few tips.

 

[Peter_C]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?

Finally fixed my photos. No clue why they were wiped off the server.

 

[Pack Rat]

Re: How is your zodiac setup?