Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

[gem28314]

does anyone know if i can use "Foam Board Insulation" as flooring for my Mariner 4 that does NOT have the original floorboard (i plan to use it just with the boat).

Thanks!

 

[jbcurt00]

Why would you want to? It'd squeak & rub...

 

[Extreme25]

i plan on making a 2 piece floor for my m4 using sanded 3/4 plywood and not using the factory floor , just a slat for the edge of 2 boards to sit on in the middle just wondering are 2 sheets needed or it can be made out of 1 sheet ?

also are most people leaving it all flat or cutting groves in the ends bending and gluing it up to keep the contours of the lift at the front and back ?

 

[fluffywhitedogs]

I feel like I’ve just read War and Peace! It took a couple of weeks but I just finished reading this entire 138 page thread! And lol I’m still not sure what I want to do for a floor! Hoping to hear about the lightweight alibaba option posted recently...
ive had my M4 for a couple of weeks, 2 outings, and the floor is definitely something I’d like to improve on...

 

[Galtee]

Can someone help me with my decision. I want to buy a mariner 3, but with only a 90 day warranty I'm very unsure. Are these dingys safe and durable. ? Also why is the recommended psi for inflation only 1.14. most dingys are 2..5-3 psi. ?

 

[Galtee]

Is the mariner a quality product. There are some reviews on line that say the dingy failed at the seams for no reason. ?

 

[areilly777]

Ok I ordered the floor. Will update here on how it works out.

How did this work out for you? Im interested in doing the same. Do you have a link to the floor you bought?

 

[areilly777]

baseline I actually had made my own oars to do just what your are talking about. I found the oarlocks were under immense torque and pressure, to the point that I worried about raft failure. If you increase the size of the oar, you dramatically increase the stress on the boat. I chose the "creek frame" style for transportation reasons, and it disperses the stress over eight contact points (three tie downs per side and the board with my 200 lbs on the tube) with substantially more contact area.

Do you have any photos of your frame/oar setup?

 

[drabina]

I have the Mariner 4 and 3HP short shaft Mercury 2-stroke engine on the Intex motor mount. The engine is fairly heavy (28lbs) but still within specs provided by Intex. The problem is that when I run at 1/2 throttle, the engine pushes onto the mount, propeller goes under the boat and transom is half way under water at a weird angle. This can't be good for drag and fuel efficiency.

How do you guys mount a gas engine on your Intex so the mount stays over the water level and the motor is angled properly? I was thinking of raising the engine on the mount but that would not help with the angle and transom going under water at speed.

 

[SCWells72]

Hi, folks. I just picked up a Mariner 4 as my third fishing inflatable. I also have a Sevylor Coleman Colorado two-person kayak and a Sea Eagle SUPCat10. I got the Mariner 4 to allow me to take my two kids and/or wife out fishing (or just puttering around) with me. I expect that the SUPCat10 will likely remain my primary solo fishing vehicle but what you all have done with the Mariner 3/4 is nothing short of amazing, so I may well be proven wrong!

I primarily fish the fresh water lakes, rivers, creeks, and ponds around Austin, TX, though I've also been spending a bit of time on the Texas Gulf coast lately. In fact, I'll be going there next week (Port O'Connor) and will be taking the Mariner 4 with me to get out into the bay.

Right now it's pretty much stock, though I've added the Intex transom mount so I can use my SUPCat's trolling motor, and I just ordered a few glue-on Scotty adapters so I can mount some of my rod holders and fish finder. I also figured out how to mount my cooler in a stable fashion pretty much right in the middle, so that provides some storage space for my tackle, drinks, snacks, etc.

Anyway, just wanted to say hello! I'm sure I'll chime in more as I spend more time with this new toy.

 

[GabCH]

Hi guys,

Does someone know the inner dimensions of the Mariner 4?

Thanks in advance,
Gab

 

[Piipz]

I have the Mariner 4 and 3HP short shaft Mercury 2-stroke engine on the Intex motor mount. The engine is fairly heavy (28lbs) but still within specs provided by Intex. The problem is that when I run at 1/2 throttle, the engine pushes onto the mount, propeller goes under the boat and transom is half way under water at a weird angle. This can't be good for drag and fuel efficiency.

How do you guys mount a gas engine on your Intex so the mount stays over the water level and the motor is angled properly? I was thinking of raising the engine on the mount but that would not help with the angle and transom going under water at speed.

You clearly didn't read the whole 139 pages of this thread, which covers your questions multiple times. This is the biggest fault of this boat, otherwise its actually an ok boat. I also have an intex mount, but i plan to support it a little bit better, by using a plywood floor and connecting two extra rods to the mount. But will sell the boat on the winter and will get a Bush Crab 330 instead https://www.bushboats.com/product/crab/ (less room inside, 3 times the cost, but overall better quality and all the intex problems solved). But using the Intex for a while, i at least know now what kind of boat I want exactly.

 

[Floatnlow]

I have the Mariner 4 and 3HP short shaft Mercury 2-stroke engine on the Intex motor mount. The engine is fairly heavy (28lbs) but still within specs provided by Intex. The problem is that when I run at 1/2 throttle, the engine pushes onto the mount, propeller goes under the boat and transom is half way under water at a weird angle. This can't be good for drag and fuel efficiency.

How do you guys mount a gas engine on your Intex so the mount stays over the water level and the motor is angled properly? I was thinking of raising the engine on the mount but that would not help with the angle and transom going under water at speed.

Let me tell you this; the problem is with the crappy, unadjustable motor mount not the boat. All you have to do is shorten the upper arms on the mount. I used zip ties and scrap wood. You could drill new holes at the proper spot to make it easily remove able. My motor is 2.5hp 37lb. Had the exact same problem as you. Now it’s totally solid. No more bouncey engine and no more propeller going under the boat even at 100% throttle.

 

[Sea Rider]

The issue with such cheap pool toys inflatables is that are made from thin pvc unsupported fabric that flexes too much compared to a fully supported pvc fabric found in more expensive traditional inflatables. Can't inflate them to a higher air pressure to achieve better rigidity or will risk blowing any seam out. My late Sevylor Caravelle K 86 went that way....​

Although you can modify the upper motor mount to sit firmer and flex less, both lower motor mount's arms will still flex downward the round aft portion when the motor is at full throttle depending on the HP motor used.

In such case scenario better is to throtle just enough for the combo to ride prallel to the water surface at a lower speed than doing it at a much higher speed and lower motor mount flexing downward and consequently losing best prop thrust angle of attack.

Happy Boating​

 

[Floatnlow]

The issue with such cheap pool toys inflatables is that are made from thin pvc unsupported fabric that flexes too much compared to a fully supported pvc fabric found in more expensive traditional inflatables. Can't inflate them to a higher air pressure to achieve better rigidity or will risk blowing any seam out. My late Sevylor Caravelle K 86 went that way....

Although you can modify the upper motor mount to sit firmer and flex less, both lower motor mount's arms will still flex downward the round aft portion when the motor is at full throttle depending on the HP motor used.

In such case scenario better is to throtle just enough for the combo to ride prallel to the water surface at a lower speed than doing it at a much higher speed and lower motor mount flexing downward and consequently losing best prop thrust angle of attack.

Happy Boating​

You should check out the mariner 4. It’s material is far superior to the pool toy type boats. I have a a Coleman/Seyvlor 3 man, hydroforce 3 man, 3 intex kayaks and the mariner 4. Hydroforce is the only one that comes close to the mariner 4 material. Also the Mariner 4 has a rock guard that the lower arms rest on. Mine is almost completely rigid at full power. I use a hand dolly to pull my boat the 2 blocks from my house to the water. The 37lb engine doesn’t bounce at all with the tilt lock on. Trust me just tack the slack out of those top arms and you have yourself a very high performing mini motor boat

 

[mwsheffer]

does anyone know if i can use "Foam Board Insulation" as flooring for my Mariner 4 that does NOT have the original floorboard (i plan to use it just with the boat).

Thanks!

Hi All
Just joined. I have had a Mariner 4 the last 4 years. Works fine for me.
first thing is I ditched the floor and silly seats. Built a 2 part plywood floor then carpeted it. Used the pattern of the stock floor. Obviously can't be a one piece. Mine is one big piece with a smaller piece at the back that my battery sits on. Very stable boat and I am a big guy. I installed a front seat but at the back I sit on a cooler!! It fits perfectly across the beam and gives a ton of quickly accessed storage. I run my battery pack cord for my fishing out through the cooler drain plug. I think it is better than a swivel chair.

 

[Tekwa]

I mainly use my M4 when I fly fish & drift down the Bow River in Calgary. I know others find the rod holders useful but when I'd hop in & out of the boat I found they just got in the way, so I carefully cut them off with my oscillating tool and recycled the materials. It also folds much easier now.

 

[Tekwa]

Thanks to everyone throughout the years who have shared with us their great tips & ideas on how to modify our M4's. I'd like to share a few pictures of my 3 piece 5/8'' plywood non-slip painted floors. I've been using these for a few years now and they work well for me. I weigh 240lbs and they are very sturdy. After a day of fly fishing on the Bow river, the boards are easily rinsed off and they dry quickly.
May you all have a safe boating season.
Enjoy.

 

[Tekwa]

I'd like to give credit to Loop_Dad, who posted back in Sept 2012, showing info about the two wheel dolly he built. Our boat launches here get quite busy at times, so I was looking for something that would make it easier for me to haul my boat in & out of the water quickly so others could get in and use it. This year, I decided to build my prototype dolly using the balance of the plywood I had left lying around from the M4 floor I made a couple of years ago. I haven’t had a chance to use it in the water yet but putting it together in my home and wheeling it around it seems to work good. When I am not using the dolly, I can flip it over in the boat and use it as a bench seat.

 

[Tekwa]

Oar mods: One solid piece

Inspired by posts from Starkonian and 300winmag, I decided to ditch the flimsy plastic oar connectors and make one piece solid oars. I wanted to increase the length of the oars from 54'' to 60'', so I replaced each of the shorter sections with a longer piece on each shaft, from old Intex oars I just happened to have hanging around. This completed project only added 1lb to each oar which is noticeable but not too bad.

Picked up two 1''x 48'' wooden dowels from the hardware store and cut them to fit the entire length of the shafts about 42''. The interior dimensions of the aluminum oar shaft is approximately 1.13'' leaving a small gap. I used 3M 5200 Fast Cure* permanent marine adhesive (3oz tube) which is flexible and waterproof and it expanded enough to fill the space. I wrapped the aluminum shafts entirely with painters' tape, and covered the floor with a drop cloth to make it easier to clean up the oars afterward. I dampened the dowel with water prior to applying the adhesive. I found the applicator nozzle that comes with this adhesive useless for this project.

*Be sure to read and follow the manufacturers instructions prior to using.

While wearing nitrile gloves, I used a small shop towel to apply small amounts of adhesive on each dowel and rubbed it all over the damp birch dowel. When complete, I slid them inside the Intex oar shafts and slapped on the end cap. In order to slide the oar shafts through the oarlocks, I did not glue the hand grips on as they have to be removed. This adhesive requires humidity to cure, so to ensure the oars cured properly, I wrapped them up in a damp towel and left them inside the house for a couple of days.

Those of you who have worked with this product know how much of a pain it is to apply. It has a mind of it's own and wants to stick to everything like a heated marshmallow. Though I'm very pleased with the outcome, I don't recommended using 3M 5200 Fast Cure if you're not familiar with it. Take my word for it, the product is messy and you may find yourself wishing you had used something else such as epoxy which dries faster. Be sure not to get this stuff on your hands or you'll never get it off. I would strongly recommend you have an adult assistant, wearing gloves to help squeeze out small amounts of the 3M 5200 Fast Cure straight out of the tube as you go along.

My oars shafts are now rock solid, but I always carry spare set of oar blades and oarlocks just in case the extra length causes stress.