Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

[geo2005]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Holy crap! you guys are awesome!!! This post is just what I needed for my Mariner 4. I have a hard time reinventing the wheel. So, it is alway nice to get ideas from other. I got my Intex Mariner 4 from RubberBoats.com and put the swivel seats in like they showed in the video. It is a very easy modification if you need swivel seats.

which video ?

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

which video ?

I think rubber boats had the seat in the 2008 model video

 

[kstowell]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

which video ?

Sorry, wrong link. Here is the one that shows the swivel seats. They use a spider chair made by Wise Seats.

Intex Mariner Inflatable Boat Review by Rubber Boats - YouTube

 

[sciencePROBE]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

here is the video of Tohatsu 2006 3.5hp that i picked up for $500. M4 near Deepcove in North Vancouver https://www.dropbox.com/sc/6tw1zvg80u4w1g1/Bwr5bAXoLQ"]click[/URL]. I think this boat or raft (a boater on the ramp called it) is too small for my big family. I may go for Aquamarine 11 ft inflatable boat 1.2 mm PVC GYT330

or this Stryker Inflatable Boat 320 10' 5" - Vancouver BC Canada - STRYKER INFLATABLE BOATS, VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA


I was amazed how fast a guy with Stryker inflatable came, pumped air, put on his transom wheel and motor in the water in10-15min while i was there still mounting the motor mount.

the specs look good. Does anyone heard of these guys, Stryker, Seamax or Salter before. Any thoughts.

Stryker is fantastic! I highly recommend them The customer service was amazing and I am more than thrilled with my purchase. I researched and researched and couldn't find anything in comparison. I looked at all the above brands you mentioned and I would absolutely recommend a Stryker to anyone in the market for this type of boat. They gave me lots of great advice with my boat as well as a bunch of free stuff. *****/*****

 

[petoria]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

I too used to have the minn kota 30 on mine and upgraded to the 55. I mainly use mine in the ocean to crab and lobster and catch many many halibut and bass in the harbors and Jettys. I have used my minn kota 30 in the ocean for a year 15 times at least and have no issues at all but I do wash it off good every time. Copper go out and get you some crab, the riptide 55 is like 700 plus so you can buy 3 of these baby's and it be a wash on price. As far as the difference between the 30 and 55 it is a big difference. I'm not sure speed 3 on the 55 is the same as 5 on the 30 tho. More like spd 4 on the 55 is a little faster than spd 5 on the 30, but spd 5 on the 55 does leave a wake and I go Aprox 5 mph in the ocean harbors. I do have lots of gear, a 10 gallon live well for anchovies,2 deep cycle batteries and am a big dude so I do carry lots of weight and it still pushes nicely at speed 5. Hope this helps you guys out!! The mariner 4 has exceeded my expectations in every way, I have kayakers looking jealous as I pull fish up while standing up and walking up and down my boat.

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

I too used to have the minn kota 30 on mine and upgraded to the 55. I mainly use mine in the ocean to crab and lobster and catch many many halibut and bass in the harbors and Jettys. I have used my minn kota 30 in the ocean for a year 15 times at least and have no issues at all but I do wash it off good every time. Copper go out and get you some crab, the riptide 55 is like 700 plus so you can buy 3 of these baby's and it be a wash on price. As far as the difference between the 30 and 55 it is a big difference. I'm not sure speed 3 on the 55 is the same as 5 on the 30 tho. More like spd 4 on the 55 is a little faster than spd 5 on the 30, but spd 5 on the 55 does leave a wake and I go Aprox 5 mph in the ocean harbors. I do have lots of gear, a 10 gallon live well for anchovies,2 deep cycle batteries and am a big dude so I do carry lots of weight and it still pushes nicely at speed 5. Hope this helps you guys out!! The mariner 4 has exceeded my expectations in every way, I have kayakers looking jealous as I pull fish up while standing up and walking up and down my boat.

That's awesome! Do you have any pics or videos of your setup?

 

[Rakumi]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

I too used to have the minn kota 30 on mine and upgraded to the 55. I mainly use mine in the ocean to crab and lobster and catch many many halibut and bass in the harbors and Jettys. I have used my minn kota 30 in the ocean for a year 15 times at least and have no issues at all but I do wash it off good every time. Copper go out and get you some crab, the riptide 55 is like 700 plus so you can buy 3 of these baby's and it be a wash on price. As far as the difference between the 30 and 55 it is a big difference. I'm not sure speed 3 on the 55 is the same as 5 on the 30 tho. More like spd 4 on the 55 is a little faster than spd 5 on the 30, but spd 5 on the 55 does leave a wake and I go Aprox 5 mph in the ocean harbors. I do have lots of gear, a 10 gallon live well for anchovies,2 deep cycle batteries and am a big dude so I do carry lots of weight and it still pushes nicely at speed 5. Hope this helps you guys out!! The mariner 4 has exceeded my expectations in every way, I have kayakers looking jealous as I pull fish up while standing up and walking up and down my boat.

I am glad you posted because i have asked this question before and only received half answers. So do you believe a person can go with a fresh water minn kota engine and have no problem in salt water as long as it is hosed down with fresh water? I do not want to purchase a fresh water engine and it break on me in less than say 2 years.

 

[petoria]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Hey rakumi I would say that yes the minn kota will last at least 2 years. I probably have used it almost 20 times in the salt and mine is still kicking....I want to post some pics or a video but when I'm out there I keep forgetting lol. I will definitely try to post some pics of my setup. I use a bench style seat in the back that goes over the tubes and has two posts that I slide the battery between to keep it in place and save space. I have a friend who uses his minn kota 30 in saltwater and they warrantied his unit when it broke even though they say its not covered. Minn kota has had very good customer service everytime I've used them or my friends have. Rakumi the riptide 30 is almost 4x more than the freshwater if it breaks you can buy 3 30's before you get into the riptide price. The 55 is a lil more but still you can buy 2-3 for the price of a riptide. I would say if you don't mis treat the unit it will last for probably 3-4 years before you need a new one. I have also seen some people order the cover nut the riptide has so it protects it more from corrosion. Hope this helps!!oh about the bending of the boat, I have a very rigid wood floor so I don't notice the bend at all, but in speed 5 I can feel it kick back.

 

[CopperFox]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Heya MrDr! In the end I did not go for the digital maximizer because I got such a great deal on this one. I wasn't originally considering a 55, maybe just a 40. But when I buy something I try to look at the level above just to see what I'd be missing and hopefully not have any major regrets, later. I know I'm missing the official salt ability (though reading here ... hmmm) and the maximizer, but moving up in size to finally a 55 just couldn't be argued with. Now, since I can spend hours out on a lake I try to limit my use on level 5 because I can and have run out of juice in the past. These days I bring my previous battery along to keep the weight spread out but also for 'just in case'. Now the eternal questions with these (all?) boats ... What to buy next!?

Petoria: I may just offer to buy my 30 back from my son-in-law and try that out in the salt. Months later, he still hasn't used it and I'd like to give it a try. I might just wait until the summer season though, because it's starting to get cold out there now.

 

[mznewman]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Hey rakumi I would say that yes the minn kota will last at least 2 years. I probably have used it almost 20 times in the salt and mine is still kicking....I want to post some pics or a video but when I'm out there I keep forgetting lol. I will definitely try to post some pics of my setup. I use a bench style seat in the back that goes over the tubes and has two posts that I slide the battery between to keep it in place and save space. I have a friend who uses his minn kota 30 in saltwater and they warrantied his unit when it broke even though they say its not covered. Minn kota has had very good customer service everytime I've used them or my friends have. Rakumi the riptide 30 is almost 4x more than the freshwater if it breaks you can buy 3 30's before you get into the riptide price. The 55 is a lil more but still you can buy 2-3 for the price of a riptide. I would say if you don't mis treat the unit it will last for probably 3-4 years before you need a new one. I have also seen some people order the cover nut the riptide has so it protects it more from corrosion. Hope this helps!!oh about the bending of the boat, I have a very rigid wood floor so I don't notice the bend at all, but in speed 5 I can feel it kick back.

You also need to factor in the possibility of the motor failing while on the water. This may be a non-issue for some, if you have another motor onboard, or friend to tow you back. If it does fail, you will be without a motor when/if its being repaired (on MinnKota's dollar we hope). Just something to consider. The salt water versions are built for salt water and I think its a stretch to believe the fresh-water models will endure as well in 'prolonged' salt water exposure. Washing with fresh water does not stop corrosion once it starts.

I went with the rip-tide 50 (42" shaft) for $379 this past summer, thinking I would be using it on the bay a few times per summer. It was about $160 more than the Endura equivalent thrust. So not exactly x2, but that $160 could be put towards a new Endura, like petoria says.

Not an easy decision. I went through the same thought process too. Lots of Google'n ;-)

 

[petoria]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Luckily I only fish harbors an Jettys so it's a very short distance if I were to get stuck. 400.00 is 4 c2 30 enduras so that was my logic at the time when buying the 30. I figured for 89.99 for a c2 30 id be stoked if it lasted me one summer. I was actually given a brand new c2 55 by a generous friend of mine so it was very easy to use in saltwater. I was happy with the 30 but it just lagged a little when it got windy an i like pulling up to my spots quicker so more fishing time. Does the riptide have a warranty? Someone told me there wasn't the same warranty on those as the enduras?? No clue if that is true or not. The digital maximizer will definitely make your battery last longer, but may interfere with a fish finder if its mounted on the trolling motor shaft.
Mrdr I have the same battery as you 109 ah and the 30 will last all day on spd5 but the 55 only lasts two hours tops if you have it on spd 5. I carry an extra size 24 74ah battery To run my live well pump and be my backup. If you plan on getting a 55, two batteries is probably a must have if you go long distances on lakes.

 

[Rakumi]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Hey mznewman, as you mentioned I did much googling. I keep getting a split decision with the majority favoring to the side of freshwater motor being ok. And though the price is not double just as you pointed out, it is about $100 more for the equivalent freshwater motor. I seen riptide 45 (lowest version) for $299 and endura 45 for $189 and endura 55 for $220. So you can see where it becomes tough. I have googled and found 10 different sites today alone with people who have ran their endura for 1 to 3 years and yet to have issues aside from some visual negatives to the paint or something. But they run just fine they all say.

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Hey guys, probably had my last outing of the season today.....had great results fishing....although only panfish (perch, bluegill, crappie) brought over 30 fish to hand. I swear there were pike hitting top water I knew better than to try.... Boat preformed so well I'm second guessing buying a bigger motor. Although I may get a procontrol to drive my 30# by foot control. I'll be updating to a larger boat in a year or so but I think I'm happy in my mariner for now. Here are a couple pics of the last outing.

I'm looking forward to my winter mods......its going to get crazy....especially if i manage to get the trailer I want from harbor fright!

 

[ChristianMariner]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Here are a couple pics of the last outing.

Those are some small fish bro... cant even see 'em from here.

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Lol...look harder!

I may get them up tomorrow!

 

[Rakumi]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

I finally have had a chance to get thicker plywood for my boat. 3/4 inch and just finished cutting the edges. Now it is time to put some duck tape around the edges, put some hindges on and then by carpet. I am so excited. It is a lot heavier than my 1/3 inch experimental floor but i know i will be able to dance on my boat now. I just order my motor setup. I wanted the riptide 45 but i really can do the $300 price tag right now and i want to get on the water soon. So i went with the endura 30 and all the basic accessories to make it run. I will just have to maintain the motor often with a good rinse as i do with my boat every trip. I will have a simple setup. Just my floor, motor, and cooler as a seat. I cant wait.

Hey, mrdrh99, how was the endura 30 for pushing your excursion 5 when you used that? Was it ok? I just cant afford stronger for now.

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Did fine, the excursion is actually a lighter boat than the m4, especially once you add the floor and mods. I'm wanting a bigger motor since I live in the mountains and constantly fighting winds!

 

[Rakumi]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Just getting my floor done with carpet as we speak. Home depot is awesome. They are doing it for me. I cannot wait to get on the water.
Hey mrdrh99, it is not super windy where i am at but... well i am near the open water. Some land blocks the heavy waves from coming into the marina but i may want to test my luck in the open water. Not far from the land of course.

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Yeah, I'd recommend it, I don't really have to fight waves other than some wind blown chop. CopperFox used a 30# for a brief time....he'd be able to shed a little more light on your situation since he is in the Pacific northwest (I think in a bay). Good Luck!

 

[Rakumi]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Thanks mrdrh99. So i just finished my floor and it is awesome. 3/4 inch is really heavy for the excursion size. It should be very sturdy. It will take me longer to setup and a bit harder. I am guessing you do not need max pressure in the inflatable floor when you are placing a wood floor over it. I mean sometimes i top off my cheap electric pump with the hand pump but with the wood floors pressure it should be all goodi am guessing.