HP air floors on a dingy.

[Pete]

I'm looking at the latest in dingy tech and the HP air floor looks pretty appealing. Easy to roll up and store. A little more expense compared to wood floors. Anyone have any experience with these?

thanks

[Kevin LeMans]

I have a 9'-6" Achilles with the inflatable floor (LSi model?).

The boat will plane with two adults aboard with a 6-hp outboard. This is pretty satisfying performance. Planing at speed, you can feel some flex in the floor, but I don't think this really affects stability. You just need to slow down when the swells get too big or are running in the wrong direction (note lesson below).

I stuffed it into the back of a wave one time while planing at about 20 knots.... it filled the boat with water, but didn't flip or do anything else dramatic. I guess you could say I'm satisfied with it.

Since there is really nowhere to stow an inflated boat on my CD30, options were limited. It stows (deflated) on the companionway cowling, but don't think that it will serve as a liferaft. It takes too many steps and too much time to inflate it to be effective in an emergency situation.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to eMail me.

Kevin LeMans
CD30 Raconteur



lemans@gte.net

[Dennis Robinett]

I purchased an Avon inflatable floor model 10'6" two years ago with a Nissan 8 HP outboard. It will also plane with two people aboard. I find its a great compromise because of the weight reduction from a slatted floor (I thought about 40-50lbs?). I used a Dyer Dhow 8'sailing dink for 20 years cruising in New England but the carrying capacity and ease of entry and exit is not great. Since I am now 58 years old, I did not want anything real heavy. We are planning on Bermuda this fall in our 36 Nepenthe and my friends recommended the larger engine even up to 15 HP which I rejected again due to the weight. I also will be struggling with storage of the dinghy under way, but plan on getting a 12V inflatable pump which I understand cuts down time deflating as well as inflating. I have been reading that rolled up behind the mast may be the easiest, however I already have a life raft on the cabintop. Anyway make sure you think about all aspects of the purchase since they are not cheap. I highly recommend a crane on the stern to get the engine up to the stern rail (not sure I could lift 55 lbs over my head anymore!) Great fun though even thinking about what you want to do. Good luck.

Dennis Robinett
CD36
Nepenthe



CDSailor@aol.com

[John Nuttall]

I had the opportunity about 2 years ago to test drive 2 different Avons on the same day under the same conditions (about an 8" chop). Both 285s. One had Air floor/air keel and the other had the plastic roll-up floor/air keel.

What suprised me was the air floor was actually stiffer!!! And of course, it is much much lighter and folds up smaller.......

I wound up getting a used Avon Redcrest 8'11" dink (tubes all around) and bought a new air floor for it. I have a 2hp Honda 4 stroke motor.
The Avon weighs 48lbs (with floor), the motor weighs 28lbs. I went small because the whole shebang (engine and all) fits in a cockpit locker !!!

Anyway, the air floor makes it stiff. So stiff that with just me aboard (185lbs) I can plane off !!! (with only 2 hp !!! ) So if the logic holds, you should be able to get by with less power if you select air floors over heavier floors.....at least in the shorter lengths I have experience with......

That's my 2 cents worth, hope it helps........

John
s/v Aimless
CD31 #28
Hmpt: Oriental, NC - where it's cold and rainy today..

[Ed Haley]

John:
I've been looking for an air floor to replace my 50 lb plywood floor on my Avon 310 inflatable. Is the air floor available separately? I would sure like to cut the weight of my dinghy in half as well as to be able to roll it up and store it behind the mast.

Where did you get your air floor?

Thanks,
Ed Haley
Captain Mokita
CD330 #1



eghaley@twcny.rr.com

[John Nuttall]

Hi Ed,
I got it from my marina, they are an Avon dealer. Cost $285. Seemed pricey at the time, but now I am glad I did it.

If you don't have an air keel, I'd suggest you get that too, With the extra length of the 310, the air keel will add to the fore 'n aft stiffness as well as giving the keel effect...

I'd be you can get the floor mail order from any of the catalogs or distributors.

John

ps- not only will it cut the weight (it weighs 8lbs), it will also cut out the maintenance on those plywood floors. And that's a good thing... ;-]

pps - did I see pictures of your 330 on the web? she's a doll !!!

[Jim Stull]

We bought the littlest Bombard with the air floor to use as a tender for our CD25. It is great. Very rigid. We can inflate it in under 5 min by laying crossways across the coaming. Goes like stink with our little 2 HP Honda aircooled. But the ride is wet with this tiny boat.
Look for the good Italian made pump. A lot of the ones we saw were toys.
Jim



jtstull@earthlink.net

[Pete]

Thanks for all the comments. I went with an Achilles LSI-88 and a four HP Nissan four stroke. Reasons, 1) your great comments 2) Hypalon material 3) Air floor seems to work. 4) My Dad owned a Nissan 4HP two stroke.

I'll update later this season, waiting for the Narragansett weather to warm up a bit before I launch the dingy.

Thanks again.

Pete (Former owner of CD25D 25D #146, I'll miss her)

I have a 9'-6" Achilles with the inflatable floor (LSi model?).

The boat will plane with two adults aboard with a 6-hp outboard. This is pretty satisfying performance. Planing at speed, you can feel some flex in the floor, but I don't think this really affects stability. You just need to slow down when the swells get too big or are running in the wrong direction (note lesson below).

I stuffed it into the back of a wave one time while planing at about 20 knots.... it filled the boat with water, but didn't flip or do anything else dramatic. I guess you could say I'm satisfied with it.

Since there is really nowhere to stow an inflated boat on my CD30, options were limited. It stows (deflated) on the companionway cowling, but don't think that it will serve as a liferaft. It takes too many steps and too much time to inflate it to be effective in an emergency situation.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to eMail me.

Kevin LeMans
CD30 Raconteur

svmiranda@aol.com