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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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E-Bay Inflatables - Revisited

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Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/02/2005 : 21:39:11

Well... I rolled the dice and did it. I found these inflatables on E-Bay. The feedback was great, I even e-mailed some of the earlier buyers that bought from this guy and asked how their inflatable held up. Everyone I contacted told me they were still happy and the boat has held up well. So I bit the bullet and bought one. I'll give a full report when I get it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15266&item=7159006425

1997 250 TR WK (sold)
1984 O'Day 28 (sold)
1979 SISU 22
Bath, NC.

Edited by - Tom Potter on 06/02/2005 21:40:13

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 06/02/2005 : 22:22:10

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tompotter
 ...I found these inflatables on E-Bay...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I looked at the specs in the Ebay ad. The specs read pretty much like any other fabric reinforced PVC sportboat (Zodiac, Quicksilver, West Marine, Bombard, etc.). Some words of advice:
1. If the weather forecast for the day is "hot and sunny", and you inflate the boat in the early morning hours, go easy on the pressure! Underinflate the tubes, to no more than 1 psi. If you inflate the boat "tight", to 3.0~3.5 psi in the morning at 65ºF, and it then gets to 95ºF or higher in the afternoon, the pressure could rise well past the recommended maximum. It might not burst a seam immediately, but overpressure combined with heat won't do the seams any good.
2. PVC is a solvent-based polymer and has virtually no resistance to volatile chemicals of any kind; exposure to gasoline degrades PVC boat fabric in only a few hours-the material loses flexibility and turns brittle. It is essential that spilled gas be quickly cleaned up and the boat thoroughly rinsed off with what ever water is available, salt or fresh, to get the gasoline film off of the fabric. Under no circumstances should a PVC boat be rolled up for storage with even slight traces of spilled gas left on the material! The next time you unroll the boat, you are likely to find patches of fabric as brittle as a potato chip.
3. If it gets really cold in the winter where you live, and you need to take the boat out of storage and unroll it for some reason on a cold day, take it inside the house and let it warm up for a few hours first. Below 40ºF, the fabric will be very stiff, and trying to unroll it that way could conceievably cause a crack somewhere, especially in a spot that has been slightly weakened by gasoline exposure (and there will be some gas exposure, it's unavoidable as all tanks are vented and all leak at least fumes if not liquid).

Let us know how you like this boat when you have used it for a day or two. Especially, how's the build quality, quality of oars, oarlocks, and other accessories, the stability, and carrying capacity.

Edited by - on

thaind
Navigator

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Canada
145 Posts

Response Posted - 06/02/2005 : 22:51:37

Looks like a deal. I'm glad to see that I am not the only thrifty Ebay user (cheap bugger) in this forum. I bought my compass, GPS, bottom paint, Navigation tools, sextant, monocular, Sperry topsiders, cam cleats, heaving line, tank, alcohol stove/oven, and C25 TR FK, trailer, tow hitch, bar, lock and motor on Ebay. I'd have called my boat EBAY, but suspect that I'd be infringing on copyright.

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 06/02/2005 : 23:43:16

I followed your link and see the inflatable kayak that was at the top of my list for considerably less than my local retailer is selling for...and for less than the manufacturer lists as their suggested retail price.

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2005 : 20:34:06

Just a follow-up. I received the E-bay - 8.5 foot inflatable this week. Packing was very good. Came with a carrying pouch, seat, pump, repair kit, oars, HP floor, inflatable keel and registration paper work.
Broke it out of the box today and pumped it up. Everything seems a okay, very pleased.

The whole deal including shipping cost me $710. (If your lucky you can do better in the bidding wars)

Question to inflatable owners. The instructions call for 3.5 pounds of air pressure. How does one tell the pressure?

Edited by - on

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 06/20/2005 : 00:14:30

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tompotter
 
Question to inflatable owners. The instructions call for 3.5 pounds of air pressure. How does one tell the pressure?

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Pump the boat up until it is just rigid enough that you can sit or kneel on the tubes without making a big dent in that lets water slosh in, and allows the boat to plane if you have an outboard with enough horsepower for that. Some people pump their inflateable boats up tight as a drum, but I don't like to do that because if the weather turns hot and sunny later in the day, the pressure could rise high enough to damage the seams. Also keep in mind that yours is an economy-priced PVC boat, not a $3000 Avon or Achilles made with double thickness hypalon. Be conservative about how tight you pump it up.

Edited by - on

Ken L
Deckhand

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6 Posts

Response Posted - 06/21/2005 : 16:27:11

Tom, thanks for the great info, I just bought one yesterday on ebay, got it for $688 delivered.

Ken

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 06/21/2005 : 21:38:16

I think you'll be pleased. What size did you get?

Edited by - on

Ken L
Deckhand

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6 Posts

Response Posted - 06/21/2005 : 22:58:30

Tom,I got the 8.5 ft dingy. As you said, it looks like a quality unit for using here on the Great Lakes and other adventures. Again, thanks for your post alerting me to this deal.

Ken

Edited by - on

takokichi
Captain

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USA
321 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 11:59:46

Any more thoughts on these boats from those who've ordered? I'm about to take the plunge, I think.

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2005 : 12:56:56

I like mine. Before I bought it on E-Bay, I read the guys feedback. There's a way in the feedback page that will let you e-mail the people who wrote the feedback. (very cool tool) I sent out 10 e-mails to people whom had bought one of his inflatable's and ask them what they thought now that they have owned it for a while. Everyone (8 responses) thought they made a good choice and all still like their boat. One guy said he left his outside over the winter and some animals destroyed it. He bought another just like it from the same guy. You can e-mail others through his feed back and get their perspective.
I would do it again.
Good luck bidding.

Edited by - on

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 03:41:24

Bringing this back up...any long term reports? Still happy with the quality etc?
I ask because Defender has it's big sale the end of this month and the Mercury inflatables have some decent rebates...would put the price in the same ballpark.

Any other good options for inflatables at this time?

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3521 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 05:47:44

My inflatable stories:
Just about every year we get together with old friends from Huntington, Long island where I used to live) and rent a beach house at the Outerbanks, NC. (Same goes for this year - July 4th week.) About ..7-8 or so years ago, I bought a very cheap inflatable dingy from one of the beach stores. It was for lakes/calm waters according to the instructions. But I gave it to the kids to use in the surf at the beach. Well...after a few days, the bottom came out. LOL My wife...wanted me to bring it back to the beach store and get a refund. I let her do it because I knew we mis-used it. Anyway, they gave us a new one and we got to use it the next season and the bottom blew out the first day ! Okay - this was one of those $29 dollar inflatables and the kids had fun with what was then basically a doughnut. LOL

Fast forward one more year, i then decided to buy a Sevylor Classic Tahiti kayak from a sporting good store. believe the price was about $150. It was made of a much tougher fabric with welded seams. made for whitewater rafting but probably not the beach w/waves. even so, that inflatable has taken some beating and is in perfect condition all these years. The only problem...and it was a biggy - It did not have great directional control. It had a mind of it's own. It had small inflatable seats inside of it for two people, approximately 10' 6" long and my wife and I would take it to a lake but we would have to work very hard to get it to track a straight line without turning around or going off in it's own direction. So...it was mainly a toy.

then ...about ayear or so ago, somewhere on the web, i saw a posting from a guy that had the same kayak and he mentioned that he found out that Sevylor made a skeg that attached to the back of the Classic Tahiti and turned the kayak into what was also for him..a toy into a very usable kayak with directional control.

I bought the skeg for about $15 and tried it out. What a difference !
We then used it at a lake and last year wheh we went to the beach, my wife and I used it on the bay side and it tracked great !

Since I have this kayak, I think I may try it this summer just to bring along on an overnighter with the Catalina. Figure I will try and secure it in a semi-inflatable condition to the deck and cabin top and hope it does not get that much in the way of the head sail. Then use the inflator with engine running to fill it the rest of the way.

Anyway...this is not a dinghy, so not quite as useful as a tender but worth a try. (The kayak will also probably come to the beach again this year.) The cost and construction is nothing like the robust inflatable mentioned above but thought I would share my story.

Edited by - on

takokichi
Captain

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USA
321 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 12:36:38

Rick - The West Marine in Portland has a surplus of boats from other stores. We'll got there Saturday if you like. Excellent pricing.

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 18:47:10

Rick, she still floats! No problems yet. The only thing I can think of that may cause a problem down the road is, the air valves are different from any I have seen before (NARU). My thinking is IF the pump ever fails I would have to switch the old hose over to the new pump.

Edited by - Tom Potter on 03/16/2006 19:09:59

Cloudveil
1st Mate

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USA
60 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 18:57:07

Tom - Just tried the eBay link on your topic, and that item is no
longer listed... I snooze - I lose! If anybody has luck with
the dingy item - post it pleased - Thanks, John.
89C25WK #5973 Uzumati

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 19:07:57

John, here's a updated [url="http://cgi.ebay.com/W-8-5-INFLATABLE-MOTOR-BOAT-DINGHY-DINGY-FISHING-RAFT_W0QQitemZ7224892013QQcategoryZ15266QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem "]link[/url] to the guy on e-bay that I bought mine from.

Edited by - on

Cloudveil
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
60 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 20:00:14

Thanks Tom - I found it. Going to order the 8-1/2'inflatable.
Just what I have been looking for - perfect for going from
Uzumati to shore! Thanks again - John
89 C25WK #5973 Uzumati

Edited by - on

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 20:24:32

Wow, $140 shipping charge?

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 21:01:51

Hey John, don't forget to use the ebay link on our site if your gonna bid on it.

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 03/17/2006 : 13:25:27

I'm looking forward to hearing some more usage reports on these inflatables - when this post first appeared I was in the throes of shopping for one - I ended up buying a Zodiac...in part because I saw several no-name inflatables at the marina that had not aged well.

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 03/17/2006 : 15:08:26

Just like most anything. If you take care of it, it will usually last longer than if you don't. I've seen some pretty ragged out looking inflatables too "of all kinds". I'm hoping the "L" cheapo inflatable holds up, she's almost 1 year old now and if I get a 5 years use out of it I'll be happy, after all it was about 1/2 the price of the name brands. I'll let you know if it pops!

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 03/18/2006 : 16:41:45

The way I drive boats I'm always on the lookout for rugged equipment.

Edited by - on

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