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Achilles Inflatables: Question
On 7 Nov 2003 14:32:20 -0800, (Alex Moore) wrote:
Hey Guys: Thanks for you replies. Ken, I'm in the rough waters of New
England (Gloucester, MA. "Home of the Perfect Storm") & a Sea Eagle
wouldn't hold up too well (IMHO). As for Avon, there simply too much
money. I know they have an excellent rep. but I want to keep it @
around $1000.00. This is my second inflatable & will be used very
little.
I have narrowed my choices to a Zodiac "Cadet" C260 (8'6" 52 lbs. PVC)
w/ slatted floors. No keel. Cost $895.00 (excellent price). Also, we
have a Zodiac dealer in town that can service the boat if it has any
issues. The Zodiac looks well built, although I know that had some
issues in the past.
Then of course, the Achilles LEX-88 (8'8" 78 lbs. Hypalon) w/ wood
floors, inflatable keel & comes in @ $1010.00. Again another excellent
price. The weight issue bothers me a little. Also, these are varnished
floorboards & transom. That=some work to keep them looking decent!
As you can see, I'm really leaning towards to Zodiac. I know I won't
get the life out of it like a Achilles or Avon but if I could get 5-7
years, I would be happy.
My Zodiac is now 12 years old and still in fine condition. The secret
is to keep it out of the sun, preferrably stowed in the bag, when not in
use. If you know you're not going to use it very often, there's
absolutely no reason to go with the much more expensive Hypalon,
especially with that weight penalty. 5-7 years is no problem for a
Zodiac if you don't leave it in the sun all that time.
Steve
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