Hi All: Just purchased a new Eastern 24' boat. These boats represents
a "Maine" lobster looking type of boat & it will be for pleasure only.
I want to buy a small inflatable that I will keep on top of the roof
(outside) of the cabin. Hence, I want to keep the weight down
considerably, so it will be easier to remove & throw into the water.
Also, I just bought a small 2HP Honda four stroke that weights in @ 27
lbs.

I looked @ some Achilles inflatbales (LEX88)& they are made from
Hypalon. I was told that Hypalon holds up much better then PVC
inflatables. I spoke with a Achilles dealer & he said Hypalon in glued
together vs. machine made PVC & that Hypalon holds up better in warmer
climates. We live in New England, so this doesn't apply up here. I'm
saying to myself "Geez...This guy is a Achilles dealer & he's saying,
don't buy Hypalon inflatable if you live in a colder area" Doesn't
make any sense! Is he not trying the sell a boat or what? Maybe he's
just being honest.

I like the Achilles a lot. I do have a older (6 years old) "Force
Four" rigid-hulled inflatable that's PVC & it's been a gem!!!! I just
deflate it every year & store it under our deck outside & put a cover
over it. Force Four are no longer sold in the US anymore, what a pity
considering I would buy another one on the spot! I guess I'm looking
for some insight from you. Should I buy a PVC or Hypalon inflatable?
BTW, keep in mind that this inflatable will get used maybe 10 times in
a short New England season.

Here's a couple of other inflatables I looked at:

West Marine (Made by Zodiac): Not bad looking rig.
Avon: Great but way too expensive for me!
Quicksliver (Mercury) line: On the ropes with QS. Heard that their not
the best.
Zodiac: Too pricy.
Achilles: Looks good @ a decent price!

That's about it.

Thanks for listening!

Alex

We took two Avon rollups around the world and I wouldn't buy anything else.
(We started with a 2,85 and after side by side tests in New Zealand, bought
a 3.15).

You're right, of course, that Avon is expensive, so this is more about
Hypalon than Avon.

Consider:

1) Avon is made in the UK and widely used there as a workboat, lifeboat, and
utility boat. While Maine winters are colder than most of the UK, I suspect
your pleasure use will be in weather no colder than the UK. The dealer's
comments about Hypalon were either wrong or misunderstood. see
http://www.avoninflatables.co.uk/page/fd_mac

2) Among the 'round the world people we met on our circumnav, Hypalon was
generally preferred (as a guess, not hard data, 70-30 over PVC). Those with
PVC boats generally made covers for them that stayed on all the time.

3) Hypalon is glued together with very good glues. PVC is welded together
by melting the PVC. Gluing is only as good as the glue, while welding is a
strong joint, but weakens the material.

4) Most (maybe all) of the serious inflatable applications are Hypalon.

5) Fintry will have the Avon 3.15 and a 15' Avon RIB -- she'll be based in
Boston and spend part of each summer in Maine, so my money is where my mouth
is on this.

6) Our 3.15 is now 8 years old and had heavy use during 2/3 of a circumnav
and is essentially like new. It had one leak that we finally had to have
professionally repaired since it was in a hard to repair spot, but otherwise
no problems at all.


--
Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com


"Alex Moore" wrote in message
om...
Hi All: Just purchased a new Eastern 24' boat. These boats represents
a "Maine" lobster looking type of boat & it will be for pleasure only.
I want to buy a small inflatable that I will keep on top of the roof
(outside) of the cabin. Hence, I want to keep the weight down
considerably, so it will be easier to remove & throw into the water.
Also, I just bought a small 2HP Honda four stroke that weights in @ 27
lbs.

I looked @ some Achilles inflatbales (LEX88)& they are made from
Hypalon. I was told that Hypalon holds up much better then PVC
inflatables. I spoke with a Achilles dealer & he said Hypalon in glued
together vs. machine made PVC & that Hypalon holds up better in warmer
climates. We live in New England, so this doesn't apply up here. I'm
saying to myself "Geez...This guy is a Achilles dealer & he's saying,
don't buy Hypalon inflatable if you live in a colder area" Doesn't
make any sense! Is he not trying the sell a boat or what? Maybe he's
just being honest.

I like the Achilles a lot. I do have a older (6 years old) "Force
Four" rigid-hulled inflatable that's PVC & it's been a gem!!!! I just
deflate it every year & store it under our deck outside & put a cover
over it. Force Four are no longer sold in the US anymore, what a pity
considering I would buy another one on the spot! I guess I'm looking
for some insight from you. Should I buy a PVC or Hypalon inflatable?
BTW, keep in mind that this inflatable will get used maybe 10 times in
a short New England season.

Here's a couple of other inflatables I looked at:

West Marine (Made by Zodiac): Not bad looking rig.
Avon: Great but way too expensive for me!
Quicksliver (Mercury) line: On the ropes with QS. Heard that their not
the best.
Zodiac: Too pricy.
Achilles: Looks good @ a decent price!

That's about it.

Thanks for listening!

Alex

(Alex Moore) wrote in message . com...
Hi All: Just purchased a new Eastern 24' boat. These boats represents
a "Maine" lobster looking type of boat & it will be for pleasure only.
I want to buy a small inflatable that I will keep on top of the roof
(outside) of the cabin. Hence, I want to keep the weight down
considerably, so it will be easier to remove & throw into the water.
Also, I just bought a small 2HP Honda four stroke that weights in @ 27
lbs.

I looked @ some Achilles inflatbales (LEX88)& they are made from
Hypalon. I was told that Hypalon holds up much better then PVC
inflatables. I spoke with a Achilles dealer & he said Hypalon in glued
together vs. machine made PVC & that Hypalon holds up better in warmer
climates. We live in New England, so this doesn't apply up here. I'm
saying to myself "Geez...This guy is a Achilles dealer & he's saying,
don't buy Hypalon inflatable if you live in a colder area" Doesn't
make any sense! Is he not trying the sell a boat or what? Maybe he's
just being honest.

I like the Achilles a lot. I do have a older (6 years old) "Force
Four" rigid-hulled inflatable that's PVC & it's been a gem!!!! I just
deflate it every year & store it under our deck outside & put a cover
over it. Force Four are no longer sold in the US anymore, what a pity
considering I would buy another one on the spot! I guess I'm looking
for some insight from you. Should I buy a PVC or Hypalon inflatable?
BTW, keep in mind that this inflatable will get used maybe 10 times in
a short New England season.

Here's a couple of other inflatables I looked at:

West Marine (Made by Zodiac): Not bad looking rig.
Avon: Great but way too expensive for me!
Quicksliver (Mercury) line: On the ropes with QS. Heard that their not
the best.
Zodiac: Too pricy.
Achilles: Looks good @ a decent price!

================================================== ====

I own both an Achilles and an Avon. The Achilles is a good value for
the money
but the Avon is superior in virtually all respects. This is
particularly true for the accessories such as oars, air pump and the
floor boards. My advice would be to get the Avon if you can afford
it, especially if long term durability and ease of use are important
to you.

I have a SeaEagle.com inflatable and the price is very reasonable. We used it
all year and no problems. Look on their website for information

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.

Just an FYI. There's a Avon R260HP (air floor) that can be had for
$1675.00 but I think it's too much. Maybe I'll buy it. Damn, I wish
this could be an easy purchase. Thanks to everyone who chimed in!

Regards,

Alex


PS: If you in the market for an inflatable check out www.defender.com
These guys have the best prices & a HUGE inventory. They are in Conn.
so it's only a 2 hour trip for me so I can save $ on the shipping
charges.

I agree that Avon seems pricey. I bought the 3.15 when we were in New
Zealand -- the cheapest way to buy it was from a dealer in the UK and ocean
freight to NZ -- they're much cheaper in the UK. Fintry is in the UK, so
the new 15 footer will come over the Atlantic with her.

If you buy PVC, you might think about putting a slipcover on it
permanently -- a lot of the circumnavigators did this and it made them last
longer. Of course tropical sun 365 days a year is a lot more damaging than
a couple of sunny days a year off Cape Ann. (I race out of Marblehead and I
suspect I was in a long sleeved shirt most of the time.)

You can always just paint the varnish -- not as pretty, but an inflatable
isn't very pretty anyway.


--
Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com


..
"Alex Moore" wrote in message
m...
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.

Just an FYI. There's a Avon R260HP (air floor) that can be had for
$1675.00 but I think it's too much. Maybe I'll buy it. Damn, I wish
this could be an easy purchase. Thanks to everyone who chimed in!

Regards,

Alex


PS: If you in the market for an inflatable check out www.defender.com
These guys have the best prices & a HUGE inventory. They are in Conn.
so it's only a 2 hour trip for me so I can save $ on the shipping
charges.

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

I would HIGHLY recommend staying away from PVC no matter what. Stick with
Hypalon. PVC has a MUCH shorter life in the sun. If you just HAVE to do PVC,
keep it covered at all times when not using it.

"Alex Moore" wrote in message
m...
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.

Just an FYI. There's a Avon R260HP (air floor) that can be had for
$1675.00 but I think it's too much. Maybe I'll buy it. Damn, I wish
this could be an easy purchase. Thanks to everyone who chimed in!

Regards,

Alex


PS: If you in the market for an inflatable check out www.defender.com
These guys have the best prices & a HUGE inventory. They are in Conn.
so it's only a 2 hour trip for me so I can save $ on the shipping
charges.

On Sat, 8 Nov 2003 09:46:13 -0600, "Keith"
wrote:

I would HIGHLY recommend staying away from PVC no matter what. Stick with
Hypalon. PVC has a MUCH shorter life in the sun. If you just HAVE to do PVC,
keep it covered at all times when not using it.

While PVC does have a shorter life than hypalon when kept in the sun, he
does say that this is going to be a second inflatable and will be used
very little. As long as it's stored out of the sun when it's not being
used, there's no reason not to go with PVC. Also, for an inflatable
that is going to be used very little and probably stored much of the
time, the extra 26lbs of the Achilles really makes set up and packing
away much more of a PITA. However, the inflatable keel Achilles is nice
if you're gonna try and row it. It won't row very well, but will row a
whole lot better then the Zodiac, which will have you going in circles.

For a second boat that won't be used very much, lifespan in the sun
isn't much of an issue. So, I'd go with the Zodiac *if* you're going to
be motoring. If you want to row a little, get one with a keel. If you
want to row a lot, don't get an inflatable.

Steve

"Alex Moore" wrote in message
om...
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.

Just an FYI. There's a Avon R260HP (air floor) that can be had for
$1675.00 but I think it's too much. Maybe I'll buy it. Damn, I wish
this could be an easy purchase. Thanks to everyone who chimed in!

Regards,

Alex


PS: If you in the market for an inflatable check out www.defender.com
These guys have the best prices & a HUGE inventory. They are in Conn.
so it's only a 2 hour trip for me so I can save $ on the shipping
charges.