F-Ribs And Sibs - Inflatable Boat Community

Since this forum began in 2014 we've been huge fans of the Honwave IE series of boats, A great all rounder at a price affordable to many.
We- as a forum, must be behind the sale of many many IE range of boats.

Over the last year or so, we've been hearing of, and seeing many Honwave T32ie2 and T38ie2 with floor issues.
I've tried to approach Honda Marine UK via there contact us page, The response I got was the usual yes sir, no sir, automated nonsense sir ...
Enough is enough, I'll be pushing this further now to see if we can get some clarity from Honda Marines Quality Control.


As we are predominantly a portable boat (Sib & Folding Rib) forum I think it’s time we got hold of Honda Marine UK and shared our views of their lack of Quality Control of late, Some of the V Floor boats coming through are of very low standard compared to their usually very high standard of manufacture..

I know many of you have shared your experiences on various threads, But I would like to ask you all to contribute to this topic with your experiences.
Images, Correspondence and on water experiences are paramount if I’m to highlight this problem to Honda Marine.
If you can please reproduce your experience from start to finish within one post on this topic it will help us to alert Honda as to the growing concern and rejection.

If you haven't purchased a Honwave "V" air floor model then please do not get involved in this topic unless of course you've rejected purchasing one due to the floor issues that appear to becoming more widespread.

This topic will be highlighted directly to Honda Marine UK, please keep it polite, factual, politically correct and to the point.

I've already had to remove posts that were not in the nature of the questions above... This topic is not for your general ramblings, Please keep it on topic...
All nonsense will be deleted.

We are looking for....

• Date purchased --/--/---

• Supplying Dealer

• Model Purchased = T24ie2/ T27ie2 / T32ie2 / T38ie2

• Quality Acceptable? Y/N

• Returned to dealer for replacement ? Y/N

• Returned to dealer for refund ? Y/N

• Reluctantly kept but unhappy? Y/N

Images.. Any images you have of correct alignment and defective alignment of the Honwave range of V floor boats.
**Supplied images must be your own craft... !!

Me too @Martin - it’s inexplicable when you read some of the disappointment and frustration T38 buyers have recounted on these pages. Perhaps having suffered themselves they want others to share some of their grief…

Following advice on this forum, in April this year I was on the verge of placing an order for a Honwave T38IE.

viewtopic.php?f=100&t=3380&p=36638#p36638

When I started to become aware of the QC concerns, I approached a number of dealers of whom some denied any knowledge of the problems (since discovered that was disingenuous as they had been involved in rejects from forum members) whilst none that I contacted were prepared to open the box and confirm that I was going to receive a straight one.

Wrote to Honda who eventually responded with confirmation that dealers were not expected to check the goods before shipping and that Honda UK were sorry but they had little control over the factory.

viewtopic.php?f=63&t=3463&p=37417#p37417

I tried to buy a Honwave T38IE but feel that under the circumstances and based on available information that would have been a reckless decision with a high probability of disappointment.

Instead I purchased an Excel Volaire 390 and couldn’t be happier.

I have the T32 and I am happy BUT I am new to boating so I carnt compare and don’t really know what to look for as regards the known fault, what I will say is the seam down the middle is a little rippled which I have thought is that right?? I’m hoping to get out again the wend sonill take a couple of picks and maybe you kind fellows could advise me ?

Edit..
Sorry folks I’ve just read the post in full about the uneven floor I’ll check mine the wend

Date purchased 17/05/2019
Supplying Dealer: Lings - MarineHonda.com
Model Purchased = Homwave T38ie2
Quality Acceptable? N
Returned to dealer for replacement ? Y

Floor/keel issue found after the first use.

Replacement received 10/06/2019
Supplying Dealer: Lings - MarineHonda.com
Model replaced = Homwave T38ie2
Quality Acceptable? N
Returned to dealer for refund ? Y

BillySince1976.... THANKYOU sir !!!

Date purchased 2016
Supplying Dealer Hendy Marine
Model Purchased = T32ie2
Quality Acceptable? N Slow puncture in air floor
Returned to dealer for replacement ? Y
Returned to dealer for refund ? N
Reluctantly kept but unhappy? N

Date purchased 2017
Supplying Dealer Hendy Marine
Model Purchased = T32ie2
Quality Acceptable? N Wonky floor
Returned to dealer for replacement ? N
Returned to dealer for refund ? Y
Reluctantly kept but unhappy? N

Date purchased: 9th July 2018
Supplying Dealer: Golden Arrow
Model Purchased: T38ie2
Quality Acceptable?: Borderline - Slightly Asymmetrical Floor
Returned to dealer for replacement ?: N
Returned to dealer for refund ?: N
Reluctantly kept but unhappy?: N

Date purchased 13.04.19
Supplying Dealer: Ely Boat Chandlers
Model Purchased : T38ie2
Quality Acceptable? No. Boat rejected.
Returned to dealer for replacement ? Not yet
Returned to dealer for refund ? Not yet.
Reluctantly kept but unhappy? At present.


Below is an excerpt of my rejection notice from 08.05.19 to EBC after receiving the dealers/Honda’s response to a request for replacement;


Good afternoon Richard,

Thank you for your prompt response and following email including Honda's response all highlighted in italics below.


“From what I’ve read and seen the first thing needed to be advised is that a flexible floor inflatable boat is not a speedboat and will not behave like one. The construction material and the nature of the surfaces it’s going to operate on (soft versus hard, so to speak) no way reflects the ability of a rigid V hull to resist the forces applied.
Your answers are already as good as I could give or elaborate on, and, having plenty of drive time in most of our boats with various engine combinations, there is little to suggest there is anything wrong.
Yes, the keel strake is not absolutely symmetrical, but this is a hand built product and there are sometimes small assembly tolerances that might catch the eye, but in no way affect performance.
Based on your observations and our experience I cannot see any immediate cause for concern or rejection.”

So the answer may not be perhaps what you were initially looking for, but that said is does offer reassurance that there isn’t a serious flaw in the Boat. I have seen similar slightly-off centre keel guards before and had similar conversations with Honda and customers. Rest assured that neither we (EBC) or Honda are trying to catch you out, purely relaying a technical opinion on the information provided.


Whilst I take on board your comments and observations regarding setting up height and trim I would however query recommending running fully trimmed in​ and the problem I described is more correctly termed ventilation and not cavitation. That aside I am not interested in discussing the finer points of motor/hull set up as I also have many years experience of boating in general and sibbing in particular. We have comprehensively adjusted and tested different trim settings and checked correct tube and floor pressures all to no avail.

Whist our current main boat is a RIB, we purchased the T38/Mariner 20 mainly as an easily transportable option in order to partake in organized SIB outings with other forum members. My last two previous sibs were a 3.5 Zodiac and Bombard Aerotec 3.8 and both powered with a Suzuki 20 efi motor. The alumin floor/inflatable keel Zodiac and high pressure air V floor Aerotec, once correctly set up, performed flawlessly as expected in varied water conditions and at much higher speeds than anything the T38 has yet encountered.

I am quite frankly amazed at Honda's totally irrelevant comment "a flexible floor inflatable boat is not a speedboat and will not behave like one." Nobody is expecting hard hull performance but this is a planing hull designed to operate at planing speeds, not displacement speed only. In fact Honda's own brochure describes the v-floor range to be: "Light and fast, these inflatables are packed with comfort and performance features. Their deep-V hull design significantly optimizes keel performance and ensures maximum stability at virtually any speed." ​
I am also somewhat dismayed at their apparent dismissal that there is nothing amiss with the hull.


Based on my experience and testing to date I am convinced the hull is not performing as it should in planing conditions, whether this is solely due to the asymmetry towards the bow is potentially a mute point and difficult to prove or disprove either way. I am however left with a boat that does not seem to perform as it should at planing speeds.

In light of this, I feel that I am compelled to reject this boat on the grounds of the two halves of the hull are poorly aligned at the keel line producing an asymmetrical hull towards the bow. This is clearly identified in the photographs previously submitted and also clearly in excess of any acceptable manufacturing tolerances.

Best Regards,


To cap it all, during this process, the dealer has gone into receivership, so this thread may be of great assistance if forced to pursue my rejection claim direct with Honda.