Coming soon the Volaire 390 review

[gratemaker]

Hi folks, on the plane with 4 up yeha i am tying my t38 with a 9.9 Yamaha on saturday, now i an buzzing.

[harrison]

The other upgrade will be puncture-proof wheels with roller bearings so that I could tow the boat a few hundred yds without melting plain plastic bushes.

Yeah, second an upgrade to puncture proof solid wheels, well worth it. Also slightly less buoyant so easier to deploy.

Personally wouldn’t bother with pesky bearings in saltwater though. Our standard plastic trolley wheels stood up well to a regular 300+ metre (slow) tow by car to the beach, followed by a tractor launch.

[Brerabit]

I suspected the bearings could be problematic @harrison but thought the plastic would fail quicker. but based on your experience, plastic seems definitely worth a try - I wasn't planning on anything much further than that.

[harrison]

Yep, wouldn’t worry too much about wear. Ours got a bit wobbly after a couple of seasons towing by car and launching by tractor or mower!...and that’s at least 50-60 launches.

[nala]

Fins are correct way it's just the photo angled that makes it look odd : )

[nala]

Cleaning and checking the Excel 390 Volaire, before packing into its valise.

One thing that needs attention before going into the water next time is to centralise the launch wheels legs in relation to the pin holding them in place.

This will require holding the launch wheels leg vertical and drilling the next size up hole to accommodate a new slightly larger securing pin.

What happens when there's play at the transom end , by the time it gets to the wheels it's about 4" free play !

Many wouldn't worry about it if your on a flat surface and not far to trolley to the water.

[nala]

Just keeping an eye on the seams etc as I'm cleaning ready to pack for the winter.

Boat is under 2yrs old and been looked after like a baby : )

A couple of things I hadn't noticed was the overlap alignment between the tubes and the floor.

These run from the transom to the bow.

There are a few creases, starboard side of the transom ?

I also inspected the hull, a few spots where what looks like small bubbles under the material skin.

As long as nothing gets worse hopefully should be ok ?

[nala]

Again a few photos of the underside ( hull) it's surprising how tough it is : )

But, as mentioned I will be keeping an eye on the what appears to be air bubbles forming under the material skin.

Next time : will be changing impellor on Tohatsu 9.8hp before it's goes into the water : )

[glasgowdan]

Took the Excel 390 Volaire out last week and had four adults on no problem.
Six is the max as per manufacturers plate.
Although I had changed the prop so the Tohatsu 9.8hp 2st kept the revs up.
So that the motor didn't struggle pushing more weight.
But had to sacrifice less knots, which wasn't a problem, still went ok.
If I'm on my own I'll put back the original etc prop supplied with the motor.

Hi @nala , could I ask if you can recommend what prop to get for heavier loads please? I've a tohat 9.8 and am quite clueless about it all! Which fins did you buy? Are you still happy with the engine and boat combo?

I'm still using a 3.1m Yam, but I want more space while still having a boat I can drag up and down any beach.

Cheers

[warder54]

Hi @glasgowdan
Nala can only go by what he has fitted to his Outboard for his boat, your boat is smaller so there can be no comparison.
Get yourself a tinytac digital rev counter to see what revs you're getting at wide open throttle. If you post your findings here (including the size and pitch of your current prop)then some one will be able to make suggestions