Hello from Glasgow

[Kingfisher]

Hi guys another new guy here after your knowledge, like most new to a sport ive found myself overwelmed by the choice of brands sizes types of keel ect . After obsessing for about 3 weeks i think ive came to a desicion on what set up i want . I will be using the boat for exploring the lochs of Scotland see and fresh water ..
I think i want the New quicksilver 320 ali floor with a mercury 15 efi motor..
What are your thoughts
Cheers

[The Hobbit]

Hi Kingfisher and to the Forum. You are perfectly located for the Lochs of Scotland and a lot of members spend a lot of time there, including myself. A nice size boat and motor for that area too. I'll assume you intend trailering with the ali floor as the building and dismantling can be time comsuming?
Enjoy the forum and if you need anything just ask.

[chris moody]

Welcome to the forum @Kingfisher

There is an aluminium floor Honwave T40 in the for sale section on here. Might be worth a look.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3316

[Kingfisher]

Hi Hobbit im not planning to trailer as i dont have anywhere to store one which is what led me to tje idea of a sib . Is the construction of the ali floor a real hastle?
Thanks for the heads up about the honwave Chris but im sorta set on the quicksilver .. until one of you guys talks me out of it ha ha

[The Hobbit]

Hi Hobbit im not planning to trailer as i dont have anywhere to store one which is what led me to tje idea of a sib . Is the construction of the ali floor a real hastle?
Thanks for the heads up about the honwave Chris but im sorta set on the quicksilver .. until one of you guys talks me out of it ha ha

It gets easier eventually but from experience from my old sib I still remember the pain after trapping my hands putting the floor in etc. In my opinion and for the same reason, I have an air floor sib (T-38) as I have nowhere to keep a trailer and the assembly time is more than halved.

[Martin]

Hi Kingfisher & to our little community.
The quicksilvers are very well built sibs, but ... As said by others, the ally floors are a real pain in the backside if you’re stripping and building every time you want to use it, also remember it’ll be a heavy set up to carry around.
You will get quicker with practice but do think very hard before spending your hard earned beer tokens.

Have a look at some of the high pressure air floor set ups before making a final decision.

Enjoy the forum
Martin

[chris moody]

High pressure air floors make a sib much lighter to lug around in its bag, and much quicker and easier to setup and pack away. If you are not trailering weight and ease of setup are both vitally important.

I’m sure quicksilver must do air floor versions as well as aluminium floors.

[harrison]

Hi Kingfisher,

Welcome to the madhouse. Some good banter and occasionally even some good advice to be found on here.

Nice little rig you’ve got your eyes on there.

Here’s my quick take on the various types of sib configurations;

Inflatable floors offer quick assembly and light weight, great for daily assembly. Best performing are v air floors such as Honwaves. Some larger ones suffer hooking at higher speeds particularly if slightly under inflated. Deck is not flat. Generally will give a more forgiving ride in chop.

There are also flat airdecks with inflatable sausage keel under. Still nice and light with a flat deck, although possibly worst performing of all. More suited to smaller sibs. Best avoided altogether.

Rigid floor sibs with sectional aluminium or plywood floor panels, stringers and inflatable sausage keel. Heavy and time consuming to assemble but very rigid giving decent performance and a flat deck. Suited to larger sibs 3.5m and over.

There are also totally flat bottom slatted floor roll up types. Usually only found in very small tender type sibs used at displacement speeds.

From my experience, if you can handle the longer/fiddlier assembly time and extra weight then the aluminium floored type will give the best performance. If your after quick easy assembly and light weight then the V air floors are the way to go.

[Martin]

Having seen several different Ally Floor sibs, Air Mat Sibs and high pressure Air Floor sibs in the rough stuff loaded up with camping gear, in my opinion... nothing touches the Honwave T38ie for versatility, weight, performance and money.
Again, my opinion- Those smaller sausage keel sibs don’t handle the rough seas like the high pressure V floor.


Something like the 4.3 quicksilver is a big heavy ally floor sib, exceedingly capable and will start showing the T38 how it’s done...
I know two people that own those sibs, both trailer them due to the excessive weight.

If you’re going to buy a sib that you trailer all the time, why not just buy a rib

As I say, just my point of view.

[harrison]

If you’re going to buy a sib that you trailer all the time, why not just buy a rib

Classic. Oh the irony.

Nice one Martin