What SIB please?

[Rossa]

Hi, I'm a total novice but exploring the idea of purchasing a SIB to go on the Thames with the family. I have spent a lot of time (probably too much time) researching what to get and am interested in the Honwave T38 but have also found the Zodiac Cadet Fastroller 360 AIR-V but there doesn't seem to be and reviews on this model. Anyone have experience with one of these? Any idea how it stacks up against the Honwave? I am looking to put a 9.8 4 stroke on it (90% Thames with the odd trip to the sea). Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[ChrisParish]

Hi Rossa,

I don’t have any experience with the Zodiac Cadet Fastroller but I do have a Honwave T38 and it is a great boat. I also have a 3.1m Zodiac cadet from the 1990’s.
the biggest obvious difference is in price - the Zodiac is about £500 more than the Honwave.
There is a brand new, still in box Honwave for sale on the forum at the moment.
The only thing to be aware of is that some of the Honwave floors are not very good at the moment.

I think your choice of engine is sensible - 4 stroke is nice and quiet. You may find that there is nothing much in it weight wise between a 9.9 and a 20hp engine (depending on manufacturer) so it might be worth going for 15 or 20hp if you can find the extra shekels.

@Froglet often runs his boat on the Thames so he might be able to jump in with some advice.

[Rossa]

Thanks Chris,

I was thinking of the Tohatsu as it's only 37kg and will be transporting everything in the boot.

[Froglet]

Hi Rossa

I'm also not familiar with the Zodiac Cadet Fastroller, but I do take my T38 on the upper Thames on a regular basis. It works well for me whether touring solo or taking the family. If you stick to the speed limits (as you should) even a 10hp is more than you need, but as Chris says, more power for not much more weight is never a bad idea, especially if you plan to head anywhere near the sea.

You probably already discovered that the Thames will require insurance and registration, but it's worth it in my opinion. The pace of the river isn't to everyone's taste, but I thoroughly enjoy a gentle bimble through some stunning countryside on a lovely sunny day. Finding good launching points as you get further upstream can be a challenge so it's worth investigating local marinas. Public slipways with nearby parking are a bit thin on the ground.

Cheers

Simon

[Martin]

Hi Rossa, welcome aboard.

The father of an old mate of mine had a fast roller and he didn’t rate it due to its wandering offline when trying to power dead ahead..
I’ve never run one myself so I can only offer the info I was given before purchasing my first sib that turned out to be a Honwave T38ie.

The honwaves have been superb in the past but they are suffering a large number of poor manufactured v floors at the moment, so be sure to check suitability before purchasing or before adding launch wheels etc.

The 9.8 is a cracking little outboard for smaller boats, though bare in mind there is no replacement for displacement..
Ie, the 9.8hp has a lot less cc’s than a 9.9 - though the 9.9hp motors now tend to be the same weight as many 20hp outboards.
Suzuki is leading the class still in my opinion with its superbly quiet, efficient and somewhat lighter 20hp than most manufacturers.

Have a good old think and please feel free to ask more questions as they come to you...

Enjoy the forum,

Martin

[Rossa]

Froglet / Martin thanks

Looks like it could be the Honwave then and may see if the 15HP (price is an issue as well as size) will fit in my car with the boat. I can save around £250 on the 15HP Tohatsu over the Suzuki so will take a look at that one first.

[Tj123]

Hi Rossa.
I bought the 15hp tohatsu fuel injection model a few weeks ago, and I am really pleased with it, very good on fuel extremely quiet, and it is a bit lighter than the suzuki equivalent.

[harrison]

Hi Rossa,

Both good and also very different in terms of performance and cost.

You won’t find many fans on here of flat air deck floors with inflatable sausage keel under, and often seen as the worst of both worlds. Whilst the Zodiac does fall into this camp, in Fastroller guise, it cleverly has a high pressure sausage keel which inflates as one with the air floor. Apart from quick/easy inflation, this does give it a slight performance advantage over the traditional low pressure sausage keel, but not much.

The Zodiac is a quality boat, with thermobonded seams, big tubes, decent internal beam, flat deck, lightweight and will give a good ride in flat/moderate conditions. Start pushing on in typical inshore coastal chop then it will become a handful. Zodiac’s hold their value well, but come at a premium price, so expect to take a big hit if selling on after the first year or two. Even discounted your probably looking at around £700 more new than the Honwave.

The T38 is definitely more of a performance oriented boat giving spirited yet comfortable handling whilst pushing on in typical UK chop. It’s got big tubes, a narrow beam, it banks in the turns, you can sit low down in the v-floor and has significant shear rise at the bow for a dry ride. Also good for pootling around though.

It really depends what your after I suppose. I’ve had more than a few aluminium floored Zodiac’s, and been very pleased with all of them. I currently have a wonky floored T38, which on a good day is an absolute hoot and a joy to hoon around in.

Sadly the current batch of floor issues have somewhat coloured my enjoyment, and now a difficult call to recommend anyone buying. As others have said, get a good one and there’s little else out there that can compete on performance, let alone cost.

Think I’d be tempted by the ‘new in box’ one on here if it has a half decent floor. Attractive price and pretty sure the warranty will be transferable.

As the Boat Show is currently on, you could do worse than having a wander around. Nothing beats seeing/comparing a few boats in the flesh.

[Rossa]

Thanks Harrison,

So I'm thinking a t38 with Tohatsu 15hp. I would rather new and can pick the pair up for just under 3K. Yes boat show is a good idea but will not get a chance now so hopefully the Honwave reseller might be able to inflate the boat for me to check it before I take ownership if not I have seen some on-line photos of what to look out for.

Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll let you know if and when I take the plunge (hopefully not literally)

Regards

Rossa

[Rossa]

Just to let you all know I ordered the t38 in the end with wheels. When I tried lifting a 15hp on my own I decided it may be a bit of an issue due to the weight so got a fantastic deal on a mariner f9.9.
Probably won't take it out until the new year now when I will try it on the Thames - I assume I can put this through a lock? I would appreciate any other recommendations as to where I can take this (Oxfordshire) before I venture out to the ocean when it's a little warmer.