The Unified Team Diving boat
What do people use as boats? I've been putting together an Avon 18 foot RIB, well, it was put together when I bought it and now I'm in the endless do-loop of tweaking it to be just as I want it.
Here it is as bought:
I had some problems with the outboard, it would drink water and then the oil would look like this:
So, we took the outboard apart, couldn't figure out what was wrong with it, so I did what any good UTD diver would do, I bought a new outboard. Now, my teammates will have a reliable outboard. I did it for them.
Along the way , I've tweaked how it carries tanks. Reason being, we thought the weight in the back had something to do with the outboard problems. When I first got it, the boat had a rack in the back, you can see it here:
That rack would fit 8 steel tanks. WAY too much weight too far back, so we chopped it down, making more room in the back deck area, and I had a small rack built for the front:
This rack will fit four tanks, or four scooters, or some combo of these.
Now, I have only a bit more work to do on it before I go break in the outboard.
Hopefully, I'll get back being a happy boat owner:
But, Richard is banned from doing this to my boat again, I think my boat felt violated:
Here it is as bought:
I had some problems with the outboard, it would drink water and then the oil would look like this:
So, we took the outboard apart, couldn't figure out what was wrong with it, so I did what any good UTD diver would do, I bought a new outboard. Now, my teammates will have a reliable outboard. I did it for them.
Along the way , I've tweaked how it carries tanks. Reason being, we thought the weight in the back had something to do with the outboard problems. When I first got it, the boat had a rack in the back, you can see it here:
That rack would fit 8 steel tanks. WAY too much weight too far back, so we chopped it down, making more room in the back deck area, and I had a small rack built for the front:
This rack will fit four tanks, or four scooters, or some combo of these.
Now, I have only a bit more work to do on it before I go break in the outboard.
Hopefully, I'll get back being a happy boat owner:
But, Richard is banned from doing this to my boat again, I think my boat felt violated:
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brian Wiederspan on -
Great news, Doug. I'm glad you finally got the motor problem resolved. Now all she needs is an espresso maker and she's good to go!
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Georgitsis on -
Ah...Memories of the "Black Hole" ...Do you know the two best days in a boat owners life?
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Permalink Reply by Douglas Steding on -
Yes, I do know the best two days, and, unfortunately, I've already had the first.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Seckendorf on -
Doug, looks great. Tow this puppy down to L.A., we'll give it a run. :)
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Permalink Reply by Douglas Steding on
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Write me a note so I can take a month off work, and I'll be there.
I'm also using the boat to access some surf spots west of Port Angeles, and in the summer, it will be a ghetto ski boat.
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Permalink Reply by James Mott on -
I'd like to see a photo with actual divers with gear and scooters in that "boat." Hopefully floating. I could be wrong but if my 8th grade math is correct I'm not sure it all adds up.
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Permalink Reply by Douglas Steding on
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James,
RIB boats have a much greater weight capacity than a standard 18 foot boat. One of the reasons that they are such good dive boats.
I've already had 8 tanks (four sets of doubles) and three divers with deco bottles and scooters in it. Not only did it float, it did close to 30 knots to the Capilano and back. Useful load is ~2400 pounds (the max payload is 3400, but ~1000 of that is fuel and motor).
Three divers: 600 pounds
Four sets of doubles/three rigs: 800 pounds
Deco bottles: 200 pounds
Scooters: 150 pounds
~1750 total.
A link from the Powell River trip, no picks of the boat because the photographer was in it:
Powell River, Brian's Facebook
More pics on Brian's webpage.
The big deal is how you load the boat, all this weight cannot be in the back as the transom gets low in the water. That is the reason for the front rack.
Try that with an 18 foot hard hull and you will not be able to do it.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Wiederspan on
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Yeah, I can attest that boat had weight capacity to spare, and it absolutely screamed out to the Capilano and Gulfstream.
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Permalink Reply by Douglas Steding on
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115 horses will get it up and going.
Richard's boat (16 feet, 60 horse outboard) will carry a similar amount. Most I've seen in it was four divers (Andrew, myself, Kirk, and Chris) plus a boat tender. Four sets of doubles, four deco bottles, no scooters. Really cramped, but doable.
The genius of a RIB. 6-7 gallons per hour cruising, loaded down, less than 2000 pounds trailered.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Rose on -
Nice boat, but you really need a bit of wood to call something a boat.
It does have tank rack - Mahogany of course.
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Permalink Reply by Douglas Steding on
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Beautiful, absolutely gorgeous boat.
I'd be afraid to take tanks on it.
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Permalink Reply by James Mott on
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Jeff,
All these years and I've never seen a pic of your boat before??? I don't want to be rude and invite myself aboard, but... by the looks of it I could come down and visit and probably not even have to get a hotel room:)
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