Building your own inflatable boat

Load Carrying Capacity A key feature about alltheir sides, inflatables won't damage or mark your
inflatable boats and inflatable kayak designs is theiryacht's hull or deck. Purchasing an inflatable tender
incredible stability. Conventional dinghies and smallalmost guarantees the elimination of scuff marks
sport boats rock almost uncontrollably wheneverand scratches on your yacht forever.
anyone moves about. Inflatables, with theirStowability Inflatable tenders are much easier to
buoyancy tubes, sit flat in the water and arestore than conventional dinghies. When deflated
almost impossible to flip over. This offers a feelingand folded into its carry bag a typical 8 foot
of security to even the most nervous boatersinflatable measures about 3 feet x 2 feet and
and allows swimmers or divers to slide back onweighs about 80 lbs.
board without upsetting the boat.At this size, you can see that an inflatable tender
More buoyancy of inflatable boats and inflatableis easily stowed in a locker on board, below decks
kayak designs means bigger load-carryingor in a closet or shed at home. They're also very
capacity. Inflatable boats and inflatable kayaks areconvenient to take on picnics or on vacation,
designed with built-in buoyancy. The inflatableeven in a small car.
collar, or tubeset, is the key that allows inflatableCollar (buoyancy tube) design A unique feature
boats to carry very heavy payloads in a safe andincorporated into many rigid-hull inflatables is the
stable manner. An added benefit is that they areremovable collar. The collar is securely attached to
virtually unsinkable, and can generally operatethe fiberglass hull using a tongue-and-grove
even with one or more chambers of the collarmethod and can be easily slid off whenever
deflated.necessary. This system allows for convenient
High performance Most of today's modernstorage, maintenance and repairs.
inflatable boats and inflatable kayak designs easilyLightweight air-floors Some of the more
match conventional runabouts for speed andadvanced inflatables, like Zodiac's Fastroller,
handling, while some of the more sophisticatedfeature a special High-Pressure inflatable air floor.
rigid-hulled inflatables are clearly superior toMade of two layers of fabric, connected by
ordinary fiberglass or aluminum boats. Forthousands of tiny "drop stitches", this floor can be
instance, the Virage range of sports boatsinflated to a high pressure, creating a floor with
features Zodiac's patented Futura speed tubes torigidity equal to sheet of plywood a fraction of
produce amazing lift and stability. Because thethe weight. Best of all, they can be completely
Futura hull merely kisses the water, it creates lessdeflated and stowed in only minutes without
drag and thus requires less power to reachremoving any parts.
incredible speeds while performing with absoluteThis high pressure air floor is softer on knees and
safety. The big rigid-hulled inflatable superboats arebacksides too.
equally impressive. With deep V-keels up forwardTransoms Given the size, weight and power of
and flat planing sections aft they can produce anoutboard engines today, the transoms of inflatable
astonishingly comfortable ride in tough offshoreboats must be strong enough to withstand
conditions, yet maneuver with ease in the tightestenormous vibration and stress.
dock or harbor.Many inflatables use multi-layer wood transoms
Non-marking features Inflatable boats are the idealthat are glued or "thermobonded" to the collars.
yacht tender because of all their basic advantagesThe result is a high degree of structural strength
including: lightness, stability and buoyancy. Unlikethat reliably absorbs stresses exerted by
regular dinghies, they're easy to lift on board.outboards.
With special rubstrake glued or thermobonded to