Placing Tender on Roof w/ Low Radar Arch

DaveS":1q7v1hdc said:
...at the bottom of that page you will find a pix of "Sea Shift" with a Alaskan Series dinghy on top of it. My arch is too short for the Alaskan Series to scrunch under it, but you can see that it works well. A few moments after we tried that dinghy on it, we tried one that is the next size up and it also worked, but did hang over the brow a bit.
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Here you go, good buddy...and thanks a bunch for the info. I had no idea the small AK would fit up there so well.

I assume by small, that's the 220TDS? That's the model I have my eye on, so it's great that I don't have to delve into "arch modification"...

Gulf_Islands_027.jpg
 
Bill,
We need to get Fred of "Anita Marie" and Joe of "R Matey" to help us out here with the sizes of their respective Alaskan Series as they were present during the "fitting" of their Alaskan Series. The one pictured in your post above is the smaller of the two. We put "Anita Marie's" on top as well and I believe that everyone present for the fitting agreed that the larger of the two would work. According to my "memory".. :roll: ..Fred felt there would be no interference for my radome in capturing an adequate "picture" on the chartplotter/radar.
I do know that I'd rather have the larger of the two.
 
DaveS":1m88d642 said:
According to my "memory".. :roll: ..Fred felt there would be no interference for my radome in capturing an adequate "picture" on the chartplotter/radar.
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And if the image is obstructed, that's a relatively minor issue - compared to arch replacement. I'd assume the radome could simply be raised on the existing arch, via a pedestal.

No AK inflatable for me at this year's SBS, but maybe next.
 
One drawback I see about the Alaskan Series is that an owner probably has to be a light sleeper and pack iron at all times, because I'd think some crook :evil: would attempt to liberate it from your boat when you are not watching. (They are NICE dinghys!)
 
Thru the years we have owned a number of inflatables. There is no substitute for a real dinghy--a paddle board or even a kayak cannot do the same things--despite each of these being excellent for what they are intended for. The dinghy is you station waggon, touring car and life boat.

We currently have several inflatables, including the 6'6" wooden transom, slat floor, West Marine (Zodiac), and a 9'6" inflatable floor. We also owned an 8' wooden transom slat floor (Zodiac). My experiences early on with the round inflatables, and un-reinforced (slat type of inflatable floor) was that they were unstable when you got in the boat--and we have avoided them for years. The Alaskian boats are very well made--and may be an exception to this. We used both the 8' and 6'6" inflatables on our CD 22, and I believe that either would have been OK with a low arch. We kept the 6'6" boat and used it exclusively this summer in the PNW--it is tight, but do-able with one 200 lber and one 120 lber aboard....plus a small dog, but the 8' boat has a lot more room. Remember than a 6'6" boat will only have about 4 feet of usable length in the actual hull (18" overhand aft, and 12" tube foreward--the 8 boot boat increases this to 5.5 feet inside of the boat. A 9'6" boat gives you almost 8 feet inside of the boat. Also consider how fast you want the dinghy to go--none of the boats you are considering will plane--and most likely you will row (a bit of frustration if going any distance) or a 3 hp engine. If you want to plane, you need to have a inflatable floor, and at least 6 hp--better 8 hp.
 
Rabbits Hutch said:
DaveS:

Great pictures from your cruise. The Alaskan looked like a nice size for a 22' Cruiser with the low arch. It didnt even come over the brim.

What length was that particular inflatable? Do you recall?

The length of R-Matey's Alaska Series is 7'3". It is 4'5" wide. Weight 40# Model #220TDS

The Alaska Series that Fred (Anita Marie) has is 7'10", same width but weighs 45#. Model #240TDS.

This information is from the 2006 Seattle Boat Show spec sheet.
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Rabbits Hutch":27k1zi5u said:
Those are very expensive inflatables....
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No argument at all there...but as should be obvious from the many C-Brats who own them, the quality is pretty amazing. It's certainly overkill for many.

I was also quite hesitant when I first saw the prices, but after seeing them in person at the SBS, I decided I'd take the plunge when the time comes. I've not seen another inflatable anywhere near the quality. And, given the abuse my dogs and travels will provide, I consider the premium worth it for peace of mind.

One note - buyers can save a little cash, if buying at the SBS. He does run show specials, and if ordered early enough, delivery can be arranged...not sure if that deadline has passed or not. I've not seen them packaged up, but given the weight (most are under 50 lbs.), I'm guessing they could be brought back home on an airline.
 
Ruthie is correct, we have a 240TDS. I think the 240 is a better two person boat and the weight is around 45lbs.
We have a low arch but on a 25 it does not hang over the cabin. We used to have an 11' Padilac/kayak and it hung at least two feet over the cabin. This did not cause any problems with launching or retreiving the dingy. The only thing I would recommend is to lash down your dingy as well as you can. We always tie a short line from the dingy to the boat underway just in case it ever broke free.
CDory_next_to_Cape_Cruiser_4.sized.jpg
 
Give Jim King a call @ 907-248-2900 - owner of Alaska Series Inflatable boats.

He works out of a warehouse here in Anchorage and does shows all over the US.
Show prices are close to half the retail price.
Great guy to do business with and stands behind his produces.

We have the 240TDS with Grizzly Claw bottom, show price was about $1200.

Have 2 hp Honda kicker, works great see pics in album.
 
I just called Jim King at the above posted number. His message says he is in the Orient until Dec 7, and does not check messages on that phone. Says best way to contact is via e-mail, linked from his web page at alaskaseries.com or direct it is jim_king@hotmail.com

I sure hope he is at the SBS because I have some questions for him. I tried to purchase an Alaska Series from Inflatable Boat Works, Seattle, which is/was listed as his PNW dealer, and let's just say it was less than easy, and the inflatable I would up with was their rendition of the identical replacement, supposedly offered by Jim King. It seems like a good thing, but it doesn't say Alaska Series on it. Supposed to meet the same specs, and came in a box with Jim King labeling on the side, but the instruction sheet did not look related. When questioned, IBW said they were the same boat but now being made by another manufacturer, China, I believe, and that the warranty would be the same. It took several months to get a complete, functional inflatable. IBW would not be my first choice to go to for a dealer. I know that previously others have had better experiences with them, but there are also those who have also had less than stellar service. I would certainly go into the deal with eyes open and plan b & c in order. It is a shame that such a good product suffers due to not such good customer service. Best of luck to future Inflatable purchasers. It is a hard decision, for a very important pleasure and safety accessory.

Harvey
SleepyC
:moon
 
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