Wanted - Very Old Dinghy

[marisca]

I have oft posted on the difficulty in getting a 5'6" draft boat through the claimed 6' deep Clyde/Carron ditch. I think I may have the solution.

What I'm after is a decrepit, dilapidated, mouldy (preferably free) inflatable dinghy with the idea of wrapping its tube around my keel with suitable strapping under said keel to reduce my draft by a couple of inches. Assuming a 0.5m diameter tube then the tube of a 2.3m dinghy, fully immersed would give an upthrust of ~1 tonne - enough to reduce my draft but hopefully not enough to capsize the boat.

So if you have such a relic and enough sense of humour to let me attempt this idiocy, then I would be happy to hear from you. Helicopter flotation bags, etc. would also be acceptable and wouldn't necessarily be destroyed in the process.

[sahona]

Once you've perfected the device - 3 bags with balance control valves - you'll make a fortune renting it out.
Get the patent in now before the trust nick it for themselves.

[Mavanier]

Would this do?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Avon-inflatab ... 8471918%26

[marisca]

Perfect but Norfolk is a tad far. Thanks.

[Arghiro]

I have a Maestral 5 with the solid transom split after getting trapped under the boat. It would probably suit you fine & is a grand & highly visible shade of yellow. Is Staffordshire close enough?

[marisca]

Yet another old thread but this is vaguely relevant as a follow-on.
Many, many thanks to Arghiro for the dinghy and Ash for the transport - indeed the joy of Bluemoment in action. Today I got round to unwrapping the dinghy and inflated the tube without the teeth marks and bites missing - what size of rats do you have down there? Using a tape measure and the power of MSExcel I managed to work out that I could get an uplift of about half a tonne and the disappointment is that that only equates to about an inch more boat out the water. My original guesstimate was based on a 0.5m tube diameter which would have given about a tonne uplift and about 4" more draught (if my crude hull drawing is correct). So it's back to the drawing board.

Anyone else have an idea that needs a 2.5m knackered inflatable?

[neil]

Hi there marisca and everyone else. I apologise as this is my first post, but the reason I am here is a result of a google search for maestral 5 valves. This forum came up with this particular thread. I know it could be seen as rude but I was wondering if you still have the inflatable in question and does it have the inflation valves with it? If so is it still up for grabs?
I have the same inflatable and we used to use it with the kids on the local river, however the valves have fallen to bits as a result of sun damage (I think) and they are very difficult to source.
Do u still have the inflatable, does it have the valves and would u be willing to send them to me (if I pay postage).
Thanks neil.

[marisca]

What? Destroy a perfectly good dinghy with only a broken transom and a few square inches of fabric chewed away?
More than happy to do your bidding but only if Arghiro is in accord. Hold on a tick till he logs on or send him a PM.
The dinghy is in Edinburgh if that is of interest.

[mm5aho]

How about adding a couple of tractor tyre tubes? The big ones that kids like getting towed in behind a speedboat (in warmer waters that round here!).
Put one under the bow and one under the stern and that'd be a bit more lift.

In calculating, did you also figure for some compression of the air reducing the volume of water displaced? That could be a tricky calculation, but a good submariner should eat it?

Is the canal not any deeper now? I wnt through it in about 2004-5 or so, ( I forget exactly), and found more trouble with stuff in there than shallows. But we didn't go right to the west end, just to about kirkintilloch or so. We had shallow draught, so wasn't really an issue.