A polyvinyl chloride inflatable boat is only half the success of a comfortable fishing or a walk on a body of water, and the second half, equally important, is a quality bottom that ensures structural rigidity, water stability and crew safety. book-book It becomes the foundation that turns the soft inflatable shell into a full-fledged floating vehicle capable of withstanding the weight of the motor and passengers.
Many beginners underestimate the importance of choosing the right floor, focusing only on cylinders and transom. However, it is the type of bottom that determines the speed of the set of stroke, the controllability of the vessel on the wave and the durability of the entire structure. In this article, we will discuss in detail what is a slate, how it differs from floorboard and how to choose the best option for your use case.
The choice between lightness and reliability is the eternal dilemma of a boater, and on the one hand, you want to be able to quickly assemble a boat and throw it into the trunk of a small car, on the other, to get on the water the sensation of driving a hardboat. Slate book In this context, it is a compromise, and often an ideal solution, combining the ease of assembly with excellent driving qualities.
What is a slate book and its design features
Slate book It's a type of removable hard bottom that consists of several sections connected by strong fabric straps or special tape, and it gets its name from the way it's folded: the sections are assembled in accordion, resembling the pages of a book, which makes it much easier to transport and store in a compact form.
The main difference between this type of bottom and solid floorboards is modularity. If the floorboard is a set of individual plates that need to be stacked sequentially inside the boat, then the book is already assembled into a single system. You don't have to waste time connecting disparate elements on the shore or in the water, risking dropping the part overboard. You just need to deploy the structure and insert it into the cylinders.
⚠️ Note: When buying a boat, pay attention to the quality of the connecting tape. Cheap analogues can quickly RUB or stretch, leading to gaps between sections and disruption of the geometry of the bottom.
The design also includes profiles that are inserted into special pockets or slots around the perimeter of the bottom. stringerThey give the floor the necessary rigidity and prevent the cylinders from bending inwards under water pressure, without which even the thickest plywood will not be able to provide the required flatness necessary for sleeving.
Materials of manufacture: plywood against aluminum
The choice of material for sleigh is a matter of balance between weight, durability and cost. The current market is dominated by two main types of materials: marine plywood and aluminum-magnesium alloys. Each of them has its own unique specifications that directly affect the operation of the plant. PVC in different conditions.
Plywood sleighs are generally made from top-quality birch plywood with high moisture resistance, and are coated with special varnishes or epoxy compounds to protect the tree from rotting. The main advantage is the low cost and a pleasant surface that is not as hot in the sun as metal. However, the weight of the plywood remains substantial, which is critical for low-power car owners or those who prefer running fishing.
Aluminum variants represent a more premium segment. aluminum It's not afraid of water, it doesn't rot, it doesn't deform when it's drying out, and it lasts for decades, and it can be 30 to 40 percent less weight than a wooden equivalent of the same strength, but there's a downside: the high thermal conductivity of the metal makes sitting on a floor without a mat uncomfortable in heat or cold, and aluminum can make a ringing sound when it comes in contact with equipment.
Compare the main specifications of materials for clarity:
| Characterization | Sea plywood | aluminum | Plastic (composite) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight. | Medium/Severe | Light. | Very light. |
| Moisture resistance | Requires care. | 100% | 100% |
| Price. | Low. | High. | Medium |
| Durability | 5-10 years | 20+ years | 10-15 years |
It is important to note that modern composite materials are beginning to displace traditional solutions, offering excellent strength at minimal weight, but their cost remains high for the mass consumer.
Advantages and disadvantages of folding bottom
Popularity slate-book It's because of a number of indisputable advantages over the set-up floorboards, and first of all, it's the speed of assembly and disassembly, so you don't have to mess with the individual plates, and you get them to fit in and make sure they're on the stringers, and you spread them out, you spread them, you put them in, and you're ready to pump, and that's especially valuable in windy weather, or if you need to put the boat up and lift it often.
The rigidity of the book design is often higher than that of the dialing floor, thanks to the continuity of the plane and the reliable connection of the sections. This ensures better hydrodynamics: the boat is easier to planing, holds its course more stable and roams less on the wave. For motors from 5 hp and above, this becomes a critical factor in fuel economy and reducing engine load.
But there are some downsides to not being silent about, and the main one is the size of the packaged book, which is a fixed length, the width of the boat cockpit, and you can't make it into smaller parts, and if you have a small trunk or a narrow elevator in your house, it can be a problem, and the weight of the whole structure can be significant, making it difficult to carry the boat alone, especially if you're talking about models that are more than 3 meters long.
⚠️ Attention: The folded slate book has a rigid geometry. Make sure that the diagonal of your luggage compartment or doorway allows you to carry a long bundle before buying a boat with this type of bottom.
It's also worth mentioning the difficulty of replacing a damaged section. If you can just throw out a broken plywood in a dial paiola and insert a new one, in the case of a book, you'll probably have to change the entire structure or contact a service to repaint sections.
Technology of installation and dismantling of slag
The proper installation of the bottom is the key to the safety and longevity of the boat. The process begins with the installation of cylinders on a level, clean surface. It is important to remove any sharp objects, stones or branches that can damage the PVC tissue at the moment of tension. Slate book and place it inside the inflated, but not yet the end of the hard boat, or on the ground next to the cockpit, if the design allows insertion before final pumping.
The key is to put in the onboard profiles, which are inserted into special pockets on the sides of the boat or into the slots of the sleigh itself, and then refueled under valves or special tissue tongues, and it is the profiles that create a spacing that forms a flat bottom. Tension. should be uniform: first fix the nose, then the aft, and only after that go through the sides, finally fixing profiles.
The reverse order of dismantling is in place. First, completely release the pressure in the cylinders to remove tension from the fabric. Then carefully pull the profiles, starting with the onboard ones. Stack the slate along the existing folds, trying not to create new clamps that can damage the connector tape or the material of the sections. Cleanliness is mandatory when assembled: sand and dirt caught between the sections work like an abrasive, rubbing the cloth and wood.
Some boat models are equipped with a system Fast-AssemblyAnd in these cases, it's easy to just put the design in the cylinders and pump them, but the versatility of these systems is lower, and if the profile breaks, it can be more difficult to replace them.
Care for slate and extension of service life
Even the strongest material requires maintenance, especially in an aggressive aquatic environment. Plywood slate, the main enemy is moisture that stagnates between sections or under the coating. After each fishing, be sure to dry the bottom. Do not pack the wet boat in a case for long-term storage, this is guaranteed to lead to mold and plywood stratification.
For aluminum structures, care is easier, but it is also necessary. Salt water can cause oxidation at the joints and mounting of belts. Fresh water washing after use in the sea is a mandatory procedure. It is also worth checking the condition of the connecting belts and rivets. Weakening of the fastener can lead to backlash of sections and unpleasant creaking when driving.
⚠️ Warning: Never use aggressive chemicals or solvents to clean sleigh. They can break down the protective varnish on the plywood or the oxidative layer on the aluminum, and damage the fabric connecting the sections.
Keeping a boat with a sleigh book inserted is recommended in straightened form or rolled up in a large roll, but not folded "accordance" for months. Prolonged static pressure at the folding sites can lead to deformation of the material and the appearance of "tired" cracks. The ideal storage option is to hang the boat or put it on a flat shelf.
Comparison with inflatable floor and floorboard
When choosing a boat, the buyer often faces the question: which is better? NDMA (low pressure inflatable floor), floorboard or book? NDND provides maximum comfort and low weight, great for quiet fishing and family walks, but loses in speed and stability on the wave. floorboard is cheaper to produce and easier to transport in disassembled form, but long to assemble.
The slate book is a middle ground for those who value performance, it's tougher than the inflatable floor, which allows you to go faster and feel more confident in a large body of water, and it's better than the floorboard in terms of assembly speed and overall stiffness, but it's less compact than the packing. book It often becomes a choice without alternative.
It is important to consider the type of reservoir. For narrow overgrown rivers, where maneuverability and low weight are important, NDND is better. For large lakes, reservoirs and sea walks, where stability and the ability to keep the wave are important, a rigid slate book will be out of competition.
Can I use a book in the cold?
You can use a plywood sludge boat in extreme cold, but with caution. The plywood becomes more fragile and the connecting tape loses elasticity. Aluminum sludge is safer in this regard, but the metal cools down quickly. It is recommended to avoid shock loads when assembled in the cold.
How to replace a broken connection tape?
Replacing the tape requires care. The old tape is cut, the ends of the sections are cleaned. The new tape (usually reinforced PVC or PVC) is glued with a special two-part glue for PVC. It is important to observe the geometry so that the sections fold evenly.
Does the type of bottom affect the boat’s load capacity?
Formally, the load capacity determines the volume of cylinders, but a hard bottom (book or floorboard) allows for a more even distribution of the weight of passengers and cargo, preventing the critical deflection of the bottom down, which can happen to BNDD when overloaded.