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Budgie · 04-05-2023, 16:48

EXTENSIVE REVIEW.

I purchased the Aquamarine Aircat 335 in late July 2022, it's approx. 8 to 9 months old at the time of this review. I've had problems with an extremely sticky substance after about 2/3 months of use as a tender (I live on my boat in the Australian heat) It seems to exude from the PVC and is impossible to clean with conventional methods of maintaining an inflatable dinghy. It's so sticky that clothes are ruined if one sits on the tubes, as the substance transfers to shorts and WON'T come out in the wash. It's so sticky that if my little dog rubs against it, he sticks to it, poor boy!! I'm 78 years old and I've owned many inflatables over the last 60 or so years, luckily they were all made in America or the U.K. and are probably still going strong. My last inflatable was a 20 year old PVC 'American made' Mercury that I bought second hand and was used as a tender and all it had on it was scuff marks and general wear and tear marks, not even one puncture, but I was stupid enough to give it away to a friend when I bought this Aircat. This sticky mess is all over the dinghy, possibly wherever sun gets to it, even under the handles. If I give another boatie a lift then I have to put some canvas down for them to sit on. After trying all methods of cleaning, including specialized inflatable cleaners, sealers etc., and a Gurni high pressure gun, NOTHING removes the stickiness. I did a test patch with ACETONE, GOD FORBID, which removed it with a very hard rub. But then the sticky mess returns after a few days anyway so I have now totally given up cleaning this dinghy and it's in such a mess, it's embarrassing. If one rubs against it, then it will remove the hairs on your legs. Maybe I should sell it to a hair removal salon!!! We are in Autumn now and the stickiness has settled a bit so it's definitely the hot sun causing the stickiness. After 6 months of use as a tender the large sheet of PVC that holds the air floor in place, which is still securely attached to both hulls the full length of the boat, has stretched quite a lot and in turn, even a small amount of pressure pushing down with one hand in the middle at the front as a test will send the front under water, so trying to get back on this dinghy in deep water would be impossible without filling the thing with water. It was OK when brand new, but not now that it's stretched. This means that even with only 2 people on board at midships the front will go under water and the Aircat fills up with water!! This Aircat cannot be towed behind a boat...EVER...DO NOT TOW IT, as even towing it at 1 or 2 Knots the front will go under and the Aircat will fill up with water up to the top of the transom and will drown the outboard on the Aircat, which nearly happened to me. Aquamarines own compliance plate on the dinghy states it will take 5 people or 500 kilos!!! Well luckily I'm mostly on my own and it's very safe and quite capable even in a small/medium chop with my 4hp four stroke on it. The speed with one person on board with the 4hp is about 4/5 knots and I think it would plain with a 6hp outboard with one aboard. On the odd occasion I have a passenger on board it gets rather hairy when the bow goes under water when coming off the throttle and whatever gear is on the floor gets ruined when the boat takes on water. It's dangerous enough with 2 on board, so 5 people as per the compliance plate would be downright deadly in it's present state. This compliance plate should be changed to a maximum of one adult and one child... At the most. All the seams, handles, ply transom attachment etc. are still OK and the glue has not given way anywhere.....The supplied ply seat was totally the wrong size and would never fit and after I made lots of adjustments, it split anyway as soon as I sat on it and I'm not that heavy. Admittedly any dinghy used as a tender, has to work hard but a "decent" dinghy will cope. If you have children then please keep an eye on them while playing with this dinghy. In Aquamarines own video it shows this Aircat as a tender pulling up to a yacht, so anyone would think it's OK as a tender. Even left on davits, if it's in the sun it will eventually get the sticky mess. If you are cruising and only use it when you get into a new port and deflate it after every use, then it may last. The PVC on this Aircat IS NOT SUITABLE FOR PURPOSE. My emails to Aquamarine, the manufacturers, really didn't get me any satisfaction and I was told by them that I didn't maintain it, which really got my back up. Luckily, the Australian retailers were very good, understanding and came to the party. Photos available. Rob

Budgie · 04-05-2023, 18:16

My own review titled Aquamarine Aircat 335 has misspelled the manufacturers name. It should read AQUA MARINA. As soon as I find out how to edit my review, I will do so. Thanks, Rob