Where to inflate air floor dinghy?

[IntoMyHealth]

I'm trying to decide where to install plug for electric air pump for new Achilles air floor dinghy. Our Beneteau has a pretty good swim platform to stow and lash a rolled up dinghy while underway. But I've never tried to inflate one from there. Any thoughts? I'm wondering if installing the plug for the pump somewhere near the foredeck is a better idea.

[Stu Jackson]

12 or 120V? Pump, of course.

We have a 120V pump but still use the foot pump to do the air floor.

[IntoMyHealth]

It's 12V. Where do you pump it up?

[rwidman]

Install the outlet for the pump near where you will be inflating the dinghy.

I suggest inflating and deflating the dinghy a time or two before you decide just to get a feel for how difficult it is and where you will need to put it on the boat when inflating or deflating it.

On my boat, the foredeck is the only reasonable place to do this. I just run the cord from the pump through the window to the helm 12 volt outlet.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by IntoMyHealth

It's 12V. Where do you pump it up?

We have a 120V pump, which is why I asked. I can use an extension cord from an outlet in the boat from our inverter.

I agree with Ron, as close as possible, but if you're going to add another outlet, why not just get an extension cord? I assume you're using a cigarette lighter plug. They make extensions for those, too.

You'll still need the foot pump for the floor.

We do it on the foredeck, 10'-2" Zodiac air floor on a 34 foot boat, ends of the dinghy hang over the lifelines. I can't imagine doing it in the stern even with a walk-through transom.

[hellosailor]

For a limited job like pumping up the floor? Perhaps it would make sense to just buy a 12V 12AH lead acid battery, maybe $25 on Amazon, and take it on deck wherever you needed it? ($25 at Amazon, $40 at Home Depot "exit lighting and alarms", $60 at a battery franchise store, all the same battery)


Or buy a "jump box" with the handle and outlet and all the fancy stuff, $40-50 can buy one with a 17AH battery inside, and that literally can jump many car/pickup/boat engines as well.


Side benefits are that either way, you don't have to install and maintain more electric fittings on deck, and a 12V 12AH battery is small enough to even take with you on a long day, when you might want a touch-up. Good emergency backup for the VHF, etc. too.

[rwidman]

I just extended the cord on the pump. I already had a cord with a 12 volt plug that I wasn't using anymore so I cut it and spliced it onto the pump cord. The pump had alligator clips on the end that needed to be changed out anyway.

[Stu Jackson]

Or, you could put the plug in the forward cabin and open the hatch. You have a 47 foot boat. Should be plenty of room on the foredeck.

[ben373]

I have time Makita 18v portable tools. They make a small leaf blower. This is excellent for inflating the dink in next to no time and there is no wires.

Sent from my G630-U251 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[scuba0_1]

Instead of installing a new one I made a 30 ft 12 v plug to do just that from my control panel that way if I need to inflate it more in the water I can easily

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[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

For a limited job like pumping up the floor? Perhaps it would make sense to just buy a 12V 12AH lead acid battery, maybe $25 on Amazon, and take it on deck wherever you needed it? ($25 at Amazon, $40 at Home Depot "exit lighting and alarms", $60 at a battery franchise store, all the same battery)

...

The above is the exact process we use although our "Portable" Battery is a slightly larger 18 Ahr 12v "Maintenance Free" battery from Batteries Plus that we carry in a small sack together with a small 12v re-charger. This battery pack--which thus far has lasted abut 6 years per battery so long as they are stored fully charged when not needed--easily powers our pressure selectable inflator that easily brings our sponsons and air-deck up to their respective pressures within a few minutes each. In our case we inflate/deflate our 310 Zodiac dinghy on the foredeck as it's the largest space we have aboard and we do have lifeline gates on the fore-quarters (to make boarding in a bow-in slip more convenient) which makes launching and recovering the dinghy much easier.

FWIW...

[IntoMyHealth]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

The above is the exact process we use although our "Portable" Battery is a slightly larger 18 Ahr 12v "Maintenance Free" battery from Batteries Plus that we carry in a small sack together with a small 12v re-charger. This battery pack--which thus far has lasted abut 6 years per battery so long as they are stored fully charged when not needed--easily powers our pressure selectable inflator that easily brings our sponsons and air-deck up to their respective pressures within a few minutes each. In our case we inflate/deflate our 310 Zodiac dinghy on the foredeck as it's the largest space we have aboard and we do have lifeline gates on the fore-quarters (to make boarding in a bow-in slip more convenient) which makes launching and recovering the dinghy much easier.

FWIW...

Good stuff, everyone! I'm going to pull back on the install and go with the portable battery.

Is that "12v re-charger" a 120v trickle charger or does it plug into an accessory jack?