Ultimate Console Inflatable

The Walker Bay name is a familiar one from way back when they first introduced 'plastic' boats to the world. This Walker Bay Genesis has just arrived and I can tell you it's the smartest RIB to hit the market since RIBS were invented! I must admit, I have never been a fan of 'plastic' boats but after having received this, I'm convinced it's the way forward!

There's so many innovative ideas that as you assemble it, you sort of wonder why no one ever did it before. Starting with the packaging, the box is so flat, relative to all others, that you wonder how it could possibly fit. Putting it together is a one-person job...and you don't need special tools of any kind.

The secret to the 'flat' packet is of course the folding transom. Yes, the transom has a hinge in it so the whole thing folds really flat. As you pump the air into it, the transom just moves into the upright position... cunning indeed. The Console and Bench seat come in another box. Each component box can be handled easily by one person.

The console, bench seat and the hull itself are all 'plastic'. Initially you might baulk at the thought of this, but the quality, fit and finish honestly make their fiberglass cousins look well... rather outdated! For starters, there's storage compartments everywhere - canned-drink holders are molded in and due to the moulding process, there are no rough edges anywhere! Neat things like the battery compartment hidden under a hinging steering wheel console is a nice feature often lacking on other small RIBS. In fact it took me a while to find the steering wheel as it was hidden in this very compartment!

But the really nice bit about the components is the way they fit into the hull. With the hull inflated, it was easy to pick up each component block single-handedly and place it in place. It secures by the smartest arrangement I've seen... 2 ratcheting straps on each side of the component loop through hoops built into the hull. Then click the ratchet and you're done. Two screws keep it fixed to the floor and that's it!

It gives the Gensis tremendous versatility. For those who prefer a tiller steered boat, don't order the console and you'll get a neat bench seat instead that secures in exactly the same way! Kool. The whole process from box to assembled boat was about 40 minutes, but I think I could do it in 20 now!

Before the boat arrived, I read the literature but it was only when the boat arrived that it dawned on me what a breakthrough in forward thinking it REALLY is. The hull is 'plastic' which means they can be produced by the hundreds every day - no fibreglass boat will ever be able to match that! 

The other hidden benefit is that 'plastic' is very good at absorbing impact, i.e. smack it with a hammer and it has no ill-effect on the hull. But more importantly, this characteristic also carries over when you're on the water. Wave impacts will be absorbed by the material and not transmitted to the occupants - a better ride in a small boat is a big bonus.

If you look at the round tube ends, they're different to the 'normal' cones. Now, the cones are there for a reason and that is to prevent bow lift when you open the throttle. I pondered this for a minute and then had a good look at the hull near the transom. There's a couple of molded-in trim tabs that will do a better job of controlling the bow - smart. The keel also features a v-pad that allows moving water to flow higher up the leg of the motor and stops cavitation in tight turns - smart! 

But I leave the best feature of the hull to the last... Wheels! Molded within the trim tab pad are wheelies - seriously, and these make it a one-handed job to move the thing around! Also molded in the hull is an extra rubbing piece so that when you put it down, it rests on the wheels and this bit - NICE! Oh yeah, the other benefit of plastic technology, lightweight as in this case, is that it's compounded resin and not just 'plastic'.

It's also smarter on the inside. Apart from the luxurious molded components, the nose is much wider. I compared this back-to-back with another fiberglass RIB of the same length and the space in the bow was a good 18 inches more! This means a bow-rider seat in the Genesis is a practical reality! There's a proper seat and a proper cushion to match the rest of the boat and naturally, a decent storage compartment under!

If you look at the details, you can see just how much thought has gone into this. The oar-locks are the most stylish to be seen on any boat. Engaging the oar is a simple push-button arrangement, but what I really like about it is that when it's not being used, it sits flush, like its aerodynamic style!

Walker Bay has invested millions in the molding machines. Unlike fiberglass boats, these will have exactly the same tolerance time after time. Of course, the benefit of this huge investment is... A BOAT EVERY THREE MINUTES! But in my mind, the major benefit is that it's 100% recyclable - an Eco-friendly boat. Now that's a lot better!

All of this forward thinking can be attributed to one Paulo Rista. If you Google that name, you'll see he's one smart chap, with lots of ocean racing experience to his credit!

Have a look here or better yet, check out the Genesis that I've got here...

Eco-Friendly

Ultimate Inflatable Kayak

I've waited ages for this to come along! An inflatable Kayak that doesn't fold up around your ear when you hit the waves with it! I subscribe to the inflatable kayak because it's easy to store and cart around. Years ago, I inherited a Sevylor and that was the best there was. The Airis is way different from anything before.

I spotted this while at the Miami Boat Show and what caught my attention was that it was almost as hard as a rigid boat. To inflate a 'normal' inflatable to this level would end in disaster. What Walker Bay has done is to create a whole new skin technology. It's hard to explain but when you look in the Air-Web window, you'll see millions of fibres linking the deck skin to the hull skin. The fibres look to be aramid in nature, i.e. lightweight and super-strong.

The Air-Web allows load to be dispersed across a wider area... sort of like the trellis frame does on the Ducati. It's light and stiff, and allows the Airis to carry 4 x the inflation pressure of the average inflatable.

It comes complete with double action pump, fits in its own backpack, weighs about 8 kgs and will go anywhere and do anything.

So how does it go?

We tried it in flatwater on a lake 20 minutes north of KL and it glides effortlessly across still water. It tracks true and straight, mainly thanks to the tandem twin fin arrangement on the back. But it does behave more like a rigid boat than a blow-up!

Then I put it in the back seat of the Ford and drove it to Kuantan. Kuantan, at this time of the year, is relatively flat water but come September, well, the surf starts rolling in. On the day in question, there was a small beach break...small being the operative word. 7 minutes with the pump and it was ready to go.

The Airis was real easy to get on to the small surf and, as the photos show, besides being fun, will support the weight of a man standing in the middle of it. If I tried that on my other kayak, it would simply fold in the middle and go nowhere!

Having it backpack-able is great for me as it does mean that conceivably, it will fit on the back seat of the Ducati - although it would look real weird! Malaysia has got some great rivers that are just begging to be explored. I came across a couple of old Aussie diggers that had re-opened a gold mine in Kuala Lipis (geographic centre of Malaysia) and they had built a raft to go down the river there for weekend entertainment.

There's also the huge river at Pekan, the old Royal Capital. I was riding the Duc' through Pekan on one of my many sorties up the East Coast. Two things struck me - 1) it was far cleaner than the average Malaysian small town and 2) it has the Watercraft Museum there and that's a real treat as it has virtually the complete history of Malaysian watercraft dating back 1,500 years. The Pekan River is just begging for an 'exploratory' trip, but for that, we'll need to have a few RIBs on hand as it's probably a week-long venture!

Simply put, now that we've had a try of the Airis, we're off in search of some more action. There's 4 kayaks in the range - 2 'Play' and 2 'Sports' models. The Play models are shorter and designed for mucking about in waves or otherwise. The Sports are longer and have more carry capacity, including 2 racks with a bungee net arrangement and a bag like whitewater rafting bags built right into the back section of the hull.

A lot of thought has gone into the making of this kayak. It's light, robust, packs up small and, price-wise, is a bargain, considering the quality. It costs US$ 850 - 1,000, depending on the model.

The next adventure is to hit some decent waves with it, but I'm thinking of wake surfing with it, i.e. endless wave..!

Kuantan Inflatable CLUB

With so many good places to go boating in Malaysia, I'm going to base a lot of activity on the east coast, beginning with Kuantan, mainly because it has good access to KL. It's also because there's a lot to see and do there, especially in the water.

To get the program rolling, the first Inflatable is already at 'Leo Village', Duta Village Resort, right next to the Swiss Garden Kuantan. I've got 2 bigger trailerable boats moving into Kuantan but these will be kept in the confines of LBC, Kuantan's only boatel. For the action set and beach-launched brigade, well, we've got an activity base on the beach.

Leo Village Watersports makes for a great venue for all beach-launched boats!

An Inflatable boat is such a handy thing - keep it in the boot of your car and just take it to wherever you want to go. The Rhino Rider is a QuickSilver product and quite a handy piece of kit. Leo purchased the boat as an assistance to his kiteboarding school. By the end of the month we'll have another 2 QuickSilvers on the beach there and then we're really ready to explore the bay and beaches around Kuantan.

Once we've done that and made sure everyone is pretty adept at having fun, we'll move the Inflatables by road up to Marang and then head to Gem Island for a weekend rendezvous. Have a look at their website and you'll see what the fuss is about!

I've got the 'dream' of booking the island for a huge weekend of boating in June. Larger trailerable boats can easily make the Kuantan - Gem Island trip while the smaller beach-launched boats will easily make the 5nm from Marang to Gem.

The Rhino Rider has been pottering around the beaches near Cherating fishing, snorkeling and even pulling a small boarder - not bad for a 15hp motor. The boat is kept under Leo's careful guard at his beach hut and will soon be joined by a few more.

It seems like we are just managing to get the Inflatable 'Club" inflated slowly but surely. If there are any other souls who'd like to take part, please let me know.