Another Honda Honwave T40? What the…

 

If you’ve read any of my previous blog posts regarding my boating activities you’ll recall I had a Honda Honwave T40 a few years back but swapped it as I found the weight difficult to manage.  It weighed in at over 100KG including the engine.  It would have been fine if I was storing it on a trailer and didn’t need to assemble it at each outing but that wasn’t an option so I replaced it with an air deck model, the Honda Honwave T38.

Well here we are a few years on and I’ve just purchased another Honda Honwave T40.  Sometimes you don’t realise what you have until it’s gone.  Yes, it’s big, it’s heavy, it’s cumbersome to assemble but it’s very stable on the water and in my opinion a better fishing platform.  In windy conditions my air deck inflatables tend to blow around too much, I liken them to an empty crisp packet whereas the aluminium deck boats with their extra weight tend to sit lower in the water.  Think of an empty crisp packet versus a full can of fizzy drink floating on water.  OK, I’m hungry now but you get the idea.

Another issue with the air decks was the weight distribution.  I needed to put plenty of weight toward the front of the boat to compensate for the weight of the outboard and my body weight at the back otherwise the front would start to lift out of the water when cruising.  Not ideal when going out solo.  Having a friend up front does help but more often than not I like to go on solo outings for a bit of peace and quiet and to de-stress.

I ordered my new Honda Honwave T40 from my usual supplier and it arrived in just under a week.  On arrival, the weather wasn’t good enough for a quick inflate and test so I had to wait until the weather improved and by the following weekend the conditions were better.  Here are some pics from the unboxing and first inflation.

 

After carefully inspecting the parts I noticed one of the floor sections had a dent in one of the corners where it had probably been knocked in transit.  Not a major issue but annoying as this was a brand new boat.  Nevertheless, I decided to fix this myself with a pair of pliers and continue the assembly.  

It took a while to get the floor into place and the side struts in.  I remember now how difficult this could be from my previous T40.  With a bit more practice I should have it mastered.

I look forward to getting full use of this boat during summer 2017.  Hopefully, we’ll get some decent weather this year and I can travel around a bit more and try a few new locations.

 

13 thoughts on “Another Honda Honwave T40? What the…

  • June 21, 2017 at 10:17 am
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    Enjoy your new boat.I have the T35 Honwave,might see you off Redcar sometime.Keep on catching !

    Reply
    • July 2, 2017 at 7:19 pm
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      Hi Dave,

      Yes I’ll hopefully see you out there, once I get my van fixed. I’m itching to get out again.

      Stuart

      Reply
  • June 22, 2017 at 5:31 pm
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    I love reading your blog.. glad i bought t40 aluminum, specially based from your experience, i got my decision right. Keep posting.

    Reply
  • July 11, 2017 at 6:20 pm
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    hi,

    could you please tell me the brand and model of the pump you are inflating the t40 with?

    many thanks!

    Reply
    • July 30, 2017 at 12:59 pm
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      Hi, my current pump is a rechargeable pump by Europa Sport. If you search Ebay for ‘Europa sport pump’ you should see it.

      Regards Stuart

      Reply
  • July 13, 2017 at 4:14 pm
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    Hi, I am thinking about getting the T32 to potter around on the river. I saw the video of you inflating your T38 on the slipway, what was the nifty cordless pump you were using?

    Reply
    • July 30, 2017 at 12:52 pm
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      Hi Ben,

      I’m using a rechargeable pump made by Europa Sport. Bought on Ebay. Just search for ‘Europa sport pump’ and you should find it.

      Regard Stuart

      Reply
  • July 24, 2017 at 4:47 pm
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    Thinking of getting an inflatable but can’t choose between the Honwave and the Seapro Heavy Duty. I noticed you had a Seapro, how do you compare quality. I would be looking at an alloy deck, probably 3.8

    Cheers

    Neil

    Reply
    • July 30, 2017 at 12:56 pm
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      Hi Neil,

      In my opinion the Seapro’s are a better quality and feel a lot tougher. I only bought another Honwave as the Seapro I wanted required a long shaft engine and I’ve only just recently bought another short shaft engine.

      Regards Stuart

      Reply
  • August 31, 2017 at 5:06 pm
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    Hi.

    Great info.

    Now that you have the Honwave for a few months are still pleased you went for this model over the airdeck?

    I am torn between the two, I saw both at a dealership today. I note your comments about the alu deck being better for standing on, but can’t quite get past the weight if I am handling the boat on my own (it will be setup each time I head out – I don’t want to use a trailer).

    Mine will be used for family trips (2-3 adults mostly + child), with fishing and spearfishing at times.

    Reply
    • September 3, 2017 at 8:22 am
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      Hi Simon, I think in your situation an air deck would be the better choice. I went out in the T40 yesterday and was quickly reminded how time consuming these aluminium decks are to assemble, not to mention heavy. I’ll be looking for a trailer solution soon for this boat. In the meantime I’ve still got the T38 airdeck and Seapro air deck boats for quick outings. Have you considered the Excel Volaire? I’ve been looking at these as they offer a flat air deck floor and come in quite large sizes.

      Regards Stuart

      Reply
  • September 3, 2017 at 7:09 pm
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    Hi,

    I really, really love your page and YT videos – it is very helpful and inspirational.
    I started my sea fishing adventure 6 years ago (shore fishing) and now its time to do another step 🙂
    Decided to buy 4 metre SIB and small (6-10 HP) engine in the near future – probably in spring next year but there is plenty of boats brands and models so I’m slightly confused.
    Do you think that there is a big difference between your T40 HonWave and Excel Vanguard 395? Honda is a little bit cheaper than Excel but does it worth to pay £300 more for Excel?
    I really can’t wait to start my SIB adventure and am very excited.
    I will use small trailer – so the boat will be inflated and kept in my garden during Spring-Autumn time.
    I will use it with another person so it always will be 2 people on board + fishing gear.
    It will be used for weekend cruising just for fun to (3 people).
    Do you think that T40 will do the job well?
    I’m from Poole so did really enjoy to watch your videos from Dorset 🙂
    Cheers, Adam

    Reply
    • September 12, 2017 at 7:08 pm
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      Hi Adam, thanks for the positive comments. I appreciate it. Both these boats will do the job, I don’t think there’s that much of a difference between them although the Excel has a longer warranty of 5 years vs the Honda’s 2. Is the extra £300 worth it for 3 extra years of warranty on the Excel? Maybe. As for the engine I would advise getting a 9.9hp or higher if storing it on a trailer. I only went for a 6hp as I needed a lightweight engine that I can safely manage as I assemble my boat every trip and have to carry the engine from my vehicle to the boat. Anything bigger than a 6hp is too heavy for me to safely manage. If I had a trailer and storage I’d be using a 15-20hp engine on a 4M inflatable. Hope that helps. Enjoy your boat when you get it.
      Regards Stuart

      Reply

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