First Time in the Honda Honwave T38 IE Inflatable Boat

I was on the lookout for a larger second boat. I had the Seapro 340 which was great for solo use or maybe taking out one other but for taking a few more people out I needed something bigger. I’d already discounted the aluminium deck boats due to weight so a larger air deck boat would hopefully do the job. After a bit of research online it was clear that the largest air deck model available was the Honda Honwave T38. We are talking a couple of years back now. A quick search online today shows a 4.2-metre air deck boat made by Excel, the Volaire 420 which may be more suitable. I also recall a similar-sized air deck boat from Seapro but it’s not listed on their website so maybe they no longer produce it.

Anyway, back to the Honda Honwave. The Honda Honwave T38 inflatable boat was priced about £100 more than the Honda Honwave T40. This was fine with me as long as it did the job and made my life easier in terms of setup and transportation. I purchased this boat online from Seamark Nunn and waited in the next day for delivery.

On arrival, I was keen to set this up but the weather was not great outside so my front room became my boatyard for the day. It didn’t take long to inflate using my rechargeable pump but the pump did struggle a bit with the air deck at .80 psi pressure. The pump began to overheat a bit towards the end but to my relief, it completed the task. Now I could sit back and observe my new toy.

I left the boat inflated overnight just to test that there were no leaks anywhere. In the morning to my surprise one of the tubes had gone soft so there was a leak somewhere. I was most annoyed that a brand new boat would have a leak so I contacted the supplier to talk about getting it swapped under warranty. He explained that it was quite common for the valves on these boats to need tightening before first use so after a quick tighten with the supplied valve key the problem was resolved.

To test out the boat we went to Redcar UK, my usual testing grounds due to ease of access and a nice flat sandy beach. We took the fishing rods as well and combined the boat testing with a days fishing. The only outboard motor I had available was a Johnson 6hp 2 stroke which performed well on the boat considering there were two of us on board and all the fishing kit, a large cool box and supplies etc.

Honda Honwave T38 IE Inflatable Boat Set Up

The whole set up was squeezed into the back of my estate vehicle.

Honda Honwave T38 IE Inflatable Boat Jan pic

Honda Honwave T38 IE Inflatable Boat Assembly

We use a rechargeable air pump to blow up the boat.  It takes about 10 minutes in total.

Honda Honwave T38 IE Inflatable Boat Pose for Camera lol

With the boat now ready it was time for the launch.  The launch wheels weren’t great as there was too much play in the brackets causing the wheels to fall inwards.  Not very stable but did the job.  Please note these were not genuine Honda launch wheels hence the issues.

Here is a video taken during that first day out showing the speed of the Johnson 6hp 2 stroke. Not super fast, but more than adequate for us.

Now for some fishing.  We headed out to about a mile or so then dropped some Cod Daylights to try and pick up a few Mackerel.  My partner had never fished before so I was keen for her to catch.

Honda Honwave T38 IE Inflatable Boat Setting Up Rods

I was the first to catch. A trio of Mackerel.

Honda Honwave T38 IE Inflatable Boat First Catch Mackerel

Not to be outdone she caught the same only a few minutes later.

Honda Honwave T38 IE Inflatable Boat Jans Catch

It was also my wife’s first time fishing so she got a bit excited when catching her first Codling.

We both caught a few more Mackerel and Codling then headed over towards South Gare to stop for lunch.  Of course we took a few more pics.

 

We headed in after lunch.  Then came the worse part, the packing away.

Honda Honwave T38 IE Inflatable Boat Packing Away

Honda Honwave T38 IE Inflatable Boat Packing Up
I’ve been out quite a few times since in this boat and it’s never let me down.
Good points: large at nearly 4m long, lightweight at 40kg, easy and quick to set up, well designed (carry handles in the right places), easy to clean (integrated floor ), packs down into a small space.
Not so good points: Needs a bit of weight upfront to keep the nose down, the V shape floor and raised front make the front 3 feet unusable unless you buy a front bow bag.

Check out the Honda Marine website: https://marine.honda.com/

For an aluminium floor boat check out the Honda Honwave T40:

https://stufishing.com/another-honda-honwave-t40/

7 thoughts on “First Time in the Honda Honwave T38 IE Inflatable Boat

  • March 12, 2017 at 8:00 pm
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    hi
    what kind of locker box do you use in your t38
    I am after getting one like yours
    thanks
    simon

    Reply
    • March 22, 2017 at 8:07 am
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      Hi simon,
      It’s just a Coleman Xtreme cool box bought from Amazon.co.uk. I can’t remember the capacity, possible the 100QT model.
      Regards
      Stuart

      Reply
      • March 25, 2017 at 11:20 pm
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        Hi Stuart, i am looking to buy a t38 ie2 with the air deck, is the deck sturdy enough to put your weight on your feet? thanks.

        Reply
        • April 14, 2017 at 10:49 am
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          Hi Tom, yes it’s very sturdy to walk on due to the high pressure floor and made from very thick material. After having had 2 air deck boats I’ve now gone back to an aluminium floor boat so have just purchased another T40. Both floor types serve a purpose so I will end up using the T40 for whole day outings and a smaller airdeck inflatable for quick solo outings when time is limited. The air deck is not so great for standing up casting due to the V shape floor and lack of weight but is quicker to setup and easier to store when rolled up. Enjoy your new boat.

          Stuart

          Reply
  • June 2, 2017 at 7:28 pm
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    Hi Stuart, watched just about all your vids regarding Honwave, particularly the T38 IE and I’m convinced that is the boat for me. What is your opinion regarding performance with two peeps plus fishing gear with a 15HP two stroke Yamaha? I have the engine already as I used it on my 2.7 metre but it kept going vertical.
    Kind regards
    Andy
    P.S. Thanks for the great vids.

    Reply
    • July 2, 2017 at 7:26 pm
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      Hi Andy,

      The 15hp 2 stroke will certainly get it moving pretty fast. I used a Mercury 9.9 stroke on my old T40 a few years back and it was rapid. Too fast at times. There are some videos on my channel of it in action. I wish I still had it.

      Regards
      Stuart

      Reply
      • July 6, 2017 at 7:53 pm
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        Hi Stuart, Thanks for your reply. I also have the boat now too. T38 IE. Can’t wait to get it on the water. I’m visiting Loch Leven in a few weeks time for some fishing. I’ll let you know how the package works.
        Kind regards
        Andy

        Reply

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