Features of a Boat
Buying a boat is quite different from buying a car.
You first choose the Gemini hull type (See Hull below),
then select your engine, followed by accessory items
that go to make up the final ‘boat’. There
are so many variables that every boat ends up being
a custom boat by the time it’s on the water. That’s
explains the Gemini slogan - ‘It’s what
you want it to be’. This means you can buy a Gemini
boat, then add the engine(s), seats, consoles, stainless
steel work and many other accessories of your choice.
Everybody knows they will have to choose an engine,
but many don’t consider other important choices
like, seating placement and standing spaces or even
the stowage and deployment of the ground tackle on larger
boats (Anchor system). Gemini dealers are individually
selected for their ability to ‘design’ an
inflatable solution to meet your needs (see Dealers).
Let’s start from the bottom up with the hull.
Gemini offers ‘Soft’ and ‘rigid’
or ‘RIB’ hull options in monohull or catamaran
configurations. Soft hulls are PVC in the CANOE &
MOTOR CANOE craft. Moving up to tenders and above in
size Gemini boats feature marine ply floors where the
floor between the tubes will stay in contact the water
– These include the SEA NYMPH and DIVE Ranges.
The addition of smaller diameter secondary tubes below
the primaries, called ‘Hi-jackers’, converts
these hulls to ‘Cats’ where only the tubes/hijackers
come into contact with the water – These include
the SEACAT, ZAPCAT and SURF GRX ranges. Rigid Gemini
mono-hulls or RIB’s are made from aluminium –
The REEFRIDER Range from 2.6m to 3.4m, or from a balsa/fibreglass
composite - The WAVERIDER Range from 3.1m to 8.5m.
The tubes provide a number of important features. Floatation
is obvious and abundant in all Gemini products. The
second major benefit of inflatable tubes is the strong
light weight construction which reduces the All Up Weight
(AUW) while lowering the Centre of Gravity (CofG). Low
CofG ensures good roll and pitch stability and translates
into a low AUW giving a high power to weight ratio for
a given engine. When a Gemini is at rest, the tubes
are positioned just on the waterline providing excellent
lateral displacement ratios compared to non-inflatables.
This means the boat is very stable on the water. Tubes
also provide an excellent user experience because they
are thermally independent (neither cold or hot) while
being soft and comfortable to the touch. Tubes come
as either PVC or Hypalon (See Materials). These are
inflated to 4-6psi and remain inflated for the life
of the product. Each boat has a number of separate tube
sections for redundancy. All Gemini tubes come with
patch kits for quick yet long lasting repair options
in the field.
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