Characteristics of the Ufimka boat, modifications, tuning, prices and equipment
Compact watercraft that can be easily transported to any body of water and stored in domestic conditions are popular among fishermen and hunters. The Ufimka rubber boat is just one of these representatives of water transport. This domestic vessel plied rivers, ponds and lakes back in Soviet times, but to this day its use on the country’s waterways is not uncommon. What is the reason for such popularity? Let's find out in today's article! As always, we will study the technical characteristics of the Ufimka boats, talk about modifications and equipment, and also touch a little on the topic of operation and storage.
Models
There are several possible modifications of these boats:
- with a standard bottom, complete with hard seats;
- with an inflatable bottom, complete with hard seats;
- with a standard bottom, complete with soft seats;
- with an inflatable bottom, complete with soft seats.
Models with an inflatable bottom have a number of advantages over boats with a standard bottom. Thus, an inflatable bottom allows the boat to better balance on the water and also increases speed characteristics.
However, this type of bottom also has a noticeable drawback - this is the hole through which the bottom is inflated. The fact is that there is no valve on it, which can lead to leakage. However, the hole is tightly screwed with a plug, which significantly reduces this risk.
In addition, due to the particular structure of the boat, it is impossible to install an engine on it. However, this circumstance does not prevent this boat from being one of the most popular in its segment. For the most part - due to its low cost.
What is the Ufimka boat?
As you can guess from the “telling” name, the production of the vessel is carried out by the RTI plant named after M.V., located in the city of Ufa. Frunze. The company was founded in 1942, and the first inflatable rubber boat with the name “Ufimka” was produced by it in 1950. True, at that time the new product was ahead of its time: watercraft with inflatable cylinders were a novelty and could not earn the trust of consumers.
But already in the mid-1960s, the country was swept by a real wave of water tourism: ships were in high demand, and any new product attracted great attention. Therefore, in 1968, the Ufa plant resumed production of rubber boats, and the very first batch of products was snapped up like hot cakes. The inflatable rowing boat "Ufimka 22", made of durable rubberized fabric and designed to carry two people, has gained great popularity due to its compact design and decent running characteristics. The ship was quickly put into wide production, and in addition to domestic deliveries, the Ufimka was also exported to 61 countries around the world!
Today, rubber watercraft are in the shadow of the more popular PVC boats, but Ufimka is still often used for fishing, hunting and boat trips.
Boat design
Ufimka 2 does not have a pronounced bow and stern. The design is a kind of pirogue with pointed and raised ends symmetrical along the midsection. You can row the boat either with your face or your back in the direction of travel. The body consists of two completely autonomous cylinders without partitions, which are inflated separately from each other. It is welded to a flat bottom made of rubberized fabric, equipped with carrying handles, built-in rotary oarlocks, and handrails. These are two-seater rowing models equipped with wooden can seats, which are mounted on mounts with latches made of rubber. The boats have a spacious cockpit, gussets, and are equipped with oars with plastic blades. If necessary, they can be equipped with clamps for spinning rods, devices for mounting an echo sounder, holders for glasses, and a protective apron.
Boat modifications and technical characteristics of Ufimka boats
Over more than half a century of production, the Ufa boat has managed to acquire several versions, each of which has its own key features. Let us consider separately a brief description and characteristics of the Ufimka boats.
Rubber boats Ufimka-1 and Ufimka-1, 5
Small-sized models designed for fishing and short-distance boat trips.
Ufimka-1 is designed to carry one passenger and gear: the maximum load on the boat can reach 120 kg. The length of the vessel is 2.2 m, the width is 1.05 m, and the weight of the hull is 9 kg. You can buy such a boat for only 4,000 rubles.
But the model with the index “1.5” is intended for transporting 1 adult and 1 child. This rubber boat Ufimka is 2.58 meters long and 1.17 meters wide. The boat's hull when inflated weighs about 15 kg, while the vessel's carrying capacity reaches 160 kg. The cost of this modification will be 6,000 rubles.
Ship "Ufimka-21"
The model range of two-seater watercraft begins with the rubber boat Ufimka 21. The design is characterized by increased dimensions and an increased diameter of the inflatable cylinder. In addition, the model is available in two versions: with a standard or with an inflatable bottom. In the latter case, the vessel has improved speed performance and balancing on the water.
Boat modifications
The boat is available in various modifications, all of which are mainly related to the design features of the model.
The seats of all models are hard and made of wood, but the bottom can be traditionally rubber or inflatable. The advantage and convenience lies behind the latter. At such a bottom, the level of safety of the vessel’s operation increases, as well as the smoothness of the ride, and the level of sliding on the surface of the water increases.
Boat capacity is the main determining parameter of the model range. Available: single-seat version Ufimka-1, one-and-a-half - Ufimka-1.5, double in two models Ufimka-21 and Ufimka-22. The last two options are more suitable for serious river rafting in a large company, since the boat can easily handle the movement of two adults with a child and some personal cargo. The seat can easily fit a couple of people. Others are more suitable for paired or individual use, but the trade-off is the ability to carry more cargo.
Also, if we look at the two-seater models, there are many small features that stand out.
Ufimka-21 has an inflatable bottom, the advantage of which was mentioned above; there is an option made using PVC. It has the ability to install an end for mounting a motor on it. The boat of this model can be divided into a couple of compartments, which will help it stay afloat if one of them is damaged, thereby reaching the shore, even with passengers.
Ufimka-22 has a simple rubber bottom installed on it. There are modifications with the abbreviations “SL P” and “SL F”, which means what material is used as the basis of the hard bottom - polyethylene foam or plywood, as well as with the use of PVC - IPP. It is divided in the same way as the 21st, only into two compartments. In the model range there are two more models of two-seater boats Ufimka-23 and Ufimka-24, about the features of which non-specialists know little.
Standard equipment of the Ufimka boat
Any watercraft is complemented by boat accessories, some of which are included in the basic factory supply. For example, the Ufa plant sells its rubber boats complete with such necessary things as:
- Mechanical foot pump (frog type);
- Hard seat (1-2 pcs.);
- Set of tools for minor repairs;
- Non-separable oars (2 pcs.) and oarlocks for them;
- Anchor eye;
- A backpack for carrying and storing the vessel when folded.
In addition, at the buyer's request, hard benches can be replaced with more comfortable soft seats. Also, do not forget that the Ufimka 21 boat in one of its modifications comes complete with an inflatable bottom.
Operation and storage
Leaving a boat in direct sunlight for a long time in hot weather can cause problems. The product’s cylinders expand quite quickly due to the physical properties of air. This, in turn, often causes small tears in the material. To avoid such problems, it is recommended to periodically bleed off excess air. Moreover, this should be done while mooring to the shore.
Since the boat is shaped with a high bow and rear, the vessel is relatively easily picked up by strong, sharp gusts of wind. Therefore, when fishing in bad weather, it is recommended to stay close to the shore.
Drying the product is of utmost importance during operation. Despite the use of rubber as the main material, the inner fabric layer of the vessel has a tendency to absorb moisture. As a result, with high air humidity, drying the boat can take significantly longer.
For the winter, the product is tightly rolled up and placed in its original case. You should choose a clean and dry place for storage.
Additional equipment and tuning
In addition to the accessories included in the basic package, you can equip the vessel with your own developments and gadgets. For example, purchase a portable navigator or echo sounder, attach a spinning rod holder to the body, buy a more powerful pump, etc. But frankly speaking, in terms of its characteristics, the rubber boat “Ufimka 22”, like other models in the series, is not the most successful example for tuning. The thing is that modern boat fittings are mainly made for PVC boats, and many fastenings with rubber are simply incompatible.
However, craftsmen still manage to equip their ships with maximum comfort. For example, oarlocks are reinforced with reinforced tape, rigid cans are complemented with swivel fishing chairs, and even a hinged awning from rain and sun is found with something to hook onto on a rubber boat. So the moment of tuning greatly depends on the imagination, skills and capabilities of the owner of the boat.
Reviews
Over the decades of using such a boat, many customer reviews about this boat have been left on various Internet forums, websites and regular printed publications. Having examined the overall rating of reviews, we can say that positive statements predominate to a greater extent.
Most often in their comments, users note the following advantages of using the Ufimka 22 boat:
- easy movement on any body of water;
- excellent cross-country ability even in reservoirs with a lot of algae;
- long-term use (some fishermen have been using such a boat for decades);
- structural strength;
- ease of transportation due to its small size and weight;
- acceptable price;
- ease and speed of using the boat and setting it up in working order (unpacking, inflating).
In addition to satisfactory reviews regarding the use of this boat, you can also find negative comments about it.
Such reviews usually talk about the following disadvantages of the Ufimka 22 boat:
- low reliability of the material from which the boat is made compared to similar inflatable boats available on the fishing market;
- poor-quality connection of the seams of the boat, which over time begin to separate and let water inside the boat (as a rule, this happens quite rarely if the boat is not properly cared for);
- small space inside the boat, making it cramped.
The last drawback applies not only to this boat model, but to all inflatable rubber boats.
Having analyzed the above, we can say that most buyers still like this boat, and they consider it quite successful among a large number of boats from other manufacturers. In addition, if the owner of the boat follows at least the basic rules for using this boat, which are recommended by the manufacturer, then it will be able to last from ten to twenty years, which is an excellent indicator.
What motors are suitable for the Ufimka boat?
A series of Ufa boats are officially classified as rowing vessels, because... The design features of the hull do not allow the vessel to be equipped with a transom. But folk craftsmen do not give up here either: there are reviews and photos online with homemade mounted transoms for Ufimki. According to the owners, the boat feels quite comfortable under the motor - it holds its course well, maneuvers easily and is responsive to steering control.
But still, equipping Ufa with a motor will require work. You can’t buy a hinged transom with rubber, so you’ll have to design and manufacture it yourself. On the Internet you can find several options for “homemade products”, but they cannot be called 100% reliable and safe.
And even if you decide to install a transom on the rubber Ufimka, you still need to choose the right motor. The engine must definitely be low-power (limit 5 hp), and it is even better to use electrical units that are characterized by “softer” operation. But such engines are not cheap, but the risk of dropping the motor into the water with a homemade transom is quite high. So you better think twice and make sure your decision is correct.
How to operate and store the Ufimka boat
Rubber boats, due to the characteristics of the material, are demanding in terms of maintenance. After each trip to the water, the vessel must be dried and cleaned of dirt before being stored until the next trip. And for a long “off-season”, the body should be additionally treated with talc, which will allow the rubber to be better preserved. And since you are putting away the watercraft for a long time, then find a dry and warm storage room. Moreover, it is advisable to hang the bag with the boat on a high hook so that rodents or insects definitely do not get to it.
A number of nuances can be noted regarding the operation of Ufimok. For example, rubber boats should not be left in the sun for a long time, especially if the cylinders are heavily inflated. The fact is that under the influence of sunlight, the cylinders expand and the internal air pressure increases, which leads to the appearance of small cracks, and even explosions of the housing. Therefore, in hot weather, it is recommended to “bleed” the air a little from the cylinders and, if possible, not to keep the vessel under direct scorching rays of the sun.
You should also be on guard in strong winds: due to the raised ends of the hull, the Ufimkas are easily caught in the wind and carried by currents. So in bad weather it’s better not to go out to the reservoirs, and if you decide to go fishing, then stay closer to the shore.
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Rules of operation and storage
In this section it is worth mentioning the disadvantages of the boat. Like any device or device, it requires certain attention to its use. Cylinders are very sensitive to the mechanical impact of sharp objects. So, pay attention to sharp snags, coastal obstacles, stones, broken glass, wire, and so on.
For the same cylinders, warm, hot weather can be a problem. They heat up quickly and the air, due to its physical properties, can rip the boat apart due to expansion. To do this, it is advised to periodically moor to the shore and bleed off excess air.
Due to the highly raised ends, the vessel has a high windage capacity and is easily caught by gusts of wind. This is facilitated by its excellent buoyancy indicators.
So in gusty winds it is better to stay closer to the shore.
A very important point in operation is to take seriously the drying of the boat after use. Although it is rubber, it is still made of fabric that has absorbent properties, so drying the device may take a while.
As is already known, the boat can withstand the effects of small waves on the water; it must always be positioned with its bow facing the wave. If you stand on the side, you can collect a significant amount of water, or even completely flood the ship. Thus, water is collected quite quickly.
As mentioned above, the boat has significant weight, and carrying it becomes somewhat problematic at a certain distance to the reservoir. Here it would be appropriate to use a small cart or carrier with wheels so as not to carry the entire load on yourself.
