Zodiac Medline III

Not long ago rubber duckies were confined to tender work, surf rescue, and diving duties. Not content with such postings, French ducky manufacturer Zodiac has pushed the boundaries of inflatable fun. An 'air of adventure', the company calls it.

In the latest Zodiac brochure you will see duckies heading out for a spot of sportsfishing or lunch at anchor in a Mediterranean cove, fitted with camper covers and used as foreshore tents with kids playing beach ball beside them. Hey, there's even a ducky towing a skier.

But it's Zodiac's top-of-the-line Medline III that has the farthest reach. Fitted with lots of cool lounges clad in bronzed bodies, the giant inflatable dayboat has been designed to go places. And I'm not talking swinging behind a mothership or on a trailer on the road.

Okay, if you deflate the sponsons and rope it in, or if you get a wide-beam permit, you can legally tow this big boat. But at 3m wide and 7.3m long, the Medline III is more your walk-on/walk-off kind of duckie. Or a boat to place in a drystack somewhere.

Winner of the Innovation Award at last year's National Marine Manufacturers Association Awards in the USA, the Medline III is an avant-garde craft. As its name suggests, it has been designed to explore the Med, which makes it well suited for launching an assault on a private beach, coral cay or distant island somewhere Down Under.

The boat's cool look is derived from blue-and-white striped marine vinyl upholstery and the futuristic fibreglass hull. The French flair and smoothness are partly due to computer-aided design.

But this big RIB has been designed to strut its stuff beyond the catwalk. Impressive engineering and mighty range from the twin 115hp four-stroke Mercury outboards (the cruising combo) and long-range fuel tanks let you explore the outer realm of inflatable fun. Think offshore islands, coastal passages, big day trips, crossing bays... that kind of thing.

OFFSHORE SAFETY
You don't need to be concerned about seaworthiness with the Medline III. A safe boat to challenge the open ocean, it has been built to CE standards for offshore use with eight people seated. Zodiac says it proved unsinkable when the bung was pulled with seven aboard.

The boat is self-draining and the big inflatable tubes have tremendous buoyancy to support a big load. The inshore capacity is 15 people or 1750kg all up.

The company also points out that coastguards, the Cousteau adventure organisation and the armed forces favour Zodiacs. In fact, the biggest ducky manufacturer in the world recently clocked up more than a million boat sales worldwide.

The Medline III is backed by a five-year warranty and its buoyancy tubes are removable in case you need to effect repairs.

Those inflatable sponsons are fashioned from a new material which is claimed to have 50 per cent better abrasion and cut resistance. The so-called Strongan Duotex material is thermobonded and baffled to create seven separate airtight compartments.

Once assembled, all new models are put through rigorous trials including drop tests and pendulum crash tests. Once satisfied the boats won't break, the company goes into full production. Each boat is dispatched with a very impressive owner's manual that makes some other boatbuilders look positively amateurish.

BIG INVENTORY
Compared with other RIBs in the Zodiac range, the Medline III has the most built- in features, storage space, design details, generous seating and the strongest performance. It also has options ranging from a bimini top to camping kit, stove and fridge.

In standard guise, the Medline III is a detailed boat. The layout could be described as a cross between a centre console and a bowrider. The boat's raised bow profile or swooping sheerline helps ensure the crew remain dry up front and you don't take a wave aboard.

The bow is tipped with a fibreglass cap incorporating a fold-out sprit with anchor roller, two cleats and provision to mount a windlass. There is a dedicated anchor well and storage wells under the U-shaped padded seating, but none has a drain.

There are grab rails and drinkholders within reach of the forward seats and stainless steel grab rails mounted on the sponsons back beside the centre console.

A picnic table can be mounted on a pedestal base beside the forward seats, or stored inside the console when not in use.

Because the Medline III is a smooth-riding boat, the 'mother-in-law's seat' ahead of the console is actually a comfortable place to ride.

The rakish fibreglass centre console contributes to the boat's good looks. While it will be used most often for dry storage space, there is room to crawl inside and to fit an after-market portable loo.

There are various hatches inside the console for storage - they don't have drains - and others that reveal the survey-standard fuel taps and impressive dash wiring. A 12V dome light lets you find what you've come for at night.

A nice touch was the hatch on the starboard side of the console. Lift the lid and you will find two big-boat style fuel fillers and an overboard drain in case of spills. Between the two tanks the boat carries a whopping 344lt fuel.

Lots of heavy-duty stainless steel rails surround the console. You are never lost for a handhold - or footrest when seated - and extra crew will find it safe to ride shotgun alongside the helm and navigator, or behind them holding onto the rail running across the back of the seat module.

Among the features of the console were a handy hatch with clear cover for personals like mobile phones, mounting room for serious electronics and two sets of Mercury gauges, a switch panel facia and throttle binnacle for the twins. The wheel was linked to hydraulic steering and there were three drinkholders close at hand.

BOX SEAT
The multifunction seating unit at the helm is one of the smartest I have seen. The helm seats have lift-up bolsters so the unit doubles as a leaning post. The whole thing slides to five different positions including one for an aft sunpad, so you can move the seats to suit.

Behind the seats is an amenities centre hiding under a hatch. The clips for the lid could be improved so you only need one hand to lift the lid. Once open, there is a sink, fresh water tap and a collapsible table. A portable cooktop and thermo-electric cooler on sliding bracket inside the seat module are options.

The 50lt water tank also serves the transom shower recessed into the big engine well. There is excellent access for swimmers via a stern ladder and non-skid steps, and there's scope to a maximum of 300hp in single or twin outboard installations.

The rear lounge is a nice deep one that can comfortably contain four adults. Located aft, it is undoubtedly the best seat in the house. The lounge lifts up on a gas strut for access into the bilge and to the boat's fuel filters, batteries and isolating switches.

Last but not least, a targa arch adds to the Medline III's racy, spacey styling.

The Medline III has superb mouldings, terrific design ideas, and the layout really flows. The flat non-skid decks and covered aft coamings make this boat inviting from bow to stern.

OCEAN MASTER
The big Medline III RIB was not fazed by a 2m swell pounding the coast at 10sec intervals. The acutely deep-veed fibreglass hull - deadrise is 24º - has more wave-cutting action than conventional boats that rely on volume up front for buoyancy.

The big RIB sluices the water for a truly smooth ride and the boat only goes in so far before the surrounding air chambers pop the hull back up. While I had fun jumping some waves at the entrance to Port Hacking bar, the boat is not a wet ride and is loath to leave the water. Which isn't bad, considering the hull weighs just 1100kg.

The twin Mercury 115hp four-stroke motors are beauties. Hole shot is good with little bow lift and the boat can hold fast cruising speeds offshore. It planes at 2600rpm and 15.5kt, is comfortable at 3000rpm and 18kt, but in the groove anywhere from 3400rpm and 24.8kt to 4000rpm and 28.5kt.

Top revs of 5500rpm gave a very impressive 40.1kt and, even with the motors trimmed up, the boat doesn't feel unduly flighty. In fact, it holds on well in tight turns. The French have certainly built a fast getaway machine in the Medline III.

But for all these things, the boat has a limited market here. That it is selling for $99,000 won't help matters. But if you are into RIBs, you can't get bigger or better than the Medline III. In case you're not convinced, there is a bulletproof version coming soon.

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