revised specs Airboat 16x8 Specs final 11-24.docx

16’ X 8’ Airboat Hull, Engine, and Trailer

DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES

GOAL: The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requires one (1) heavy-duty 16-foot aluminum airboat package to include hull, engine, and trailer for use by Illinois Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologists.

SUPPLIES AND/OR SERVICES REQUIRED: One (1) 16-foot airboat with engine and trailer. The below specifications are intended to describe and establish minimum requirements for an airboat to be used by Wildlife Biologists on the Waters of the State of Illinois. Due to the vessel’s potential to be operated continuously and during extremely adverse weather conditions, to ensure safety the vessel must be constructed to the highest marine standards. Standard recreational production models will not be considered. The airboats shall be capable of transporting people in continuous operation through both high and low water conditions, and on dry ground.

The airboat required and covered by this specification shall be the manufacturer’s latest production model and shall be equipped with all new standard equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s latest literature, a copy of which shall accompany the bid along with any and all specifications necessary to verify the unit either meets or exceeds each and every one of the following: complete hull, propeller/overhead guard, rudders, controls, seating for 4 (4) occupants, marine airboat engine with propeller, produced by a licensed airboat manufacturer which has been in the business of constructing airboats for a minimum of five (5) consecutive years and has constructed a minimum of fifty (50) airboats.

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

Airboat must be manufactured in accordance with United States Coast Guard (USCG), National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), and American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) guidelines for this type of vessel. Airboats must meet or exceed these guidelines.

Prototypes are unacceptable.

Airboat, motor, and trailer combination shall be user ready upon pickup.

Vendor shall complete all mountings, hook-ups and assembly prior to pick up.

Trailer shall be properly adjusted so the airboat rests correctly on the trailer, and trailer tongue weight shall not exceed trailer manufacturer recommendations.

Vendor shall complete a sea trial test run of all systems in open water of airboat and motor combination prior to pick up.

Unless specified, all items are to be the manufacturer’s standard or optional equipment. Vendor substitutes will not be accepted without prior approval.

Airboat, motor, and trailer shall meet or exceed any applicable NMMA construction standards.

The airboat shall conform to all federal, state, and marine safety regulations.

All certificates of origin, OEM manual and warranty card shall be provided at time of delivery.

HULL

The all-welded hull shall be constructed with marine alloy 5086 aluminum with minimum 3/16” (.190) thick bottom plate and minimum 1/8” (.125) thick sides Sixteen-foot (16’) aluminum hull length (no splicing of hull) Eight-foot (8’) beam width Minimum 26-inch gunwale height at the stern Minimum 30-inch transom height 3/16” (.190) thick Minimum two (2) ¼” (.125) thick rear cage gussets Bottom width minimum seventy-eight inches (78”), top beam a minimum of ninety-six inches (96”). Bottom shall not have any weld splices, including the reverse turning chine.

Minimum 3/16” (.190) thick front bulkhead Minimum two (2) 3/16” (.190) thick front corner gussets Transom – minimum 3/16” (.190) thick Minimum Seven (7) heavy duty 2” x 2” x 3/8” T-Bars 6061 in hull Minimum two (2) heavy duty mid-ship gussets designed out of 2.5” x 3” I-Beam material. I-Beam material shall be marine alloy 6061 aluminum Foredeck to extend back a minimum of thirty-two inches (32”) with BLACK, in color, non-skid finish to be strengthened as necessarily to adequately support two (2) 200-pound persons. Foredeck shall be fully welded. NO rivets shall be used.

Solid aluminum flooring with BLACK, in color, epoxy non-skid finish extending from rear seating area to front deck bulkhead and flush to sides. Flooring shall be constructed with minimum 1/8” (.125) aluminum and fastened to the ribs with stainless hardware. Non-skid finish will be applied to the top of the gunwale.

One (1) heavy duty stainless steel bow eye, two and one-half inches (2 ½”) minimum. Access to bow eye to be recessed in the grass rake.

Two (2) drain plugs located in rear of boat.

12-14” walk arounds starting mid ship and extending to the rear with flotation. Floor may be raised to accommodate additional flotation per U.S. Coast Guard requirements for flotation.

LIFETIME WARRANTY ON HULL

MARINE LSX ENGINE, naturally aspirated Type: Minimum 7.4L V8

Horsepower: Approximately 525 minimum hp Torque: Approximately 500 minimum Fuel-injected, multi port Minimum three-year warranty on engine Emissions Compliant Engine

TRANSMISSION

2.3:1 belt reduction unit with 5” belt upgrade or approved equivalent to allow the engine to achieve its maximum sustainable rpm's while turning the propeller at its normal rpm to increase thrust and reduce the noise levels Minimum one-year warranty or 200 hours whichever occurs first

OIL COOLER

Heavy-duty Oil Cooler with stainless steel braided oil lines connected to engine and securely mounted inside propeller guard in such a way as to provide appropriate oil flow and cooling.

ENGINE STAND

Engine stand shall be constructed using minimum 1" 16-gauge 0.065 wall stainless steel tubing.

All mounts shall be shock mounted to prevent vibration with the rear mounts containing two (2) rubber bushings. (Automotive type) Mounting brackets shall be incorporated into engine stand for fuel tank and batteries.

All stainless-steel construction.

Engine stand shall connect to hull, at a minimum, sixteen (16) places Engine stand must have an X-brace design for added support

RADIATOR

Heavy-duty aluminum radiator with expanded metal radiator guard mounted to rear of radiator. Expanded metal shall be treated (e.g., wire-brushed) to remove any sharp edges.

Radiator shall be mounted inside propeller guard behind rear seats using rubber shock-mounts (with enough space to allow an engine cover to pass below) and have sufficient cooling capacity to maintain correct operating temperature under tropical conditions maximum engine load.

Shall include an expansion tank.

Dual stainless-steel clamps on each end of marine grade coolant hoses.

All hoses shall be Marine Premium Grade quality which meets or exceeds airboat industry standards.

Radiator safety screen constructed with Stainless steel.

PROPELLER/OVERHEAD GUARD

Framework shall be constructed using minimum 1” 0.065 wall steel crew tubing, covered with 0.135-gauge steel welded wire (2” x 4” mesh down low for safety and 2” X 4” or 4” x 4” up high). Access hole to allow checking of engine oil level.

Wire shall be welded to framing at all contact points.

There shall be a maximum of 2” clearance between the propeller guard, 1.5” sides, and minimum 3” bottom of the hull.

Propeller guard shall completely enclose the engine and propeller area, and extend all the way down to deck on both sides for safety.

An engine safety guard shall be installed on front of propeller guard.

The propeller guard shall be constructed so that it may be removed for engine service.

Stainless steel tabs welded onto propeller guard for installation of steering cable with rubber coated aluminum clamps.

Four (4) LED lights. One to be mounted on the port side and one on the starboard side of propeller guard, approximately half way up the propeller guard. Two to be mounted near the top of the propeller guard and not extend above the top of the propeller guard. Stern navigation light shall be mounted inside and centered at top of propeller guard.

All stainless-steel construction.

SEATING

Single rear Operator seat mounted centered, to the rear of, and 14-18” above front passenger bench seat.

Operator seat shall include a storage compartment constructed of 1”X1” wire mesh underneath the seat. Storage compartment to be approximately 24” X 14” X 17” One approximately 12” square side step mounted on the port side of the operator stand and one approximately 12” square step mounted with non-skid surface inside hull on port side approximately 18” inches from the bottom of hull.

Separate three (3)-passenger bench seat mounted in front of and centered on the operator seat. Bench seat shall be mounted to dry storage box and dry storage box mounted to floor. The dry storage box shall be constructed with Aluminum and approximate size shall not exceed 44” in length Seats shall be covered with replaceable marine grade vinyl material and include matching weather resistant rain covers.

All foot rests shall be covered with solid 1/8” aluminum or stainless-steel plate with stainless steel support framing underneath. Minimum of 17” between foot rest and front fore deck. All foot rests shall be covered with a non-skid surface.

Handhold shall be installed on starboard side of driver’s seat for safety.

GRASS RAKE

30” inch solid aluminum grass rake with minimum 24” long level step (black non-skid and webb finish) and low-profile navigation lights.

Pipe light rail made with minimum 1” stainless steel tubing to extend the approximate width of the grass rake and extend maximum 66” along the sides towards the rear. Rail to extend approximately 31” tall at the front and 35” tall at the rear. One minimum 30” light bar facing forwards and one minimum 30” light bar facing outwards from each side.

Grass rake shall be easily removable.

Design shall include “cushion-type-fail-first” construction to protect the hull in case of impact.

PAINT

Engine stand and propeller/engine guard to be sanded, primed and painted black in color with industrial grade epoxy. The paint process shall include a baking booth process for extreme durability.

Black Non-skid paint shall be used on the deck and side rails.

Black Webbing to be sprayed inside of hull to reduce glare.

Natural Aluminum finish on outside of hull

POLYMER

Exterior hull bottom shall be fitted with black 3/8” thick compression molded Ultra High Molecular Weight Polymer (must be one solid piece).

Polymer shall extend the full width and length of the hull and shall be siliconized-crack resistant from within 8” of bow to stern section.

Polymer shall be fastened to the hull utilizing 5/16” aluminum aircraft rivets countersunk using a 5” x 5” pattern 3/8” thick compression molded Ultra High Molecular Weight Polymer on side exterior of hull to protect the hull 8” to 10” high and fastened to the hull utilizing 5/16” aluminum aircraft rivets.

INSTRUMENTS

Instrumentation and control panel of aluminum box type construction mounted on right hand side of operator’s seat.

Lighted gauges shall include marine quality water temperature, oil pressure, voltmeter, fuel gauge, and tachometer with hour meter Kill switch, keyed ignition, and six (6) two-position switches shall be installed and connected to navigation lights, lights on light rail, lower LED flood lights on propeller guard, upper LED flood lights on propeller guard, power trim, and bilge pump. All electrical equipment except all lights shall be inoperable when keyed ignition is in the off position.

Two (2) 12 volt “cigarette lighter” style accessory plugs mounted near the driver’s seat.

All switches shall be marine grade and labeled as to function.

Power Trim Power trim with panel mount control

BILGE PUMP

Two (2), minimum 2000-gallon per hour bilge pumps with discharge hoses mounted through hull; one port and one starboard discharge.

STEERING

Heavy duty 3/8” Teleflex, or approved equivalent, positive cable steering with left hand directional control stick. Control stick shall have two (2) braces with Teflon locking collars Steering cable shall be mounted and secured to the propeller guard using stainless steel hose clamps at fixed mounting points.

Stainless steel steering bearing shall be 1 3/16” I.D. Argutto, or approved equivalent.

THROTTLE

Cabled throttle pedal for use with the operator’s right foot.

RUDDERS

Boat shall have two (2) minimum 48” Airfoil design rudders, constructed of welded aluminum with foam filling as to provide proper handling for this airboat.

Each rudder shall have minimum 3/8” diameter steel rods and nylon bushings.

Rudders shall be connected to one another at the bottom with minimum 3/8” diameter stainless steel rods and nylon bushings.

Rudders should have a field of turn of at least 130 degrees and a maximum acute angle of the turning rudder of 25 degrees.

Rudders shall make equal turns.

Rudders shall NOT be painted. They shall remain the natural aluminum finish.

FUEL TANK

Constructed of minimum 0.125” 5052 Marine Grade Aluminum Alloy, minimum 40-gallon capacity, with electric fuel sender.

Fuel tank shall be mounted on rubber shock mounts to the hull under the engine stand.

Fuel tank shall meet or exceed U.S. Coast Guard and Boating Industry Association (BIA) standards.

Fuel tank filler neck shall be accessible from ground level.

Fuel tank filler hose shall be placed so the flow of fuel into the fuel tank bulkhead is not impeded.

All fuel lines shall meet U.S. Coast Guard and BIA standards.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Uses a 12-volt system with dual batteries controlled by a marine battery selector switch capable of isolating individual batteries or utilizing both batteries at once.

Minimum 70 ampere marine alternator, factory new.

All high current wires shall be minimum 10 gauge.

Coast Guard approved LED running lights and navigation lights installed.

All wiring shall be fuse protected and enclosed in convoluted high abrasive tubing.

Two (2) maintenance-free, heavy duty, M1000 marine batteries with a minimum 800 CCA and 1000 Cranking amps. Batteries shall be mounted in battery rack on engine stand frame and secured with dual locking lids and safety straps to prevent shifting.

PROPELLER

One new factory manufactured composite minimum three-blade propeller of appropriate length, pitch, and weight to ensure maximum performance and engine life to include prop balancing carbon fiber disc.

EXHAUST SYSTEM

All stainless-steel exhaust system with stainless steel flex hose and stainless-steel band clamps 3” Heavy duty stainless steel headers with 3/8” flange Exhaust system of stainless steel flex hose attached to two (2) large stainless mufflers using two (2) 3” stainless steel band clamps and two (2) 3” stainless steel muffler u-clamps.

Two 3” stainless steel airboat mufflers.

HARDWARE

All hardware, including but not limited to, nuts, bolts, washers, screws, rivets, hinges, and hose clamps shall be made of marine grade stainless steel. All fastening hardware shall be of brass locknut type, where applicable.

ACCESSORIES

Two (2) USB ports near driver’s seat One (1) USCG approved fire extinguisher, minimum 2 ½ lb rechargeable and mounted on rear of passenger seat box Two (2) tie-down straps with stainless hooks used to anchor the boat to the trailer

TRAILER

Heavy duty aluminum construction tandem axle trailer custom built to fit the airboat described in these specifications and designed to allow for launch and/or loading from dry ground.

Constructed with an all welded five-inch heavy duty I-beam frame Trailer shall have two heavy duty torsion axles with a minimum 3500-pound load capacity, spindles with built-in grease fittings. Springs should be rated to exceed weight of fully loaded and fueled boat plus weight of trailer frame.

Trailer shall include stainless steel fenders with aluminum step panels fore and aft. Non-skid black coating on top of fender wells and steps.

Coupler shall be 2” diameter with minimum 5000-pound gross load with 2 safety chains (1/2” diameter with hooks), swivel type tongue jack with minimum 1500-pound capacity. Tongue weight shall be 7-10% of total trailer/airboat weight and within safe operating parameters established by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Industry standard commercial ply-rated minimum 14” radial trailer tires with galvanized rims and hubs with bearing buddies to support unit specifications.

Spare tire/hub spindle type mount with matching spare tire and complete rim and spare hub assembly equipped with bearing buddy installed on starboard side forward of winch mount.

Bow stop with heavy duty two speed winch (including strap/cable and hook) with a minimum 2,800 lb capacity located such that grass rake doesn’t interfere with operation of winch; minimum 4” clearance between winch handle and grass rake. Winch stand shall include galvanized safety chain (1/2” diameter) with hook mounted below bow stop.

All bunks shall be constructed of 2”x 6” marine treated wood with marine carpet. Trailer shall have left and right horizontal rear side guides (so the boat cannot make direct contact with fenders when loading) and rear bunk.

Trailer shall be equipped with submersible LED brake/signal/running and side marker lights.

Trailer shall meet all U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requirements, and must include capacity labels.

Warranties Copy of Warranty (for commercial and government use) must be provided with bid and shall at a minimum include:

Hull structure: Lifetime against cracks and structural defects to include weld cracks or breaks.

Minimum five (5) year metal work warranty against manufacturer defects Minimum Two (2) year polymer warranty against leakage Minimum three (3) year warranty on the engine Minimum one (1) year warranty on the drive unit Manufacturer accessories: minimum 1 year from date of delivery against manufacturer’s defects Engines, electronics and other accessories: To be warranted by manufacturer.

All boats offered to the Agency must have provisions for warranty and service which would provide reasonable convenience to the user.

Descriptive Literature Vendor shall submit product literature describing the equipment to be furnished. This literature shall indicate technical specifications which can be used to verify compliance with minimum requirements outlined above. Vendor shall submit a 3-Dimensional drawing or photograph of the boat to be delivered.

Remanufactured Equipment Remanufactured and/or reconditioned equipment shall not be acceptable. All equipment shall be newly manufactured.

Documentation Vendor shall have the manufacturer’s certificate of origin for the boat and trailer and shall provide to the Department without hindrance from Vendor or third parties. Illinois vendors also must provide sales tax form IL ST-556. The Department of Natural Resources will be responsible for titling and registration of the boat and trailer.

MILESTONES AND DELIVERABLES: All boat, motor, and trailer units must be ready to be picked up at the Vendor’s facility, fully operational by June 30, 2025.

VENDOR / STAFF SPECIFICATIONS:

Vendor shall be a recognized wholesaler/retailer of boat, motor, trailer products provided under this contract.

Vendor shall water/field test boat, motor, trailer combinations and shall have such boat units completely assembled and operational prior to pick up.

Vendor shall have qualified staff to provide, at no cost, a training session to include but not limited to equipment operation on the water, service and maintenance free at the Vendor’s facility. Training shall be provided for two operators.

TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY:

Vendor must provide three weeks’ notice of potential completion date to the purchaser.

Boat, motor, trailer combinations shall be picked up from Vendor’s facility, IDNR reserves the right to inspect any boat being purchased at the manufacturing site, at any time during the manufacturing process. Expenses related to the IDNR employees traveling to inspect the boat will be the responsibility of IDNR.

Vendor shall provide an owner/operator’s manual which includes break-in procedures, maintenance intervals, and procedures for safe operation of all components.

Units will not be accepted without the following documents: