SELVA 270 VIB: THE UNBREAKABLE TENDER

It wasn’t easy trying to convince Carlo Selva but he finally accepted to give us his tender for the second year running. He knows very well how stressful our tests are and a second season of exhausting treatment is not a piece of cake.

Last summer, at the end of our tests, our 270 VIB was stored the wrong way since we simply rolled it up as it was, that is salty and covered with sand. Then, we wrapped it into its cover that, equipped with four belts, compresses its size for lower encumbrance. Finally, in late September 2016, we put it into our Daydreamer’s sail locker where it stayed until last July.

I was honestly a little skeptical that it could be inflated again but, once we arrived in Calvì, we successfully inflated it. Signs of our terrible “winterizing” were visible: dirt stains here and there and the sand of the previous year were all there.

Always skeptical, we washed it with some seawater and elbow grease. Although we did not use any specific detergent, it astonished us again and quickly turned clean. Once it dried, we installed our Torqeedo 1003 and we went ashore. Many miles separated the multi-buoy mooring terminal of Calvi from the port and what we experienced was a really exciting sea trial: if our tender had gone down…we would have been forced to ask for a ride to come back.

Fortunately, everything was fine and, since then, our Selva 270 VIB didn’t need to be inflated again until the end of our cruise.

A tender like this actually solves many problems. 270 cm long, 153 cm wide and equipped with 42.5 cm tubes, it guarantees great stability and range. The tender is approved for the accommodation of 3 adults and one child but, as part of our Torqeedo 1003 test, we used it with more passengers on board and it never showed signs of failure.

As you know, it is not always simple to approach to beaches but, thanks to the central bench, using the tender under oars is really simple and painless.

For the second year running, the tender has always been towed, even in harsh conditions, covering over 1,500 nautical miles in total. The only traction point was the handle-equipped one positioned in the bow. At the end of our test, exactly like all the other parts of the tender, this point showed no wear patterns. After all, Selva Marine chooses extremely resistant materials for its products and this tender if proof of this.

Equipped with two high-pressure chambers that offer an excellent walkable surface when inflated at 0.8 bar, the inflatable keel is highly efficient and ensures great course holding. The chambers shape two extensions that, positioned abaft the engine support, serve as a flap and keep the bow low when sailing at full throttle.

Conclusions

We’ve heavily stressed our Selva Marine 270 VIB. Towed for 1,500 miles, it was first powered by two Torqeedo outboards and then by a Sea Bass 5, with which we experienced really exciting tests. Components never showed signs of failure or wear.

What astonished us the most was its capacity to remain perfectly white and clean.

In short, we recommend this product to anyone looking for a reliable long-lasting means.

Standard equipment

Technical Specifications