Are these cracks a problem? I’m looking at at 2001 Rib for sale. It’s never been anti fouled but has these cracks in the gel coat that run longitudin

[dpb]

We had a boat with cracks like that repaired under warranty as it was down to substandard construction. I would certainly walk away from the one you are looking at.
I have had 20 plus year old boats most of my boating life and never came across such cracks except for the one stated above.

 

[Ribtecer]

What make is the Rib?

Some commercial type ribs are heavily made up. Some more leisure ribs are of a lighter construction and therefore will flex more.

But I would agree its unusual.

 

[Homer J]

If the OP doesn’t buy the boat surely the owner will antifoul it to cover the gelcoat cracks and the next buyer will be none the wiser…

Usually yes but I think this seller has stronger ethics. I will investigate further.

 

[Homer J]

What make is the Rib?

Some commercial type ribs are heavily made up. Some more leisure ribs are of a lighter construction and therefore will flex more.

But I would agree its unusual.

It’s a Ribtec 585 from 2001 in otherwise good condition with only 347 hrs engine hours on the original engine so must assume very light use and never been anti fouled.

 

[Ribtecer]

It’s a Ribtec 585 from 2001 in otherwise good condition with only 347 hrs engine hours on the original engine so must assume very light use and never been anti fouled.

Ribtecs from that era where very, very good boats. If the price is right it could be worth a punt.

As you may well conclude from my name on here, I have some experience with them.

Kerian at Ribshop at Hamble Point used to work for them and is very knowledgeable , you could ask him his opinion.

 

[Ribtecer]

Make sure it's a UK built boat, after the firm was sold production was switched to S.A. and whilst still OK they were not as good as UK boats in everyway.

If its a S.A. boat I think I would walk away.

 

[Hot Property]

What outboard does it have? A 20 year old one is where you will spend the money!

 

[billskip]

It’s a Ribtec 585 from 2001 in otherwise good condition with only 347 hrs engine hours on the original engine so must assume very light use and never been anti fouled.

Has it been stored on its beam for long periods?

 

[dombuckley]

Thanks for your response. The reply is that everything else seems rock solid. The floor underfoot is extremely firm but I can see into the hull. What could I look for or tap for?

Take a big mate with you, and get him to lean inwards and outwards on the buoyancy tube, while you look for any movement in the cracks. The hull is pretty well supported forward and aft by the structure of the buoyancy chambers under the floor, but these hulls can be prone to 'hinging' amidships around the outer edge of the rigid floor amidships, in the position indicated below.





Found this around the edge of the floor (under the buoyancy tube) inside of a 535 from 2007, which had less than 100 hours on the clock.

 

[Ribtecer]

Take a big mate with you, and get him to lean inwards and outwards on the buoyancy tube, while you look for any movement in the cracks. The hull is pretty well supported forward and aft by the structure of the buoyancy chambers under the floor, but these hulls can be prone to 'hinging' amidships around the outer edge of the rigid floor amidships, in the position indicated below.


View attachment 175826


Found this around the edge of the floor (under the buoyancy tube) inside of a 535 from 2007, which had less than 100 hours on the clock.

View attachment 175828

2007 would almost certainly have been a South African built Ribtec.

 

[Keith-i]

That seems to be to be quite a lot of cracking in a very localised area. As others have said, it is not unusual to find stress cracks on a rib, but that many all in the same location would concern me and I would want to know more before committing. Is there a similar effect on the other side of the boat in the same location? If not then it could be a result of some form of impact damage just on that side.

I bought a new rib many years ago from a local cottage industry company and it started displaying very similar cracking. After a bit of negotiation they took the boat back and built a replacement hull after claiming their laminator had left out a layer of glassfibre in the original.

 

[dombuckley]

2007 would almost certainly have been a South African built Ribtec.

IIRC it was one of the first ones built in SA, and it turned out to have been built in a rush to get it shipped to the Southampton Boat Show on time. But the poor lay-up in that example just exposed a known weak spot of many RIB designs of that era; more recent designs have much better support in that area.

The problem with HINs / WINs / CINs is that the country identifier is the location of the company that built it, not the actual builder, so it's not always clear when manufacture has been outsourced. So it pays to do your homework.

 

[jfm]

View attachment 175826

That's shockingly bad design. Cracks are almost inevitable at the place you have indicated - at the root/"hinge" of that cantilevered flap of GRP.

Below is how it should be done - this is a Ribeye 8.2m but this approach is used by many good RIB manufacturers. Complete opposite of above shocker.

 

[Homer J]

What outboard does it have? A 20 year old one is where you will spend the money!

It has a Yamaha 100 from 2001 with 347 hours but I also have a 3yr old mercury 100hp to put on it.

 

[Homer J]

Ribtecs from that era where very, very good boats. If the price is right it could be worth a punt.

As you may well conclude from my name on here, I have some experience with them.

Kerian at Ribshop at Hamble Point used to work for them and is very knowledgeable , you could ask him his opinion.

Thank you. I will try Keira.

 

[Hot Property]

It has a Yamaha 100 from 2001 with 347 hours but I also have a 3yr old mercury 100hp to put on it.

Ah that's a better engine to put on it.

You should get around £3,500 for the Yammy - maybe more if you can sea trial to a prospective buyer.

I never buy a bigger engine without a sea trial...

 

[fisherman]

These cracks would not show inside. I repaired cracks in gel coat, they were also in the substrate, I had to grind that back as well. Imo very difficult to crack the gel without cracking what it's attached to.

 

[Seastoke]

Sounds you would be better look for a rib with no engine