Can you help me choose? Sell Bizzy Bee and get 7 metre RIB or keep the Sealine S28

For me its horses for courses.If you sell the Sealine you will lose your ability to entertain which is a big thing as far as I'm concerned and reading behind the lines is yours as well.Its tempting when we have weather like this to think of speeding around in a ribb I'm sure that would soon loose it's appeal when the weather gets inclement when your out for the day with or with out friends on board.Owning two boats is expensive 2x insurance 2x mooring charges ect ect. I only did it once when I bought another boat before I had sold my own.I agree with Henry F to rent one.Buying a ribb in this case reminds me of a saying if it flys Fxxxx or floats better to rent than buy.(sorry if that offends any one)
 
Gary,

I think I am reasonably well qualified to answer this question given we have had several "large" ribs as well as an SC29 in the past... we need to talk about the overall "boating experience"

It all depends on circumstances and how you use your boat. Given Mrs ogaryo likes the marina life (as do you) a rib alone simply wont cut it for you. you will always feel like you are missing out and although you might kid yourself by saying "for the money we are saving not having the Sealine we can stay in fancy hotels" you simply wont do it.

Seriously, who actually wants to leave home when its pouring with rain, tow a trailer for 150 miles to the water, launch getting your feet wet, then have no cover, no toilet, no heating, no fridge, no kettle. Get togged up with wet weather gear, get spray all over you as you go to Cowes, sit in the lifeboat cupping a mug of coffee to get feeling back in your fingers before doing the entire process in reverse a few hours later!?

For those of us lucky enough to live close to the water it makes more sense as we can pop out if the weather looks OK but in reality, that means we actually use the rib less. picture the scene. I wake up Saturday morning and the weather looks a bit grey, the rugby is on the telly and its just easier to say, "lets see what the weather does before going to the boat". by the time the weather breaks at 11.00 and the sun comes out, i have already started rebuilding the BBQ or painting the fence or some other boring exercise and boating gets binned for the day.

Now with the Sealine, so what if its raining? at least you can sit, enjoy the view, watch the rugby on the telly, drink tea / beer / wine and if its raining, the covers keep you dry. you still get your boating fix and the world is good. add to that Debs can enjoy the sun when it does break (11.15). the fact it was raining when you left home is no problem as you know you can still use the boat without dressing up like Mr Bibendum.

My advise, keep the Sealine.... looking back at our boats, and taking into consideration overall boating experience, the one we wish we still had is hands down..... the SC29.

If you need a rib fix, talk nicely to Spottydog, charter for the day, and if money allows, get yourself something small and easy to use depending on how you want to keep it / use it... no harm in storing it close to the water and launching if the weather is half decent and you fancy a blast but not the end of the world if you wanna stay on the Sealine....

there is no doubt Ribs are fun, great fun but given you use your boat for long weekends, you are going to loose a lot more than smiles will give you back!...

thats a long post. (sorry) and all IMO. Its a path we have gone down and with the benefit of hindsight, if i lived more than 25 miles from the water i would be sticking with the Sealine.
 
jfm said:
I think you can make the mistake of thinking boating is about the boat (and I plead guilty on that score) when in fact it is about being on the sea, and you have the S28 for that, which will always beat a rib hands down for comfort and amount you can use it. And the amount you can sit on it at anchor chilling and chatting until dark drinking wine, and so on
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+1. I agree with every word of that. Keep the S28 Gary!
 
Keep one boat only, you likely wont have time to fully utilize both boats. A for the rib, I sold my 6.1 rib 2 years ago and bought a 32 ft sports boat and have never once missed the rib. Ribs are great for a couple of hours water-skiing etc but not for enjoying marina life.
 
MarieK said:
I was in a somewhat similar position last year. I have a similar boat to your Sealine and decided to buy a 6.5m Rib for fun. The Rib was indeed great fun and we had a few nice day trips BUT after a year I decided to sell it as I just wasnt using it enough to justify its existence. At the end of the day it is another boat and still requires maintenance and looking after just as your sealine does and I decided one boat in my life is enough work.

Regarding Rib or Sealine, I would stick with the sealine to avail of the "marina life" and realistically there is very little you could do in the Rib that your sealine wont do, you cant however overnight in Rib.
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Us too Gary

We purchased a 5 metre rib as a supplement to our 44 ft Trader but found it was just too much hassle after the initial novelty had worn off.

Not one of our better ideas:o

It spent a great deal of time in storage until we sold it

May
Xx

Ps - and wot Z1ppy posted - with bells on:encouragement:
 
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lol at Ricky

Thanks for all the useful replies and I guess my delay in replying supports what you're saying, much work these days and less time for boating apart from weekends. Sounds like the best option is to borrow or hire to get the rib buzz. Something we'll do for sure when abroad and where possible, in the UK.
 
Been there and done it. On Windermere, on South Coast and here in the Med. One boat will end up not being used. Same thing for us... it is the Boaty life, being able to grab a beer and discuss boating rubbish without driving home. A 'home from home' and even when both boats are in same marina the smaller blast boat got used less and less. The other option we took is buy a house in your favourite Marina and then buy a Sportsboat. We still get the Marina boaty life with a slightly comfier bed but can go for a blast....but we rarely do as we just end up in the bars or on someone elses boat! However houses in Prime marinas can cost as much as a new Fairline Sq 55 so not the cheapest option. Although in this case I told the wife the House was an Investment!

However nothing wrong with trying it (hire one) or buy a cheaper one a few years old to minimise depreciation if you sell it after 12 months.

As for the Extension to put the son in...buy a Shed with a bed. Less money and less comfortable otherwise they will never leave!
 
Nautorius said:
... Although in this case I told the wife the House was an Investment!

However nothing wrong with trying it (hire one) or buy a cheaper one a few years old to minimise depreciation if you sell it after 12 months. ...
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So is that the Wife, the marina house or the RIB !!! I'll get my coat.
 
Whatever you do don't sell the S28, which IMO is a great boat, for a Rib. You will regret that. Like others have said, just treat yourself and rent one or borrow one when you fancy a Rib speed fix. I enjoy riding Jetski's (yes I know, I know, but I am having treatment for it!) but I would not buy one - just borrow or rent one for the day/weekend if I fancy. Stick with the real boat and rent the toys :)
 
I have two boats mainly because I find that chartering just does not work in the UK.

I have chartered plenty of times in the med, so I don't have anything against chartering per se. It is just that in the Med you can guarantee the weather and can therefore book long in advance. In the UK we are so weather dependent I daren't book much in advance, but if you leave it until a good forecast you simply can't get anything. This would apply more to a Rib than most other boats.

I should point out that my two boats are very different, a mobo and a raggie. I do have two further dinghies that are in a club 5 mins from home that I sail on Wednesday evening racing or winter weekends, so rather surprisingly I managing to make use of 4 boats in total...or at least I've convinced myself that I am :)
 
Gary, I suggest the way you use you boat, you should stick with the Sealine or perhaps go bigger ;)
As you know when i got my Rib, I wasn't looking for a coded 9mtr 300 hp beastie, but I'm so glad I've got her and still having great fun, but it is at the expense (or lack of it) of taking Spotty out. i just don't see the need to move her and she has become our floating holiday cottage, this suits us fine.
We all enjoy our boating in different ways.
My Rib is available to rent to the suitably qualified and experienced, I'm sure we can agree some special mates rates to help scratch that itch.
 
There's no point asking on a knitting forum if you should give up your best knitting machine.
Surely the correct solution is a bigger boat that can take a mini RIB on the bathing platform?
 
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