Folding Transom Rib

Outboard equipped RIBS make great tenders but personally I don't like the look of them on the bathing platform. Jetribs look much better due to the absence of the outboard but I know many of us have owned one and reverted back.

This looks like it might fit the bill.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51ffakcodQ8
I would like to see how you use that in anger though..easy when you have a large floor around it, but how easy on a swim platform?
 
I would like to see how you use that in anger though..easy when you have a large floor around it, but how easy on a swim platform?

I think you could probably operate this and the Aermarine from inside the RIB. Only way to find out is to try it I guess. Then just a case of lowering the bathing platform and voila :)
 
p43270rib.jpg

Here's a P43 with a 2.7m x 1.6m RIB to scale. Although it's a small tender with a Tohatsu 9.8HP 2-stroke it will be more than adequate for basic tender duty and crucially there is still plenty of room either side on the bathing platform.
 
If you look at most small RIBs that take a short shaft outboard, the skeg of the outboard doesn't extend beyond the end of the tubes when it's sat on chocks on the bathing platform, and therefore it doesn't really impact access on and off the boat. This is because a.) most small ribs have the transom well forward so that the tubes aft of the transom can support the engine weight, and b.) with the tender on chocks the outboard only has to be tilted at 45-60 degs, not completely horizontal. I therefore question how much you gain with one of the folding transom RIBS. If you look at BHG Dan's pictures, the outboard is much further forward for sure, but what are you going to do with the space you've gained between the tubes?

Our tender is up and down like a tart's draws, so I wouldn't want to be going through the malarkey in the first video every time if I didn't think there was much to be gained. The AER Marine RIBS also seemed really pricey, though that was a while back and maybe fx rates have helped.
 
If you look at most small RIBs that take a short shaft outboard, the skeg of the outboard doesn't extend beyond the end of the tubes when it's sat on chocks on the bathing platform, and therefore it doesn't really impact access on and off the boat. This is because a.) most small ribs have the transom well forward so that the tubes aft of the transom can support the engine weight, and b.) with the tender on chocks the outboard only has to be tilted at 45-60 degs, not completely horizontal. I therefore question how much you gain with one of the folding transom RIBS. If you look at BHG Dan's pictures, the outboard is much further forward for sure, but what are you going to do with the space you've gained between the tubes?

Out tender is up and down like a tart's draws, so I wouldn't want to be going through the malarkey in the first video every time if I didn't think there was much to be gained. The AER Marine RIBS also seemed really pricey, though that was a while back and maybe fx rates have helped.

The smaller RIBs have a manually folding transom which takes no more time than it would to lower the engine on a regular transom.

A big advantage with these RIBs is apparent when you store them in garages designed for jet RIBs. You simply can't get a standard transom boat into them due to the height of the outboard. By folding the transom flat, and therefore tucking the engine down below the tubes, you can fit them in these tight garages.
 
The smaller RIBs have a manually folding transom which takes no more time than it would to lower the engine on a regular transom.

A big advantage with these RIBs is apparent when you store them in garages designed for jet RIBs. You simply can't get a standard transom boat into them due to the height of the outboard. By folding the transom flat, and therefore tucking the engine down below the tubes, you can fit them in these tight garages.

Plus with a tender that is likely to stay covered on the bathing platform more often than not, the lower profile of this arrangement just looks better.
 
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