MBY's spot the boat

Yep, too easy, well done to both of you.

This picture comes from an article we're running next month called "10 RIBs that changed the world". We also have an 11-RIB mega test of all the best RIBs on the market at the moment; both of these articles are to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first ever RIB. If you like your RIBs it's a must read! And even if you don't, they're bloomin' cool anyway.

Cheers,

Jack
 
Last edited:
Jack Haines said:
Yep, too easy, well done to both of you.

This picture comes from an article we're running next month called "10 RIBs that changed the world". We also have an 11-RIB mega test of all the best RIBs on the market at the moment; both of these articles are to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first ever RIB. If you like your RIBs it's a must read! And even if you don't, they're bloomin' cool anyway.

Cheers,

Jack
Click to expand...

Nice one Jack! They originally did it in 2 models, 4.0m and (I think) 5.4m - your pic is the larger one. My memory is sketchy but is it not the case that this was THE rib that changed the UK boating scene? IIRC (I was a kid at the time, and you were just a concept - we're talking mid 1970s) when Avon launched that in the UK it basically introduced the whole idea of a RIB, to the UK mass market at least. Before then everyone had inflatables (the Avon 400 etc and the C-Craft (Dunlop) C12 and C136 were then the dog's blx) and the mainstream boating poublic hadn't heard of the idea of a rigid hull inflatable
 
John, thinking back those Seariders were probably some of the first that were not actually black rubber. I recall, as a kid, playing in Cowes in a black Avon dinghy, used to have an inflatable transom that was cut off on the corners and a rather strange painted steel and wooden outboard bracket that fixed on through some thick tubular fittings. Flexed massively with a 2HP Seagull !
 
Still highly regarded today by the hardcore rib people! the flooding hull was a revelation making it very stable at rest yet once the throttle was pushed forward and the hull drained it was pretty quick.

The whole rib concept was developed i think by Atlantic College in South Wales who build Psychedelic Surfer powered by a pair of Merc 50 HPs which competed in the Round britian 69 race. The concept was then sold to RNLI and the rest as they say......


looking forward to the article Jack. will enjoy reading that next month
 
jfm said:
Nice one Jack! They originally did it in 2 models, 4.0m and (I think) 5.4m - your pic is the larger one. My memory is sketchy but is it not the case that this was THE rib that changed the UK boating scene? IIRC (I was a kid at the time, and you were just a concept - we're talking mid 1970s) when Avon launched that in the UK it basically introduced the whole idea of a RIB, to the UK mass market at least. Before then everyone had inflatables (the Avon 400 etc and the C-Craft (Dunlop) C12 and C136 were then the dog's blx) and the mainstream boating poublic hadn't heard of the idea of a rigid hull inflatable
Click to expand...

All is made clear in the article but it's safe to say that the launch of the Searider was a seminal moment in the evolution of the leisure RIB.
 
z1ppy said:
Still highly regarded today by the hardcore rib people! the flooding hull was a revelation making it very stable at rest yet once the throttle was pushed forward and the hull drained it was pretty quick.

The whole rib concept was developed i think by Atlantic College in South Wales who build Psychedelic Surfer powered by a pair of Merc 50 HPs which competed in the Round britian 69 race. The concept was then sold to RNLI and the rest as they say......


looking forward to the article Jack. will enjoy reading that next month
Click to expand...

Glad to hear it, the issue is shaping up to be a cracker.
 
Pennpromo said:
John, thinking back those Seariders were probably some of the first that were not actually black rubber. I recall, as a kid, playing in Cowes in a black Avon dinghy, used to have an inflatable transom that was cut off on the corners and a rather strange painted steel and wooden outboard bracket that fixed on through some thick tubular fittings. Flexed massively with a 2HP Seagull !
Click to expand...

I can't remember exactly when Searider was launched. From about 1970, all the little Avons (redstart, redcrest etc, which are the ones you're remebering) plus the swish Avons were in grey rubber. Likewise the other top brand, Dunlop's C-Craft, was also grey. I think the black ended around 1970 (we're showing our ages here!)

Avon 400 with a 40 on the back was the biz - our Magnum on here had that as a first boat, before graduating to a Pred72, LOL. The C-Craft C10, C12, and C136 were the biz in the Dunlop range. My family's first boat was a (grey)C12 with a Merc20 (serial# 9037331 in case anyone still has it) bought new in 1974 and I learnt to boat drive and waterski with it
 
How on earth do you still remember the serial number: were you regularly under the hood?
Those days Mercury's had a little front cover plate with a 1/4 turn knob and a really cool logo, you pulled that, released two over centre catches that took the wrap off the powerheas and then removed the top with another over centre latch at the front. We had a Merc 80 on a Whaler 15 like that. I used to go wake jumping behind the old Nelson Pilot boats that came out of Southampton.
 
Pennpromo said:
How on earth do you still remember the serial number: were you regularly under the hood?
Those days Mercury's had a little front cover plate with a 1/4 turn knob and a really cool logo, you pulled that, released two over centre catches that took the wrap off the powerheas and then removed the top with another over centre latch at the front. We had a Merc 80 on a Whaler 15 like that. I used to go wake jumping behind the old Nelson Pilot boats that came out of Southampton
Click to expand...
Ho yes, that hood design! We had a new 90hp towerofpower in 1981 with THREE of the over-centre catches for the wrap around band :D :D The tops that you took off with the final overcentre catch were cast aluminium and weighed several kilos - how engineering has moved on!
 
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