Oversize outboard on RIB tender

That reminds me

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I later somehow acquired a 3.4 novamarine jetrib which er as standard has 175 hp so that's a bit frightening...

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Aye and its powerful enough to move and steer a 23m motoryacht at 3kts. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I have the piccies to prove it but never got around to posting them (mainly cos I'm rubbish at putting pics on here - I cant resize them). I'll get someone else to do it and put them on a post
 
"So having got rid of the Jet RIb (and good riddance), "

Do tell whats up wiv jet ribs? I only ask this as recently been involved with two seperate customers having probs with drives or impellors on them.
Feed back seems if they dont get run often enough probs can occur.
 
Hi Clive

IMHO JetRibs arent what they're cracked up to be.
Yes, generally they dont get run enough so have resulting problems.
Ours developed an oil feed problem resulting in scored cylinders thus requireing a rebore.
Also they arent very practical as a tender - beaching them can *ugger up the underside (inlet grilles and log etc).
Have you ever tried lifting one? You cant on your own - they are HEAVY.
So dragging up the beach is a no no.
Also in tidal waters (you've probably foggotten) you have to think very carefully where you leave them.
On the flip side though - great fun to drive and good passenger capacity (easily take 4 adults ashore - reasonable dry).

When (and I mean when) ours goes wrong again, we will replace it with a nice well fitted little RIB so I'm keeping my eyes out for something with the following spec.

Light
Good console (prefer jockey but still considering other layouts)
Powerfull engine capability
Must carry at lease 4 adults to the beach/ashore.
I want to look at different options/locations for fuel tanks as well.

Agree with NIck - I definately wouldnt buy another JetRib.

Mike
 
Well, in summary:

When you lift the seat it pours water over the engine. No really it does.
When you slow down water pours over the back into the boat
Its the hoover of the sea and regularly gets blocked with weed or poly bags
Its too heavy to drag up a beach
You are enveloped in a cloud of blue smoke if you run it at low speed for more than a few minutes, so exploring up rivers etc. is pretty much out.
Very noisy - OK when wazzing about, but annoying as a tender
The tubes deflate
The seat is stitched right where you sit on it, so your jeans get wet
You can only run it at high speed in flat calm water
They are hard to steer at low speed, though you do get used to it
The fibreglass around the rear lifting points cracks
The battery was faulty
The starter motor packed up
The alternator packed up
The starter motor packed up again
We couldn't shift it into reverse (known design problem)
Dealer did the Avon mod, then it wouldn't stay in reverse
There's no neutral
Its incredibly thirsty, so you have to carry 5 gallon containers of petrol on board
I found it got boring quite quickly just going fast, the fun is pulling skiers and ringos and you don't need to go 45 mph for that
They are ridiculously expensive to buy

Others have told me of the oil injection packing up and the engine seizing. This never happened to us, though I do know of a few that have needed new engines for other reasons. For the fun factor (and they are fun) I would have put up with most of the above, but not the reliability. In 2 years of ownership I would say it started about 50% of the time.

The other benefit about a RIB and outboard is that we will keep a 2.5 hp spare on board, so even if the main o/b wont start we have a back up.
 
Mike

If your boat could take a slightly larger RIB, then I think the answer is a 3.4 m Avon (or other make), with a centre console fitted. Officially the rating is 25 hp, but Mercury have a 30hp light engine which only weighs 50 kgs, much less than many 25's.

The whole outfit would weigh less than 150 kgs, and be powerful enough to tow any kind of skier or water toy. I think it will be just a smidge too long for our boat, though I am going to check it, but it may well be OK on yours
 
All imho, but I'd stick the 25hp on and not worry. The recommended hp figures are very conservative. I have a 85hp rated GRP dayboat with 125hp on it, no problem. Dont worry about warranty etc. In virtually all insurance situations, the extra 10hp (which you will only use if you are within 5kts of top speed) will not be being used and not be a factor in the incident anyway (eg theft).

Come to think of it, in about 10 outboard-powwered boats I have owned in my life I think I have been 30-50% over max HP in all cases. Likewise I'm only just content with 507hp under the car bonnet.

Sorry to hear you ditched the 3.2m jet rib. I love ours, wouldn't swap it for anything, except the uprated 125hp 4stroke version due next year. On hp, the current one is 83hp and 125hp next year, on 3.2m. And TCM's sub-4m rib is 175hp. So really, no need to worry about 25hp, and 15hp would be ploddy.

I'm ignoring weight, crane lift capacity, etc, but you know all that
 
Thanks Nick
I'm going to have a good look at the boat show.

Yes
You have sum'd up JetRibs very accurately.
I dont thinks we will be keeping it long, although I might just keep it in the garage at home as a toy - one other point is that, in proportion to their value, they loose their money faster than any boat I've ever seen.

Two additional tips to owning a JetRib.
1 Fit a priming bulb - ours starts almost first time now - dont know why Avon dont fit one.
2 You cant steer it so aim at where you want to go and switch off just before you get there. It doesnt go into reverse - or at least if it did you certainly cant get it out of reverse again. So dont even try - wait til it drifts roughly in the right direction and have another go ar your target. At least it isnt boreing.

Oh yes one really important tip - if SWMBO is sitting comfortably in the back and you are going along nicely (it will do 20kn on a flat sea with 4 on board) dont stop - cos she will get a huge wave over the stern and you will loose all the points you've gaind for the month.
 
Mike

I've come across this

web page

It looks quite nice with the flexi-teak deck, and is built from Hypalon so should last. I've contacted the MD and he tells me it weighs 74 kgs and can take a 40 hp outboard! I'm pretty sceptical at the moment (most 40 hp outboards would weigh more than the boat!), but have asked some more questions, and may go and look at one. I would fit the lightweight 30 hp anyway. I've also asked him whether they will have a stand at SIBS

If it's of interest to you, i'll let you know what I think of it
 
So we had a Rhino Rider for a couple of years with a 25hp 2 stroke, but that was heavy (almost 200kg). We just replaced it with a Bombard AX500 (3.1m), centre console and a Johnson GT (allegedly 10hp, but derestricted gives 15hp). It was clocked by SteveE at 24 knots with SWMBO and four kids on board, pulls four kids on a ringo, gets SWMBO up on a wakeboard and skis the kids.

The downside is that 2 months old, the hull has stress crazing everywhere and several bad cracks, including two through the hull in the bow, and others across the full width of the transom. The whole floor can be felt flexing, even at moderate speeds (like 5-10 knots). The dealer has 'never seen that before', and it's going back so that the Avon/Zodiac/Bombard man can suck his teeth over it, so I'll let you know how it goes...

PS this rig was as specified by the dealer as an ideal setup for what we wanted, and the derestriction was done by the dealer, so he can't wriggle out on the 'well, the hull is only rated for 10hp' clause.
 
I have a 3.5 M achillies RIB with center console.

Bought with 15 and installed 25 2 stroke merc and Lifters planing tabbs and goes like stink, handles perfect.

Can "zip" at 3/4 throttle all day on a bit of fuel and runs close to 40 mph at WOT
 
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