RIB or Sportsboat?

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We chartered a Ribcraft 7.8 from Solent Rib Charter over the weekend and had a great time blatting around the Solent and Poole but it got me thinking why you would buy a RIB over a sportsboat?
Our RIB was fast (42knots+) and handled well but then so do many sportsboats. The jockey seats are fine for bouncing along at speed but useless for loafing in harbour and of course most RIBS don't have any accomodation whatsoever. I can see why having big rubber tubes around you might be practical for easy mooring up and might make the boat more stable at rest but surely they're easily punctured
But what is it about RIBS that makes so many people buy them? And what is it about RIBS that apparently makes them good seaboats?
 
It is the open-top sports car thing... The wind in your hair, the spray in your face and the sheer exhilleration of speed. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

RIBs are not for sitting still in, they are creatures of movement. That said, lots of people do use them for fishing etc.
 
Can't answer for why you would buy one, but I guess the lack of any pressure to squeeze four berths and a bog into a small boat means the RIB builders can do a much deeper V hull, meaning better than average sea handling when compared to a Sealine S24/Searay 240 etc etc.

From what I can see RIBS are bloody expensive when you consider they are not much more than an open hull with some bloody big outboards.

Why not get a nice 7-8m sports boat from a decent manufacturer with a deep Vee hull (23/24 degree dr) and a lumpy diesel engine. More comfortable, and something like a Nimbus Nova 250R would top 40 knts with a D4 260, plus you get a decent (ish) cabin, a bog and seats to can lounge on.
 
I suspect it has a lot to do with the RLNI using them (so they "must" be good, whereas in reality they're just really suitable for recovery work, low sides, lots of bouyancy).

I also think there's a touch of 4x4 itus about them. People like the whole rugged nature of them even though in reality they'll never use them that way and there are plenty of far more suitable alternatives (just like 4x4's).

In short, it's a lifestyle thing for many, I agree with you, I'd take a decent sportsboat over a RIB any day.

Incidently, to add to your list of negatives, you're very exposed to the elements on a RIB, and fitting covers is a nightmare.

I know a guy who used to run a RIB charter business and he reckoned that in reality they were a bit rubbish really. Good for thrashing about and that's about it.
 
What makes them good sea boats is the very low centre of gravity, there is virtually no weight above sea level. I think the other thing that makes them so popular is the overall light weight so you can tow even a big rib with an average family car. They also have walkaround decks, and sitting on the side tubes of a RIB in bouncey conditions is generally more comfortable than sitting on poorly upholstered seats on your average yankee sportboat. They're also generally cheaper than sports boats.
 
It is just these issues that have led us down our current path. We have agreed to buy a sportsboat, subject to blah blah... We went this way instead of a rib, cos it seems so much more comfy when at rest, there is somewhere to keep stuff dry, and at a real push with the camper canvas up, you could even spend a night on her. I also think ribs are expensive for what you get, ie £4k worth of glassfibre, £500 of rubbery stuff and about £9k of engine - on offer to you sir at the very special price of £27k +VAT. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

We hope to be on the water by the beginning of next month, so maybe we will see you out in the Solent. Let me know if you fancy a look/ride.
 
RIB's are supposed to offer more in the way of seakeeping/comfortable ride/safety over the equivalent sized hardboat. This being due to the Deep V (although not all RIB hulls are Deep V) and the cushioning/buoyancy effects of the tubes. I do know a lot of hardboaters that would debate these points but given RIB's extensive use in arduous conditions by RNLI, Offshore operators etc then there would seem to be something in it.

There is also a considerable fashion element to their popularity and it's very much in the 4x4 mode. i.e. 'I have a boat that I can go out in a Force 8 in although I have no intention of doing so.' RIB's also were seen as more socially acceptable than 'speedboats' particularly amongst the yottin' fraternity. With the increase in popularity this is perhaps less so these days.

I used to have a Scorpion 7.5m which is an excellent boat (as is the Ribcraft 7.8m you chartered) and very confidence inspiring in a sea. On that and similar sized boats I've been all around the Western Isle, Channel, Scillies etc. Not sure I'dve done that on a 24ft sportsboat. I also went around Britain in a 9.5m RIB but it did have a cabin (although not completely enclosed) and more in the way of crew protection. The experience was probably similar to doing the circumnavigation in a decent 30ft sportsboat.

The big downside of course is lack of accomodation, although there are a number of RIB's that now offer some better protection/accomodation. (e.g. Redbay, Shearwater, some Ocean's). Jockey seats are excellent for helping keep you in the boat in the rough and absorb the impact but I agree are not so good for lounging on. Any 'serious' RIB isn't serious without them IMHO though as banging your spine to pieces on a bench seat is deeply silly!

RIB's are also proportionately more expensive than Sportsboats. Part of this is economies of scale and part again is fashion. (Scorpion for example charge outrageous amounts on money for their new craft but then are probably the best of breed).

If and when I am in a position to buy another boat, now living in Canada, I probably would end up with some form of hardboat because a) RIB's are as rare as rocking horse dodo in North America and b) having some weather protection is pretty essential in these parts!

AJ
 
I have just purchased one for use on the river thames.

It sit on a versadock which you just drive onto/off so bottom and engine stays clean and safe.

Reason Rib over other alternatives - hose wash and leave , no fenders or rubbing strake to worry about.
 
Wonder if there will be a RIB price crash in the second hand market as has happened with 4 x 4's?
Consider what you want your boat to do and how you will use it, the answer will then start to come apparent.
 
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RIB's are supposed to offer more in the way of seakeeping/comfortable ride/safety over the equivalent sized hardboat. This being due to the Deep V (although not all RIB hulls are Deep V) and the cushioning/buoyancy effects of the tubes. I do know a lot of hardboaters that would debate these points but given RIB's extensive use in arduous conditions by RNLI, Offshore operators etc then there would seem to be something in it.


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This is exactly what I was alluding to above. There seems to be this logic that because the RNLI use them they must therefore be good sea boats.

I don't believe that this is why the RNLI use them, I suspect it's much more to do with the inflatable tubes offering low freeboard (excellent for dragging people on board out of the sea) and soft edges (again good for recovery but also for going alongside stricken boats, especially the smaller types that the inshore lifeboats are more likely to be involved in).

You don't see the RLNI using RIBS for their big offshore stuff (there must be large RIBS), nor do the coastguard.

And no matter how deep the deep V, it's only going to give a soft deep V ride until the boat is deep enough for the tubes to hit the water, then it's effectively almost flat bottomed as they won't cut through anything surely?

I'm really not convinced about this super sea keeping reputation, I think that the RNLI, customs, armed forces etc use them for their other virtues, light weight, amazing stability and buoyancy, good for going alongside other boats, etc.

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They also have walkaround decks, and sitting on the side tubes of a RIB in bouncey conditions is generally more comfortable than sitting on poorly upholstered seats on your average yankee sportboat. They're also generally cheaper than sports boats.


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I find it hard to believe that sitting sideways on right on the gunwhale in bouncy conditions is preferable, either in comfort terms or safety. Often blimmin wet too!
 
Yes, I felt confident in the Ribcraft but I can imagine that it would also feel very exposed in any kind of a sea. No spray protection, no wind protection, no canopy. Would'nt be my idea of fun. We felt the jockey seats were essential; in fact I don't know how you'd stay in the boat sitting on a bench seat
But I can't help feeling that RIB manufacturers are missing a trick by not offering more in the way of weather protection and accomodation. I've seen the Shearwater, Ocean and Redbay websites and the Shearwater is the only one that looks like the cuddy was'nt an afterthought. IMHO, the RIB manufacturers are missing out on a whole market segment by not catering for more family orientated boating
I agree that Scorpions are outrageous money. £40k + VAT for a single o/b powered 7.5m is a joke
 
One issue is that in a RIB where the tubes are set lower (just above water level when on the plane and touching the water when at rest) you feel as though you are sitting 'On' the boat rather than 'in' it. Protection then comes from the console (OK for the front pax not much use for the rest) and from the clothing you have to wear. Part of the Ribbing thing is the requirement for drysuits, helmets etc etc.

One other big point in favour of RIB's where the tubes are in the water at rest is stability. Particularly useful for Divers, hence the popularity of RIBs in that sector.

I'd agree about the lack of style and accomodation. Not sure whether it is a real market niche though as you get to a point where you might was well just have a sportscruiser. Which brings us back to the start of the debate!
 
Yes and no. The current weather we're having (and Spain is not having /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif) makes me want to buy something but then I think chartering would be less hassle and I could have 10-15days charter a year for the same money as the cost of owning my own boat. And then I think that this weather can't possibly last and the rest of the summer will be pants. And then SWMBO wants to spend some money on an extension and thinks buying another boat is a lousy idea anyway because we hardly have time to use our existing one and she's probably right only I'd never admit it
 
How does it steer at slow speed? The Ribcraft was a bit of a pig, wandering all over the place until it was planing
 
Until you asked I had not even thought about it on my boat, which is very good at slow speed and does 45+ at full tilt.

That said I have used DERV's 6.5m jobbie and thats a pig in the marina........ Concerning protection I reckon at 30+ you must wear a helmet and visor, you might look a bit of a Mr Men plonker but you can see because your eyelids can stay open and the spray etc cleans off between waves, you feel much more secure.
 
Agree with the visor bit. My eyes were on fire after 2 days blatting about. I could hardly drive home. Next time I'll wear ski goggles
 
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