RIB: what's the smallest practical/safe size?

[ohansen]

RIB: what\'s the smallest practical/safe size?

Hi all! I've been living with boats all my life but it's either been really small outboard ones, or power/sail yachts. My dad used to be a maniac, anchoring from the bow and tying the stern of his 30ft 2x100+HP power cruiser close enough to the rocks for all of us to step comfortably ashore, and as far as I know he never bent a propeller/rudder. And in a couple of the bays he knew well he went far enough in for us to jump off and not get our shorts wet.

30 years later I have a 31ft sailing yacht with far bigger tides and a 1.8m draft to worry about, and I'm a bit of a big chicken, so I'm not going to try to repeat that. However I really miss not being able to just go in to explore and not worry too much about hitting something. Last time out (just over a week ago my son and I pottered around another unknown bay with just a meter under my keel, which stressed me out a bit too much. Yes I used a chart so I knew I would probably be safe as long as I kept my attention up and nobody had dumped anything bigger, but it's just too stressful to do too often...

I also do a bit of diving (no more than 10 dives/year). Doing so off my sailing yacht is a bit of a non-starter, however we used to do that off dirt small rowing dinghies, again 30 years ago, with much less safety that the yacht would offer today.

So, I'm contemplating buying a cheap and small RIB, mostly to potter around new and unknown grounds, but also to do some fishing with my son, photography, and a bit more and easier diving with my diving mate. Speed would be fun but not essential. Being able to tow the stuff around behind the car would be a big bonus. Being able to tilt the engine and beach it would be an even bigger bonus, assuming I can pull myself off the beach if I calculate my tides wrong!

So, looking at RIB options I have kind of gotten myself attached to a size around 4m/40hp, which offers a decent amount of space, decent power, and probably not too bad fuel consumption. Any thoughts about how this would suit no more than 3-4 people but with a fair amount of gear would be welcome. And any thoughts about what life would be like with say a 3.6m/15hp RIB instead would also be very welcome, from those who have experience with different small RIBs!

Or, should I do a step up, and get a well-equipped, but older and scruffy 6m one instead, for the same price? Of course I would not try to pull that off a tidal beach myself...

In a way I almost want this to be my little fun PWC, but with the bonus of being able to all the other things I can't easily do from my bigger yacht...! Any thoughts/comments would be very welcome! Thanks!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[jfm]

Re: RIB: what\'s the smallest practical/safe size?

Hiya and welcome

Hmm. To lift off a beach you are limited to the lightweight ones up to 3.6m or so. I've just got a Walker Bay 3.4m (100kg) and Yam 40 (86kg), which, when you add fuel, gear, battery is perhpaps 220kg. Two strong blokes might shift that along a beach very awkwardly but you wouldn't want any more.

The WB is a lightweight. Some 3.4 and 3.6 are much heavier, like nearly 100kg heavier

But then, 3.4m is tiny. Not big enough to hold dive gear, and quite unsuited to coastal trips in N Europe except in great weather with flat sea. The 6m would be loads better, but not liftable off the beach. Perhaps you need to drop one of your must-haves?

The Walker Bay range incidentally have nearly flush fit wheels under the transom so they dont inflict drag at high speed yet let you wheelbarrow it along on land. That would help meet your requirement perhaps

 

[oleander2]

Re: RIB: what\'s the smallest practical/safe size?

IMHO you can not beat the RIBCRAFT 4.8. I have owned one from new since 2001. It is extremely versatile.

 

[Seanick]

Re: RIB: what\'s the smallest practical/safe size?

Ballistic 3.1 31KGS !!!!!!!

It flys with only 10 hp.

Its Aluminium.

 

[Cerddinen]

Re: RIB: what\'s the smallest practical/safe size?

Most dinghy club safety boats are around 5m. This is large enough for most inshore purposes but can feel a little lost when out at sea. I have used my 5m for all sorts of purposes, including 20 mile coastal runs between ports. I don't think the latter would be realistic if you went smaller. Go larger and you have space for a back-up engine, more sea-keeping ability, and greater fuel capacity. 6m should be sufficient for proper offshore work.

 

[Seanick]

Re: RIB: what\'s the smallest practical/safe size?

Agree, its only a tender, and too small for diving etc. Mypost was really justa weight comparison.

 

[Nick_H]

Re: RIB: what\'s the smallest practical/safe size?

I'd suggest the 6m RIB, and rig up a simple outhaul anchoring system. As others have said, any RIB light enough to lift up the beach is too small to take to sea.

 

[gjgm]

Re: RIB: what\'s the smallest practical/safe size?

6 metres