Ribs- your views please

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captainalex

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Looking into purchasing a rib for next season. Looking around the 6m mark. Interested in the Zodiac Medline II ( anyone had any experience?). Have tested Bomard explorer SB550, Valiant 520 and a Stylmer 640. Can anyone recommend a model or brand to look at.

Any help is much appreciated,

Thanks.
 
After years of sailing, and latterly a Hobie cat (21) by brother in law has just bought a rib. The specific reason was for the T200 celebrations (!) but he did his research pretty extensively and travelled from Ramsgate to Wales, Hampshire to Cumbria looking at them..........all in a week.
He ended up with a Bombard around 6m30, Suzuki 115 4 stroke, because of the package available and the seating arrangements. He was buying 2nd hand so his options were a bit limited.
Osprey look tough and handle the conditions but most a re set up with 'serious seating' rather than leisure considerations.
He's delighted with what he has and has run over to Poole from Portsmouth twice in the 3 weeks after he bought it.
If finance is not a real issue then there are some lovely Scorpion and other 'luxury ribs out there too - but this rig was under 15k, 1 year old and imaculate trailer etc.
 
I am an ex ribber and wouldn't neccessarily look at any of those models. What do you actually want it for and where are you going to use it?
 
Different ribs are suitable for different types of use, so you really need to include some idea of how you want to use it. For example, some are designed for speed and flat water, some for riding a decent sized sea in safety (e.g. atlantic 21,) and others for stability when stopped or at slow speed (for divers) - where the tubes at the stern are basically much closer to the water line than is good for other types of use. so how will you use the boat?
 
I know where there is a Medline II for Sale, It belonged to a friend of a friend, I was out on it last year on a few occasions on Loch Lomond, great fun boat.
The owner was not short of a bob or 2, so it was high spec'ed and well maintained, it has the GRP Radar arch, full Zodiac overall cover, Trailer and i think is powered by the Suzuki 115hp outboard.
Its exactly like the one in the pics HERE
Nothing like the price, though.


He has traded it in, and its now sitting, looking very smart on its trailer, at a dealer on the bottom edge of Loch Lomond.

If you want the dealers number PM me, and i'll get it for you.
 
The rib would firstly be used in the south of france, a day boat..so the option of a sunpad would be desirable. the majority of the time it will be 4 people max using it. Would also like to be able to use it on lakes and on the solent. I'm used to fast boating, so performance of 40 knots+ would be preferable. the ribtec 655sx looks a nice boat, but hasn't got the sunpad. I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, they're really useful.
 
Rib x ribs may fit your bill I have been on most of their models also Solent ribs built in Fareham are excellent and can build the boat to your requirements ,quite a few now with sunpads as an option they have a deep vee hull very fast and easily driven by not to large a power unit . Others are Balistic ,Ribeye and XS have fun hunting .
Regards Tim
www.griffmarineservices.co.uk
www.classicboatmuseum.org
 
You'd be much better asking the same question HERE There are much better options! Pro Sport, Rib Tec, Solent, Ballistic, Ribeye, (not my choice as tend to use PVC for tubes and not Hyperlon) Marlin etc etc . There is Scorpion and Renegade at the top end. You could also look at Mark Pascoe ribs, but you'll need around £60k plus. The choice out there is endless, so go try as many as you can. Neither of your first two would even make my long list!! I've been out in the Solent all day on a Solent rib 6.5 metre with a KAD 32 - topped out at about 40 knots. Good hull and very stable.
 
As a Rib owner before upgrading (5.8m to 36Ft was a big jump /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif) I can recomend the Ribcraft range

Cath and I had a Ribcraft 5.85 fitted with a 90Hp Mercury engine. Jockey seats for 4 people + 2 on a bench seat infront of the console.

The Ribcrafts realy are excellently put together - seats etc are glassed onto the deck rather than being screwed on as an afterthought - All cables etc are under the deck, not on top, things like that.

We had a lot of fun with Rib Panther (hence my username!) and in a way it was sad to see her go. She is now based in Cowes, and we know the person who bought her who is enjoying the RIB to the max!!

www.ribpanther.co.uk will show you some of the fun we had, from the Thames to the Scillies

Cheers
Jools

As solitare says - www.rib.net/forums is an excellent place to chat about ribs
 
Amongst the club I belong to, which has a high number of Rib owners, there is a very high predominance of Ribcraft amongst the more experienced owners (most have been boating in excess of 20+ years) which probably says a lot.

I can't claim any experience in this area tho
 
Like Panther, I have come out of a Rib and into a motor cruiser. I was disapointed with the RIB experience and frankly would go for a Boston Whaler or similar if I was looking for that size boat again. (Heresy if you talk to those on RibNet!) I bought a new Avon 5.6m and Suzuki 90 4 stroke. I thought the RIB was too cramped which of course had a lot to do with the spec I ordered which included a large console, jokey seats and a rear bench. You couldnt move once you were in the damn thing. The other thing that hacked me off was the fuel capacity. The Avon held a totally inadequate 50 litres and I spent all my time pouring in fuel.

Totally agree that the best advice will come from the experts on RibNet.
 
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