Ribs

[tripleace]

Anyone have any experience on Ribs,

I'm looking at a Nautia Rib in the states because they can offer a

Diesel / Jet / proper seats bimini cover etc etc

all comments welcome

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[dieselhead]

marlin ribs can offer that just not the jet

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[tcm]

Re: why to avoid jetRibs

jetribs look the biz - but are a total pain. I will never buy another, always a tender and outboard for me please.

1. You cannot leave them in the water overnight else they often go wrong. The works and even some cables are near or in the water

2. Getting them fixed means getting a man (sometimes needs crane and lorry) to come round and fixem. You can't cart the outboard over to them, or take the engine home ovr winter to keep nice in the garage.

3. They sound ripsnorty, but aren't practical. Often hugely overpowered, then have great difficulty in doing useful things like towing a waterskier, or using a spare outboard if the main on is knackered.

4. The tender and engtine will wear out at different rates. Either then engine or the fabric of the tender will go first, but with a jetrib the whol lot has "had it".

5. The main techno advantage of a jetrib is that it is supposed to able to go over things without damage. Rubish. You can do this in a race, provided you don't need the boat to work very much at the end of it. But in normal use, they will suck up a floating (eg waterskki) line round the impeller very fast indeed, and suck up lots of sand to wear away all the works.

6. they are expensive for what they are

7. they drive a bit weird - the power is in the middle not at the back - so a sharp turn left means it tries to mount it's own wake and throw you (ie coliholic) off into the sea again. Also, with works underneath, you sit "on" them not so much "in" them and don't feel as safe as with a normal rib with outboard

8. But yes, they do look the biz.

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[Duncan_Hamble]

Try asking on www.rib.net

- Someone will know about the boat

Duncan

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[jfm]

Re: why to avoid jetRibs

Very timely advice tcm. Couldn't you have made that post 2 months ago? Ours (bought 1.5 months ago) is now back from the fixers, having been there a week with 0.8hrs on the clock. I'll try it at the weekend and look forward to more grief......

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[mjf]

Re: why to avoid jetRibs

Excellent advice.

I really fancied one but really too much wt. for the back of the boat - and a little too long! I had not properly assessed the pros and cons as you have highlighted.

The two people I know with Jet Ribs have both had to return them to the supplier following warranty failures.

Rather supports your comments....


Michael

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[tcm]

Re: 5/9/2003

dunno how to link but i said as below. IO was wondering if i was sitting on the fence, but it wd seem not. Mind you itdoen't say don't buy one of these JFM so mebbe not direct and blunt enuf.

"all agreed cept for the effing jetrib. Do NOT buy these, guys, if at all poss. They are nice and posy but thats' it. You get an rib with an inboard, so if the rib is knackered so is the whole 10k boat. No,not happended to me but read on. The jet is so whippy that it has little or now low-speed waterski-useful grunt and seems to alternate between 1knot and then (rather quickly) to about 27 knots, after which speed increase is smooth to over 40 knots. Great. Handling -wise, if u bust the crane the whole kaboodle is stuck in the water - no chance of lifting the 'gine off and then the rib out. Next door's crane is just shagged -so his brand new rib is in the water for another barnacley week.

Long-term, no chance either of re-engining (or re-boating) an otherwise perfectly fine Rib (or engine). Avoid, imho "




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