Riva 88 Miami and its clever roof

[Jack Haines]

The Riva 88 Miami has a rather funky solution for putting some shade over the helm. Is it a genuinely useful solution or a gimmick?

Here's the story, which includes a video from Ferretti of the roof in action: http://www.mby.com/news/536504/riva-88-miami-wows-with-its-folding-hardtop

Jack

 

[prv]

Surely the time you want the bow area uncovered (nice sunny weather) you want the cockpit uncovered too? And vice versa - if it's peeing down with rain you want an indoor cockpit and the sunloungers undercover.

Pete

 

[Jack Haines]

Surely the time you want the bow area uncovered (nice sunny weather) you want the cockpit uncovered too? And vice versa - if it's peeing down with rain you want an indoor cockpit and the sunloungers undercover.

Pete

Yep, a good point and something we've been discussing in the office. The press release doesn't mention it but maybe there are extra canvas covers you can use to cover the bow area of you want the roof over the helm. Somewhat defeats the object, though.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Its a gimmick. As you pointed out yourself in your report, when the hardtop is in position over the cockpit, then the bow seating area is exposed so the owner is going to have to have a cover made up for the bow seating area both to protect it from the weather when the boat is not in use and from spray in a seaway. Then what happens if the owner wants both an open cockpit and and open bow seating area; he can't have it, it's either one or other which seems stupid. Or for that matter, a shaded cockpit and a shaded bow seating area. He can't have that either
I suppose some Chinese or E European with more money than sense and taste is going to love it and I guess that's what it's all about

 

[Imperial One]

If they can do that there must be a way to get a second cover under the main one to cover the bow seating area.
That is probably next weeks announcement.
A great conceptual idea with a few obvious issues to be ironed out but one thing is for sure, it is bound to be mimicked by everyone else.

 

[vas]

Surely the time you want the bow area uncovered (nice sunny weather) you want the cockpit uncovered too? And vice versa - if it's peeing down with rain you want an indoor cockpit and the sunloungers undercover.

Pete

Pete that's UK thinking, Med boating is a bit different...

I'd guess you're going to be using the dinette in the evening when the sun's not burning.
Up till then, you probably want the shade at the helm area, so to me it seems more or less fine for Med boating (if not ott...)

V.

 

[rafiki_]

I would be concerned about the reliability of the mechanism. if it were to be made by Edscha or someone similar from the automotive world, it would stand a chance of being reliable. I cannot see a marine supplier doing the million or so test cycles in a salt spray chamber at say -10 to +55C, so come the third or fourth owner, it would need to be binned.
I really like the look of the Galeon product, where the roof mechanism covers the small flybridge. Much simpler mechanism, so relatively easy to engineer and produce.

 

[ontheplane]

Also, if someone was walking down the sidedecks and you operated it without thinking, you'd crush their legs...!

I agree, pointless

Unless there could be a roller-blind over the bow seats.

But yes, I think you either want shade in lots of places or open lots of places - but then I don't boat in the Med

 

[MapisM]

Is it a genuinely useful solution or a gimmick?

It's rather obvious that most folks with a passion for boats, which is the kind of animals at which you're addressing your question in a forum like this, would answer that it's much more the latter than the first. And I'm no exception.
But that's not the point when talking of Riva boats, which are much more targeted at posers, rather than true boaters.
So, my bet is that the 88 will sell well, because regardless of how useless and potentially unreliable her gimmicks are, it's hard to deny that she's a stunning vessel.
Which is all that really matters, together with the heritage that goes with the boat, for her prospect clients.

 

[Nick_H]

The Riva 88 Miami has a rather funky solution for putting some shade over the helm

The holy grail for some med users is to have a boat that transforms completely from hard top to open boat. This boat does that more completely than any other boat i've seen, far better than a sliding roof hardtop ever could, so I don't think it can just be dismissed as a gimmick, though i'm sure it's the pose value that will sell it to most buyers. The downside of losing the bow seating area is a modest price to pay, especially as I think the boat would normally have the roof up to protect the helm and dining area from the sun.

It doesn't interest me at all, and i'm totally with Rafiki on the reliability issue, but it will offer the best of both worlds to some boaters who are unconcened about the cost of buying and fixing the mechanism.

 

[spannerman]

Having replaced motors, cables and microswitches, relays etc on cabriolets, soft tops and hard tops on boats from 35 to 70ft I wonder how long this will work before the sea air corrodes something vital and it stops working, there are a lot of interlocks in that system which have to work correctly or you will end up with arms stuck half way or covers that won't close preventing further operation. I hope they have a decent wiring diagram for the poor guy who has to troubleshoot it.

 

[rafiki_]

Having replaced motors, cables and microswitches, relays etc on cabriolets, soft tops and hard tops on boats from 35 to 70ft I wonder how long this will work before the sea air corrodes something vital and it stops working, there are a lot of interlocks in that system which have to work correctly or you will end up with arms stuck half way or covers that won't close preventing further operation. I hope they have a decent wiring diagram for the poor guy who has to troubleshoot it.

+1