Thinking of a switch to a RIB

paradave

paradave

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We’ve currently got a Merry Fisher 805 which has been fantastic. However, I think our kids are at the age where they’d enjoy a bit more speed and ability to waterski etc at some point. Am considering a 6-7m rib in a dry stack and wondered If anyone else have made a similar change and how it went?
 
As someone thinking of going the opposite way… every boat is a huge compromise (especially with UK weather).

Upsides of rib
- better seakeeping, very stable and you will feel very safe in it
- wind in your hair feeling
- goes fast
- looks cool


Downsides of rib
- rubbish use of space, 30% of internal volume is wasted by the tubes.
- every time it rains your day is ruined
- can’t lock it up and go home like you can with the MF
- limited storage space
- no way of getting out of the wind / weather
- you’ll go everywhere fast so will use loads more petrol
- pain in the ass to keep clean and maintain (because of the tubes)
 
I've just swapped a 7 metre sports cruiser for a 5.2 metre RIB as I wasn't using the accommodation and facilities.

Gone from 200 to 75 HP and 2,300 kg to about 500kg.

Great fun in the rib and I always take full foul weather great and wellies with me.

Also trailerable so have a few trips planned with others who have also downsized.

I miss the spacious cockpit and windscreen of my previous boat

More than offset by the fun I'm having with the rib. Trip to the channel islands planned for next year too so a great adventure. We're going in company for safety reasons.....
 
paradave said:
We’ve currently got a Merry Fisher 805 which has been fantastic. However, I think our kids are at the age where they’d enjoy a bit more speed and ability to waterski etc at some point. Am considering a 6-7m rib in a dry stack and wondered If anyone else have made a similar change and how it went?
Click to expand...

We did it & no regrets at all but….we only downsized because we moved very close to the marina & so we no longer needed the onboard accommodation plus we’d done all the long haul trips we’d wanted to so are now happy mainly Solent hopping, although the RIB will happily take us much further afield if we wanted.
Initially we went for a 6.5m but for us, it wasn’t particularly comfortable in the Solent chop. The RIB handled it well but killed my back.
We moved up to a 7.5m & the difference is huge. Loads of storage; fridge; bimini for the really hot days at anchor; table & of course plenty of sun pad space if you want to lay out & read a book etc. It’s even got a large ‘locker’ where you could have a porta potty put in if you felt it necessary. We absolutely love it.
We drystack which is so easy & convenient. Use the Marina app to request a launch & it’ll be ready & waiting within an hour.
cleaning is quick & easy & of course servicing is a fraction of the cost. A no brainer for us tbh.
L
:)
 
lisilou said:
We did it & no regrets at all but….we only downsized because we moved very close to the marina & so we no longer needed the onboard accommodation plus we’d done all the long haul trips we’d wanted to so are now happy mainly Solent hopping, although the RIB will happily take us much further afield if we wanted.
Initially we went for a 6.5m but for us, it wasn’t particularly comfortable in the Solent chop. The RIB handled it well but killed my back.
We moved up to a 7.5m & the difference is huge. Loads of storage; fridge; bimini for the really hot days at anchor; table & of course plenty of sun pad space if you want to lay out & read a book etc. It’s even got a large ‘locker’ where you could have a porta potty put in if you felt it necessary. We absolutely love it.
We drystack which is so easy & convenient. Use the Marina app to request a launch & it’ll be ready & waiting within an hour.
cleaning is quick & easy & of course servicing is a fraction of the cost. A no brainer for us tbh.
L
:)
Click to expand...

7.5 m is a huge rib and I am guessing the running and storage costs of that size of rib are quite large….. let alone the purchase cost. I would think the cost of a 7.5 rib would be more than you might get from the MF
 
7.5m RIB isn't huge - it's 7.5m which is about average for use on the Solent and these are generally used all year round.

An Axopar Cabin or similar might fit the OPs requirements a little better
 
lisilou said:
We did it & no regrets at all but….we only downsized because we moved very close to the marina & so we no longer needed the onboard accommodation plus we’d done all the long haul trips we’d wanted to so are now happy mainly Solent hopping, although the RIB will happily take us much further afield if we wanted.
Initially we went for a 6.5m but for us, it wasn’t particularly comfortable in the Solent chop. The RIB handled it well but killed my back.
We moved up to a 7.5m & the difference is huge. Loads of storage; fridge; bimini for the really hot days at anchor; table & of course plenty of sun pad space if you want to lay out & read a book etc. It’s even got a large ‘locker’ where you could have a porta potty put in if you felt it necessary. We absolutely love it.
We drystack which is so easy & convenient. Use the Marina app to request a launch & it’ll be ready & waiting within an hour.
cleaning is quick & easy & of course servicing is a fraction of the cost. A no brainer for us tbh.
L
:)
Click to expand...
Thank you for that! We rarely stay over on our boat and just use it for hanging around the solent really so hence a rib seemed to make more sense, your post has reinforced this.

I was wondering on size and 7.5m seems to make way more sense now, not just for size reasons. Many thanks.

I've put a tentative ad out for our boat so it all relies on that happening really. No drama if not, it's a great boat, but I do fancy a change.
 
I like the look of the Saxdor 200. To me makes more sense than a RIB. Also do a 320.
 
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We went from a Targa to a 7.5m rib here on the South Coast, bad move as it was cold, wet, very windy and downright unpleasantin the UK weather. You can't get away from those issues and I don't really see boating in full wet weather gear as being much fun, that's for sailors. So, we took it to the Med for a holiday and 6 years later we're still loving it. Cheap to run, perfect for sunny warm days at anchor, never cold and the best boating move we've made in 20 years. Just upgraded to a 9.5m Med spec rib with all the mod cons whilst we're at anchor.
Ribs are great for getting from A to B in the UK waters but to us they weren't a boating option that we would enjoy but in the Med it's totally different in a good way.
 
Bigplumbs said:
7.5 m is a huge rib and I am guessing the running and storage costs of that size of rib are quite large….. let alone the purchase cost. I would think the cost of a 7.5 rib would be more than you might get from the MF
Click to expand...

7.5m is a very comfortable size but yes, it comes at a price. 80k purchase price (new but of course used is a great option); around £400 annual service for the outboard; roughly 4K to drystack on the Hamble. Our previous boats, SC35: £2500-3000 annual service (engines & drives) & around 8k berthing. We also had a MF 895 for a very short time; the service costs on that OB was about the same as the RIB & berthing was around 7k annually from memory. Plus you have to factor in the hassle & cost of anti foul (Not a big deal but it all adds up). None of that with drystack.
Perfect for our needs now.
L
:)
 
crazy4557 said:
We went from a Targa to a 7.5m rib here on the South Coast, bad move as it was cold, wet, very windy and downright unpleasantin the UK weather. You can't get away from those issues and I don't really see boating in full wet weather gear as being much fun, that's for sailors. So, we took it to the Med for a holiday and 6 years later we're still loving it. Cheap to run, perfect for sunny warm days at anchor, never cold and the best boating move we've made in 20 years. Just upgraded to a 9.5m Med spec rib with all the mod cons whilst we're at anchor.
Ribs are great for getting from A to B in the UK waters but to us they weren't a boating option that we would enjoy but in the Med it's totally different in a good way.
Click to expand...

If it's cold wet and windy why are you out on a boat anyway :giggle:? I use RIBs all year round from Lymington - some of the best days out are in winter when it's just a you and the IoW ferry out on the water.
 
We have just taken delivery of a Medline 7.5 also to be stored in the dry stack on the Med coast. Really enjoying it, we only need to call 15 mins in advance plus if we want them to they will clean the boat and rinse motor after use. Easy peasy!
 
Mate had a 3.5m Avon RIB with centre console when I had my first dory, the dory was much easier to get in and out of when diving and the dory was not that much longer than the RIB but had a lot more space in it, the dory did need a much bigger engine to move it though, mate had a 30hp outboard while I had that ex navy Johnson 85hp to move the extra weight.
The dory was a heavy beast of a thing and the gunnals were very low to the water which helped in getting in and out. Both were exposed and wet and I always wore a full ND drysuit when out on the boat, the RIB gave the smoother ride and didn't hang in the air at speed like the dory, sometimes you coould feel the bow getting too light in the dory when cresting a wave and the wind got underneath, usually that was the limiting factor in how fast you could go in it. Never took it beyond about 22 nm from it's home port at Wick and only a couple of miles out from the coast.
 
DrSpock said:
If it's cold wet and windy why are you out on a boat anyway :giggle:? I use RIBs all year round from Lymington - some of the best days out are in winter when it's just a you and the IoW ferry out on the water.
Click to expand...
Some of the best diving I've had has been at the end of winter - no kelp ! I used my dory all year round, it only came out the water for cleaning or if there was a storm on the way
 
SammyB said:
We have just taken delivery of a Medline 7.5 also to be stored in the dry stack on the Med coast. Really enjoying it, we only need to call 15 mins in advance plus if we want them to they will clean the boat and rinse motor after use. Easy peasy!
Click to expand...

Rich mans boating...... Not real boating
 
Only thing that would put me off spending big money on a Rib would be tube life as opposed to a solid hull boat

That said I have a 4 meter Avon sea rider from the 70’s, well build had it for prob 30 years + and has been left out in all weathers, in the water, not looked after really and has been reincarnated every so often.
it owes me nothing and to be fair and has no real value to speak of so not that bothered
Still holds air with no leaks .
Its great fun but too small for the Solent chop.

Dry stack and covered would solve the sun fade issues though not to mention no antifouling
 
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