Mucking about

[Charles]

Blasting around St.Helier pier-heads yesterday.

[Charles]

Some more zooming around....

[Manos]

Nice photos. Boat looks nice too!!
I AM JEALOUS!!

Will be in Greece next week for a few days so weather and work permiting will try to get her in the water and post some too

[DepSol]

Much better weather than Friday.

Went out myself yesterday for a spin, great fun. Nice pics Charles.

[Julian]

Hi Charles

Some great shots of your boat there looking very good and running very nicely. I must get out soon.

Dad wants to do a run to Jersey befor August so i'll keep you posted and if you are about we could meet up for a beer or 2.

Julian

[narked]

I like the way you managed to get the camera that far from the boat and keep your arm holding it out of view, can't see it coming out of the boat anywhere!

Impressive pictures!

Matt

[Charles]

Yea Matt, I actually hired a Bell Jet Ranger for these shots
Julian, would be good to see you over here.

[Charles]

.

[Manos]

I was flicking through an old RIB Int'l Mag and had a look at the SCORPION 10 mtrs test.

From the comments made in the article I think that it will be good to get a clarification on some of the following points from people who own SCORPIONS and they know the boats.

1. Is SCORPION 10 mtrs RIB is a Cat B or Cat C RIB?
2. If it is Cat B why the problems with the valves (flooding of the cabin it was mentioned in the article when they came off?? ) and problems of the pontoons on the bow of the boat (I suspect this was Charles mishap) changed to hard nose did not arise when it was originally tested for obtaining this certification?
3. If is Cat C should the boat go out in such rough weather conditions??
4. Sea keeping ability seems to be good to VERY GOOD. Is this the case??
5. What is the average 2in set of outboard engine size that it can take onboard??
6. Has it got space for an generator??
7. Finally, Price. Why the price of this boat is so high?? £ 123,000+vat for a 2 berth RIB!!! Other boats i.e. the MOSTRO 10 mtrs are much, much cheaper than that?? (Hypalon and fibre glass do not cots as much)

I am asking all these questions because I am thinking (seriously) to buying a cabin RIB. SCORPION was one of the makes I am considering as well as MOSTRO 10 mtrs (which has a 4 berth cabin and comes 1st in my list right now and will test it in Greece next week) and a few Italian boats which although they look nice they are overpriced.

Any way I hope someone who has 1st hand experience with the boat (namely Charles??) will explain all these questions.

Thanks

[Julian]

Hi Manos

A couple of points that I can answer.

1.) The design of the scorpion cabin Rib was changed a while ago and all valves were placed on the out side of the tubes and not in the cabin itself, this was done about 2 years ago I think.

2. ) The sea keeping abilities in a scorpion are excellent, I have been through some very heavy seas with no major problems. Every one i have taken out in the boat has been very impressed with the handling and build.

3 . ) Scorpions are expensive because graham only uses the very best equipment and designs, The buils quality is easily the best on the market down to very fine detail. The moulds are exact , this is also included in bildge pumps , wireing, fuel filters etc they are the best money can buy and thats all they use.

If I had the money the New Scorpion cabin Rib would be mine. It is the best cabin Rib on the market. Ask Charles he has had several runs in her and was very impressed. I hope some of this helps.

Julian

[Manos]

Thanks!! That was quick lolol
Any way I think that the price is a VERY BIG stopper as well as the 2 berth cabin. 4 berth (for my needs) would had been better.
The boat looks good and I assume that is now seaworthy after the face lifts. It must have some short of certification or something!!

The pitfalls of the boat for me (only a personal opinion) on this one are:

1. PRICE
I hear what you say about the best wiring, fittings etc that money can buy. I have done my research and wiring, switches, fibre glass and Hypalon tubes don't cost as much as people think they cost. i.e. ORCA Hypalon for a 10 mtr boat inc fitting will cost you £5,000 the very maximum with double padding.
I have collected a price list for all the materials (1st class materials and the BEST you can get ranging from fibre glass to switches and waterproof carpets and upholstery) one uses to build a RIB and it looks that if you exclude engines, labour cost and profit for a RIB with Net Hull Weight of say 2,500 kgs it shouldn't be more that £15,000 or near this figure give or take £2-3,000 (cost of materials ONLY for full spec inc anchor winch, chains, anchors, ropes, lights, VHF, GPS, A-frame, bimini, sink, hot cold pressurised water, generator, air con, shore power supply, 2(+1 spare) engine bats and 1 domestic bat, hydraulic steering system, steering wheel, cockpit visor, fw and fuel tanks etc etc and ex engines) the very maximum. So one should expect to pay something like between £25-£30,000 for a new 10 mtr hull ex engines.

[B]2. The Cat B or C issue still remains[B/]

3. SEA KEEPING
I think is good too and due to the narrow beam much better from the MOSTRO I'm interested in I recon. Will try to see if I can get onboard a 7.50 SCORPION for a ride when I'm in Greece next week. But as I said is an expensive boat so.......

Any way I think I said enough about this and possibly I may have upset a few people and I am truly sorry if I did. Is just that when I fork out of my pocket a large lump sum of money to buy something being a bicycle or a boat I want to know that I got the best value for money there is.

[Julian]

Manos

I agree completely, when its your money its entirely up to you what you buy etc. I also agree that they are a lot of money and if you look at the other side for that money you could buy a nice sunseeker or fairline etc. Its a tricky one and one that only you can decide on.

P.S I dontthink you would have upset any one mate.

Cheers

Julian

[narked]

Manos, depends which country your thinking of with the labour costs. Skilled labour is of course much more expensive here than in a lot of other countries.

But yeah, the cost is very high, but hell, if I had that sort of money doing nothing, I'd buy one without even thinking!

Matt (someone should design a cabin SIB, much cheaper) Brown

[Manos]

Originally posted by narked
Matt (someone should design a cabin SIB, much cheaper) Brown

I agree with this statement!! lolol

[-<=[Tw18]=>-]

Sir you big show off

Some of us where to busy re-decorating the lounge to go and play in the lovely weather. But fingers crossed, sunday should see me out

But someone lovely shots sir, but when i'm out and about i'll have the camera and get some of you from sea level

Keep it up good sir

[Jonny Fuller]

Originally posted by Manos
I I am asking all these questions because I am thinking (seriously) to buying a cabin RIB. SCORPION was one of the makes I am considering as well as MOSTRO 10 mtrs (which has a 4 berth cabin and comes 1st in my list right now and will test it in Greece next week) and a few Italian boats which although they look nice they are overpriced.

Manos, you said Italian boats were good in the harbour but they should be left there as they are crap build q and crap seakeeping! come on laddy, make your mind up!

A fountain of knowledge like yourself shouldn't keep changing your mind, you'll confuse people, especially as your charging for this "knoweledge" now!

[DM]

Originally posted by narked
(someone should design a cabin SIB, much cheaper)

Someone already has. I think its called a liferaft.

[Jelly]

Try the Tinker tramp, they do a version with inflatable cabin.
not my first choice, but then I wasn't looking for one!
Jelly

[Charles]

At the Ecrehous today, Sunday 16/03/03

[Charles]

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