RIB Unlimited 600

Hydro17 · 22 June 2020, 11:12

On the water again.

https://www.rib.net/forum/attachment...1&d=1592820561

https://www.rib.net/forum/attachment...1&d=1592820662

Hydro17 · 06 July 2020, 06:38

The RIB Unlimited 600 is built on a Hydrolift T-17 (Hydroline 525) hull. The boat in the picture is a boat I owned many years ago.

Hydro17 · 06 July 2020, 07:07

The RIB Unlimited concept came out of an idea of a RIB that was efficient, practical and safe. To achieve these characteristics they married the Hydroline 525 hull with Henshaw Hypalon tubes.

To market the new boat they decided to set a World Speed Record. Mercury sponsored with the new for 1995 3 liter engine (225hp) and the UIM Kilo Record was set at 76.4 kts* (In Guinness Book of Records 1996). They were over 80 kts in the attempts but the boat was so wide with the tubes and trapped so much air they were on the verge of prop riding all the time so they had to hold back.

This marketing stunt was very successful and RIB Unlimited sold many RU600 and RU700 over the years (the most sold RIB's in Sweden). The boats have also been made under license in Norway, Poland, Greece and China.

The RIB Unlimited 700 was based on a modified (stepped racing hull aka Hydrostep) Hydrolift T-20 hull.

A year later RIB Unlimited set the current UIM World Speed Record for RIB (over 100 kts) mating a Hydrolift Offshore 2 catamaran with Henshaw tubes and a Lamborghini V12.

* The average speed over a kilometer in both directions within an hour.

Maximus · 07 July 2020, 14:01

Breaking any genuine World record on the Water or Land is pretty Hard thing to do so well done!!

Henshaws look like they did a good job as usual...what sort of mods did you have to make to fit the Tubes?
Although on a Glass like surface the REAL attributes of a Good Sea Going RIB aren't ALL tested by any means

...and I'm not sure those Bench seats would enable much speed at all in Heavey Seas!...you'd be bounced out before you got going

For me....Jockey (or possibly Bolsters) all the way
Good Luck with project all the same

Hydro17 · 16 July 2020, 19:24

I did not set the records - RIB Unlimited did and a friend of mine was a part in designing and building the boats. I just told the history of the boats as they probably are not very common in the UK.

My boat is not for the very rough stuff as you pointed out but I live quite a bit in (10km or so) a fjord. I use my boat for going to beaches in the archipelago, restaurants and the odd excursion along the coast (mostly inshore)... and also for some joy rides when I want to go fast (70mph is relatively fast as my previous boat did about 100mph - Allison SS-2000).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snz8wVPm2KE

I bought this RIB Unlimited to rescue a quite rare engine - the Mercury ProMax 150 ss (2.5 efi short shaft sport master - 150hp race engine). I helped the first owner in Sweden find it on the Allison Owners forum in the US... 187hp in a dyno and the boat is CE for 115hp.

I have had to re-do the setup with a CMC hydraulic jack plate, a SeaStar Tournament series hydraulic steering, T-H Marine hot foot throttle, SeaStar Pro Trim (for the trim and the jack plate) and SeaStar Control to shift gears. I have also put in new wiring with Argent instrumentation (tacho, fuel, trim, water pressure and volt). I now run a Mercury Trophy Plus 25p four blade propeller so it accelerates quite hard but is very pleasant to drive. I also have a Hoss Triton I - a real challenge so I don't run it. I am done with chasing speed so I have a good, safe, allround and fun boat. Ok, perhaps not for the beginner but I have been into both offshore racing and extreme sport boats for many years.

tolvsbo · 07 September 2020, 10:42

Hi !

I have a Rib unlimited 600 with a 90 hp fourstroke and a standerd prop.

Anything above 30-35 kts feels seriously dangerous. There are wobling tendencies that i feel will lead the boat flipping unless you pull back quickly.

It is not that I really feel the need to go much faster, but would love to get rid of the wobling. Considering the weight of the boat and the little wet surface the real top speed with current power should be a bit higher , in my opinion. Any suggestions where to start for any adjustments ?

Hydro17 · 07 September 2020, 15:26

Hello tolvsbo,

Nice boat you have!
There are a few things:

You are basically driving a Hydrolift sports boat and they are demanding, they require 'active driving' when running on the pad (balancing it on the pad). The solution is seat time, seat time and seat time... When you got that you will be greatly rewarded.

There are some tricks to help out:

a) engine weight or balance of the boat is important. Don't run too heavy an engine.
b) good steering without any slop/slack. Recommended to use a hydraulic steering.
c) engine height/prop shaft height. Don't drag too much of the lower unit in the water, It will cause chine walking/wobbling. I run the prop shaft level to the pad.
d) propeller extremely important. The hull is old and many people have raced them... Old school is OMC Raker and Winrace cleavers... I have never tried a Raker but a Winrace cleaver was very easy to drive (but not an allround prop). They are Norwegian so it would be easy to get one made. A friend of mine took a Hydrolift T-17/Mercury 200xs to 79.9kts with a Mark Croxton labbeb Razor propeller. I drove that boat and it felt like on rails. I run a Mercury Trophy Plus (4 blade prop) and I find it to be a good (on rails allrounder)...

How is your boat setup?

Watch the steering wheel action (I have a foot throttle, Seastar Protrim to always keep both hands on the steering wheel and also a hydraulic jack plate)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrHv1hohGeg

tolvsbo · 09 September 2020, 16:05

Hi Hydro 17!

Thank You a, and likewise :-)
...and thank you very much for your input.

a) engine weight or balance of the boat is important. Don't run too heavy an engine.
- Running a Suzuki 90 Fourstroke, about 200 kg /440 lbs ?!
b) good steering without any slop/slack. Recommended to use a hydraulic steering.
- Hydraulic steering , newly bled
c) engine height/prop shaft height. Don't drag too much of the lower unit in the water, It will cause chine walking/wobbling. I run the prop shaft level to the pad.
- Looking at pictures I am running the engine too low, as the top of the prop is below the pad (assuming the pad is the flat cut out at the rear ?)
d) propeller extremely important. The hull is old and many people have raced them... Old school is OMC Raker and Winrace cleavers... I have never tried a Raker but a Winrace cleaver was very easy to drive (but not an allround prop). They are Norwegian so it would be easy to get one made. A friend of mine took a Hydrolift T-17/Mercury 200xs to 79.9kts with a Mark Croxton labbeb Razor propeller. I drove that boat and it felt like on rails. I run a Mercury Trophy Plus (4 blade prop) and I find it to be a good (on rails allrounder)...
- Running the standrd 3-blade prop that came with the engine

Dont have a foot throttle, so a lot of one hand steering :-)

A

tolvsbo · 09 September 2020, 16:15

Fjordling · 10 September 2020, 17:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by tolvsbo

Hi !

I have a Rib unlimited 600 with a 90 hp fourstroke and a standerd prop.

Anything above 30-35 kts feels seriously dangerous. There are wobling tendencies that i feel will lead the boat flipping unless you pull back quickly.

It is not that I really feel the need to go much faster, but would love to get rid of the wobling. Considering the weight of the boat and the little wet surface the real top speed with current power should be a bit higher , in my opinion. Any suggestions where to start for any adjustments ?

Hi,
Thank you all for a good thread!
Mine is a 602 with 75 hp doing 40 knots. Everything up to 35 knots is eventless, but I must tilt out to get RPM due to a heavy 21" propeller. That tilting is costing some stability. Will become stable again with more hp

I had massive chinewalk problems. The propeller lifting up - was pressing the bow down. After lifting the motor the boat has gone dead stable.
These boats have a cut in transom so they are very sensitive to motor height and tilt. Have hydraulic lift and love it. Driving with propeller quite heigh in the water. Watch out for loss of cooling water.
I run Mercury Laser II propeller.
Will get it on a trailer in 14 days. Can tell my preferred motor height then.

Fjordling · 11 September 2020, 10:43

Agressive lines.....

Pelo · 12 September 2020, 10:55

Hi!

Nice Boats you got.

I am considering buying a Stormway rib unlimited 602.
Have any of you had to change the tubes? I am a bit afraid off what that might cost!

Regards Øystein
Stavanger

Hydro17 · 28 February 2021, 21:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pelo

Hi!

Nice Boats you got.

I am considering buying a Stormway rib unlimited 602.
Have any of you had to change the tubes? I am a bit afraid off what that might cost!

Regards Øystein
Stavanger

PM me and I will set you up with the people that build the boats here in Sweden. They can give you a quote.

Hydro17 · 28 February 2021, 21:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by tolvsbo

Nice looking boat!

dubbfredda · 26 April 2021, 12:25

Hi,
I just bought a new engine to my RU 600.
Evinrude E-tec 90hk.
Now I wonders about engine mounting position, height.
And propeller selection, band and size.
Maybe somebody here knows anything about this?
Please share.

Br,
Fredrik

Fjordling · 27 June 2021, 20:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubbfredda

Hi,
I just bought a new engine to my RU 600.
Evinrude E-tec 90hk.
Now I wonders about engine mounting position, height.
And propeller selection, band and size.
Maybe somebody here knows anything about this?
Please share.

Br,
Fredrik

Hi, I eventually got to measure out my motor height.
The propeller/gearcase center is 175 mm over the keel line of the boat . (with propeller shaft paralell to the keel line.)
I have cooling water issues at medium speeds. working to fix it.
These boats get super stable with high motor, but.....
Propeller center is 900 mm aft of the bottom at the notch. (200 mm notch plus 4" lift + motor tilted out to make shaft paralell to keel.)
The long lever arm for the lift from the propeller makes propeller lift issue important.
Propeller with minimal lift at the back, called good bowlift. I run Laser 2.
21" to 23" for a 90 hp i guess.

Fjordling · 27 June 2021, 20:20

Propeller is 175 mm above keel line. Else see more details in reply above.

Fjordling · 28 June 2021, 07:47

Hi, correct measure of my motor height:
Propeller/gearcase center is 105 mm under the keel line of the boat. (With propeller shaft paralell to the keel line.)
These boats get super stable with high motor, but - I have cooling water issues at medium speeds. working to fix it.
Propeller center is 900 mm aft of the bottom at the notch. (200 mm notch plus 4" lift + motor tilted out to make shaft paralell to keel.)
The long lever arm for the lift from the propeller makes propeller lift issue important.
Propeller with minimal lift at the back, called good bowlift. I run Laser 2.
21" to 23" for a 90 hp i guess.

Pelo · 24 November 2021, 11:06

Hi,
I finally got a Stormway Rib 602. Picking it up this weekend. It comes without engine, so I am interested in your thoughts on engine size and weight. I have already ordered a hydraulic lift from bobs, with 4inch setback.
I am hoping to put together a fast and versatile boat for everything from diving trips with friends to speeding around the fjords. Does a modern 4stroke with around 100hp, weighing around 155-170kg seem sensible?

Pelo · 07 February 2022, 17:53

I ended up getting a Yamaha f100. I dont have a propeller yet, but tested with a friends 19" Ballistic propeller. The pitch of this propeller was to small (as suspected) I did around 40 knots, hitting the engines max rev of almost 6000rpm. What do you guys think? What pitch should I get? The ballistic didnt seem like the best match for the boat. I guess a 4blade propeller with less sternlift and better grip would be better?