Advice on replacing Avon 310?

[wkearney99]

I have a Grand Banks Eastbay 47 that's had an Avon Rover 310 with a Yamaha 15hp on a TNT swim platform lift. This being the "Rover Compact" RIB variant, with the fiberglass hull, not the Aero.

The tiller control on the outboard is not ideal. The wife would prefer a wheel setup. So I'm shopping.

I'm limited by the 15' beam on the boat for length, and the 700# limit on the platform lift. The lighter, the better, as added weight leads to making the stern of the boat squat too much. The 310 I believe comes in around 400#.

If I stick with the 'same' size the AB 10ALX an 10VSX with a 25hp, or the Highfield CL310 with a 20hp are the likely contenders. The AB using an actual console, and the Highfield using their equivalent of the old Euro Helm arrangement.

Are there others I should be considering?

[wkearney99]

And is there a 'rule of thumb' on calculating the LOA of a RIB setup with the engine trimmed up?

It seems I might be able to get away with bumping up to larger dinghy, but don't know how to 'guesstimate' what the LOA would be with the engine tilted up.

And to clarify, the old one is an Avon 310 RIB, but NOT a compact or an aero (which apparently also used the R310 model#).