Beaching considerations

[shayter]

I moved this post here from the general forum area:
I'll try to keep this simple and to the point.
I am looking for thoughts about a boat that we are looking at purchasing for a business venture...without getting too much into the details of the day-to-day; we need a medium sized boat to get men and gear onto rocky shores and rocky beaches.
We have always used SIBS in the past due to the rocky shoreline in the Howe Sound, as I have felt they did this best. We currently have a 14ft SIB with a tiller and in the past we had a 16ft SIB with a nice console system(recently stolen). The beaching advantages of these are clear, however, they suffer in the performance category when comparing to a RIB.
We are now looking at upgrading to a 17-18ft sized boat that would need to move more people and faster and further.
So my question(s) revolves around this...Is there any way to make a RIB able to beach on rocks regularly without causing hull damage? Something more than a simple keel protecting strip? Or should I stick with the SIB format? Will this format (just like the set-up we had before) perform better or worse in the larger size with say a 50hp on it? Is there any way to stiffen stringers and/or transom in a larger SIB? Does anyone out there have experience with any of the larger SIBs such as an Achilles SU18, Defender 530 or Zodiac HD mk5?
There's a lot there to consider...thanks for taking the time for reading and thanks in advance for any suggestions or thoughts.
cheers,
Simon

[Poly]

Did u not like the answers you got there?

[shayter]

haha...no...just a lot of the suggestions were UK specific and I thought there might be some PNW-based suggestions over here...commercial products/applications such as aftermarket keel strips, etc...

[jyasaki]

There used to be a RIB that had a loading ramp at the front. I think it might have been made by Nautica. The downside would be that it's a glass boat; you'd probably want to go with aluminum. I suppose you could bond an aluminum or SS guard on, but you'd still want to be careful around rocks.

Googling "Nautica ramp boat" comes up with a few images.

Depending on your budget, a custom build could probably be done (several aluminum boat makers up your way.)

jky

[A1an]

Personally I'd be looking at a Polar Circle or Pioner Multi drop nose. That's if they are available over yonder.

Purpose built for your kind of work

[kiwiboyd]

We now have these attached without SS fasteners

[Max...]

Originally Posted by shayter

haha...no...just a lot of the suggestions were UK specific and I thought there might be some PNW-based suggestions over here...commercial products/applications such as aftermarket keel strips, etc...

How can a keel strip, however big, protect the whole hull on a rocky shore? Surely you need to 'protect' the entire hull hence all the suggestions that GRP is out and it has to be alu?

Having said that a SIB hull/floor is not exactly bullet proof, exactly what sort of rock is this and how ragged was your previous SIB after a season of this sort of use?

[shayter]

There will be compromises no matter what system we decide to go with...it's a difficult combination of requirements to ask of any boat...so we will have to make some adjustments in how we operate to get the most out of whatever boat system we go with for sure. A few benefits that will widen the field of options are that none of the travel will be offshore. We are commuting on inland/sheltered sounds and inlets.

Our Defender SIBs have held up really really well so far so we may continue with this kind of set-up...but I would like to explore the possibility of a hard-use RIB for the obvious sea keeping and performance advantages.
I have picked up a bunch of ideas and interesting general knowledge from the suggestions here so far...so thanks for your input and ideas.

[Poly]

Would it be feasible to tow a floating pontoon to your destination? Keeps you off the shore and let's you are a more fragile but better performing boat.

[jyasaki]

Thinking outside the box there, Poly. (Or hull, I guess, in this case.)

jky

[prairie tuber]

Have you considered a 5.3m cat hulled SIB, inflatable beach rollers, and just clipping some foam pads under the hijackers when beached to protect them from the barnacles?

Dive 470 | Gemini-Marine

Sent an email.

[kiwiboyd]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

Thinking outside the box there, Poly. (Or hull, I guess, in this case.)

jky

You mean whaly boats? Whaly.com

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by kiwiboyd

You mean whaly boats? Whaly.com

Well, was talking about Poly's idea of a portable gangway; but those Whaly boats are kind of neat (though I don't think I'd ever go to sea in something called a Whaly - maybe that's just me though...)


jky

[Poly]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

but those Whaly boats are kind of neat (though I don't think I'd ever go to sea in something called a Whaly - maybe that's just me though...)

I'm with you! Whaly are essentially competitors of the FunYak that I own. I don't think they go much about 4m though and so might be a bit small for 6+crew. I also think they have the same issue - there isn't a US / Canadian supplier (there is a commercial opportunity there - almost no body is selling polythylene molded workboats / runabouts in North America...).

But I do agree Whaly is a branding catastrophe!

[sufius]

More out of the box...I know this sounds stupid but what about a flexible thick smooth (no snagging) rubber mat dropped off from the bow as you are coming to shore. It would hang down and fold underneath the bow part way down the hull of the boat as it got shallower? When not in use just strap it down on bow. it would need to be heavy enough or weighted to ensure it wouldn't go to the side &/or strap to side cleats so you can then pull into place under hull before landing. This assumes no rough water landings and that you are going slow. There are patents for sillier things

[Brian]

More "out-of-the-box"......

http://www.marinalive.gi/2015/03/17/...ibious-ribs-2/

[MatFromPoland]

Never used them Pioner - Pioner - the best rigid boats for work or leisure

But they show them as robust to stones:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naOG2_8huz8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sih6Qx7Et4g

Made in Norwegian.
Maybe it is only advert. but you can ask UK dealer