Why haven't the Americans gone RIB mad?

[rbw156]

With the benefits of RIBs so clear. I don't understand why RIBs aren't more popular in the USA. Any ideas?

[codprawn]

Not enough cup holders.....

Another reason is that many Americans are fair weather boaters - helped by the fact they get fair weather!!!

Seriosuly though they are starting to catch on.

[Stoo]

As a "newbie" to this forum and a Canadian, I had a thought yesterday after watching various videos etc. on here. My observations might be relevant in this discussion.

My overall impression of many of the RIBS you guys use, is that they are much "sportier"... dare I say it... "sexier" than those available here. In Canada, the vast majority of RIBS are operated by the CG, Navy, police forces etc. Virtually all of them are Hurricanes. I had never heard of a Scorpion until the other day. Our RIBS come in a dazzling array of colours... grey and orange, and maybe black!

There was a CG Cutter tied up outside my house yesterday with something called a “Titan” on the fantail, but that is the only one I have ever seen. I asked one of the crew about it and his comment was something like, "It's not a Hurricane.." Possibly a budget compromise boat? On the "Left Coast", I believe there a number of Polaris RIBS, but again, I’ve never seen one. All of these are what I would call “workboats” not “sportboats”

It might be just that we don't have a lot of choices here, and the "choice" we do have is very expensive. I am frequently asked how much my boat cost by people who think it's a pretty cool "dingy", and they are generally blown away when I tell them... even though I'm lying and telling them about half of the real cost. (The replacement cost for my Hurricane 590, with a 150 Yamaha and a few electronics is about $75,000.00 USD) Most people respond with some comment like... "Geez, you could have bought a real boat for that!" (I have also noticed that the "real boats" are tied to the dock, or still on their trailers, when I am heading out to play!)

The dealer who supplied my boat works from an industrial complex with no show room. I think he has two "civilian" customers... me and a guy who owns a gold mine and he has two 733s for tooling around in. And my guy is the largest Hurricane dealer in the country!

You might also be right about the weather. Where I am on the Great Lakes, we get some pretty awful weather with large, steep seas. Personally, I can’t imagine going out in anything other than a RIB many days, but then I’m biased! In the sunny south it might be less of an issue. I also wonder how well the fabrics hold up in intense sun.

If one of you "sexy-boat" manufacturers would like to explore dealership possibilities, please PM me!

[jyasaki]

http://www.titanboats.com/

As I recall, I never contacted them when looking to have mine built.

jky

[prairie tuber]

I was on a Titan RIB this summer on a whale watching tour out of Tofino, B.C. A fair bit beefier than either the Hurricanes or the Alum hulled Polaris Ribs that were also out there.

[Stoo]

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

I was on a Titan RIB this summer on a whale watching tour out of Tofino, B.C. A fair bit beefier than either the Hurricanes or the Alum hulled Polaris Ribs that were also out there.

The one I saw was a good looking boat... In an "industrial" sort of way. I didn't see it running though. I think it was equipped with twin 70s, but the boat looked to be bigger than my 590...

[pathalla]

Nautica in Miami builds some of the sexiest ribs out there, American made, Italian influence design, and extremely well built. I have owned a few. As to the rib question, actually there are quite a few ribs in the Great lakes and elsewhere, most of them are tenders (8 to 12 ft.) to larger cruisers. The main problem with big ribs is the cost, most people will buy a glass boat for comparable money with more amenities, head, cabin, galley etc. etc. They feel they are getting more for their money and they are probably right..

[prairie tuber]

Originally Posted by Stoo

The one I saw was a good looking boot... In an "industrial" sort of way. I didn't see it running though. I think it was equipped with twin 70s, but the boat looked to be bigger than my 590...

Yup. Very industrial, not too sexy though. The titan I was on was a 25 footer that looked like this;

[Stoo]

Originally Posted by pathalla

As to the rib question, actually there are quite a few ribs in the Great lakes and elsewhere, most of them are tenders (8 to 12 ft.) to larger cruisers.

LOL. True enough. I wasn't thinking of those! There's a sailor in town with about a 10' "rib" (as opposed to a "RIB"). His two boys spend hours buzzing around the outer harbour. I think it has a 9.8 on it, so it scoots along pretty well...

There are a few of those Nautica's come visiting sitting on the decks of really big yachts. I guess it's just me, but I kinda prefer the "industrial" boats. But then I would prefer a steel tug or a glass yacht too!

[pathalla]

You know... I just like boats, always did, always will, doesn't really matter what she's made of, how big, sail or power, as long as it's a boat! I do like ribs a little better than the rest, and industrial is o.k. by me....aluminum,rubber,glass. outboard, inboard, can't be too picky...

[OceanEco]

Titans cost more than hurricanes. Titan has done a few pleasure ribs but on the whole they supply the local tour boat companies as well as CG, police, customs, etc. On the west coast titan is taking the place of hurricanes with CG etc.

Another rib builder here is Liquid Metal Marine they do a great job.

[DeCourcy]

My thoughts on the West Coast:
Southern Cal: Mostly Sail or Fishing boats, limited destinations.
Northern Cal: Windy in Summer - better for Sailing
Pacific Northwest: Many destinations (islands), but most boaters are either day fishers, or multi-day cruises (need berth, galley, etc...), and protection from rain.

so...Benefits of RIBs (whatever they are to you) may not be beneficial to others.

I personally bought one for speed/weight ration, and ability to survive a major brush with submerged obstacles like dead-heads (logs that are upright below the surface). Boats sink very quickly when you hit one. On the downside, I'll be paying the price for a trip to the store from my island in bad weather in the winter, and may look to bum a ride from my neighbors in their warm dry boat. Actually, I'll probably be bumming rides in the summer to when it is pouring!

Mine is a 18 foot Widebody from Nautica - mentioned in an earlier post in this thread. I live in San Francisco area, but own a cabin in British Columbia, where I use the boat. While it has an aerated bait tank, it's hard to compare against a real fishing machine which I could have owned for the same cost.

Regardless, they are catching on.

[Tomas]

Hello all....first post here although I've been a reader for some months.

In 1998 I went to Anapolis, Md., a large yachting center on the East Coast, looking for a Rib. They were all pushing a concept known as "leisure class" (Sounds British- Ha!) which were all white and had a multitude of cup holders and bench seats, etc, stereo optional. Well, when you leave the harbor in my town in the Virgin Islands you're in the freaking ocean with a reach all the way to Africa. I wanted serious RIB within my price and size range. Finally I discovered from the Avon dealer that there was a thing called a Searider that only the Coasties purchased. I inquired how much and with the rub strakes, triple bow skin, jockey seat, etc. it was about the same cost as the parade floats. I hauled my new 4.7m Searider to Miami, put the whole rig on a ship and am jumping waves in her now 8 years later!

Even down here I'm the only privately owned deep V hard ass RIB on the Island. There are a number of odd ball brand half inflated white whales full of cup holders and broken stereos though. One of those brands is the APEX. Yea!

Back to the central question though, I think that for a given investment in a boat in the states, the question that is always asked is, "how many does it sleep"? I don't know why but that's the deal. I assume it means that either with or without female input, the concept of a mobile home type boat is first on most minds over here. Face the fact, a good RIB ain't cheap and for the same money you can get a plastic thing with a cabin.

We're at 17 degrees N of the Equator, sun baked to say the least. I keep a cover over my tubes most of the time and after 8 years of hard use and tropical sun, the rig is still in very good shape.

In closing, I enjoy the images of you buggers blasting over six meter waves, like a bunch of vikings in 40 degree F. rain. By the way, I owned and sailed a
Uffa Fox Ketch (Fresh Breeze) for a number of years. Never a sweeter 48 foot of sailboat ever came of the ways in Cowes!

Tom

[Tomas]

An addition to my previous post.

Anybody over there can come up with Uffa Fox's greatest and most unique innovation in the history of sailboats? A hit is that it sort of has something to do with RIBS....but not really!

Tom

[Limey Linda]

Tomas is " right on the money"
In the US, if you purchase a boat with a second mortgage/bank loan or whatever, and it can sleep two and has a toilet a small stove it qualifies as a second home and the all the interest on the loan is income tax deductable. This makes a huge difference as I am sure you can appreciate.
Regards, T.

[codprawn]

Nice to hear Llanelli's finest are doing such great service around the World still. As to Uffa Fox what a legend.

Are you on about the survival dinghy they used to drop to airmen???

[Tomas]

Never in the history of mankind before Uffa Fox had a sailing vessel ever also been a planing vessel, only displacement. I don't know the exact year, around 1919 he designed and had built the first plaing hulled sailboat!

He also got buzzed and rode his horse up to his second floor bedroom...but that's another story.

Tomas

[Tomas]

What up with that one Codprawn?

[Jimmy_Beam]

Wny not buy rib? Well, we are pansies. Alaska is the land of shitty weather and bad seas, that's why I bought a RIB. I go out when 30 foot aluminum cabin boats are staying in the harbor. I went out a few nice days this year, but most were in the 40's and raining/windy/wavy (fun, I know). But, I found that people here, even in the land of rough and rugged alaska, want to be in an enclosed boat during that kind of weather. That means for me.... Yep.. More fuel costs and less fun due to going out alone, or with just my girlfriend. She is tougher than most men here, go figure. That being said, when the weather gets warm again, I am going to build an aluminum/fiberglass cabin on the back half of my boat, put a raised forward deck in the front so that I can put a 55 gallon tank in front of the console and have storage under the floor. With the added range, and the added comfort, I will be able to hopefully get people to travel 60 miles out to the fishing grounds without hearing a bunch of sniveling. And mabey one day I'll take the 150 mile route to kodiak island, fill the tanks, shoot some dear, and head back.
Jimmy

[Hightower]

Any of you American Ribbers down in South Carolina?