Dilemma

[Ridgewoodwoody]

I realise this may seem a rather dumb question but, please, bear with.
Recently retired, we bought a Brig Dingo 330 and Yamaha F6 outboard at last year"s Southampton Boat Show believing that we would get great use of it on holidays and maybe on the Broads and Thames in this country - we live in Sussex. However, despite adding several accessories our use of it, unfortunately has not worked out quite as we envisaged - we have been out in in twice for a total of about two hours including a very uncomfortable ride across the Sneekermeer in Holland this June. In short I'm not sure when and where we are going to use such a small boat. The time it takes to inflate and prepare and then deflate has discouraged us from possible day trips and I realise we should have thought of this before, but there we are. But before we try and sell it - another question would be how and where - my question is: are we missing something in terms of how and where we might use it that would reignite our enthusiasm and ability to get more from it.
Many thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[Nick Hearne]

Is it a hard deck floor?
If you want ease of use then air floor is the way to go along with a good electric pump that can get it up to pressure with ease.
My Sib from boot to water 20 to 30 mins me on my own not rushing

[Fenlander]

Bit of a ramble but you might pick something out of this...

It's true air floors are a lot easier but perhaps only save 5-10mins in assembly. That is a small consideration besides getting partner/family to want to make a day out boating specific and then packing all the kit in the car... then the same the other end of the trip.

You are far closer to the sea than us. It takes us about 30mins to pack the SIB, engine and kit in the car then we're almost 2hrs from the sea. Once at the coast we're rarely launched in under 30mins and the same to pack away again. Once back home or the day following I'd unpack the boat to wash & dry, repack and flush the engine.... about an hour.

So the prep/travel/setup/faffing is about 7hrs for perhaps 4-6hrs out... hence with respect to Nick saving 5-10mins each end of the trip using an air floor isn't that significant.... it's more whether you really want to be on the water.

I never regard all this effort getting on the water as a chore because every outing is worth the trouble. Add to that boating every day for two weeks a year in Scotland and it's all positive.

I guess it all depends on the enthusiasm you, your wife, family etc have for a boat outing over anything else you could all do on a day off/weekend. Unless boating is the no.1 choice then the hassle probably exceeds the benefit.

I'm lucky Mrs Fenlander is very keen... as is at home 18yr old daughter if she's not out with friends... and the dog enjoys a day out too.

Last Friday Mrs Fenlander had the day booked off work and we were all organised to have a long day out on the inflatable but it rained most of the day so we stayed home... however then the weekend when we were otherwise committed it was perfect weather. Chatting to my 84yr old dad visiting that sunday he said he'd find it frustrating getting so few days out a year. My argument to him was an inflatable outfit is so cheap to buy and maintain plus it takes up little space so I'm happy to have it in the garage unused for significant periods as on the days you get on the water its brilliant fun.

By the way you mentioned an uncomfortable trip in Holland. It's a great help if your launch site and the area you cruise makes boating as comfortable as possible.

For example where we mostly go there's parking, toilets & wash facilities, two cafes, pub, a chandlers, hard slipway, pontoon all located in a sheltered area then you can motor out to the cruising area to face as much or little in the way of sea state as you are comfortable with.

[Ridgewoodwoody]

It's a slatted floor dinghy that we put in and then inflate the keel. We do have an electric inflator which we attach to a separate 12v battery. And actually it's more the dismantling that the - mantling? that can be a faff. I think if we'd found it or could find it more comfortable when out but even having bought the padded seat covers and an extension tiller handle back ache kicked in about half an hour into the trip. But where in Scotland did you go, as it may be just the quite significant chop on the Sneekermeer that was to blame - we endured a very blustery week's weather.

[Fenlander]

Well we've been several locations around the west coast over the years but make a suitable launch site into initially sheltered waters a priority when choosing the location.

I'm retired too but not 60 until next summer. Luckily I don't get aches on the boat (sit on the tube, wife on the seat) and I'm fine with setting up the boat but just have to be careful with carrying the 15hp.

Have you been boating in similar or different forms for years or is this a new venture?

[Ridgewoodwoody]

This is a new venture although we've hired cruisers on a couple of occasions in Holland and on the Broads. 15hp sounds a mighty engine. Presumably your boat is bigger than our 3.3 metres?

[Fenlander]

Well I'm not sure about mighty... it looks very small besides the 200hp motors on RIBs at the pontoon!

We've had a 15hp for a while on 3.4/3.5/3.6/3.8 SIBs.

Current outfit in image below.

I've been boating in some form most years for 55yrs now... started on the Broads age 4... I don't look forward to the day when it's not practical if age reduces my abilities.

Father... as well as doing loads on the sea until he was 45 or so... had several river cruisers in his last boating years. They put the cost/use of a SIB into perspective costing up to £50k to buy and a minimum of £4k a year in marina fees, river licence, fuel and maintenance.

Despite the boat being situated minutes from his door even then loads of stuff got in the way of getting out for the day/weekend/week so I reckon his fun factor was way down on ours.

[Max...]

It just doesn't suit some (many!) people hence, the stream of nearly new Honwave/Zodiac/generic Chinese outfits for example re-sold at a big loss on eBay. And why many SIBbers on here always say buy a big name boat/engine used, try it and if you hate it sell on and lose no money. Nothing ventured, nothing gained - at least you tried.

Shiny little inflatable boats and lightweight engines sat on a nice blue carpet at a glossy boat show always look very tempting with the promise of little outlay, easy storage, 'bung in the car and pootle along a river or coastal stretch on endless sunny days'.

The reality of UK boating (especially coastal) as most of us know on here is:

....faff, choppy seas, knackered backs, more faff, cr@p weather, wet through, engines failing, dodgy fuel, 'never again' wives, loading/unloading, cleaning/drying, swearing, time wasting, useless forecasts, a bit more faff, wet, wind, cold................




BUT - on the good days ( http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/watersk...tec-69883.html ) it all comes together and the fun you have have from less than two grands worth of little boat is unbeatable and it all seems worth it.

[Ridgewoodwoody]

Thanks, folk. Points to ponder there. I guess the true test would be if we sold it would we miss it? And we hate the thought that as we grow ever older we are adding to the list of things we give up on.

[Searider]

I think you need to pick your locations and weather more carefully. I guess having driven to the Sneekermeer you "had" to use the boat even though the weather was unfavourable.
A boat like yours really needs pretty flat water if it's to be comfortable.

What about a day on the Thames at Henley?
The Broads you mentioned - good flat water up there with, I think, some areas where you can go a little faster.
Salcombe Estuary for a weekend?
Scottish Lochs?

I find the beauty of owning a boat is being able to NOT use it when the weather is poor!

[Poly]

Ridgewoodwoody,

If there was a perfect "faff free", affordably, comfortable, reliable boat then everyone would do it. I don't think it has anything to do with your "age", I spent much of the last weekend reliving a youth of dinghy sailing and camping and remembering that whist there are fun bits there's also an awful lot of time wasted on putting stuff together and taking it apart (and then cleaning it when you get back) etc.

Whilst out small "RIB" doesn't get as much use as it could it sits on its trailer ready to use at short notice. With a bit of improvement to my launch and recovery process / equipment it could be as faff free as possible. SIBs have some advantages (storage, no towing, launch almost anywhere) etc - but I don't know anyone who has put a SIB on a trailer and regretted it.

[Sonar]

Originally Posted by Ridgewoodwoody

I realise this may seem a rather dumb question but, please, bear with.
Recently retired, we bought a Brig Dingo 330 and Yamaha F6 outboard at last year"s Southampton Boat Show believing that we would get great use of it on holidays and maybe on the Broads and Thames in this country - we live in Sussex. However, despite adding several accessories our use of it, unfortunately has not worked out quite as we envisaged - we have been out in in twice for a total of about two hours including a very uncomfortable ride across the Sneekermeer in Holland this June. In short I'm not sure when and where we are going to use such a small boat. The time it takes to inflate and prepare and then deflate has discouraged us from possible day trips and I realise we should have thought of this before, but there we are. But before we try and sell it - another question would be how and where - my question is: are we missing something in terms of how and where we might use it that would reignite our enthusiasm and ability to get more from it.
Many thanks in advance for any thoughts.

I know exactly what your saying . But I am still looking for my setup.

I am looking for about the same but again putting it up and taking it down again hardly seems worth the time in it. Think it is an age thing..

The answer has to be keep it inflated in a boat yard or club and then use it when you can .If you can find a good reason to use it..

If you could just jump in it and go it would be a lot better.

If your still not getting the use of it then either decide shall I carry on or find something else to do..

AS for use no idea Mine would be to do a little fishing. But placed on a trailer.for ease of launching.

[Sonar]

Originally Posted by Ridgewoodwoody

Thanks, folk. Points to ponder there. I guess the true test would be if we sold it would we miss it? And we hate the thought that as we grow ever older we are adding to the list of things we give up on.

Doing it my self everyday and running out of options very fast..
But still do not fancy just sitting in a rocking chair yet..

[Mikefule]

I feel your pain. My wife and I bought a sailing dinghy, seldom found time to use it, and found it stressful every time we did, then we lost a few hundred when we sold it.

Maybe you're not using this boat right. Seriously, when I used to use my boat a lot on my own, I found getting a 3 hp "egg whisk" instead of using the heavy 9.9 wth a separate tank made every trip easier.

Do you need the engine you have with a slatted floor? Boats with slatted floors tend to caterpillar across the water anyway. Two thoughts: get the smallest lightest engine that will push the boat, or get a faster more exciting boat. Personally, I tend to go for small and light.

You commented on the padded seats. Most people sit on the tubes rather than the seats.

My 10 with plywood floors and a 9.9 goes from car to water in about 30 minutes and from water to car in slightly less. The more times you do it without any pressure on yourself, the quicker and easier it gets. Have you practised on the back lawn?

The electric pump should take some of the grind out of assembling the boat, but probably doesn't save much time.

Look for places to launch. Try Boatlaunch.co.uk Home Page and search. Look for inland marinas, winding stretches of river, canals, waterside pubs. Combine the boating with a picnic or a stop at a pub or café. A destination or a natural half way point makes every trip better.

Do you have an anchor? Some of my happiest memories of boating are riding at anchor in a quiet backwater, reading, eating a picnic, or even having a swim. Make the boat part of the day's activity, rather than an end in itself, because, to be honest, chugging along in a boat for hours on end can be tiring and dull.

Do you own a canoe or kayak? A small inflatable will tow one of these, giving you more options for things to do during the day. You can even buy good quality inflatable kayaks and canoes easily for a couple of hundred quid.

Learn some proper knots and take a pride in knowing how to anchor or moor the boat and how to secure items on board "the proper sailor's way". Give the boat a name, and get a flag - treat it as a real vessel, not just a thing.

Most of all, it's meant to be fun, not a drudge.

Enjoy.

[davej]

I have recently been using my RIB out in the Alde/Ore near Aldeburgh in East Anglia. LOads of inland water there and can be very sheltered depending where you go and the wind direction.

A few weekends ago a group were camping and waterskiing on the Ore downstream of Orford on the shingle bank and apparently the Ore has some great Sae Bass at the moment.

As someone has said the broads would be a great place and you don't need to go far to make it an adventure.

Boating is a way of life and for every hour I am on the water I must spend 5 cleaning, servicing and generally tinkering etc. Its just part of the plot.

Dave J

[willk]

Originally Posted by Mikefule

The electric pump should take some of the grind out of assembling the boat, but probably doesn't save much time.

An electric pump with an automatic pressure select make a huge difference! While the SIB inflates you can do all the other stuff. Car to water in 15 mins!

[willk]

Originally Posted by davej

Boating is a way of life and for every hour I am on the water I must spend 5 cleaning, servicing and generally tinkering etc. Its just part of the plot.

Dave J

You can sing the words and I'll hum the melody, dude!

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by willk

While the SIB inflates you can do other stuff.

Like, insert 'Brig' into Ribnet Search and have a read.

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

I never regard all this effort getting on the water as a chore because every outing is worth the trouble. Add to that boating every day for two weeks a year in Scotland and it's all positive.

Taking boat away and only aiming to use 1 or 2 days out of 7, picking the weather window. Leaving it inflated for the week so you can jump in any time if the Wx is good (it occasionally happens), but have other activities lined up if the Wx is cr@p.

For example where we mostly go there's parking, toilets & wash facilities, two cafes, pub, a chandlers, hard slipway, pontoon all located in a sheltered area then you can motor out to the cruising area to face as much or little in the way of sea state as you are comfortable with.

Ideally with something that makes the trip out a goal thats worth the pain. A trip on a boat is actually rather like the last or the one before that. Get somewhere you can't normally walk / drive to and suddenly you are in a unique club of a very small number of people to ever see that rock formation, waterfall, dolphin, seal, porpoise, lighthouse, view etc.

Originally Posted by willk

An electric pump with an automatic pressure select make a huge difference! While the SIB inflates you can do all the other stuff. Car to water in 15 mins!

And make sure it can deflate too.

If you are doing 7 days with it inflated, don't leave deflating till the moment you are packing up to go. Likewise don't do it the night you come ashore from a big trip and are tired.

[Mickhitchuk]

I am newish to sibbing and in truth I have probably had more sibs and outboards than days out, as I fafed around finding the right combo for me, ( which for me was as big as you could get with the lowest weight), compared to days out in Devon boating on the south coast can be a little dull, not really any islands or anything to ride out to and usually a killer chop on the water, if you look at some of the photos other members post from Scotland and up north it can make you well jealous, anyway to learn a bit of boat craft and to have a day out I joined the shoreham harbour club, which has a concrete slip sandy beach and is really easy to launch from, then you can go up river if it's to choppy for the sea, and get a pint and a p#ss when you get back, the important thing is getting out on the water having some fun, to be honest I treat the south coast as a place to practice so when I go on Hoilday to somewhere nice, my boat is all set up, I'm well practiced in assembling and disassembling, can launch and land like a pro, good luck,