Seaworthiness of sib

cala · 15 August 2012, 23:19

Hello I have a suzumar 3.2 metre sib and being new to all of this I'm wondering if it would be safe to go out to sea initial for a bit of fishing and how far out would it be safe to go

Dhf · 16 August 2012, 05:21

Hi cala,
All sib's are as capable as their owners are able to handle them, of which will develope with experience, and with experience wil come confidence, knowledge and an understanding of your, and your sibs limits.
It would be wise to practice handling your new sib near the shore for starters, in an erea with other boats around, and not to much tidal flow, as you say your new to sib'ing im just giving you some basic precautions, also making sure you've got the right safety equipment, life jackets, some form of communication, preferably a waterproof hand held vhf, little inshore flare pack, not forgetting the anchor incase of breakdown, and enough line for the depths you may encounter, to at least stop you from drifting further offshore or into shiping lanes. oh and some oars/paddles, failing that hang of the back and kick like f..
I've had some great fun on 3m sib's like yours, getting places the bigger boats can't, and places they do, tbh I probably caught more fish closer in, than further out on bigger boats, the truth is as long as you don't puncture your tubes, and as long as you can hang on, and take the cold, and carry enough fuel, then most all sib's could probably go further than most could put up with. But its always up to the individual's experience how far they should push things.
Rib's and Sib's could go where big ships would break their backs, whether anyone could hold on would be a different matter.

I'm off to check my boat now, see it did'nt get blown away last night.

Festinghouse · 16 August 2012, 06:40

i agree, remember that your boat will always float at the top. just match your speed to the size of the waves, keep it pointing in the right direction and you will have loads of fun!

jyasaki · 16 August 2012, 06:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by cala

Hello I have a suzumar 3.2 metre sib and being new to all of this I'm wondering if it would be safe to go out to sea initial for a bit of fishing and how far out would it be safe to go

Maybe.

A little more info might be of use.

Oh, and 5 miles.

jky

xs 400 · 16 August 2012, 08:45

good advice!

i would add... recommend RYA level 2 power boat coarse.Great tips on sea safety, basic navigation, tides, man overboard drill, using flares.etc i did them with my 14 year old son, we both enjoyed it, and felt more confident going to sea.

also vhf course.

what engine have you got?

Maximus · 16 August 2012, 16:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by xs 400

good advice!

i would add... recommend RYA level 2 power boat coarse.Great tips on sea safety, basic navigation, tides, man overboard drill, using flares.etc i did them with my 14 year old son, we both enjoyed it, and felt more confident going to sea.

also vhf course.

what engine have you got?

All good advice!!.. Would add while you gain confidence,and experiance, its always good to go out with another 'Buddy Boat' but as far as Bang For Bucks.. a well laid out SIB will take some beating!

Had loads of fun in our 4m Zodi!!

Poly · 16 August 2012, 19:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by cala

I'm wondering if it would be safe to go out to sea

Some problems with your question...

(1) different people mean different things by 'to sea'. Some people mean 'salt water', others 'where you can't see land on the horizon' and the coastguard have a specific definition which means outside 'categorised water' - which in some areas is far from shore and others is just off the beach.

(2) Actually its not distance to sea that is likely to be your limit but the weather and waves. In perfect weather I might be brave enough to take my boat (which is a wee bit bigger than yours but not much) across the Irish sea to visit Willk and check he is not letting work get in the way of Moderating RIBnet. But in a F5 you are unlikely to find me much more than a mile or two from shore; but a F3 with a big swell can be horrible in a SIB when a F4 with no swell can be good fun.

(3) It depends where you are. Whilst nobody wants to get in trouble and need to call for help, you could happily take your SIB round the isle of wight in the right conditions, with the knowledge that there are usually lots of other boats around if you get in trouble, and plenty of rescue resource if it all goes really bad. Whereas travelling round either of the Uists would be a similar scale of journey but potentially much more exposed and with less likelihood of help if you need it.

scrowe1976 · 17 August 2012, 14:14

All things are relative. when i was a kid (10yrs old) i'd regularly go from Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River up to Yarmouth IOW in a 9 foot tinker tramp with a 4hp yamaha 2 stroke. it got rough, wet and cold at times but was great fun! crossing shipping lanes in waves as big as the boat was long, never a thought to vhf's and the like

Then I moved from the south coast to York so got out of boats a bit after years of fletchers, seariders and so on.

now just got another 3.2m sib for mucking about and with age came paranoia so a flare pack, vhf, life jackets, anchor, local charts, tidal almanac...... the list goes on......

bottom line, im rusty and in need of practice and much more aware of my mortality.

the boat? it can take alot more than i can handle. it's down to me and my preparation as to how far i can go. thats what i like about small boats, it all about you and your skills!