Sib - bark inflatable

duggie12 · 03 December 2017, 20:04

Hi all, myself and my girlfriend have just take the plunge and bought a 30ft seamaster yacht (even though neither of us have a clue how to sail)
We are looking for a sib that will do as a tender. I don't really want to go and spend the best part of a grand on one especially as the sib will be left unattended a lot (keeping the yacht on a mooring at Crinan).

Does anyone have any experience of these?

https://www.gumtree.com/p/boats-kaya...ies/1277011246

They certainly are the right price

I also don't want to get something really wee because as well as just using it to row to the mooring we might like like the option of using it a bit to explore when away with the yacht so would like it to be a bit seaworthy

I thought something like a used honwave t 38/32 would be ideal but can't find any for sale nearby

Thanks v much folks

Duggie

Mikefule · 03 December 2017, 21:40

The size you have suggested is bigger than you would need ofr your described purpose. A 310 is perfectly big enough for 2 adults and some kit to scoot around, do a bit of exploring, and play in the waves. Simply as a tender, many people would go smaller - 270 or so.

Size of the hull affects ideal engine size and this in turn affects cost, bulk and weight. You can easily get a good smallish SIB and a 2 - 6 hp engine second hand for a few hundred Pounds.

Slightly alarmed that you have bought such a big yacht with no sailing experience. Do you have other boating experience? Thinking here of tides, charts, VHF communications, dealing with Harbour Masters, rules of the road, anchoring... Of course you can rely on the motor and teach yourself to use the sails in small doses, choosing the conditions.

The link shows a boat that has a slatted floor. Makes it easier to pack away but means it handles less well. I think you could find something more suitable cheaper.

duggie12 · 03 December 2017, 21:49

Cheers Mike. Yeah I'm sure a 310 would be fine but sometimes a slightly bigger sib doesn't really weigh much more so would consider one too. I've got a tohatsu 9.8 so rather than buying another outboard I was just planning on using that

I know what you mean about being alarmed. We are a bit nervous about it. The only boating experience I have is from mucking about on the west coast with sibs!
We are planning on learning as much theory as we can over the winter and then my cousin who is an experienced sailor is going to help us take the yacht from the clyde to Crinan next April and teach us as much as possible on the way.
We've got a lot to learn - pretty much everything from really. And with the tides as they are around Crinan it's perhaps not a great place to learn. We might do the day skipper course.

Mikefule · 04 December 2017, 05:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by duggie12

And with the tides as they are around Crinan it's perhaps not a great place to learn. We might do the day skipper course.

A beautiful place to learn.

If you are going "nowhere in particular" then the tides will be less of an issue. I can imagine you motoring to a wide open area and hoisting the sails, sailing for a bit, then dropping the sails to motor back in. Choose the right weather and keep away from shallows or anything hard or spiky and you can have fun and learn.

Consider an RYA course.

I'm at a different point on the scale: a fair amount of RIB and SIB experience and finally learning to sail in a 12 foot lugsail dinghy. I'm comfortable with all the general "boaty" stuff, but the actual sailing part is a challenge.

Poparazzi · 04 December 2017, 17:04

These seem a great deal.
https://www.boatworld.co.uk/boating/...atworld-330-sl

duggie12 · 05 December 2017, 23:23

Cheers folks!

Poly · 06 December 2017, 00:44

Are you going to fold it up and store it on Board or tow it behind? Or can you fit it on deck? And can you fit it and the engine in boot to bring it home each time? With all your kit? Convenience matters if you are going to use the boat a lot.

duggie12 · 06 December 2017, 08:29

Not actually sure whether we will keep it on board or tow it poly. I always thought towing looked easier but not sure if there is a reason why you wouldn't do this.
I'd take the outboard home each time but I think I'd just leave the dinghy up there. I'm hoping Crinan will be a safe enough spot. But at the same time I wasn't keen to spend 1k on a new one to leave it there unattended !
Cherrs

Poly · 06 December 2017, 09:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by duggie12

Not actually sure whether we will keep it on board or tow it poly. I always thought towing looked easier but not sure if there is a reason why you wouldn't do this.
I'd take the outboard home each time but I think I'd just leave the dinghy up there. I'm hoping Crinan will be a safe enough spot. But at the same time I wasn't keen to spend 1k on a new one to leave it there unattended !
Cherrs

Towing is physically less effort but does mean you need to use your brain a bit more to ensure the tow rope and the prop don't meet, the dinghy doesn't flip in waves, and how you will handle close quarters without reversing into your boat/rope. And I wouldn't be surprised if some marinas charge you extra.

There must also be some loss of speed, although its probably not huge, unless the sib is full of water.

its also pretty tough on the sib - I'd consider reinforcing towing eyes etc.

If you want cheap and robust and don't need to deflate it each time a little hard hull might be better for towing and leaving up there 24/7.

paulbrown22 · 06 December 2017, 14:11

Towing - for me it depends how far you are going, and the sea conditions. On our 40' sailing yacht, we keep an Avon Redstart with inflatable floor (all typically deflated and stowed below) as the shore tender, or secured in the davits and on the transom platform if we're on an extended cruise. We can happily fit 3 people in for shore excursions, but it's not exactly the sort of boat you are going to travel for miles in exploring.

For local usage, and as a mooring taxi, we have a fairly ancient 16' aluminium hard boat (SeaNymph) that we run to the mooring and back, don't mind leaving on the mooring for days/weeks at a time, no issues running it up beaches, etc. If sailing locally (~5NM) in reasonable weather we often just tow that behind us, but personally I wouldn't want to tow it longer distances, or in a sea state.

duggie12 · 06 December 2017, 14:28

Cheers folks gives me a bit to think about
Our yacht mooring at Crinan is a bit of a trek from the dinghy storage area - about half a kilometre actually I think. So would probably want something half decent in case it's windy going back and forth etc

I don't imagine we will be going into marinas much

Think you're right poly a wee hard hull might work better.

I'll need to look into the davit thing. Really clueless at the moment. I've hardly even got the hang of sibbing.

Thanks guys

simonafloat · 06 January 2018, 11:24

If you tow, make a long bridle that fixes to port and starboard sides of the yacht stern. Tie the sib to the end of the bridle 'triangle'. The sib won't track from side to side so much. Good luck with the yacht and take care. I'm planning on buying a yacht soon, I can sail dinghys and have crewed yachts but its a big learning curve!

duggie12 · 08 January 2018, 07:32

Cheers Simon!