tenders for ribs

mark hannaford · 17 May 2006, 17:22

i,ve been running my 585 ribcraft for the past two years and found that beaching it is a problem, i am considering purchasing a tender , i already have a 4 hp suzuki on the transom to use .
from my research the 240 zodiac seems to be the best buy, its light and compact(smallest bag on the market)
does anyone have experience of using a tender with a 6m rib?
mark

Alice · 17 May 2006, 17:37

Yep, we have a QS 2.3m which it,s a bit of a Ribfull and we only really take it for the kids to play around with. Beaching is an art, always wear shorts or better still, i wear a shorty wetsuit pulled down with a jacket (this time of year) on top. Always back onto the beach and hold it bow out, this way the waves will run under the boat. Get it beam on and a tiny little 1ft ripple will all but chuck the boat over. Get people and kit off and the wade out and bung the anchor. Or when warmer, anchor off and swim in

Mouldy · 17 May 2006, 17:51

I use one of these with my 5.5m Delta to get close to basking sharks.

http://www.realshopping.co.uk/acatal...RER_KAYAK.html

It fits on deck down the side fully inflated and held with bungees - it's narrower than a tender so doesn't stick out above the tubes too much.
Only takes 2-3 minutes with the footpump to inflate if you want to carry it bagged.

I've carried wife and 2 kids under 10 + picnic with no problems - Can't say you'll stay completely dry - depends on your paddle technique but you can get dinky petrol motors for them. I've found it very stable - the tubes are large diameter and it's only tipped me out when I got side on to a 4 foot breaker close in. It's great fun 1-up in the surf! Well, it felt like a 4 footer.

I'd hate to swap the auxiliary off the transom over water...

Alice · 17 May 2006, 18:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mouldy

I use one of these with my 5.5m Delta to get close to basking sharks.

http://www.realshopping.co.uk/acatal...RER_KAYAK.html

It's a Grand!!!!

You could get one of these for £9.99.

www.2atoms.com/video/ haha/head_rush_tn.jpg

Mouldy · 17 May 2006, 19:43

It's certainly a grand kayak

Millermob · 17 May 2006, 19:55

we've got the 2.4 zodiac zoom, not had chance to use it yet but it seems to be very high quality but light as well, can carry it in one arm no probs.

Richard B · 18 May 2006, 07:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark hannaford

from my research the 240 zodiac seems to be the best buy, its light and compact(smallest bag on the market)

Have a look at Lodestar - http://www.lodestardirect.co.uk - they do an "ultralight" and it's better priced than the Zodiac.

Nasher · 18 May 2006, 08:20

The inflatable Kayak is a great idea, but that one is so expensive compared to others I can't see how they have sold out.

Nasher.

John Kennett · 18 May 2006, 09:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard B

Have a look at Lodestar - http://www.lodestardirect.co.uk - they do an "ultralight" and it's better priced than the Zodiac.

I saw one of their little "Billy no mates" inflatables at the London Boat Show in January, and it looked perfect for a RIB tender. I think it was from the NSA range, not the Ultralight, but there's not much weight difference anyway. I had a picture of it somewhere, but I can find it now . . .

The little Lodestars have inflatable keels which is quite unusual, as most others seem to stick with flat floors under about 3m.

I would be tempted to go for the NSA230 as it's a decent size, packs to the same size as the smaller models and only weighs a few kilos more.

John

Mouldy · 18 May 2006, 09:52

The kayaks are sold out probably as they were on sale at £679. I think I paid about £700 a year ago - it was cheaper than getting one from the States.
I looked at some of the less expensive PVC ones, but the quality on the Sea Eagle is fantastic - proper valves, triple layered seams, closeable self bailers front and back for in the surf.

mark hannaford · 18 May 2006, 11:51

Thanks for your replies, my friend has a tender with an inflatable floor, the valve keeps getting sand in it and as a result deflates, the slatted floor options seems a better option for easy inflation, although having an inflatable keel gives you a better handling boat,
I have booked into one of the marina cottages at Mylor for the half term it would be nice to have made a decision so that i can use it for the weeks Holiday, hopfully the weather will be better by then!
mark

gingercoastie · 18 May 2006, 18:19

I have one for sale at the moment.

Can't remember the details of the top of my head, but it is about 2.3m with inflateable floor. I can get more details tommorow when I am not at work.

geoff · 18 May 2006, 20:04

Anyone got any experience with these. Some good reviews on the net. My idea is to drop off passengers go back out anchor and paddle ashore.

http://www.kayaksandpaddles.co.uk/ca.../spree-one.htm

ADS · 18 May 2006, 20:56

Similar canoes here from Sevylor around about £200 if you scroll down abit:

Clicky

In the past I have dropped passengers ashore and then anchored and paddled in using the donut, crude, but no room for a tender on a small rib.

If it was me I would just buy one of those cheapo beach rubber dinghys, can buy a new one every year there only about £20. Looks crap but im sure a piece of board to form a more rigid floor or some slats could be engineered into into it. I had a Bombard AX2 and one of those compass ones, and they were just as wet as a rubber dinghy, and at least 10 times the price. Got an Avon R2.85 air deck now, very dry and a quality boat, but they are over a grand new. One word of advise, don't get one of those round tail ones with a bracket if you plan to stick an outboard on it, useless in my experience, the outboard just goes lower and lower on the back as you open it up.

Richard B · 18 May 2006, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADS

If it was me I would just buy one of those cheapo beach rubber dinghys, can buy a new one every year there only about £20. Looks crap but im sure a piece of board to form a more rigid floor or some slats could be engineered into into it.

They know all about those on Boat mad... this video cracks me up: http://media.boatmad.com/videos/rescue1.wmv

ADS · 18 May 2006, 21:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADS

Similar canoes here from Sevylor around about £200 if you scroll down abit:

Clicky

In the past I have dropped passengers ashore and then anchored and paddled in using the donut, crude, but no room for a tender on a small rib.

If it was me I would just buy one of those cheapo beach rubber dinghys, can buy a new one every year there only about £20. Looks crap but im sure a piece of board to form a more rigid floor or some slats could be engineered into into it. I had a Bombard AX2 and one of those compass ones, and they were just as wet as a rubber dinghy, and at least 10 times the price. Got an Avon R2.85 air deck now, very dry and a quality boat, but they are over a grand new. One word of advise, don't get one of those round tail ones with a bracket if you plan to stick an outboard on it, useless in my experience, the outboard just goes lower and lower on the back as you open it up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard B

They know all about those on Boat mad... this video cracks me up: http://media.boatmad.com/videos/rescue1.wmv

On second thoughts ignore the bit about cheap rubber dinghys

Richard B · 18 May 2006, 21:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADS

On second thoughts ignore the bit about cheap rubber dinghys

I was thinking of using one until I found a cheap 2.3m SIB on Ebay!

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Kennett

I saw one of their (Lodestar) little "Billy no mates" inflatables at the London Boat Show in January, and it looked perfect for a RIB tender. I think it was from the NSA range, not the Ultralight, but there's not much weight difference anyway. I had a picture of it somewhere, but I can find it now . . .

That caught my eye as well...

FreeTrader · 18 May 2006, 22:02

I've just bought the Seago 2.6 for just under £300. I just wanted something cheap and cheerful that I could leave rolled up at the back of the rib. I just can't justify over a grand for an Avon. So far so good -it does the job pretty well.

ADS · 18 May 2006, 23:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreeTrader

I've just bought the Seago 2.6 for just under £300. I just wanted something cheap and cheerful that I could leave rolled up at the back of the rib. I just can't justify over a grand for an Avon. So far so good -it does the job pretty well.

You made a good chocie, my Avon retails at over a grand, but I would never pay that, it was a secondhand bargain.