Upgrading from an Aerotec 380?

[kaman]

I'm changing next year from a aluminium floored Sib to an aluminium hulled Highfield 380 CL.
It weighs less than my Honwave 3.5ae sib.
It will need a trailer but you can also fit transom wheels to save dipping the trailer and allow beaching.
To me it's the perfect middle ground between a sib and a bigger heavier Rib.
Cost new is around £2800.
I had also considered a Frib but having recently viewed the Highfield I was sold on it straight away.

[chipko]

If you don't need to roll/fold a boat up I'm with Kaman.
A lightweight alumin rib such as the Highfield CL380 or Ribeye TS400 only weigh around 70kg and will take your short shaft 25 motor.
Think I'll be going down that route shortly as well.
PS. Won't be parting with the Aerotec though. 😀

[Max...]

Not familiar with the Highfields but I have checked out the Ribeye alu mini RIBs and they were amazingly light. Definitely an interesting alternative to a heavier hard floor SIB if you have the storage space.

[thestig1973]

The highfield/ribeye definitely look good, I'd love one but if it's not on a trailer then I found a 25hp outboard fantastic in use, but a pain to move around, lifting from car, onto transom etc

[Fenlander]

Yep another support for the Karman idea if it suited Chris... they do not fit with the way we need to operate but if things changed I'm very impressed with the idea of one.

[kaman]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Yep another support for the Karman idea if it suited Chris... they do not fit with the way we need to operate but if things changed I'm very impressed with the idea of one.

I hear what your saying Fenlander.
I was drawn to an aluminium floored Sib initially as I needed ease of storage, didn't want a trailer nor did I have space for one.

As things progressed I got seriously hacked off with blow up, fit floor, deflate, repack into car, unpack, wash down and pack away routine.
The airfloor sibs are definitely much easier to live with than a wooden or aluminium floored sib and certainly punch above their weight in boating performance.

I did a lot of fishing b4 and I favoured the flat aluminium deck.
I use to love the look of bemusement on people's faces when I made a boat out of a bag then set sail in it.
Had two coach loads of geriatrics give me a round of applause one day at Dunure harbour.

For the last 5 years I have trailered a Honwave 3.5ae now that i have space for the trailered sib to sit.
I love it to death but I know that for the same space and weight I can have a Highfield 380 which will outperform my Honwave in every respect.

I'm going down the Highfield next year but I don't reckon it will be long until I have another Honwave.
This time it will be an air floored number which I will chuck I'm my caravan and use in those instances where a trailered boat is not feasible.
It's truly a matter of which boat ticks most of your boxes.
Unfortunately there is no perfect boat out there, just some that fit the bill better than others.

[piotr]

I went from an Aerotec/15hp to a Commando C4/25hp. Both are great combo's but the C4 feels more like a real boat. Big advantage of the Aerotec: the time it takes to launch. I had the Aerotec inflated and in the water in 40 minutes.

[stray]

I had also considered a Frib but having recently viewed the Highfield I was sold on it straight away.

I really like the Highfield, I wanted one, I wanted a hard floor, and room for 2 fishing, but space is at a premium in my garage and I wanted something that I could fit in the back of my van as I have no where to store a trailer, so it had to be the F-rib.

3 up fishing in a SIB/small rib is always going to be a big ask, would something like a bonwitco 450 be a better option?