Why a sib and trailer? Buy a RIB?

[magicmike0007]

Whilst I would love a rib, my sib is best option for me! It fits in the garage on a trailer during the summer months ready for the day trips but can folded and transported in the caravan when required.

[Last Tango]

If you're going down that line, would something your existing aux would push not make for a quick cheap experiment?

[Xk59D]

I had the 3m suzumar, useless with my LS aux, too small to be bothering with.

If I get a 4m I would probably get a LS 15 for it and just use that as my aux too......food for thought though and one I have been considering.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Xk59D

I normally launch at a marina if that is what you mean?

I meant how about keeping it afloat so that you had instant use with zero hassle for those spur of the moment trips. I like your thinking about getting a sib, but Im not convinced it's going to address the convenience issue.

[Xk59D]

Afloat is not a realistic option for me for a few reasons, namely but not limited to-

1. It is 1500 quid for the boating season afloat. I don't mind paying for fun but........

2. Anti foul.....no thanks, been there etc.

3. I don't miss the sleepness nights in bad weather when I know my boat is safe in its shed.

As I said, I don't NEED a sib but I want one to at least have a go. If it doesn't work out I won't lose money in all probability.

But I will not buy one if it means 4m goes on a trailer, pointless for me. I'm assuming I need not worry about that though as launching wheels will do what I need I guess.

[kaman]

Hi Xk59D having skimmed thru this thread I think the only solution to your dilemma is getting an air floor sib around the 3.8 - 4.3m mark.
There are a load of Honwaves Bombards etc that meet this criteria.
A 4m Aluminium or wooden floor will be close to 100kg.
Then add engine fuel etc and it's going be hefty.
To get it into / out off the water it will require transom wheels or roller boats.
An air floor Sib will be lighter and much quicker to assemble.
A bravo 12v inflator and a set of transom wheels are must have accessories .
In my opinion the hassle of loading up building, disassembling washing out etc of a aluminium / wooden floor sib will put you off using it.
That's why I reluctantly built a trailer for my 3.5m Honwave.
I don't think twice about using it now as I no longer have the prospect of the dreaded building stop down washing process.
It sits on the trailer all year under cover ready for deployment.
For trips away in my caravan I bought a little 2.6m Seago Eco.
It's a slat floor and takes minutes to set up.
It weighs around 30 kg so it can be easily carried to the waters edge.
I use my Honwave transom wheels on it too tho - to save my old back.

[jeffstevens763@g]

i have gone back to a SIB for two reasons 1] i wanted to go back a simple as possible manual start/tiller. 2] a lot of money sat on the trailer most of the year and if going away and the weather blows up towed it around burning fuel for nothing.and as others have said i started in the 80's it was all SIBS then in our price range.
so i bought a mercury 365 hd PVC boat with a 25hp Suzuki put it on a trailer i don't want to beach launch and faff around building the boat up etc so i use slipways,we recently went to stranraer and launched at port Logan slipway on to hard sand pushed the trailer back to the sea till the truck tyers were wet got out not enough water so UN- hitched and pushed back 20 yards floated her off pulled boat and trailer back to the truck single handed job done,
return was easier using the winch to pull her back on the trailer docking arms work well and help a lot in the wind, i have a rope on the trailer and pull it out till i can get it hitched up.
having gone out in perfect conditions whilst still running the engine in, 27kmh at quarter throttle i was well chuffed the boat behaves really well and comfortable in a chop sat on the tube.i have a few changes to make but that's me, but have no regrets at all in fact getting a few splashes in the face from the bow was refreshing at 61 40 years on and still love it.

[Fenlander]

>>> a few splashes in the face from the bow was refreshing at 61 40 years on and still love it.

Actually with a similar period of boating behind me I agree that's the main point....

SIB on a trailer, SIB in the boot, small RIB or even a hard boat like this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io48qofaxOA

... smallcraft boating is a fantastic fun vs cost activity and getting a face full of salt water is what it's about.

[Nightfisher]

For the cost of a used trailer for lighter boats, the addition of a trailer sooner or later sure does make a difference in many ways as pointed out above. My big thing with adding a trailer..simple. Don't have to assemble, disassemble.. The first few times was well OK but if using your SIB on a regular basis it becomes a hassle. Answer..a trailer.

[kaman]

I have thought for a while now that of all my boys toys that my Sib gives the biggest bang for the buck.
At around 3 and a half grand for the Sib, trailer, 2 new 4 stroke engines, plus the associated accessories bought and bought back in 2010 I've had many memorable days fishing island hopping and pleasure cruising.
It still looks like new - but if it burst and fell to pieces tomorrow I would have no complaints or regrets.
I would buy another one straight away.
A very versatile piece of PVC much greater than the sum of its parts.

[jeffstevens763@g]

your right David the small boat has most of the benefits of the larger rib OK the rib takes the bigger sea but for me i want to enjoy it not be thrown about all day at least with the less expensive sib its not such a big one if the weather is against you in terms of cost.the fun factor is great getting right inshore to explore, beach nearly anywhere,no expensive trailer repairs,no complicated steering & throttle systems just simplicity well that's were i have come too and not regretting it.
night-fisher the trailer for me was a no brain er i did try a zodiac 310 solid Johnson 15 2st with transom wheels first beach, gravel & stone pulled my aris out went 2 mile down the road used a slipway easy. if i were to change anything i would put my sib on rollers when i can find a supplier who sells them or a break back trailer so i don't have to float the boat off.

cheers

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by kaman

I have thought for a while now that of all my boys toys that my Sib gives the biggest bang for the buck.
At around 3 and a half grand for the Sib, trailer, 2 new 4 stroke engines, plus the associated accessories bought and bought back in 2010 I've had many memorable days fishing island hopping and pleasure cruising.
It still looks like new - but if it burst and fell to pieces tomorrow I would have no complaints or regrets.
I would buy another one straight away.
A very versatile piece of PVC much greater than the sum of its parts.

nice little set up that Kaman the honwave is real value for money and well made i bought a small one for the grand kids secondhand it was green with slime proper neglected on a river, got her home good clean up good as new.

cheers

[kaman]

Hi Jeff I see your comments about getting your Sib on / off the trailer so you don't have to float it on / off.
I use my transom wheels and pull / winch mine on / off.
Never had the trailer wet once.
Don't know if something similar would work with your set up?

[simonafloat]

I bought a SIB (aerotech 420) specifically because we didn't want something on a trailer. We've no space whatsoever to store a trailer, even a folding one. The 420, deflated and folded, sits under a tarp in our postage stamp sized front garden.

I was on this site asking advice before I bought the 420. At the time the general concensus was that anything over 3.2m and 9hp would be impossible to wheel anywhere on transom wheels and I may as well get a RIB on a trailer if I wanted a bigger boat. The reality for me is that the 420 with a 15hp is extremely easy to wheel around, even on rough ground or up steep slipways. I can even boost the deflated boat on my own onto the roof rack. I'm pretty confident that I could still wheel it around on my own with a 25 on the back. However, if you want to be amazed and impressed then type futura 3 fastroller into youtube. There's a guy there shifting a 4.7m futura with a 40hp singlehanded... Had his weetabix for sure...

Simon

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by kaman

Hi Jeff I see your comments about getting your Sib on / off the trailer so you don't have to float it on / off.
I use my transom wheels and pull / winch mine on / off.
Never had the trailer wet once.
Don't know if something similar would work with your set up?

Hi kaman

Your trailer is Bob on for you set up mine is a lot higher indispention vario and the boat has the corner strengthaned with a fabric triangles that would stop fitting the wheels , to be honest big rollers would suit me I have seen some on the web called tulip rollers but not able to source them here as for getting it wet not too bothered as I will replace the bearings each season.i have done a few tweaks since last out so going to try a launch see how it goes if not back to the drawing board.

Cheers

[kaman]

However, if you want to be amazed and impressed then type futura 3 fastroller into youtube. There's a guy there shifting a 4.7m futura with a 40hp singlehanded... Had his weetabix for sure...

Simon

Hi Simon.
Truth is the heavier the outboard at the back the easier it is to lift the bow when manoeuvring the Sib on its transom wheels.
Mine is a damn sight easier to lift at the bow when my 20hp Tohatsu 4 stroke is on the back than it is to lift with the little Suzuki 2.5hp 4 stroke. Might be harder to move along soft sand with a 40hp on the transom than a 2hp tho

[Jacob555]

This thread interests me as I'm trying to put together the ultimate SIB.
What makes my concept most usable are aspects often found in small Ribs- but that is NOT to say I want a small rib. I sold a very good small rib before this.
What I am trying to do is cross all the advantages of a SLT (Superlight tunnel hull- think Zapcat, thundercat etc.) with the aspects of a small RIB that make them more usable on a daily basis.
Where I'm at so far:
- Ceasar Surfcat (dryer than most SLTs due to bow tubing), with blocked off transom and elephant's trunk bailers.
- With 2 man console and remote steering and engine controls and power trim motor.

Principally the issue with SLTs for me is you get wet as they have an open transom and you sit on the floor. This makes them a non starter for family boating. Everything else about them is bloody brilliant!

I'm launching it on a trailer at the moment and it's a brilliant package- much better and dryer than I thought it would be. Stupidly economical with its Honda 30 but I'm already craving a little more speed. It's really nice at about 20 knots up on the hulls- lovely soft ride. You can tell how efficient it is once its riding on the tunnel air- you can back right, right off the throttle once its on the hulls. Much more than you back off a monohull RIB that gets onto the plane.

The final part of the puzzle will be to sort out some launching wheels. However key to this will be to have large wheels for sand, shingle etc. (CadKat Bigfoot catamaran launching wheels are my preferred option as soon as I can find a pair secondhand- they are ££££ridiculous new), and mount them on a fold under frame that will bring them to the balance point of the boat- which is a couple of feet forward of the transom. It's mainly the GRP console and the engine that effects this as the boat itself is only 90kgs
I have the design sorted- just waiting for the wheels!

I'm also going 2 stroke 50 instead of 4 stroke 30 as its the same weight but will be a lot more fun. I'll probably keep the 30 for family outings as it is very quiet, refined and economical.

Interestingly, the Surfcat came with the console, power trim engine, blocked up transom etc. in it, so somebody before me had the same idea- but they had sadly not executed it properly.
The console was a foot too far forward which meant as it was coming onto the hulls it was liable to leap into a horrible bowsteering slew due to too much weight forward. I did lots of experimentation to get the console in exactly the right place. Too far forward and it bowsteers horribly. Too far back and you're getting too much air underneath- Donald Campbell here we come!
They had also blocked the transom without establishing any way to get the water out- the main result of which was a rotten floor.

I'm tentatively testing the cornering potential. The boat was originally designed to corner (allegedly up to 2G) with two guys jammed in between the tubes at floor level with feet in footstraps that are bonded to the tubes.
It does not take a great deal of imagination to work out what would happen if you grabbed a load of steering at full speed while sat up on that jockey seat like a marinised meerkat. So it's definitely not a package for the inexperienced.

Back to the thread though about why I want this rather than a small RIB:
It can be run up the beach without damage to gelcoat as it has hard rubber runners under the hijackers. (in South Africa where they race these the race finishes by sliding up the beach at full speed). This is however not the case for all SIBS- airfloors in particular require care.

It has a flat, solid floor underneath- this makes it perfect for accepting my design of balance point launching wheels.

It is a very high performance boat. Your average v-bottomed small RIB is not. This means with the Honda 30 its a much more economical 'economy boat', and with the Yam 50 2 stroke on it (waiting for a short shaft leg for it) I expect it will be a much higher performance 'performance boat'
Zapcats with 50 Tohatsus on them do easy 50 knots.

It is very easy and light to solo launch. I often go out with my partner and our baby son, so I need to do all the launching while she looks after him.

My Novamarine RH450 RIB was an excellent boat, and it did well over 40 knots on the flat which is all very nice, but in a metre of Solent chop you were down to 12-15 knots to remain reasonably dry and comfortable. And this was constant fatiguing work- playing the throttle constantly. This Ceasar Surfcat flies on top of it at 20 knots- probably could do it faster, but it is an air entrapment boat so you do need to be a bit careful. Once you find its safe speed you don't have to play the throttle constantly using lots of fuel.

If I want to put it away for a bit I have made the trailer collapsable and the boat will roll up and the whole lot will store in the back garden behind the shed under a tarp. I sold the last RIB because I did not have space on the drive for it any more and wasn't using it much. With this one I won't need to sell it, I can just put it away for a bit If I'm busy with other things.To get anything in my back garden it has to go through the garage- with a standard door at the back- which this can do easily in bits.

[MatFromPoland]

It is friend of mine from Polish forum. He has 3,8 GRP RIB (Hypalon tubes)
SPORTIS 3800 (Made in Poland). 90 kg boat, 30 HP engine.

Start below mentioned movie at 6:36
It shows MC 3800 in action (Baltic Sea).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BOVib5i_AE

Storage and trailer the same like for SIB ...
So if you use SIB on trailer why not such RIB ?