About to buy a rib - will it be too small?

[Hawkus]

Hi


I recently posted about the plausibly of hand launching a 3.4m Avon (or similar) coupled with a 25hp outboard and grateful for the replies...



Now decided to go for a drying berth within Wooton Creek on the Isle of Wight coupled with a Versadock system to keep the hull and engine out of the water when not in use and have shortlisted a few ribs - all between 3.4m - 3.8m with 20-30hp outboards as this size will fit in my garage during the winter months and won't break the bank. The boat will only have light use for day trips between our home berth (mid Solent) and as far as Yarmouth to the west and Bembridge to the east of the island. Rarely, or never would I be crossing back to the mainland as already done the destinations to death during the years of owning much bigger craft!



I am though having doubts as to how comfortable / usable such a small rib would be for these [sheltered] waters. Don't want to invest money in the boat and Versadock only to find I won't be using it in anything other than 'perfect' weather. Does anyone else run a small rib in this area and suggest whether I'd be likely to outgrow it too quickly? Will be mainly just me and my wife on board but with occasional short run outs with friends.


Cheers
Paul

[Poly]

Personally I’d go for a bigger boat and not bother with the versadock (assuming budget is a factor). You’ll certainly be able to use the boat in the area you describe but you’ll be able to use it more often and/or more comfortably if you add another m or even better go to 5m+. Of course if you fancy the adventure of a small boat or like bouncing around and the spray in your face then you can probably ignore this.

[smallribber]

I have a 3.4 Rib (15hp) and a 4.5 m (60 hp) There is a huge size difference between these two boats. The 3.4 is to be honest a 1 man rib or 2 at a real push as both have center jockey seats. If you want a boat that is 'small' but can take 3 - 4 people look at Sibs.... Have a look at the new Honwave T38ie

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Poly

Personally I’d go for a bigger boat and not bother with the versadock (assuming budget is a factor). You’ll certainly be able to use the boat in the area you describe but you’ll be able to use it more often and/or more comfortably if you add another m or even better go to 5m+. Of course if you fancy the adventure of a small boat or like bouncing around and the spray in your face then you can probably ignore this.

X2
If you're asking the question already....then almost certainly YES!
Most people's ideal choice is ultimately usually BIGGER than their first!...
You could learn by many other people's experience and probably save a lot of hassle and time for yourself....if not money!
Living on IOW surly you should be able to try ..or at least get out a few RIBs to see what suits you and you're needs.

[Limecc]

We holidayed extensively from Lymington with our 4.2m RIB, I'd not want to go smaller than that in waters around the IoW. Lots of potential for difficult water and big power boat wakes can be scary. A deeper V than we had would be an advantage for that Solent chop. We had charts and sonar, you will find yourself nearer mid channel due to risk of grounding in places nearer the shore and tidal overfalls would be tricky on a smaller craft.

Our boat was 4.9m total length when on the trailer (from towing hitch to rear sponsons) and it would fit nicely in a garage.