Am I suddenly incompetent?

[RayTJ]

I am potentially interested in getting a (new) RIB and, being more or less clueless about them, have had very helpful advice from this and other fora.

As suggested, I have tried to visit websites of various well known manufacturers - lots of pretty pictures and imaginative names etc but nowhere can I find a straightforward list of available boats, together with sizes, specs, accessories etc with recommended prices and delivery details.

RayTJ

[jeffstevens763@g]

humber, ribcraft, xs all good sites

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by RayTJ

I am potentially interested in getting a (new) RIB and, being more or less clueless about them, have had very helpful advice from this and other fora.



As suggested, I have tried to visit websites of various well known manufacturers - lots of pretty pictures and imaginative names etc but nowhere can I find a straightforward list of available boats, together with sizes, specs, accessories etc with recommended prices and delivery details.



RayTJ

Most UK manufacturers build to order and are bespoke, this is certainly the case with Ribcraft. Therefore, spec, cost, lead time are all flexible. Some apparently UK supplied boats are actually imported from abroad, South Africa, Far East, Egypt etc. & these tend to be of a more fixed spec & price, the supplier will often have these available off the shelf. If you want a UK built boat, you will need to speak the the manufacturers concerned for a price.

[RayTJ]

Thank you for your rapid response - I have looked at the sites you mentioned - but nowhere does it specifically state about their bespoke production or give a range of likely prices.
This raises problems for a novice like me:

I can't specify anything because I don't know enough about Ribs!

Prices seem to range from a couple of hundred to a couple of hundred thousand

The 'local' dealers (nearest 70 mile round trip) don't hold any stock

The fora are very helpful (many thanks) and I shall keep investigating

RayTJ

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by RayTJ

Thank you for your rapid response - I have looked at the sites you mentioned - but nowhere does it specifically state about their bespoke production or give a range of likely prices.

This raises problems for a novice like me:



I can't specify anything because I don't know enough about Ribs!



Prices seem to range from a couple of hundred to a couple of hundred thousand



The 'local' dealers (nearest 70 mile round trip) don't hold any stock



The fora are very helpful (many thanks) and I shall keep investigating



RayTJ

I'll give you a ball park figure for a basic Ribcraft in the 5-6m range

5.85m (hull only, no engine or trailer)
Console
2 x jockey seats
Inboard fuel tank
Hydraulic steering
"A" frame

Not much change out of £15k. Add £10k for an engine, £2.5k for a trailer, a couple of grand for a few toys & £30k gets you on the water.

[Brian]

Why don't you start the other way round.
Figure out how much (total) you want to spend.
Then decide how long, how fast how many pax, what will I use it for etc.
Then ask the forum again what you can get for that spec. and for that money.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Brian

Why don't you start the other way round.

Figure out how much (total) you want to spend.

Then decide how long, how fast how many pax, what will I use it for etc.

Then ask the forum again what you can get for that spec. and for that money.

[emoji106] it always boils down to budget.

[beamishken]

Xs ribs have prices on their Web site I'd imagine they will be in a similar ball park to other manufactures so should be a good guide to look and say a 4m is £x and a 6m is £y etc

[sorabain]

I know you say you're after a new RIB, and it's a hike for you, but I ended up getting a 2nd hand rib from JBT Marine (Portsmouth). They were very helpful in taking me out (with my family) on a couple of RIBs so I could get a feel for it and figure out if I liked them, the other places tended to be a "no trial ride without an offer" type places.

I think they do occasional "trial days" where you can go out on several boats. Even if you're after a brand new RIB it might be worth getting on one of these so you get a solid idea what size/layout you fancy in a new RIB.

[Bern Hanreck]

As others have hinted , it might not be a good idea to aim for a new rib straight away ! Try as many ribs/layouts/makes as you can before you invest that £30K !

I'm hoping to spend a few days in the not too distant future cruising out of Neyland Marina ( & perhaps one day from Goodwick ) . We cruise out to Grassholm , maybe The Smalls and perhaps round to Tenby when the ranges are not firing ! You would be welcome to join us for a spin the Ribcraft 5.85 !
( bought second hand , but newish 15 years ago ). Get it right first time and you may not need to keep changing...... Bern

[Pikey Dave]

^^^^^^ that's a good offer[emoji106] also I'd look at the Southampton boat show, most of the manufacturers are there & have boats on the pontoons for try outs. You can go over them with a fine tooth comb & check out the finish & quality. It's amazing how much cr4p is out there & some even proudly display it at the show[emoji57]

[jeffstevens763@g]

if you dont know anything about ribs read dag pike the complete rib, get yourself acquainted with what to expect in terms of spec/performance ease of handling etc. you can then talk turkey when you go to buy and stop the bullshit salesman palming you off with something that needs changing out in couple of years it needs to be right for you in many ways and nobody can tell you that.

[Iron Dials]

Hi Ray,

Once you decide on a budget just call the manufacturers. I've found them to be very helpful.
As mentioned the UK built boats tend to be "bespoke" but don't let that put you off, they build "standard" packs based on popular demand.

I would echo the thoughts above regarding whether you jump straight in to a brand new rib. Buying a good used rib for a lower initial cost will help you figure out the best way of spending the bigger budget. The difficult bit is buying a good used rib that you can resell without a big loss and one that is safe and reliable during your ownership.

Happy shopping

[brad]

Hi there - not too sure on your qualifications but it might be good to get yourself on a powerboat level 2 course first. That way you can learn what rib can do and offer you as a potential owner. This might help with understanding what type of ribs are out there and if you decide it's not for you - you haven't spent too much money but you will have a qualification to drive them anyway.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by brad

Hi there - not too sure on your qualifications but it might be good to get yourself on a powerboat level 2 course first. That way you can learn what rib can do and offer you as a potential owner. This might help with understanding what type of ribs are out there and if you decide it's not for you - you haven't spent too much money but you will have a qualification to drive them anyway.

+1 on that.
Be sure to choose a school who use ribs for their training though!

[Erin]

Once you've got a bit of an idea about what size boat you want and what your budget is I would suggest you get in touch with one or two of the manufacturers and arrange to pay them a visit. They will often take you through their workshop, show you the options available and even give you a run on a demo boat.

[collier]

Hi Ray
I went through exactly where you are over the last year or so.... it's tricky

In the end I went for a 7m Humber destroyer... v happy. Where are you in Pembrokeshire I'm in Solva... happy to show you why and what etc

[spartacus]

Received a tweet that Ribcraft have a couple of 4.8m ex-Southampton boat show ribs they're disposing of, as new.

Just saying!

[Dan Gurney]

Hi Ray,
Just add my tuppence worth the the sage words already imparted (and trying to keep it short [emoji57] ).

1. Do your powerboat lvl2. At a school that uses RIBs. Even if you're experienced in other types of boats RIBs can be very different. E.G. at rest the blow off very quickly, even a deep V doesn't have much under the waterline.

2. Don't buy new straight out the gate. We bought our Redbay after a couple of years with an elderly Humber Attaque 5.3. We wanted a slightly bigger boat, we had dome inheritance money burning a hole in our pockets, we drove a thousand miles looking at boats which turned out to be unsuitable, and we needed to secure a build slot in October to ensure delivery the following season. And I wanted my new toy NOW! [emoji6] We made a couple of minor mistakes in speccing despite our "wealth of experience".

3. If you're determined to buy new then be sure your circs aren't going to change soon. Ours did, and if I'd known I *might* have bought something a little more 'liesurey'. This probably also applies if you're going 2nd had near the top end of the market tbh.

4. Southampton Boat Show: lovely day out and a good way to see multiple boats in one place but the 'test rides' we had weren't much use: you aren't allowed to drive "because of insurance", it's flat calm cos you're in an enclosed harbour, and even the company helm can't really extend the boat much cos it's so regulated.
If you live neaby go, but i wouldn't drive from Yorkshire again.

TBC...

[Dan Gurney]

4. Make contact with the manufacturers and if poss go and see them. This (and the price) is what swung it for us with Redbay.
You can also let them now if you're in the market for a second hand one of their boats. Redbay Ribcraft and Ribquest often have, or know of, second hand ones. Good ones tend to go quick though. Ribquest called us up with a very tasty second hand 6.2 a week after we paid our deposit to Redbay! [emoji57]

5. Most of the manufacturers to have a base price list but for some reason very rarely publish it. If you call them they'll send you one, but it's really a starting point. I think the base price for our engine/hull combo and trailer was about 28 ish. But by the time we upgraded the steering, the electronics, got a full custom cover and a trailer flush kit, I think we handed over about 32. Moving the locker vents, changing the locker access, adding deck tie-downs etc were part of the build and incurred no extra cost.

6. Buying private can be a pain in the hoop. Most owners of cared for boats have somewhat inflated idea of what they're worth imho, and a lot of them don't *really* want to sell.
Wife: "You need to sell that bloody thing: All it ever does is sit on the drive with you polishing the hull"
Ribber: "Sorry love, I've had it on the market for 6 months and I *just cant shift it!*"

7. This one may not be accurate but; I've heard that if you want a Humber, companies like Swordfish Marine out of Holy Loch on the Clyde will buy a bare hull and engine it/finish it to your spec. The build quality *might* be better/cheaper than what comes out of the factory these days. (Again: this *could* be cobblers, but if I was buying again it's something I'd look into).

All that having been said, welcome to the gang. Have a cruise with Bern; I've cruised alongside him on a couple of occasions and he's a thoroughly nice bloke.

Maybe if there's a meet up near you try and tag along: you might get some good real-world opinions for the price of a pint. Beware though: everyone says their boat is the best; until they've sold it! 😉