Bare boat charter is something that people ask about from time to time, but there don't seem to be many places offering it.
For the
RIBnet gathering last weekend I hired a RIB from
Solent RIB Charter, and I'm happy to say that they were great to deal with.
The boat I hired was a 7.8m Ribcraft with a Yamaha 225hp 4-stroke. The boat was well fitted out and maintained, and as it is coded for 12 people it's equipped with all the lifejackets you could need plus all the other bits like flares and first aid kit. The electronics package on my boat was as listed for the 6.8 not for the 7.8, but was still adequate.
I also hired a twin axle trailer with the boat so we could tow it from Lymington to North Wales. This was well set up for the boat, and came with a spare hub just in case we had any bearing problems on the 600 mile round trip.
At first glance the rates do seem to be eyewateringly expensive, but compared with the cost of owning and running a big RIB it quickly makes sense - especially if you're not going to be using the boat most weekends. It's not going to be for everyone, but if you are looking for a big RIB for bareboat charter then Solent RIB Charter are definitely worth a look.
Just for the record (I know you're thinking it, and so would I!) this wasn't a freebie and I have no connection with SRC other than as a satisfied customer.
