Boat show boat quote

[Maximus]

Consider the environment, crew, appetite for "adventure" conditions etc your ribbing will involve, then make decision. For me handling, strength and sea-keeping beat asthestics any day but others may differ.
LT[/QUOTE]

x2

Sounds like you may need a few outings and some more "Sea time" to help you differentiate...between the leisure type RIBS out there and more practical craft.

There are many good reasons certain makes have a good reputation...and hold good resale value...
I've seen many times how easy it for people to convince themselves that a less capable more leisure oriented Boat will do "everything they need" (and possibly save a wedge in the meantime!)..only to profoundly regret it down the line.
Get out and try some boats..and trial some Makes/Hulls Ribcraft used to do a "come and try weekend" at Weymouth where you could try all models in one place around this time of year and any maker worth their Salt should let you Sea trial what they offer.
You should/will enjoy the process of choosing
Especially! When you get it right

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Orwell boy

...this is becoming a nightmare .......

If you aren’t enjoying it, you must be doing it wrong. This process is half the fun of going down the new route. You have a blank slate & you have to do the thinking. Whereas buying used, you are buying someone else’s second hand dream.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

If you aren’t enjoying it, you must be doing it wrong. This process is half the fun of going down the new route. You have a blank slate & you have to do the thinking. Whereas buying used, you are buying someone else’s second hand dream.

There you go.
AND...If you buy right....the longevity of you're enjoyment will be very much enhanced!

[pow2gran]

For what its worth you will never have a problem selling a RC585 in the future!

[GuyC]

By settling on a couple of well known and reputable manufacturers, you've de-risked the purchase process significantly and unless you suffer a brain fart and start ticking the faux leopard skin tube material option I doubt whether you'll end up with a lemon regardless of the one or the options you choose.

As PD says, enjoy the process of choosing and enjoy learning about the different options available to you.

[smallribber]

Make sure to ask if RC have an option for a non Hypalon material build. The information I was given and the evidence I was shown at the Southampton show easily confirmed for me that I would never want a hypalon boat by choice. There are far more modern and durable materials available nowadays.


Picture below is Hypalon on the right subjected to the same scratch test (gently scraped with a semi blunt nail) as the more modern material on the right. I absolutely know what I would choose

[Orwell boy]

I am appreciating everything written in the last set of posts , i see all as tru and i will not start to question any of the points made ,my nightmare is not the buying expierience ,just trying to split the two boats apart (and i am not covinced there is any difference in on water performance )
xs sport has the nicest stern finish and i prefer the front locker and suicide seat ,however i dont like or need the extra width and the comercial tubes look a bit utility,but xs is offering new steering and cables and to fit my engine included in a similar total £ ,but i think resale will be well behind the RC
RC is 5.85 and lighter than xs which makes handling on my own much easier and what i am now used too ,the console is smarter on RC but no seat inc ,think rc jockeys are a bit slicker ,and their tubes are neater , however the thing i dislike most is the stern of the ribcraft with the rear well and wires and pipes just appearing out the floor duct , i did ask jp if it was possible and he sent me pictures of a built in rear bench ,but was,nt a solution on a 5,85m boat ,
Does anybody know if the boats have fibreglass floors now or are they still ply and pebbledash

[kerny]

Originally Posted by Bigplumbs

Make sure to ask if RC have an option for a non Hypalon material build. The information I was given and the evidence I was shown at the Southampton show easily confirmed for me that I would never want a hypalon boat by choice. There are far more modern and durable materials available nowadays.


Picture below is Hypalon on the right subjected to the same scratch test (gently scraped with a semi blunt nail) as the more modern material on the right. I absolutely know what I would choose

Now you really are a wind up merchant [emoji49]

[Orwell boy]

Originally Posted by Bigplumbs

Make sure to ask if RC have an option for a non Hypalon material build. The information I was given and the evidence I was shown at the Southampton show easily confirmed for me that I would never want a hypalon boat by choice. There are far more modern and durable materials available nowadays.


Picture below is Hypalon on the right subjected to the same scratch test (gently scraped with a semi blunt nail) as the more modern material on the right. I absolutely know what I would choose

I tried very hard to get to the bottom of this at the show as i too had the hyperlon /Pu demo ,as you say it looked a no brainer ,but on further quizzing i decided it was much harder to do any home repairs /maintain .

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by Orwell boy

I tried very hard to get to the bottom of this at the show as i too had the hyperlon /Pu demo ,as you say it looked a no brainer ,but on further quizzing i decided it was much harder to do any home repairs /maintain .

I don't think you should be worrying about home repairs too much on a brand new boat. My non Hypalon rib does not seem to mark or be degraded in any way that I can see and it is many many years old

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by kerny

Now you really are a wind up merchant [emoji49]

I provided the evidence in my post and saw with my own eyes and discussed with a RIB builder that offers both Hypalon and non Hypalon materials. He had no axe to grind as he was happy to make the boat using either material. What real evidence do you have that hypalon is the best other than perhaps the Hype (no pun intended).

If you had samples of each material in your hand I suggest you would feel the same. Do some research I say and don't believe the hype

[smallribber]

I have never made any purchase decision based on resale value as I don't buy to sell I buy to own, use and generally have fun with.


Also don't buy new if the cost of owning new is going to stress and generally prevent you from making use of the item you purchased. Being worried that a new boat might be stolen or slightly damaged is no way to go boating

[Bern Hanreck]

Originally Posted by Bigplumbs

Make sure to ask if RC have an option for a non Hypalon material build. The information I was given and the evidence I was shown at the Southampton show easily confirmed for me that I would never want a hypalon boat by choice. There are far more modern and durable materials available nowadays.


Picture below is Hypalon on the right subjected to the same scratch test (gently scraped with a semi blunt nail) as the more modern material on the right. I absolutely know what I would choose

Of course durability is important , but I would want to see how any new product stood up to prolonged exposure to sun and UV before I was tempted !

[HUMBER P4VWL]

I know there's arguments for everything and you'll always have someone chip in - but after spending 25yrs with RIBs and 8 yrs or so on here posting over 5k posts and reading god knows how many more from many much more experienced and qualified people who live and work with RIBS... just buy the Hypalon RC 5.85. There's a reason they're so sought after 2nd hand, simples.

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by Bern Hanreck

Of course durability is important , but I would want to see how any new product stood up to prolonged exposure to sun and UV before I was tempted !

As I said my (over 15 Years old Narwhal) is non hypalon and the tubes are in very good condition in my opinion.

Ask XS Ribs for a sample of both materials and look for yourself. I bet you will think again

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

I know there's arguments for everything and you'll always have someone chip in - but after spending 25yrs with RIBs and 8 yrs or so on here posting over 5k posts and reading god knows how many more from many much more experienced and qualified people who live and work with RIBS... just buy the Hypalon RC 5.85. There's a reason they're so sought after 2nd hand, simples.

Could they be sought after because so many believe the Hype perhaps also the sort of people that believe having Levis on a label make them better jeans

[HUMBER P4VWL]

[QUOTE=Bigplumbs;784427]Could they be sought after because so many believe the Hype perhaps also the sort of people that believe having Levis on a label make them better jeans[/

Quite possibly... or possibly not... buy the RC

[emoji1][emoji106]

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Bern Hanreck

Of course durability is important , but I would want to see how any new product stood up to prolonged exposure to sun and UV before I was tempted !

I agree plus the longevity of adhesive tenacity. Perhaps the newer materials take adhesives better or there are modified adhesives more suitable for use but history is a good measure because it holds the test of time and looking back at Tornado boats, despite the claims of the time, there are plainly issues with their PU materials. Also, scratching with a nail is hardly conclusive evidence of durability - many materials can withstand abrasion but can't tolerate cutting and vice versa. Rubbers in particular can be ground or abraded but are very difficult to form by cutting, PVC is more easily cut but resists abrasion to some extent. I've no experience of PU fabrics so can't judge them but I wouldn't use a picture of nail scratches as evidence of overall durability.

Perhaps where you are likely to do your boating should be considered, eg, a barnacled harbour wall will be a cutting environment, a concrete harbour wall will be an abrasive environment. Is boat storage to be under cover or open so UV colour stability is an issue?

With regard to repairability, it will become important if you need to do it! It's easy to think it unimportant if you have never needed to do it. It sounds obvious but consider it. You only need come alongside a pontoon on a blowy day and misjudge your landing; a tube under the end of a pontoon with a galvanising nib left on it or a squint screw head and it'll open up your tube easily.

J tubes or sectional tubes is purely a style issue because J tubes will have a full length seam on both sides of the tube. A repair on J tubes will be very noticeable because they appear smooth whereas sectional tubes look kinda bitsy anyway.

I'm not trying to sway you in any direction but give you a little more to consider...

However, fwiw, I'd buy the bigger, heavier boat and move the gate posts.

Good luck with it!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Bigplumbs

Could they be sought after because so many believe the Hype perhaps also the sort of people that believe having Levis on a label make them better jeans

Dennis - this is almost certainly part of the reason. I think part of the problem is people, like you, who have just lumped everything into a Hypalon and Non-hypalon category. At the most fundamental level your non-hypalon needs divided into PVC and Polyurethane. You’ll find plenty of people who are rather scathing about the long term properties of PVC. Next in the PU camp you will find many who found the early glued boats eventually had issues around the seams and were very difficult to repair. The latest generation of welded PU tubes appear to address those issues but inevitably are more suited to high volume production boats than bespoke/special stuff.

A scratch test is interesting but what about a puncture test - after all a scratch is annoying but a puncture ruins your day at least.

Now even within hypalon not all is equal. Some finishes probably scratch easier, some colours show it more, some finishes hold dirt more. Then there are different thicknesses/weights...

I’d happily consider a modern welded PU tubeset but if I was looking at resale whether in 2 or 10 yrs time - hypalon would win.

(If I was trying to market PU I’d call it Hypathane or something similar)

[kerny]

Originally Posted by Bern Hanreck

Of course durability is important , but I would want to see how any new product stood up to prolonged exposure to sun and UV before I was tempted !

That's easy Bern.... just give it a scratch [emoji6]