Buster aluminium boats

BogMonster · 19 November 2006, 22:28

Has anybody on here ever seen one of these (or better still own one/used one):

http://www.buster.fi/?id=796

Seems like an ideal sort of thing, a nice open boat vaguely in the style of a RIB but with an alli hull and no effn tubes, but still unsinkable and apparently not too heavy so should scoot along fairly well with a 100-150hp motor

Had a bit of a look on Google but found nothing much, and the makers website is not that informative as the only tests that are listed are all in Swedish or German! I wonder how they compare with a RIB of a similar size...?

I suspect they might be rather pricey looking at the photos - looks to be pretty well built - interesting

jyasaki · 19 November 2006, 22:41

Might check these out: www.acbboats.com

True sealed aluminum chambers rather than inflatable tubes, odd-looking, but very robustly built boats.

No idea on pricing, but I'd expect towards the upper midrange on the scale.

There was another New Zealand manufacturer doing roughly the same thing, but I can't recall the name right now.

jky

codprawn · 19 November 2006, 22:48

http://www.allyduck.co.uk/

Went on one of these at the Southampton show a few years ago - great fun and very much a RIB - without the I. Great fun and what I really liked was the "tubes" were filled with empty plastic pop bottles so couldn't sink!!!

Also has a built in trailer.

I have been out in a few small aluminium boats - they are ok but tend to ride hard.

jwalker · 20 November 2006, 00:36

I've seen an all alloy rib with a tube repair!

BogMonster · 20 November 2006, 00:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

http://www.allyduck.co.uk/

Went on one of these at the Southampton show a few years ago - great fun and very much a RIB - without the I. Great fun and what I really liked was the "tubes" were filled with empty plastic pop bottles so couldn't sink!!!

Also has a built in trailer.

I have been out in a few small aluminium boats - they are ok but tend to ride hard.

That looks quite interesting

sent off to all for more info, will see what comes back.

"Hundreds of sealed flotation devices" sounds much more technical than "a bunch of 2 litre coke bottles"

wonder if they rattle though

BogMonster · 20 November 2006, 09:18

Buster have a UK dealer

http://www.howardmarine.com/

On their website there isn't much info but it says £13400 for the XXL which is less than I thought it might be - though I doubt that includes engine

I'd have half of that already if I hadn't wasted it on Beelzebubble

MarkM · 20 November 2006, 10:39

Member Arwin had one before.

BogMonster · 20 November 2006, 19:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkM

Member Arwin had one before.

Thanks I've PM'ed him but doesn't look to be a regular so hope he has email notification of new PM's

Poly · 20 November 2006, 20:01

stephen - have you thought about a moulded plastic boat? I would have thought it was cheaper than an Aluminium one. In fact you could probably have a 4m boat for less than the cost of new tubes.

e.g. www.atlanticfocus.co.uk
www.marinerevolution.co.uk (look at video clip - even you will struggle to burst those tubes!)
www.polimoon.com (steadyboats)

of course with any of these, or Ally or GRP its shipping that will be the killer for you.

MarkM · 20 November 2006, 21:04

@BogMonster: he works in shifts, but I'll contact him.

BogMonster · 20 November 2006, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

stephen - have you thought about a moulded plastic boat? I would have thought it was cheaper than an Aluminium one. In fact you could probably have a 4m boat for less than the cost of new tubes.

e.g. www.atlanticfocus.co.uk
www.marinerevolution.co.uk (look at video clip - even you will struggle to burst those tubes!)
www.polimoon.com (steadyboats)

of course with any of these, or Ally or GRP its shipping that will be the killer for you.

Interesting, the MAC one, unfortunately the prices bit won't work the PDFs are corrupted but may send off.

One of the appeals of an alli one is that it wouldn't be a write off if it got damaged slightly, like this stupid thing I have. If push came to shove I could repair it with some pop rivets, sikaflex and a bit of plate but one of the appealing things is that it's unlikely to be damaged that easily. I'm not sure how the plastic would cope in the UV here, many "UV resistant" things turn out to be "actually not that UV resistant" when you park them under the ozone hole for a few years

but apart from that concern and how you would fix it if damaged, the plastic ones might well be an option.

As you say shipping is the killer (on a trailer - probably £3000) so if I'm going to pay that I may as well have something worth paying it for

Basically what I want is a robust open boat that I can easily move around on for mooring single handed in windy conditions, preferably a centre console so my significant mass doesn't unbalance the boat when I'm solo, preferably inline seating for 2 or 3 like I've just fitted to my Humber to keep the passengers dry, 100-150hp outboard, somewhere to hang the 6hp aux engine I've got and that's about it

Oh and nothing that will go <pop>fssshhhhhhh every three days for no reason at all

Thanks for the links

codprawn · 20 November 2006, 22:25

Sounds like you need an Avon!!!

BogMonster · 20 November 2006, 23:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Sounds like you need an Avon!!!

One flaw in that argument old bean, remember I am trying to get away from something surrounded by fresh air

codprawn · 20 November 2006, 23:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

One flaw in that argument old bean, remember I am trying to get away from something surrounded by fresh air

Ah but Avon's are made in Wales and last for ever - as the Falklands looks so much the same they would be quite at home - maybe Humber's aren't so good with sheep???

arwin · 21 November 2006, 21:42

Hello there,

I had a Buster L and went with it to the Ribex in 2005,
it was an interesting trip with all kinds of weather, the boat was powered with a Yamaha f100 four-stroke and we went from Amsterdam till the isle of Wight....... not a succes story for this Buster, on the way back we got worse weather with waves for about 7-8 feet...... When we came in Scheveningen the boat was completely smashed but not sinking...... The welded spants where completely loose from the hull and it feld like a 200 pound boat...... That was for me the turning point to get a RIB......

Sorry for the English language it is not perfect but take a loke at the foto's.......

Greatings Arwin

arwin · 21 November 2006, 21:44

Sorry look at the fotos.................... pfff.

arwin

BogMonster · 21 November 2006, 22:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by arwin

Hello there,

I had a Buster L and went with it to the Ribex in 2005,
it was an interesting trip with all kinds of weather, the boat was powered with a Yamaha f100 four-stroke and we went from Amsterdam till the isle of Wight....... not a succes story for this Buster, on the way back we got worse weather with waves for about 7-8 feet...... When we came in Scheveningen the boat was completely smashed but not sinking...... The welded spants where completely loose from the hull and it feld like a 200 pound boat...... That was for me the turning point to get a RIB......

Sorry for the English language it is not perfect but take a loke at the foto's.......

Greatings Arwin

Thanks Arwin

That is quite scary - especially since they are sold as being really tough

Maybe the plastic boats are a better bet, if you can drop one from about 50 feet from a crane, they must be fairly tough - and the Mac 570 even looks like a RIB especially if you put a proper jockey console on it

codprawn · 21 November 2006, 22:45

The roto moulded plastic boats are incredibly tough - but after a few years of UV and on a freezing cold day I'm not so sure - plastic can get quite brittle in the cold.

All you need is a good RIB - or a decent set of tubes!!!

Poly · 21 November 2006, 23:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

The roto moulded plastic boats are incredibly tough - but after a few years of UV and on a freezing cold day I'm not so sure - plastic can get quite brittle in the cold.

All you need is a good RIB - or a decent set of tubes!!!

Polyethylene doesn't become brittle until less than -70 deg C. Not all plastics are equal.

Rotomolded dinghies, and canoes have been around for a while (as have various storage tanks etc) without problems from UV degradation. The falklands are an extreme situation but I suspect you have this problem with almost any material out there (metal being the exception).

Poly · 22 November 2006, 00:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

Maybe the plastic boats are a better bet, if you can drop one from about 50 feet from a crane, they must be fairly tough - and the Mac 570 even looks like a RIB especially if you put a proper jockey console on it

Stephen, I don't think you could damage one of these by accident - you would need to really try. I hit a concrete jetty at a fair speed recently (LEARNING POINT - when refitting throttle / gear cables check they are set properly to neutral and tick over - before starting the engine). It scratched the surface only - had it been fibreglass it would have needed serious professional repair. Of course a "true" rib would probably have bounced (or burst!).

The 570 (and the smaller Mac Attack) both look like RIBS. I have seen them in the flesh. I have a FunYak 3.90 Sparfel. I think it looks pretty rib-like. There is a bigger 5-6m ish one which also looks riblike (although a little square fronted for my taste), and has a-frame options etc.

Repairing them if you manage to damage them is not impossible:

scratches - sand out with wet and dry and heat gun restores the finish.
splits - can in theory be welded (not with a standard welder though!). I guess you could patch/fill if necessary too.

I have to confess that whilst I am a big fan when the time comes to upgrade I will be considering hypalon ribs too.