Cheapest ribcraft 585 ever maybe?

[Croolis]

So, purely from idle curiosity and ignorance, are we saying you'd be much better off buying this instead:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ribcraft-...4aAkbgEALw_wcB

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Croolis

So, purely from idle curiosity and ignorance, are we saying you'd be much better off buying this instead:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ribcraft-...4aAkbgEALw_wcB

assuming there are no hidden horrors, that looks like a decent buy.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Croolis

So, purely from idle curiosity and ignorance, are we saying you'd be much better off buying this instead:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ribcraft-...4aAkbgEALw_wcB

That looks a cheap boat wether its a better buy depends what you want & wether you want a boat that might not suit your wish list personally the fact the tubes have treadmaster on them would be a no for me. Blue seats & console with black upholstery & orange tubes wouldn't be on my wish list too. The fact the powerhead has been "replaced" would also be a concern so if I wanted a boat to my own spec with everything new without a 50k price tag I'd take the project. On the other hand if I just wanted a cheapish hack to use as a dive boat with my buddies then that would probably be on my shortlist.
The 10k boat whilst cheap is going to end up dearer than the project if you want to customise it with new tubes different console seats new engine etc.
Sometimes a blank canvas is the best start

[jonp]

Originally Posted by Croolis

So, purely from idle curiosity and ignorance, are we saying you'd be much better off buying this instead:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ribcraft-...4aAkbgEALw_wcB

Personally I would rather go the full new rebuild over this. Ive owned four Suzuki outboards, all of which had issues once a few years were added to them. The oldest was a 2012 140 which had gear issues, powerhead corrosion, exhaust corrosion and electrical issues, so needed replacing.

The galvanised trailer on the boat I own now was rusted away at 7yrs old and now replaced.

Those who own older ribs will know how tubes can be on a boat of this age and don't they want to risk old sun damaged tubes in extreme conditions miles from shore.

With a new build, none of the above apply or sit in the back of your mind. You know every part of the build and over see it to the standard you want.

The boat I have now looked fantastic and had genuine low hours, however Ive added so much into a new engine, new trailer, new electronics and wiring that I'm now past new boat price but still have an old boat. If I had bought an old wreck to re-power, refit and replace the trailer I would still be under new price.

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

No still waiting for Excel to confirm the specs. I doubt it will be that much smaller but I'm hopeful it it will be a lot lighter. I've also decided it will be a replacement and not a second sib. If I do get the new Explorer it won't be delivered until March next year.

I would keep your current sib for a while until you are happy with you new boat just in case it does not work for you

[spartacus]

Originally Posted by Croolis

So, purely from idle curiosity and ignorance, are we saying you'd be much better off buying this instead:

It’s still a 26 year old boat with a 21 year old engine. The way I look at it, it gets you on the water for a few seasons, and then you have the potentially difficult task of trying to recover your money if you want to sell it.

If you decide to keep it and then re-power with a new engine, then it makes sense to retube too. There’s £21k+ for starters. I don’t like dark hulls, but hey that’s just me.

We’re assuming the hull and transom are sound. With seating options available, (assuming there’s been a dive rack on it at some point given the current layout) that deck will have been drilled, then there’s always a danger of water ingress. It would need a thorough professional inspection, including that bow hatch.

Complete rebuilds aren’t for everyone. It’s specialist, expensive, and takes time, but you end up with a custom RIB at the end.

[jonp]

Dark hulls or dar tubes ? I also wasn't keen on dark tubes until I owned one here in Australia. The darker colours suffer less from uv damage which is an advantage here. I also liked the fact we could lie on the tubes after winter dives to get a bit of warmth back into our bodies. The tubes never really felt uncomfortable hot even on very hot days which I suppose is due to the air inside and the bottom of the tubes in far cooler water. As for dark hulls, at least these are more visible than light colours in an overturned situation.

Only downside I could find was tube pressure, where in a sudden drop of temp and heavy cloud the tubes could soften slightly but apart from that I was surprised how good black was and would certainly get black again.