Collapsible RIB options

[bobfather]

I currently own a 3.6m SIB but there are some inland waterways such as Kielder Water that require a solid floor due to submerged hazards and rivers such as the Tees that always have a number of hazardous logs floating just on the surface. I'm looking for a RIB around 3m with a wide deck and without the Hypalon/PVC section that sits under the keel. I pull a caravan so I need to collapse the boat for transport. Yhe only folding RIBs I can find are quite narrow, I occasionally seat two adult an a child on one bench so the boat needs to have reasonable width. Are there options out there that may work for me?

[Max...]

Not sure how you're going to transport it and the folding parameters needed but would have thought for inland use maybe a rotomolded tub would be more suitable?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006310543217.html

[Fenlander]

Which folding RIBs are the ones you've seen... the Fribs? By and large they are about all there is on the market and I think not available new now until 2025 earliest, perhaps never.

I am wary of submerged hazards, particularly when on the river and in Scotland where there are lots of hard pointy bits lurking, but don't stress too much with a SIB.

Probably an old school Hypalon Avon SIB would add some resilience compared to a HydroForce.

[bobfather]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Which folding RIBs are the ones you've seen... the Fribs? By and large they are about all there is on the market and I think not available new now until 2025 earliest, perhaps never.

I am wary of submerged hazards, particularly when on the river and in Scotland where there are lots of hard pointy bits lurking, but don't stress too much with a SIB.

Probably an old school Hypalon Avon SIB would add some resilience compared to a HydroForce.

Fribs are the design I like but they're too narrow

[Fenlander]

I'm not sure you will find anything with a hard hull that will fold to go in a caravan or car boot that's wider than an Frib.

[Peter_C]

Of note: White water rafts are soft bottom boats. Often made of Hypalon, but NRS rafts puts a PVC protector over the Hypalon as an upgrade.

2nd Note: River running jet boats are aluminum hulls.

Put a hard boat on top of the tow vehicle or the caravan. In the USA folks do that all the time with a winch setup. Aluminum boats are the most popular for doing so.

[beamishken]

You may be overthinking the benefit of a hard hull over a sib if you come across rocks or any sort of jaggy bits your just as likely to puncture a hard hull as you are a sib. The rnli use sibs for all their close to rocks work & presumably they did their homework. Whilst a rib will out perform a sib in every way except folding up I dont think an frib offers much advantage over a decent sib. Imho an frib offers the worst of all worlds, the ride is compromised compared to a proper rib due to the need to fold, the tubes are more stressed due to the folds being repeated in exactly the same place & they don't fold up anywhere near the same size as a sib & they cost way more than a sib & often more than a similar size proper rib, they will also hole almost as easy as a sib if you hit a blunt object with a soft hull it will deform & possibly not hole but a thin fibreglass hull will probably crack & potentially hole . The choice for me would be between an aluminium hull rib & find a way to car top it or a sib. You can probably buy 2or 3 sibs for the price of an frib with little advantage for the extra cost

[beerbelly]

i have a plastimo ms310 folding sib with grp bottom in the back of my garage i might consider selling .and im in Teesside

[bobfather]

Originally Posted by beerbelly

i have a plastimo ms310 folding sib with grp bottom in the back of my garage i might consider selling .and im in Teesside

Cheers but that looks too small, I sometimes ride with six people and two dogs

[Pikey Dave]

I think you’re chasing a unicorn tbh. I honestly can’t think of any boat that’s going to tick all your boxes. You’re going to have to compromise somewhere, either on folding/size/construction.

[User name]

Originally Posted by beamishken

You may be overthinking the benefit of a hard hull over a sib if you come across rocks or any sort of jaggy bits your just as likely to puncture a hard hull as you are a sib.

My thoughts too. If anything, the soft bottom is more likely to flex and absorb an impact, where a hard hull will absorb the full energy of it.

6/7 people plus dogs and whatever other gear is a big ask for a folding RIB though.

[Fenlander]

>>there are some inland waterways such as Kielder Water that require a solid floor

I'd assumed the OP felt a solid floor was best but out of interest I had a look at Kielder Water and its regs today.... and what a lot of regs there are inc the requirement any inflatable boat has a hard floor. Floor is an odd term in boating but I assume they mean hull?

[Max...]

Coming round to agree with the others here when I think about it. Did some white water rafting last year in France and the abuse the soft (presumably Hypalon or maybe very HD PVC) boats take and shrug off bouncing off sharp rocks non stop is incredible. Low pressures of course so they conform.

[Pikey Dave]

Could also mean an Ally or wooden floor in a SIB, sometimes ambiguity & vagueness can be a bonus

[bobfather]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Could also mean an Ally or wooden floor in a SIB, sometimes ambiguity & vagueness can be a bonus

For Kielder Water the keel has to be constructed of rigid material. I have a SIB with an aluminium floor, it doesn't comply with their tough restrictions

[Brinormeg]

6 people and 2 dogs, even occasionally, is going to be pushing it I think on any such vessel.
The bigger the boat, then generally you will need a larger outboard too. Which could be another consideration.
We recently had 6 on a excel volaire sib with a 20hp and we struggled on a inland loch, albeit on a rather stormy day. Which to be honest, I wouldnt risk trying again after that experience.
Buy a campervan, towbar and rib... and off you go if money and storage wasn't an issue(wouldnt we all)

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by bobfather

For Kielder Water the keel has to be constructed of rigid material. I have a SIB with an aluminium floor, it doesn't comply with their tough restrictions

Aah! Ok

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by bobfather

Cheers but that looks too small, I sometimes ride with six people and two dogs

I used to have an aluminum deck 4.2m Zodiac with a 40hp and would consider that max load depending on the dogs being small to medium sized, and all 6 being adults. No way would I pack that much into a 3.8m or smaller.

[bobfather]

Originally Posted by Peter_C

I used to have an aluminum deck 4.2m Zodiac with a 40hp and would consider that max load depending on the dogs being small to medium sized, and all 6 being adults. No way would I pack that much into a 3.8m or smaller.

Yes it was tight, I've only done six up once and two of those were young children, most of the time I ride two up with a dog

[fastasfox]

This is the quandary a lot of us have...me included.
I have travelled extensively and lived in the Caribbean but my favourite place on earth is Cornwall and for me that's a 320 mile drive.
So like you I owned Sibs for a while before purchasing a Rib. I also own a touring Caravan and whilst as a truck driver I'm more than capable of towing a caravan and boat the law doesn't allow this ( and before someone says....get a showman's license) you can't use said license for such purposes.
I store my Caravan in Cornwall and my boat up near where I live....could this be an option for yourself? not a perfect solution I know.