Fastest small RIB option?

[Lod]

Hi there!

New here. Please enjoy my probably daft question which shall go as follows:

So I used to have a Warrior 175 with a 140 Suzuki, then I had a SIB for a year- a Boatworld Carno Pro 365 with a Tohatsu 20HP engine. Someone stole the engine and I ended up selling the boat, but I'm hoping to get set up again for the spring. The thing is, I loved the SIB and it went about 20 knots which is awesome, but it was useless as soon as there was any chop at all. I did like the portability of the SIB but I ended up keeping it on a trailer anyway, so I think I might as well get a RIB or maybe a FRIB?

My question is this - if we were to say RIB, what's my best option, staying as small as possible to get something much faster? I'd love to be able to bomb it over to the isle of Wight from Poole Harbour in 20 minutes. Something that goes 30+ knots easily? Maybe even 40? But I want to keep it as small as possible becasue I love hunting bass in extremely shallow water and big engines are bloody expensive. I realise I'm going to have a bigger engine and therefore a bigger boat but what do you guys think is the minimum to get some speed going?

[Fenlander]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Don't get an Frib given your needs and experience with the SIB, they are likely to have a harder ride than many SIBs.

Sounds like a Searider SR4 with something like 40/50hp would suit you. Small but very capable for making the trip you mention.

[Lod]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Don't get an Frib given your needs and experience with the SIB, they are likely to have a harder ride than many SIBs.

Sounds like a Searider SR4 with something like 40/50hp would suit you. Small but very capable for making the rip you mention.

Ok awesome, thanks, I'll take a look at it!

[beamishken]

I agree with fenlander avoid the frib, worst of both worlds sr4 is the obvious choice but iirc ribcraft did a 3.6m rib & I think humber also did one. Avon did the supersport too which is smaller but if 4.2m & 50hp would suit, you would struggle to find better than the sr4. If you could manage larger then a 4.8m ribcraft would be a good option. Avoid the smaller "med style" boats which tend to be fairly shallow vee & often pvc tubes & not great build quality

[Poly]

My gut feel for this part of the brief:

My question is this - if we were to say RIB, what's my best option, staying as small as possible to get something much faster? I'd love to be able to bomb it over to the isle of Wight from Poole Harbour in 20 minutes. Something that goes 30+ knots easily? Maybe even 40?

Would be a ZapCat (other brands are available). It may not be a sensible suggestion, but you should give it at least a moments thought.

[Lod]

Thanks everyone. I've been looking into this - Forgive me, I'm really new to inflatables, but isn't the SR4 like, reaally old? From the 80s or something? Kind of hoping to find something a bit more modern. But then I don't know? Maybe a 40 year old RIB can still be amazing?

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Lod

Thanks everyone. I've been looking into this - Forgive me, I'm really new to inflatables, but isn't the SR4 like, reaally old? From the 80s or something? Kind of hoping to find something a bit more modern. But then I don't know? Maybe a 40 year old RIB can still be amazing?

Careful, a lot of the people who post regularly on here are even older than the SR4 and don't consider themselves "really old"!

Yes, it is a "classic" design rather than very modern. As a general rule, over time RIBs have got bigger so the choice at the small end is limited with a lot of what is there being fancy yacht tenders or for popping from a med harbour to a beach not bouncing across waves. One feature that is almost unique to the SR4 is the "flooding hull". This means when you stop the boat sinks into the water and becomes a very stable platform - that will make it great for your fishing. It does mean it takes a bit longer to initially get on the plane as you have to wait for that to drain (some people sacrifice the stationary stability for better acceleration by blocking the hull up). It was a very successful design which lasted for decades because it was very good. There were two formats - one that looked link a 1980's car with "comfy" arm chair seats and one with a classic centre console. The latter still look reasonably OK if well maintained.

[Max...]

Hard not to echo the same - SR4 and a 40 or 50 2 smoke. Plenty of dogs about but many nicely restored ones too if you are patient.

[beamishken]

You will struggle to find a new off the shelf boat that's all round as good as an sr4, although an old design they were still being sold until quite recently.
Imho build quality & hull designs have gone backwards in the small boat class, as already mentioned many are only good as tenders with fairly limited life. A nice late model sr4 is a hard to beat package.

[Lod]

Originally Posted by Poly

Careful, a lot of the people who post regularly on here are even older than the SR4 and don't consider themselves "really old"!

Yes, it is a "classic" design rather than very modern. As a general rule, over time RIBs have got bigger so the choice at the small end is limited with a lot of what is there being fancy yacht tenders or for popping from a med harbour to a beach not bouncing across waves. One feature that is almost unique to the SR4 is the "flooding hull". This means when you stop the boat sinks into the water and becomes a very stable platform - that will make it great for your fishing. It does mean it takes a bit longer to initially get on the plane as you have to wait for that to drain (some people sacrifice the stationary stability for better acceleration by blocking the hull up). It was a very successful design which lasted for decades because it was very good. There were two formats - one that looked link a 1980's car with "comfy" arm chair seats and one with a classic centre console. The latter still look reasonably OK if well maintained.

Very interesting, cheers. The stability of the hull sounds like a bonus, but then having to wait for it to drain before getting up on the plane sounds like a drawback as I love to just fly off. When you say it takes longer, are you talking a few seconds or a few minutes? Cheers

[Lod]

Originally Posted by Max...

Hard not to echo the same - SR4 and a 40 or 50 2 smoke. Plenty of dogs about but many nicely restored ones too if you are patient.

Cheers. I'm assuming you mean 2 stroke? You would choose that over a 4 stroke? Just wondering why?

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Lod

Very interesting, cheers. The stability of the hull sounds like a bonus, but then having to wait for it to drain before getting up on the plane sounds like a drawback as I love to just fly off. When you say it takes longer, are you talking a few seconds or a few minutes? Cheers

Your only talking seconds of difference in time to plane with the flooding hull & with 40hp+ you hardly notice the loss in acceleration. The two v 4 stroke argument is getting less of an issue as 4 strokes are getting lighter & are closely matched for grunt nowadays the extra range & improved fuel consumption makes a strong argument for a 4 stroke. I'd happily have either, but perhaps avoid very early 4 strokes

[Lod]

Originally Posted by beamishken

Your only talking seconds of difference in time to plane with the flooding hull & with 40hp+ you hardly notice the loss in acceleration. The two v 4 stroke argument is getting less of an issue as 4 strokes are getting lighter & are closely matched for grunt nowadays the extra range & improved fuel consumption makes a strong argument for a 4 stroke. I'd happily have either, but perhaps avoid very early 4 strokes

Thanks, good to know....

[Max...]

Yes, as above I'm a bit old school but modern 4 strokes are much lighter and I guess we all need to move with the times! The SR4 was always designed with a lightweight 2 stroke in mind though and the punchy power delivery helps - even with a 30 they go well. Loads on here about the pros and cons of the flooding hull - easy to make a blanking plug and choose. Search on here for SR4 flooding hull. Many have moved on but BITD there were numerous SR4 owners on here so there is a wealth of info to explore in past topics.

[Lod]

What would everyone's opinion be on other options such as Zodiac 420 or the Zodiac MilPro ERB400?

[Max...]

They and virtually all boats like that are not deep Vs and totally different in rough water capability to a SR4. The 420 is a blue water boat really and the 400 is a SIB anyway but both will slam even in the gentle rough stuff.

[Lod]

Originally Posted by Max...

They and virtually all boats like that are not deep Vs and totally different in rough water capability to a SR4. The 420 is a blue water boat really and the 400 is a SIB anyway but both will slam even in the gentle rough stuff.

Ok I didn't realise the 400 was a SIB lol.

This is all good to know but raises an interesting point for me - something I forgot to mention: I intend to be fishing in really shallow water most of the time. What's the draft like, do you know? If it's not great it may be that I have to settle for something without such a deep V. Having said that my Warrior had a deep V hull and the draft was only 16 inches. It's possible that I can drive the boat on a trailer though and launch from somewhere like Mudeford which is a lot closer to the Isle of Wight if I have to settle for something with less of a V hull......

[Pikey Dave]

Even the deepest V RIB hulls won’t draw 16”, certainly not in the size that you’re looking at. Just because it’s a deep V, doesn’t mean that it will draw more. Imagine trying to cut an 1” thick steak with a spoon or a sharp knife, both will cut it eventually, but which will be the easiest?

[paulbrown22]

In addition to SR4's I'd also include things like Ribtec 455's and the smaller Humbers, XS RIB's, etc. Our sailing club has a ~2000 vintage Ribtec 455 that I've just refitted with a new Suzuki 40hp and all controls and that's a beautiful boat to drive with a decent V hull.

Although in any ~4m RIB, whatever the hull, I think your example of bashing from Poole to IoW at 30-40kn is pretty optimistic unless absolutely flat calm! I used to do that regularly from Poole in my Ribtec 9m, but the length makes a huge difference to being able to straddle waves.

[Lod]

Originally Posted by paulbrown22

In addition to SR4's I'd also include things like Ribtec 455's and the smaller Humbers, XS RIB's, etc. Our sailing club has a ~2000 vintage Ribtec 455 that I've just refitted with a new Suzuki 40hp and all controls and that's a beautiful boat to drive with a decent V hull.

Although in any ~4m RIB, whatever the hull, I think your example of bashing from Poole to IoW at 30-40kn is pretty optimistic unless absolutely flat calm! I used to do that regularly from Poole in my Ribtec 9m, but the length makes a huge difference to being able to straddle waves.

Hey Paul
Thanks, yes absolutely, I wouldn't expect those kind of speeds unless very flat. My Warrior with a 140 hit a top speed of 39knots but I wouldn't expect much more than 20-25 smashing it over the the IOW in a bit of chop. I'm talking really about top spoeeds in ideal conditions. But even getting 20 knots in a bit of chop would be ok for me. I'm glad you think there are other options, I'll look into them, cheers. The Ribtecs look good from what I have seen since starting this thread....