![Reply](/forum/images/sk/buttons/reply.gif) |
26 July 2003, 19:38
|
#1
|
Member
Country: UK - England
Town: West Wickham
Boat name: Aries IV
Make: Scorpion
Length: 8m +
Engine: Etec 250
MMSI: 235036477
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 273
|
Foot Straps - Worth Having?
I would be interested to know your views on foot straps.
In particular, do you regard them as essential safety equipment to keep you in the boat when emulating AP? Those RIBnet members who have them fitted, do you use them as a matter of course, like a life jacket and kill cord, or only when conditions are "exciting"?
If you do use them, are there different kinds, are they adjustable in terms of "size" and position? Is there anything else about foot straps that you think it would be helpful to share?
Thank you for your thoughts!
GOOD LUCK Alan and the crew of "The Jolly Sailor"! Tomorrow's the BIG DAY.
Regards,
Chris.
__________________
|
|
|
26 July 2003, 21:25
|
#2
|
Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Devon
Boat name: White Ice
Make: Ranieri
Length: 5m +
Engine: Suzuki 115hp
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,015
|
Re: Foot Straps - Worth Having?
Chris, what a good question!
Not having had my RIB for very long, I sort of ask the same question, but...
Quote:
Originally posted by Chris Murray
are they adjustable in terms of "size" and position?
|
This I can answer... they are made from 2" velcro, so adjustable to a particular foot size, and there are two pairs of them on either side, a pair in the sitting position and a pair in the standing position. And Mr Jelley seems to have a good idea of where to place them.
You really do sound like a prospective Scorpion owner to me!
__________________
|
|
|
26 July 2003, 22:03
|
#3
|
Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Brixham, Devon
Boat name: FLY-BY/FLY-BY II
Make: Ribcraft/Avon
Length: 6m +
Engine: Honda 175/Yamaha 30
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 311
|
Foot Straps
The RNLI have them fitted to the Atlantic 21's and 75's. There are some fitted on a 7.8m Ribcraft that I sometimes helm but I have never used them.
I do not have them on my 7.2 Ribeye, even though I am out is pretty bad weather teaching. Not having them has never caused me to have any "moments". Sometimes they can become a tripping hazard when you are moving around the RIB.
Adjustable would make sense to me if I was ever having them fitted to a RIB and also keep them pretty flexible so that they would lie flat on the deck when not in use.
|
|
|
26 July 2003, 22:18
|
#4
|
Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Gosport
Boat name: April Lass
Make: Moody 31
Length: 9m +
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,951
|
Chris, in 12 years never found that I needed them and they look like an obvious trip hazard. No thanks just a good none slip deck and sensible seating arrangements. I suppose if you did want to fit them a trip to a windsuring shop might be the order of the day.
Pete
__________________
|
|
|
26 July 2003, 22:30
|
#5
|
Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Devon
Boat name: White Ice
Make: Ranieri
Length: 5m +
Engine: Suzuki 115hp
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,015
|
__________________
|
|
|
27 July 2003, 08:14
|
#6
|
Administrator
Country: UK - England
Town: Brighton
Length: 3m +
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 7,108
|
Toe straps seemed to be very popular a few years ago, with lots of RIBs appearing with them. You don't see many boats with them any more though.
I personally hate them and would much rather have the option to move my feet if I need to. I suspect that they are something that seemed a good idea a the time but don't get used much.
There have also been stories of ankle/leg injuries caused by foot straps although I don't have any specific details. Anyone have any first hand experience of this?
John
__________________
|
|
|
16 September 2003, 23:36
|
#7
|
Member
Country: UK - Wales
Town: Aberystwyth
Boat name: Undecided
Make: Undecided
Length: Undecided
Engine: Undecided
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 605
|
Personally I think they could be handy when you have people sat on tubes, providing they do lie flat when not in use due to the trip hazard thing. There have been times when out on the dive club's RIB that foot straps would have been extremely handy (or footy..) due to someone inexperienced being at the wheel throwing the boat around. Wouldn't have them for the people with proper seating though.
Matt (resurrecting dead threads 'cos I'm bored!) Brown
__________________
|
|
|
17 September 2003, 05:00
|
#8
|
RIBnet supporter
Country: Iceland
Town: Reykjavik
Boat name: Cheesee
Make: Seaquel 600 XS
Length: 6m +
Engine: Mercury 275 Verado
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,959
|
In our SAR boat we have them fitted, also we fitted the boat with extra soft handles on the Hypalon collar on both inside and outside for easier holding on to in bad weather, with waves up to three metres.
__________________
|
|
|
17 September 2003, 06:03
|
#9
|
Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Town: Hilton-of-Cadboll
Length: no boat
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,801
|
What you need is good jockey seats with hand grips. Having experienced some very 'exciting' conditions recently I didn't feel that foot straps would have helped at all.
Keith Hart
__________________
|
|
|
17 September 2003, 16:04
|
#10
|
Member
Country: UK - England
Town: SOUTHAMPTON
Boat name: Won't get Fooled Again
Make: Ribtec
Length: 6.5
Engine: Honda 130
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 888
|
I am going to get them gitted to some of our Ribs, I recently damaged my leg, and feel the damage would have been less if I had footstraps. I also feel at speed or in the rough then they give the driver a betterhold on to the boat as an alternative to grasping the stering wheel and Throttle
__________________
|
|
|
17 September 2003, 17:27
|
#11
|
Member
Country: UK - England
Town: West Wickham
Boat name: Aries IV
Make: Scorpion
Length: 8m +
Engine: Etec 250
MMSI: 235036477
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 273
|
Hi Matt and other RIBsters who have kindly contributed to this thread,
Thanks for resurrecting this one!
I had the opportunity to try these out on Richard B's boat ("Blue Ice") when "Jolly Sailor" came home but felt that they didn't really add anything and, as had been suggested earlier in this thread, could be a potential trip hazard.
I took the opportunity to visit Graham Jelley and his team for the Scorpion open day last weekend prior to visiting the Boat Show. Wow! What fantastic boats! I can see why there are so many Scorpions on the water.
I have seen some superb racing-style seats on the 10 metre (no-I'm not in that market!) that would, in my opinion, make the need for any other crew-retaining gear unnecessary. They can be seen in the current edition of RIB International.
I can't order my boat for a while, for various reasons, but when I do, I want some of those seats!
Happy RIBing!
Chris.
__________________
|
|
|
17 September 2003, 17:41
|
#12
|
Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Brittany/Portsmouth
Boat name: Merlin
Make: Solent 6.5
Length: 6m +
Engine: 200
MMSI: soon !
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 5,451
|
I too have been on Richard's boat in bad conditions and felt very comfortable in the straps and prefered to be in em (Richard's driving ![wink](https://www.rib.net/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif) )
Mind you having Windsurfed for many years they are second nature to me and give a certain reassurance. I can understand that some might find them hard to adjust too different strokes for folks.
Wavehumper could have done with then a while ago
paul
__________________
Happy New Resolutions!!! : RIBbing for the craic!!!
|
|
|
![Reply](/forum/images/sk/buttons/reply.gif) |
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|