Hard nose/ soft nose

Jono · 22 February 2007, 09:16

......what do folks think of "hard nosed" RIBs?

jwalker · 22 February 2007, 10:49

Dunno about seakeeping but I sometimes put the bow against a ladder in a confined harbour to let folk on or off the boat. Also, I sometimes put the bow against a wall and turn the boat using the bow as a pivot. You'd scratch yer nice fiberglass on a hard nose.

Alan · 22 February 2007, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalker

Dunno about seakeeping but I sometimes put the bow against a ladder in a confined harbour to let folk on or off the boat. Also, I sometimes put the bow against a wall and turn the boat using the bow as a pivot. You'd scratch yer nice fiberglass on a hard nose.

OTOH you don't risk puncturing yer tubes on that nasty nail you didn't notice sticking out from the jetty!

jwalker · 22 February 2007, 13:13

Alan, you're not far wrong...just stopped in time to miss an old jaggedly cut off ladder bolt sticking out of a wall.

Jono · 22 February 2007, 13:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalker

Dunno about seakeeping but I sometimes put the bow against a ladder in a confined harbour to let folk on or off the boat. Also, I sometimes put the bow against a wall and turn the boat using the bow as a pivot. You'd scratch yer nice fiberglass on a hard nose.

...not with a nice deep section rubbing strake..

codprawn · 22 February 2007, 13:29

Depends how hard the nose is I suppose.

The Ocean Dynamics have a big metal battering ram of a nose - mainly used for tube anchoring and to provide a solid towing/lifting point.

The Ospreys look quite nice with their fibreglass nosecones.

Personally I prefer having a soft nose to nudge things with but I do have a 7ft sunbed/raised deck which anchors the tubes nicely.

Pete7 · 22 February 2007, 13:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono

......what do folks think of "hard nosed" RIBs?

1. Very secure way of attaching tubes to the bow area of a rib hull.
2. Great storage area for anchor etc.
3. Cheap way of adding tubes to a rib because you don't need expensive nose cone patterns, equally replacement can be one side only.
4. Blow out a complete tube and the nose cone holds the tube up and in place until you get home.
By chance there is a 6.4m project rib advertised here http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F132103/

Pete

Jono · 22 February 2007, 13:47

Pete,

That's pretty much the list I'd come up with....so why don't you see more about? What are the negatives? 'specially in the smaller sizes?

Pete7 · 22 February 2007, 13:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono

Pete,

That's pretty much the list I'd come up with....so why don't you see more about? What are the negatives? 'specially in the smaller sizes?

The Ospreys were very popular in the early 90s but lost out when the diving market demanded more room so wider ribs like the Viper became popular. However the hardnose ribs were very easily driven, so smaller engines (and less petrol) for a given speed. Having circumnavigated Scotland with a 5.2m, I like them.

Pete

Seaharrier · 22 February 2007, 18:36

One negative thing about them .... it's not a very dry concept!

MarkM · 22 February 2007, 18:42

Another advantage, when your boat gets stuffed the nose stays on.

andyxs · 22 February 2007, 20:00

this is an interesting one. has anyone ever had an experience of tubes peeling off from the front or rippingoff when stuffing? iv not heard of one but its easy to imagine when stuffing as iv seen mine bend back into the boat.

Pete7 · 22 February 2007, 20:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyxs

this is an interesting one. has anyone ever had an experience of tubes peeling off from the front or rippingoff when stuffing? iv not heard of one but its easy to imagine when stuffing as iv seen mine bend back into the boat.

A BMW called Kermit (green tubes) had the front 4 feet of tubes tear off one evening 15 miles south of Jersey in a worsening F5. We tied her to the jetty and my rib on the outside that night so she wouldn't sink. In the morning the water was lapping over the the transom and completely flooded the deck. They borrowed a trailer to lift her out drain the water and dry out. Re-taped the tubes back on. She made it home thankfully in very calm conditions where she was repaired properly. However having 4 feet of tube flapping around the deck everytime the nose went down the face of a wave was a worry for the crew. Charles and Mike Garside are two others that spring to mind albeit with larger ribs.

Pete

codprawn · 22 February 2007, 22:00

A BMW? No wonder it almost sank....

Stuffing straps are supposed to help quite a bit. I am really pleased I went for a raised deck area/sunbed at the bow - it is a massive locker and the tubes have so much more to attach to - also stops them bending back into the boat.

I seem to remember a Goldfish RIB on top gear having a tube burst - I THINK it was at the bow but it was a long time ago!!!

Pete7 · 22 February 2007, 23:16

Oops should have been Blue Water Maritime, BWM.

Pete

Jono · 23 February 2007, 08:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seaharrier

One negative thing about them .... it's not a very dry concept!

Care to explain? I can't figure out how a properly designed hardnose would be any wetter/drier than a piece of tube...

Rick · 23 February 2007, 11:35

externally the same profile as tubes so provides the same handling qualities. Internally provides space for a large anchor locker plus additional space for stowage of gear.

Cookee · 23 February 2007, 14:27

We have a hard nose boat in production and a soft one will be at Ribex in May.

Chris Strickland has had his tubes come off a cabin Scorpian, and they changed to hard noses on the bigger RIBs a while back because of problems keeping them attached! The soft noses are fine with lighter slower boats, but with the increase in speed and weight of modern RIBs it has become more of a problem - we carry on the profile of the tube in fibreglass around the nose and fit a decent rubbing strake around the front so it will resist light contact with a wall, but nothing serious!

All in my very humble opinion of course!

Tim M · 23 February 2007, 21:47

I found my Osprey Eagle 5.6 quite wet compared to other Ribs that I have owned.

Stoo · 24 February 2007, 00:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono

......what do folks think of "hard nosed" RIBs?

I think they look funny... but that's just my opinion!