I've got the RIB fever... I need some medicine

[AdamDJ]

Hi all,

First let me say I have spent so many hours reading through them and I can see that these forums are going to cost me a lot of money!!! I am interested in getting a RIB after having owned several fishing boats over the years, including most recently a 28' aluminum with twin outboards, which I sold to my neighbour and I am now BOATLESS. I actually got the RIB fever after talking with the coart guard up here which has a 24' (or around there) zodiac with twin 140's I believe. I'm a paramedic so I work with them all the time and DROOL whenever they bring a patient in on their little zodiac. Now that I've sold my boat I've got the go ahead to buy a RIB from my wife and I've spent the last few weeks researching and I just have so many questions.

I live on Vancouver Island, BC which seems to be the RIB capital of the world (from the stuff I read). I know there are a lot of manufacturers of RIB's in BC and I also know there are a few RIB manufacturers in the USA too. Unfortunately, one of the problems I've run into is that none of the manufacturers post their prices online or even base prices so I really have no idea as to what they cost. I mean I've got a rough idea, but I would love it if I could get more specific. One of the manufacturers I am really interested in is Polaris Boats (www.polarisboats.com) in Langley, BC. Does anyone have any information on them such as costs? The reason I am attracted to them is because they make some good aluminum boats and I am a big fan of aluminum boats in general over fiberglass mainly because I dock my boat a lot on little islands (so many little islands throughout Northern Vancouver Island). I would also love more information on any other manufactuers in BC.

As far as what size boat I am looking for..... between 6m and 7.5m, with twin engines. I want to use the boat in the ocean, but mostly protected ocean waters that are all within a few miles of shore. However I may also use it for long open water offshore runs, such as a run from Port Hardy to Prince Rupurt (the ferry route) which is a 274 mile nautical run. So I would love advice on which size would be best for this type of running. I am assuming a 6m would be too small, but is an 8.5m overkill?

As far as engines, well I've considered everything from twin 75hp engines on a 6m rib, to twin 225hp engines on a 7.5m rib. The two boats I am debating about on the Polaris website (not neccesarily will I buy polaris but these are what I am roughly looking for) are the 6m at http://www.polarisboats.com/p/alumin...une19_spec.htm and the wide body 7.5m at http://www.polarisboats.com/p/alumin...une24_spec.htm .

One thing I notice between these two boats is the massive weight difference. The 6m is only 1000lbs while the 7.5m is 2600lbs. The 7.5m is also much wider with a 10'4 beam. One of the reasons I am leaning towards the 7.5m is because of the extra weight from it, or is this non sense? I am just not sure how well the RIB's ride... I would assume that the heavier and wider a rib is, the less chance of flipping it has. I've seen the videos of the CZ7 jumping waves and that looks cool and all, but I would rather have a boat that cuts through them instead of jumps 10 feet in the air.

Well I can tell this forum is great already and thank you for listening to my questions/thoughts. It is crazy when you are doing boat research, I am almost sick from doing it now and I just want to go to bed! It's 12:30am here and my wife is snoring away (yes she snors) and I am on my laptop reading about boats. I need to buy one already!!!!! That brings me to another question.... anyone know how long it takes for an ordered RIB to be built?

Cheers,
Adam

[Apherel]

Hi Adam, Welcome to Ribnet.

I can't comment on the specifics of those boats - they all look very capable! The bigger boats are certainly more comfortable and faster in a long trip, but if you are not planning on doing that regularly, or if you can pick and chose the weather, the smaller boats are certainly capable of the trip.

You also need to consider if you need to tow the boat (the wide boat is probably over legal towing width??), where you will store it, how many people and gear you would be travelling with, fuel costs, purchase costs and maintenance costs. I'm sure there is an exponential relationship between total costs and lenght.

In my line of business I'm always asking what do you "need" vs what do you "want". My guess is that the 21' boat is all one needs - but if it is wants you are talking about ..... welcome to more blue sky thinking

Keep us posted, it will be an interesting journey to follow.

[psychopic]

hi and welcome....

live on Vancouver Island, BC which seems to be the RIB capital of the world

I'm not so sure about that, there is a small island just over the pond from you that has quite a few........

Anyway, do you not have any boat shows over there? If you do i would have though that would be a good place to start, and they usually have some offers going too

[codprawn]

Yes the small Island that actually invented them and is the home to the likes of Avon - Revenger - Scorpion etc etc!!!

Still welcome all the same.

Narrow boats are what you want for offshore work - they do cut through the waves very well - the deeper the V the better.

You would be amazed at what a good RIB can do - obviously the bigger the better for offshore work BUT even smaller RIBs are very capable. For a run like you are talking about fuel carrying is important. I would say a 7m or bigger would be best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ml7tIc332s

This shows some 5m RIBs going around Great Britain - probably some of the roughest waters in the World at times.

In fact it may well be worth you contacting Ribcraft - a brilliant British company who also build RIBs on your side of the pond.

http://www.ribcraftusa.com/home.htm

I believe Revenger and Cougar also sell in the USA now.

Unfortunately these boats do not come cheap. You keep mentioning twin engines. You could go for a 300hp single with a smaller aux engine. You will save a lot in fuel costs as well.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by AdamDJ

Hi all,
One of the manufacturers I am really interested in is Polaris Boats (www.polarisboats.com) in Langley, BC. Does anyone have any information on them such as costs?

Adam;

No comment on the "RIB capital" statement. You're on a UK based forum, and, well, you don't want to piss off our hosts, do you?

All Polaris boats are built-to-order, so there is a base cost (tubes and hull) and you add stuff on from there until you're out of money (though some of us don't necessarily stop there) - Motor, console steering gear, storage lockers, etc.

Your best bet would be to drop Guy an e-mail or give him a phone call - he's a really nice guy (no pun intended), and worked with me for over a year from my first inkling of an idea to buy, to when I actually took posession of the completed boat.

I would also love more information on any other manufactuers in BC.

There are, as I recall, a few other manufacturers just across the border to the south, as well.

When I was shopping, I looked at Polaris, Titan (also in Sidney), and Northwind (Seattle); they were all willing to plan stuff out, but Guy was by far the most responsive.

That brings me to another question.... anyone know how long it takes for an ordered RIB to be built?

For Polaris, it depends on their workload. They started mine in February (might have been late January), and delivered it in June. They were working on at least another boat concurrently. The build start was delayed a couple of months while they completed a couple of 40' RIBs destined for whale watching in Hawaii (or so I was told.)

Luck;

jky

[AdamDJ]

thanks for the replies guys, still reading them, but in regards to the "rib capital of the world" statement, man did that come out wrong. I guess what I meant was, when I was searching for info on RIB's I was surprised by how many times I saw British Columbia referenced (although, definitely not as many as the UK). It's nice to have some selection for once! I sure wish I lived in the UK though........ I have spent hours drooling over the scorpion 7.5M and 8.1M's...... if only........

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by AdamDJ

thanks for the replies guys, still reading them, but in regards to the "rib capital of the world" statement, man did that come out wrong. I guess what I meant was, when I was searching for info on RIB's I was surprised by how many times I saw British Columbia referenced (although, definitely not as many as the UK). It's nice to have some selection for once! I sure wish I lived in the UK though........ I have spent hours drooling over the scorpion 7.5M and 8.1M's...... if only........

Yes we did get what you were on about - just a bit of gentle winding up......

To whet you appetite even further look at some of these.

http://www.cougar-powerboats.com/

http://www.revenger.co.uk/

http://www.pascoeinternational.com/page/range0


And for something silly look at these - 8x 250hp outboards!!!

http://www.cromptonmarine.com/gallery/gallery.html

[HoveRuss]

Originally Posted by AdamDJ

I sure wish I lived in the UK though........

Believe Me. You don't.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by HoveRuss

Believe Me. You don't.

Oh come on - speed cameras - speed humps in the roads - potholes - cctv cameras - being FORCED to use pubic transport - fined for putting the wrong sort of rubbish in a bin - new datebase on kids - dna databases - taxes - taxes - taxes - most expensive petrol in the World - most stupid OTT laws that do nothing - only country you can't own any handgun - nanny state political correctness.

Who wouldn't want to live here? Oh yes I forgot - about 3 million immigrants!!!

[OceanEco]

I would talk to Liquid Metal Marine in Sidney On Vancouver Island. http://www.liquidmetalmarine.com/

They do great work. Same sort of builder as Polaris(custom build)

I do know of a 22ft Aux Coast Guard Alum. RIB coming up for sale in the next month. It is well kept and only used some weekends and trailered the rest of the time. It has twin 150hp yamaha 4 strokes.

I also have 20ft Polaris fiberglass RIB that will for sale in Oct of this year.

You would be fine with a 6.4 m for what you want to do. I am using a zodiac 6.40 daily in all sea states.

Good luck with the Search...

Simon