looking for RIB for water sking

christrickle · 22 February 2006, 18:46

I am looking for a RIB no bigger than 4.3 meters for water sking and diving. I cant find anything in that size range that will pull a full size person.thanks for the help.

simmons0 · 22 February 2006, 18:55

If your looking for a rib to tow a waterskier or wakeboarder something over 4m with a 50hp outboard should do the job, you might need oversize ski's to get larger guys up though.

If you need a boat to mono ski then you'll need to go bigger to take a big enough engine.

Harry

roycruse · 22 February 2006, 19:16

You really need a bigger boat for skiing.

If you are only ever going to have 1 adult in the boat and only ever pulling up girls or kids then you will get away with a 50hp on a 4+m boat but IMHO 75hp is minimum for pulling a full size adult out of the water and you are going to need a 5m boat to put a 75 on the back.

If you really cant go bigger than 4.3m then try find one that will take a 60hp and stick a 11" pitch prop on it and it will probably do the job. it will be useless for anything else without a prop change though as you will over rev the hell out of it when not towing the skier but if you don't mind changing props for different uses set yourself up with a 15" for cruising and an 11" for skiing.

christrickle · 22 February 2006, 20:10

I wish i could go bigger, but my yacht clubs rules wont let me. rock and a hard place!!

CJL · 22 February 2006, 21:43

I have run water skiing sessions at uni in a 14ft dory with a 40hp two stroke.

It can easily be done,over and over again.

Perfect for beginners to intermediate level skiers.

Chris

roycruse · 22 February 2006, 21:50

Dory's are much easier to get on the plane than a deep v hulled RIB - you can get away with much less horsepower with a flat bottomed or cathedral hulled boat.

ADS · 22 February 2006, 22:03

Your not gonna pull anything in a 4m RIB

Water skiing/ wakeboarding should be fine though.

Downhilldai · 23 February 2006, 00:10

I wonder what the max power is on one of these?:

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/BEM315/

I've seen some smaller Humbers with a very shallow vee (almost flat) hull. These should plane very easily and would be fine for skiing, as you're only likely to be using it in calm water.

Downhilldai · 23 February 2006, 00:20

Just checked the Humber website. The 4.3 seems to be the deeper vee 'Assault', which is rated to 60hp

One of these with a 3 cylinder 2-stroke, eg Yam 60, Suzuki 55, etc. should be fine for skiing. It only weighs 165kg and 'Direct Price' only £3k for a bare boat, with console.

DJL · 23 February 2006, 00:36

I've water skied, mono skied and wake boarded behind various 4m ish RIBs - you shouldn't have any problems.

You could quite easily pull the ski rope out the skiers hands on my 4.7m with 60HP 4/.

ribnut · 23 February 2006, 05:07

a zapcat with the standard 50 hp 2 stroke will pull up a sixteen stone skier without any problem

columbiachop · 23 February 2006, 06:58

you might be in luck as far as U.S. ribs available to you. we seem to have alot of smaller inboard jets with plenty of power in that size range. not sure how jets are for pulling wakeboarders/skiers but plenty of power.

novurania and zodiac both make these small, sporty ribs. very expensive new but used are reasonable.

andy

HMJB · 23 February 2006, 17:18

you should definately be ok with a 50hp on a 4.2m.

I had a 3.8m sib with a 25hp on which could easily pull 12 stone wakeboarder.

slimtim · 23 February 2006, 19:40

25hp 3.4m v-hulled rib with two adults in the boat and towing a 12 stone wakeboarder...no problem. Needed a lower pitch prop though and a reasonable starting technique.

Mrdeli · 14 March 2006, 13:34

I had a Zodiac Yachtline 420DL. It was rated for 50hp, but I stuck on a 65hp Suzuki two stroke. It pulled mono skiers all day long with no probs!

Hope this helps

Regards

MArk