New 5m RIB for Family trips, advice needed!

bernithebiker · 06 July 2006, 08:54

Hi - I'm fairly new to RIB's and this forum and am looking to buy a small RIB to explore coastal waters around Brittany and Cornwall. Nothing too adventurous, longest cruise will probably be about an hour.

I have seen a Capelli Tempest 470, which can be seen here:

http://www.yamaha-motor.fr/produits/...empest_470.jsp

with a 60hp Yamaha 4 stroke engine. All in package price is 14400Euros which includes trailer, safety kit, everything basically.

I have looked at the Zodiac range, but the Capelli seems superior in most areas and is laid out ideally for our small family.

So I'm just looking for some opinions really on a) Capelli - do they have a good reputation? and b) is this a good size RIB for a beginner?

Thanks!!

Nick Hearne · 06 July 2006, 09:21

Hi, how many people in your family & what ages?

bernithebiker · 06 July 2006, 09:23

2 adults 2 girls, almost 4 and 7.5 years old.

Although, having said that, it would be nice to be able to bring along another couple + kid occassionally, even though I realise that is pushing it for space.

(Rated for 7 people, although looking at the boat, not sure where the 7 would go!!)

Thanks!

jlanng · 06 July 2006, 09:34

I would aim for 6m+ for a family boat

bernithebiker · 06 July 2006, 09:39

Trouble is that kind of doubles the price........

Does it double the fun?!

Is 4.7m not enough to take the four of us from beach to beach?

And also, ease of launching is important as we will be taking it out of the water each time, and it will just be me and my wife....so I figured the smaller the better......no?

Poly · 06 July 2006, 09:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by bernithebiker

Trouble is that kind of doubles the price........

If you buy new then yes - but there is the 2nd hand option.

Quote:

Does it double the fun?!

Not necessarily - there are plenty of us here who have loads of fun with silly little boats. Many of us do aspire to something bigger though.

Quote:

Is 4.7m not enough to take the four of us from beach to beach?

I would say it is. I have a 3.9m boat which can easily take 4 people in reasonable weather on the sort of journey you were discussing. Its CE rated (means very little) for 6 people - but it would be a bit of a squash and not much fun except on flat calm days.

Quote:

And also, ease of launching is important as we will be taking it out of the water each time, and it will just be me and my wife....so I figured the smaller the better......no?

I think you might be worrying about nothing on this point. Two people can ealiy launch and recover a 6.5m boat. Might make a difference for storage and for the type of car you need to tow it (and potentially your licence depending on when it was issued - search here for "1997 towing" and be prepared to be confused!.

I think my main concern with taking 4 people of the boat you proposed (is that a dining table???) is that there is nowhere for the kids to sit except the tubes. It depends on the type of weather/waves you are likely to be out in - but its not the most secure place for a 4 year old.

Nick Hearne · 06 July 2006, 10:24

I recon you will have a lot of fun & do every thing you are saying in a 4.7m, but I would definitely go for something that you all can sit down in rather than on the tubes!
My 5.75m is rated up to 12 people & will take 4 adults & 6 kids over to the IOW, but people have to sit on the tubes then. I can also launch & recover no problems on my own!

wavelength · 06 July 2006, 10:28

Quote:

Two people can ealiy launch and recover a 6.5m boat

only at an easy venue !
Bit of a wind and a tide running over an exposed slip with a slope that is too shallow to leave the trailer attached to the car and you have a handful there. Particularly if the other 'arf is trying to look after the kids at the same time. Plus you have gotta store it somewhere and tow it (the boat not the other 'arf

) .

Nick Hearne · 06 July 2006, 10:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavelength

only at an easy venue !
Bit of a wind and a tide running over an exposed slip with a slope that is too shallow to leave the trailer attached to the car and you have a handful there. Particularly if the other 'arf is trying to look after the kids at the same time. Plus you have gotta store it somewhere and tow it (the boat not the other 'arf

) .

Yes but is a 4.7m going to be any easier?
I chose where I put the boat in so I can cope on my own, works for me!

wavelength · 06 July 2006, 11:28

Quote:

Yes but is a 4.7m going to be any easier

yes loads.
We use boats all around the uk (and the world for that matter) and some of the places I wanna (or have to) go means I have to accept whatever the launch facilities are. If I was always launching from our yacht club slip I could manage any rib on m'own. My wife and i launched a 10m twin 225hp commercial spec cabin rib there with not too much difficulty at all. But they are not all that easy! You get what suits yourself and for a newbie a 6.5 is a big and heavy boat at some venues if you are gonna launch and retrieve every trip.

LeewayComposite · 06 July 2006, 11:37

Last year i was using one of our 6.3m ribs and i could single handed trailer, launch and retrieve with ease. i think a 6.3 will be just as easy as a 5m.

bernithebiker · 06 July 2006, 11:54

Thanks for this advice, all very useful.

Yes that is a dining table! It telescopes back down to become part of the deck; i thought that was kind of nifty!

My aim was to keep it simple; bigger boat means bigger engine means higher fuel consumption means higher cost all round.

Maybe I can start with the 4.7m, and if it turns out too small p/ex it for a 6m next year.

There are plenty of good quality slips round here, so it is reassuring that launching and recovering should be straightforward. I have a big hangar in which to store the boat so no problems there, and I have an Audi S4 to pull it, (4wd, plenty of poke). Would the S4 pull a 6/6.5m RIB OK?

Also, as I'm buying this in France, I have to do a test to get a coastal licence before I can even go out in it. I believe in the UK no such restriction exists...?

floater · 06 July 2006, 11:56

There are plenty of good quality slips round here, so it is reassuring that launching and recovering should be straightforward. I have a big hangar in which to store the boat so no problems there, and I have an Audi S4 to pull it, (4wd, plenty of poke). Would the S4 pull a 6/6.5m RIB OK?

might start to wobble over the 125mph mark !!

Bluestreak · 06 July 2006, 12:10

It would tow it but with no low range you may have issue on the slip, thats a lot of power going through the clutch. Also check weights as i very much doubt the S4 is capable (legally) of towing any more than 1500Kg.
It is not designed to be a tow car so i doubt that they would put the extra weight on the car so it can tow heavy weights.

Hope that helps.

Rogue Wave · 07 July 2006, 10:45

Providing your car is not on sliipy parts pf the slipway the car will pull the boat out with no problems, and road towing should'nt be a problem either. Using a rope will allow you to get the car on the right bit. I think the Jackeens tow their 6.5 with an Audi

Beware of your kids skeletons if you are going to bounce them around on toobs! Dont forget they are not formed properly yet.

Re the test, you are correct any fool can buy a boat and endager other water users without any form of test.! if you cant find a trainer then buy a good book on the subject so you can get your theory right. Powerboating by Paeter White is excellent

http://www.bookharbour.com/epages/St...oducts/SLG0399