New to RIBS

handsdownCBL · 11 October 2016, 17:39

Hi all and thank you for allowing my registration to this forum. My question... Is there a best first RIB? I've been researching for the past few days and monitoring craigslist for deals. What would you guys recommend? Primary use would be for recreation/fishing with myself and maybe one or two passengers at most. There is this boat "Zodiac SRMN 550" no motor for sale in my South Florida area.

cgoing · 13 October 2016, 13:14

Welcome to the world of Ribs! Realistically there is no best rib. There are many many options out there to choose from and what is best for me may not be best for you. Being on Florida stick with a hypalon boat as it will hold up better under the harsher UV rays in the southern climate.
The SRMN's generally are pretty rugged boats . Their open layout makes them great for fishing. You want to check the valves and make sure they rotate easily as those valves are fairly maintenance intensive compared to many others. The insides are brass and must be disassembled and greased every so often. It must be done properly as they also do have a built in pressure relief to the valve but if it is put together wrong it may not work.

Best of luck in your search for the perfect rib for you.

-Chris

handsdownCBL · 13 October 2016, 15:13

Thank you for your reply. I was eagerly awaiting a response from a member. I am having difficulty finding the options of deck layouts for the SRMN 550. The webpage states as you said, open deck space and a variety of mounting options for different consoles.... But, what are the options? I've only seen two in my google searches: a small center console and what I would call a "saw horse" style seating. I'm wondering if there is a way to arrange a small cockpit to the upper right or left of the deck like the zodiac futuras.

Thank you so much and Happy Thursday

cgoing · 13 October 2016, 17:02

The SRMN model is really an a la carte model boat. Zodiac MilPro offers numerous consoles, seats and bolsters that can be rigged in these. Having worked from one of their large dealers we gave them a console design and bolster we wanted agreed on the placement and they would rig them as we wished.
If you are looking at a used one that is unrigged then your choices are wide open. You can install just about and console and seating combination you wish to make it work best for you.

handsdownCBL · 13 October 2016, 17:29

Awesome. Your response is greatly appreciated! Where do I find a list of the consoles, seats, and bolsters that are available for the SRMN? Can you direct me towards a link or PDF file?

cgoing · 13 October 2016, 23:15

Send me a PM with your email address. I think I have an electronic copy

handsdownCBL · 15 October 2016, 03:18

sent you a PM my man

tworotorturbo · 17 October 2016, 22:14

That SRMN would be a perfect first rib. Are you limited to size or anything?

handsdownCBL · 17 October 2016, 23:23

Thanks for your response tworotorturbo. I don't want to go too large. I have a 22.5 foot bay boat that is just too big for me right now. I would prefer something a little smaller, more maneuverable, and something that I can launch on my own with more confidence. I did post a question about how much does the srmn 550 draft. Do you know? As far as size limits, anything over 20ft would be too much boat and anything below 14ft would be too small... Thanks again tworotorturbo.

two stroke mick · 18 October 2016, 09:14

A 16 - 18 foot boat is a very good size for using when on your own. As you are not new to boating then any size HP would suffice. However I have a 16 foot boat on poor slipways and I can launch and retrieve with ease on my own. On better slips with a 4 wheel drive car/ jeep I would be able to manage larger boats.

Regards

TSM

tworotorturbo · 19 October 2016, 02:30

Sounds like that one would be the perfect size then. Unfortunately I do not know how much they draft. Did you see RIBS4SALE's SRMN he has for sale? Super cool layout.

handsdownCBL · 27 October 2016, 15:16

I did see that post. But, realistically I'm not going to pay that much. The price just dropped on the SRMN 550 in my area to 3K. Bare boat. Free to set up the deck how I'd feel most appropriate.

m3mm0s rib · 27 October 2016, 17:35

Welcome very good choice!

handsdownCBL · 27 October 2016, 22:50

Looks like the SRMN 550 is a great boat. But, is there any deck space to fish? Realistically?