PVC "RIB"

mcdronkz · 30 July 2006, 23:22

Hi,

A day ago I saw a self-made PVC "RIB" like boat. The boat had a v-hull like a RIB has, and the rest of the boat was PVC. From a distance it looks like a RIB, but it isn't inflatable. I think this boat is very cool because it is less vulnerable than rubber, and very stable as well.

I've never seen a boat like this, and I want to know more about it. Has someone also made a boat like that ? Any further thoughts about it ?

Btw the way, excuse me for my English, I'm from Holland..

Poly · 30 July 2006, 23:39

Quote:

A day ago I saw a self-made PVC "RIB" like boat. The boat had a v-hull like a RIB has, and the rest of the boat was PVC. From a distance it looks like a RIB, but it isn't inflatable. I think this boat is very cool because it is less vulnerable than rubber, and very stable as well.

I've never seen a boat like this, and I want to know more about it. Has someone also made a boat like that ? Any further thoughts about it ?

I think I might have a boat like that.

It is not PVC it is molded from polyethylene (the same way as many modern racing/training dinghies). See http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?...hlight=sparfel for some pics.

However, if it is similar to mine then it is not "home made" but mass produced - as the tooling is expensive so it needs volume production to justify. I am aware of boats like this in the style of RIBs over 5m long.

There are at least 4 manufacturers making "ribs" like this.

If I have understood you correctly then I can probably provide you with more info - but please confirm I am correct before I waffle on for a few pages!

nEIL

mcdronkz · 31 July 2006, 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

I think I might have a boat like that.

It is not PVC it is molded from polyethylene (the same way as many modern racing/training dinghies). See http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?...hlight=sparfel for some pics.

However, if it is similar to mine then it is not "home made" but mass produced - as the tooling is expensive so it needs volume production to justify. I am aware of boats like this in the style of RIBs over 5m long.

There are at least 4 manufacturers making "ribs" like this.

If I have understood you correctly then I can probably provide you with more info - but please confirm I am correct before I waffle on for a few pages!

nEIL

Hi,

I've seen the pics, and I'm sure the one I've seen is different. It's made from this material:

That was "welded" together (not very nice, but it works) and painted black. I'm sure it was self build, not mass done by a manafacturer.

It just were round tubes, nothing special, just looked like a regular inflatble boat, but with the difference that it is not inflatable

.

It was like 5/6 meters long. I think they just took a v-hull from a RIB, en reproduced the inflatable tube, but from PVC tubes.

So your story is very clear to me, but it was not the same as what I've seen.

Poly · 31 July 2006, 10:04

OK in that case its a new "form" to me.

Neil

BogMonster · 31 July 2006, 11:19

Sounds like a good idea to me, in the few short months I have had mine I have had cause to wonder on several occasions why somebody didn't produce a boat that looked like a rib, had the buoyancy of a rib, but didn't have the silly fragile bit round the outside

I suppose the main downside would be the lack of shock absorbing with rigid tubes when you either had a heavy landing or crashed in to something?

mcdronkz · 31 July 2006, 11:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

Sounds like a good idea to me, in the few short months I have had mine I have had cause to wonder on several occasions why somebody didn't produce a boat that looked like a rib, had the buoyancy of a rib, but didn't have the silly fragile bit round the outside

I suppose the main downside would be the lack of shock absorbing with rigid tubes when you either had a heavy landing or crashed in to something?

A speedboat hasn't absorbing either

.

jyasaki · 31 July 2006, 17:27

A guy I know (but haven't seen in a really long time now) had RIB, except that the tubes were formed in aluminum. Don't recall the manufacturer offhand. It was about, oh 16 feet or so, and aside from the shine, looked exactly like a true inflatable.

There's also this company: http://www.acbboats.com/

jky

BogMonster · 31 July 2006, 17:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcdronkz

A speedboat hasn't absorbing either

.

Ah but you haven't seen my driving, I need something surrounded by airbags

pt650 · 31 July 2006, 20:15

Is this what you are looking for?

Link to a producer: http://www.polarcirkel.no

Have driven these boats from time to time while guiding fishing-tourists.
They are a steady "fishing platform".
goes quite well with a 90hp.

Poly · 31 July 2006, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

Sounds like a good idea to me, in the few short months I have had mine I have had cause to wonder on several occasions why somebody didn't produce a boat that looked like a rib, had the buoyancy of a rib, but didn't have the silly fragile bit round the outside

I suppose the main downside would be the lack of shock absorbing with rigid tubes when you either had a heavy landing or crashed in to something?

Actually shock absorbtion isn't probably as bad as you would expect. If you are ever in Scotland feel free to come and try it. I guess most of the time the tubes on a "real" rib are out of the water anyway. Obviously the advantage is robustness - much more so than a fibreglass boat and no risk of punctures like a rib (on the otherhand there must be less protection for otherboats you come along side). One of the manufacturers has a demo video showing a boat bouncing 30ft onto a concrete car park and hitting rocks hard with the bow. The later scratched the bow (polishes out with wet and dry and hair dryer!) and the former caused no damage to the boat - but did snap a cheap plastic cleat that it bounced onto!

BogMonster · 31 July 2006, 21:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

I guess most of the time the tubes on a "real" rib are out of the water anyway

Harrumph!

The other sensible option would be if they made the Hypalon a sensible thickness. I was shocked by how flimsy it seemed when I was repairing mine a couple of months back, ok so it is quite tough stuff, but just imagine if it was say 3 or 4 times the thickness, it would be like crocodile skin

can't imagine it would add that much to the weight of the boat, maybe 50-100kg? it would be sooo worth it....

Poly · 31 July 2006, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

just imagine if it was say 3 or 4 times the thickness, it would be like crocodile skin

can't imagine it would add that much to the weight of the boat, maybe 50-100kg? it would be sooo worth it....

mmm... a retube for your rib is probably £2-3k (guesswork). If the material was 4x as thick it would be even more expensive (maybe double?). But your tubes failed (if I remember correctly) at a seam - so its not the thickness of the material - but the adhesive (or preparation) that is the weak point? A thicker material might put more stress on the joints (more weight & less flexibility).

BogMonster · 31 July 2006, 23:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

mmm... a retube for your rib is probably £2-3k (guesswork). If the material was 4x as thick it would be even more expensive (maybe double?). But your tubes failed (if I remember correctly) at a seam - so its not the thickness of the material - but the adhesive (or preparation) that is the weak point? A thicker material might put more stress on the joints (more weight & less flexibility).

It wasn't my particular failure I was thinking of just the general lightweight nature of the material which means if you bump into anything that isn't perfectly smooth I suppose you are likely to damage it. Point taken on cost, but if it lasted longer it would be worth it IMHO - when mine needs retubing it will be a throwaway job as there's nobody here that can do it and by that time it won't be worth paying the freight to UK (2 grand) and back again (another 2 grand) to end up with something that is still a 10 year old boat (or hopefully older

). You might be right on the joints though - then again if the material was 4x as thick there would still be 3 of those thicknesses left to wear through so its all swings and roundabouts I guess

Poly · 31 July 2006, 23:51

I think hypalon might be tougher than you are giving it credit for. Sailing clubs use ribs quite successfully with minimal care. Indeed a few years ago a wooden dinghy I owned came off significantly worse in a collision with a rib (excess speed by the driver - but can't complain as she was "rescuing" me).

Don't worry stephen by the time your boat needs a retube you will be almost as good at patching as the legendary Paul Tilley and all you'll need is a shipment of hyaplon and some bostik - and you can knock yourself up a pretty new set in no time. (Alternatively I am sure there are a few tube makers here who can send you tubes for you to fit yourself). And if that's not an option then there is always the inner tube route.

BogMonster · 01 August 2006, 02:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

Don't worry stephen by the time your boat needs a retube you will be almost as good at patching as the legendary Paul Tilley

Well I don't know about that; I hope what you are saying is that it will be a long time before I need new tubes rather than making a judgement on my sticking ability or suggesting that I will be doing a hell of a lot of it in years to come

I hope you are right; the early months of RIBownership were not exactly trouble free; I worry about what next summer holds (apart from huge fuel bills which I accept as a "necessary evil"

)

I have the repair patches from Humber for mine now, and gallons of glue arrives in about 3 weeks, so as soon as the weather perks up I shall embark on a reckless sticking spree

I do like the idea of a "solid RIB" though - there just doesn't seem to be much around that "looks like a RIB" - i.e. an open boat with a natural high level of safe buoyancy (i.e. even a pillock like me couldn't sink it even if I was really trying) which looks quite cool and is bloody good fun. I wonder what you would call it - a RRB I suppose??

jyasaki · 07 August 2006, 18:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

I do like the idea of a "solid RIB" though - there just doesn't seem to be much around that "looks like a RIB" - i.e. an open boat with a natural high level of safe buoyancy (i.e. even a pillock like me couldn't sink it even if I was really trying) which looks quite cool and is bloody good fun. I wonder what you would call it - a RRB I suppose??

http://www.safeboats.com/default/boats.html?boat=ccon

http://www.safeboats.com/default/boats.html?boat=ttop

and my favorite:

http://www.safeboats.com/default/boats.html?boat=rbs

jky

BogMonster · 07 August 2006, 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

http://www.safeboats.com/default/boats.html?boat=ccon

http://www.safeboats.com/default/boats.html?boat=ttop

and my favorite:

http://www.safeboats.com/default/boats.html?boat=rbs

jky

Mmmm an aluminium hulled RIB with a collar that can stop 7.62 rounds all sitting on a trailer with stainless steel disc brakes, I WANT!

Hate to think how much it costs if designed to that spec specifically for the Coast Guard though, I don't suppose $$$ are an issue when you're chasing $50m worth of drugs