rib vs dory

hector · 28 January 2010, 13:55

hi, does anyone here have any experience with wilson flyer type dorys around the 23 ft mark and how they would compare with a rib of similar size( i like the idea of a wheelhouse!). im will be upgrading my exsiting boat this year for something around that size and was intending buying another rib but it was suggested i looked at these type craft which do look like working out much cheaper than a rib. usage will be light commercial diving tasks and general cruising. any advice would be appreciated.
i do however realise the dory may require more horsepower due to weight.

thanks,
Hector.

willk · 28 January 2010, 14:14

Welcome to Ribnet (the Open University of the Mental Health System)

I've no experience with dorys but a bit with small cathederal hulls. In no particultar order:

1. The ride will be slappy in choppy water
2. It will be a bitch to dive off (comparatively)
3. You'll get away with a smaller motor on the Dory
4. It will not be quite as stable at rest as most ribs

I rather fancy a wheelhouse too. It's the money, isn't it?

Leapy · 28 January 2010, 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Welcome to Ribnet (the Open University of the Mental Health System)

I've no experience with dorys but a bit with small cathederal hulls. In no particultar order:

1. The ride will be slappy in choppy water
2. It will be a bitch to dive off (comparatively)
3. You'll get away with a smaller motor on the Dory
4. It will not be quite as stable at rest as most ribs

I rather fancy a wheelhouse too. It's the money, isn't it?

My experience is...

1. The ride will be very slappy in choppy water
2. Don't know
3. OK
4. It will be nowhere near as stable at rest compared to a RIB

BassBoy · 28 January 2010, 17:28

Hector
I have owned a 13ft Dory, a 17ft Boston Whaler and now a 6m RIB.

Without question, the RIB is by far the most 'useable' boat in any kind of seaway.

However, a cathedral hull will produce more lift more quickly and therefore will require less hp than an equivalent sized RIB to plane.

A reasonable compromise might be a catamaran. Used for years and years by small commercial operators, they are becoming more popular in the leisure market.

A friend of mine runs a 6m cat with two 15hp 4 strokes! He says he'll happily chuff along at 15-18knots all day long, on a very stable platform with huge deck space, low freeboard, a good sized cuddy, and on very little fuel!

He also has the reassurance of an 'extra' engine that's not just dead weight and hardly ever used, like an aux!

Makes you think doesn't it!
(certainly got me thinking)

Sea Witch · 28 January 2010, 18:44

Hi new to Rib net

i have a 17ft dell quay dory with 75 hp mariner , she top 30 knots quite happily ,
it is a bang box (slappy) in the ruff , but more stable and a better diving ,fishin platform than a rib.
i go to Inishboffin , Inishturk north , Clare island off west coast of Ireland no bother in my dory.

sea witch

willk · 28 January 2010, 19:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sea Witch

but more stable and a better diving ,fishin platform than a rib.

Fishing maybe, diving no.

And this has to be said to all you flat bottomed guys;

Ribnet. RIBnet. RIBNET!! Not Dorynet ....

shoo! geroutofit! g'wanaway! getonwidye! ;-)

BassBoy · 28 January 2010, 19:50

Nowt wrong with RIBS, BUT OPEN YOUR MIND!

m chappelow · 28 January 2010, 21:05

a couple of members of our boat club have some but they are into angling in a big way ,and we used one as club rescue /safety boat many years ago ,,good solid but heavy boat ,with the correct engine they are great ,but even so i would stick with a r.i.b.,,mate of mine bought an old second hand one that had an outdrive and volvo engine and he converted it to an outboard .he also cut the cabin length shorter for more fishing room ,,,, i have dived with commercial diving equipment from the safety boat as it was fitted with a fold up ladder on the stern when we were removing some large slabs of concreate , we had a small compresser on the deck and it was fine but it was in sheltered water .if you are going to be lifting heavyish sharp/ rusty objects into the boat ,regular i would go for the wilson ,i have seen one used for crab potting with a small lawn mower type petrol driven winch bolted to the floor for lifting pots .

willk · 28 January 2010, 21:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassBoy

Nowt wrong with RIBS, BUT OPEN YOUR MIND!

My mind is so open it has a Garfish in it and goes here occasionally to relax. We could be really open minded and have a RIB vs Sheltie thread, or would that just be silly?

hector · 29 January 2010, 09:16

thanks for the input guys got a few months to make up my mind . still really liking the thought of a wheelhouse though.

Paul E · 29 January 2010, 13:53

I had the use of a friend's 19ft Boston Whaler with a 200hp Optimax all of last summer. The ride in a head sea is pretty awful, following seas it coped with much better. It was definitely a handful in anything other than flat calm though, but then it is overpowered by 50hp and I'm very throttle happy

Great boat for messing around in though, more useable deckspace than a similarly sized RIB and will plane very easily even with a very heavy load. Not as fast as a similarly sized RIB though, she topped out at 48ish knots. Not bad for a fishing boat though! haha

Jizm · 29 January 2010, 13:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul E

It was definitely a handful in anything other than flat calm though,

I with you on that one, very tiring..

9D280 · 29 January 2010, 16:39

At the other end of the scale, an 11' dory / 25 Hp.

As has been said before, nightmare in anything above a small ripple, but goes like a rocket in the flat stuff whilst using naff all fuel (even with a 38YO engine), and has about an acre of deck space considering it;s not much longer than a Mirror dinghy.... Also good for beaching due to the flat bottom.

Bought the rib 'coz I reckoned it would be cheaper than a steady supply of gum shields!

badbaws · 31 January 2010, 18:13

I once was a dory man, had an 11ft Dell quay with a 25hp mariner, most reliable outfit I ever had. Used to go out in force 7s and follow the ferry to the IOW from Southampton, very painful on the back on the wooden thwarts, but great fun, and low fuel use. Similar sized Avon S3.45 not much more sea worthy.. 4m Searider much better deep v hull.

Equally had use of a 185hp Seadoo Jetski last summer, it drank fuel and was rubbish in rough stuff but excellent for wakeboarding.

Buy a RIB does everything better, but then I did have an 8.4m Searider with 400hp on tap and was a little spoilt.

Most fun to be had is a 4m searider with a 50hp 2 stroke! 35 knots and excellent fuel economy

hector · 31 January 2010, 18:50

lots of folk on here really seem to rate the 4m seariders. was looking at one for sale today with a 50 mariner on the back looked ok but was 3 grand, its lying at ardfern marina if anyone wanted to view it. thanks for all the input btw.

Andy B · 31 January 2010, 21:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jizm

I with you on that one, very tiring..

oi you! that was a fun day out,
but you were quite happy to get rag worm all over my dory mate

ecoXR24 · 01 February 2010, 09:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassBoy

Hector
I have owned a 13ft Dory, a 17ft Boston Whaler and now a 6m RIB.

Without question, the RIB is by far the most 'useable' boat in any kind of seaway.

However, a cathedral hull will produce more lift more quickly and therefore will require less hp than an equivalent sized RIB to plane.

A reasonable compromise might be a catamaran. Used for years and years by small commercial operators, they are becoming more popular in the leisure market.

Hulls which are flatter at the stern get on to the plane more quickly and take less hp for the same speed as hulls with more angled surfaces - for the same overall weight. The downside is that they don't perform as well and can't be driven as fast in the rough. Long thin hulls are more efficient, but for different reasons, which is why cats take less hp for the same speed. Cats roll less of course, so can give a hard ride. RIBs are a pretty good compromise for most things, but the deep V hulls can take a lot of hp for a good speed - particularly if the boat is quite heavy.

One trick to get a deep V hull onto plane quickly, give a (very) good performance and low fuel burn at lower speeds is a wide flat keel. The Eco XR24 has a "planing wedge" - basically a long triangular flat at the end of the keel, which works very well. The boat was originally designed for both diving and racing! Although not shown on the website www.eco-marine.co.uk a wheelhouse/ cuddy has been designed. There's a picture here: http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?...ht=xr24&page=2

Jizm · 01 February 2010, 19:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy B

oi you! that was a fun day out,
but you were quite happy to get rag worm all over my dory mate

wondered how long it would take the dory lover to appear

Jizm · 01 February 2010, 19:57

hector, have a look at these links...

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=30703

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=31814

Andy B · 01 February 2010, 20:45

first linky vid not work
try these.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zo2kxJHjks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBuzLRScV_U

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jizm

wondered how long it would take the dory lover to appear

although i do love my little dory and have had a lot of fun in it,
its no match for a rib in the chop.
last summer both my and jizm went across the solent to the IOW for the day,
on our return the weather had turned to about a force 4
which was no problem for his 5m rib but bloody hard work in my same sized dory!