Ribex 2004 - Page 2

Manos · 06 June 2004, 08:37

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ANY PHOTOS!!! from RIBX

Hightower · 06 June 2004, 11:38

Well what can I say..........Had a brill time and it's terrific to meet so many nice genuine people.

Ribex for me was an occasion to meet some of the guys and girls that have helped me out with questions over the winter months whilst I was rebuilding "Kohaku".

I must admit that I was surprised to have not seen more in the way of retail sales, but the display of RIB's was impressive and made up for it. I'm a little disappointed though! I didn't get a RIBnet burgee , but I believe that Cookie was kept very busy........so I'll order by mail.

A big thanks to the Jackeens, Paul and Kathleen for looking after me for the day and picking me up from Warsash in the first place, I'm feeling a little bruised from the round the Island treasure hunt, but I guess it's all part of the fun. Also like to thank Stu, Brit and Colin for the lift back to Warsash at 01:00am Sunday morning just to finish a memorable day.

Andy

Tim M · 06 June 2004, 13:31

This was my first RIBex, and from what I had heard, I thought it was going to be much bigger than what is was, with much more to see/do etc.
I traveled all the way from Norwich for it, and was a little dissapointed. I also thought that £10 was a little bit too much to moor my little RIB up for about an hour.
I only have two pics, so here they are:

Manos · 06 June 2004, 13:43

AT LAST!!
Cheers for that Tim and you've got a green point from me

But it doesn't look that busy.In fact it looks empty to me.

willowkis · 06 June 2004, 14:33

I've posted pics on the wrong thread.... if you look at the Parker Rib thread, they are all in there....

If someone can move them to this thread that would be great...

< Whoosh! JK >

Manos · 06 June 2004, 15:06

Nice Mrs Willowkis

Nigel · 06 June 2004, 15:08

Spent a pleasant few hours in Cowes this morning

Lots of RIBs on the water...

Manos · 06 June 2004, 15:14

Nigel nice photos. You've got your greeny too

HEY!!

is tha Falcon 700RSR or something else? Like a CAPE?
It doesn't have the nose thing on iot

Did you have a go on a FALCON 700RSR. Did any one had a go on it? What you think of it?

Nigel · 06 June 2004, 15:15

..and popping up from underneath the water...

willowkis · 06 June 2004, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manos

Nice Mrs Willowkis

Why thank you kind sir...

Nigel · 06 June 2004, 15:26

& lots to see. Is that JK I see on Tim's Rib?

Nigel

Nigel · 06 June 2004, 15:28

PS. Thanks Manos!

gingercoastie · 06 June 2004, 16:23

Well I had a great time,

Managed to get myself a floating spanner from Steel Developments and a rather smart Burgee from Cookee.

Great trip out in the 7.0m Humber with 200hp Suzuki on the back. My only problem is convincing the wife that 200hp is essential for her safety.

Aarib · 06 June 2004, 16:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by willowkis

I've posted pics on the wrong thread.... if you look at the Parker Rib thread, they are all in there....

If someone can move them to this thread that would be great...

they are great pics willowkis and is that your son on one of the pictures

roohairy · 06 June 2004, 16:47

Guess they've developed steel further than I thought....

willowkis · 06 June 2004, 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aarib

they are great pics willowkis and is that your son on one of the pictures

Thank you Aarib and yes it is my son

willowkis · 07 June 2004, 06:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by willowkis

I've posted pics on the wrong thread.... if you look at the Parker Rib thread, they are all in there....

If someone can move them to this thread that would be great...

< Whoosh! JK >

JK.... have you deleted them???? I can't find them on this thread

brucehawsker · 07 June 2004, 08:34

Had an amazing day at Ribex Saturday! Thanks to Hugo for putting it all together.

Thanks to the Jackeens for collecting me from Warsash, and to Coastline Ribs for a very high speed run back via Lymington at the end of the day.

Great to meet some of you, but hard to link faces, names and on-line persona! I am bad enough linking faces to one name let alone two. Any chance, John, of adding photos to members profiles so that we newbies have a chance of working out who is who! Tim Griffin, Simmons0, Hightower were RIBnetters I particularly remember, but I know there were others. Please email or PM me if I have forgotten you.

After a pleasant drink on arrival, and with regrets that I could not meet more RIBnet members....it was to business as I wanted to purchase (as some you are probably by now drearily aware of!) a 6.5M. I had down as my short list Parker, Coastline and Solent, diesel or 150 Optimax. Another possibility was also exhibiting, and I was open to other manufacturers.

Agree with comments that the land based show was lame. But there were lots of Ribs in the water!!!!!!! Just what I wanted…..

BUT…..

My over-riding reaction was that manufacturers and salesmen could make it an easier and more pleasant experience to be a buyer! A number of people there were more keen to chat to friends, existing clients, ogle the orange cat suits etc, rather than help a newbie buy a boat. Perhaps somehow I didn’t look as though as I had £20-£25k to spend! In that, they would agree with my bank manager!!

In particular, one manufacturer promised a trip back to Warsash at 5pm as part of the demo of his boat, and then let me down at 4.45pm saying he did not have enough fuel left but I could go out for a 10 minute spin “if I wanted to”. Needless to say I did not bother.

Another broker took me out in a rib that was ill-equipped for the Solent, and was frankly terrifying. Even though he did not run it at full throttle, it slammed down hard in the modest chop, eventually disgorging its rather nice cushions into the water! Without hand holds and with a curvy bench seat, I was genuinely frightened!

Some of the boats looked poorly put together compared with the competition. Also, the foreign manufactured ‘kit’ boats with their preformed deck / console / seat configuration looked less robust and workmanlike than the UK ‘cottage industry’ competition.

Some of the salesmen talked down to you when you asked ‘stupid’ questions, and used jargon without any translation for the ‘ordinary’ buyer. One manufacturer who I had hoped to trial had a number of his large complement of boats in an apparently semi-finished state, and was too busy to help effectively. Another had filled holes on his boat, clearly having just removed diving racks for the show.

Probably the worst offender, with whom I had previously been in email communication, was never actually at his boat! Either he presumably was chin wagging or glugging somewhere, and hoped his boat would sell on its own!

Enough of the rogue’s gallery. My shortlist of three were all exhibiting, and all treated me brilliantly. Thanks, guys!

I am going to a post later to ask for help on making a decision between the three. You will all be (vastly) relieved that I hope to put in an order this week, and hope to remain good friends with the inevitably two unsuccessful manufacturers. Frankly, I would be thrilled to own a Rib from any of you, and am very pleased that Ribex has helped confirm the views gleaned from magazines, emails, visits and the correspondence on RIBnet that one out of Solent, Coastline and Parker is for us.

Finally, I have to say that the big cabbined RIBs from Parker (9M) and Coastline (8.3M) were truly lustworthy (on a par with the orange catsuits).

Anyone who wants a comment on the latter which I went out on and the crazy high speed run from Lymington to Warsash, please PM or email me. Sadly, it is out of my price / experience / feasibility bracket. But… wow! …perhaps the boat after this one!

Cheers

Bruce

John Kennett · 07 June 2004, 08:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by willowkis

JK.... have you deleted them???? I can't find them on this thread

Actually I moved them to the Gallery section, not to this thread. Sorry for the confusion!

John

wetterthebetter · 07 June 2004, 08:47

Thanks for your "report" brucehawsker. It was interesting to read, especially as you are in the market for a new boat. However, it would be much more enlightening if you put names to the comments about the various manufacturers. What do you think? I was there Saturday, but as I'm not buying at the moment, I didn't really chat to the manufacturers. But you never know, in the future I may be, and I would be interested to know who is likely to give me a warm welcome, or more importantly, who is likely to offer the cold shoulder when I tell them I have £25k to spend!