Ribeye or???

[Stigomery]

Originally Posted by Poly

I'm still not sure why you actually want a RIB though. That might sound silly on a RIB forum! However the tube is a relatively expensive part of a small RIB/SIB (and a vulnerable one) so what benefits are you hoping to get from a RIB over other boats ?

I've been looking into the best runabout/ferry for sunny days out on the coast. I was looking at a Terhi 445 which is an all-plastic boat and the brand has a good reputation.

What drew me to the RIB world was (1) sea-worthiness, (2) cost and (3) convenience/weight.

'If' we were caught out in bad weather I've been advised a RIB will handle the rough stuff much better than any 14' solid boat. The Terhi will cost me >£7k and be slower.

So here I am, battling with an itchy trigger finger and getting the right balance between cost/safety, fun, convenience, etc.

As said, it'll be used 4-6 weekends a year so I don't want to bust the bank...

[Xk59D]

This is one of the most confusing threads in a while!

My thoughts-

Your budget isn't large enough for what your spec list is, 6 people in comfort, fishing, towing etc in a 4m new boat. That is 5m plus territory for 6 people and kit.

Why you are wanting new is beyond me tbh. You are only going to use it a few times a year by your own admission. The second you buy a new engine/boat you can kiss goodbye to 25- 30℅ of your money. Plus it will need 150 quid ish service each year to keep a warranty too.

New doesn't mean it won't break down, just means if it does you don't need to pay to fix it, but you paid a lot more money to begin with and servicing so factor that in.

If it was me, I would buy a decent used hardboat/Sib and if it isn't for you it will sell for what you paid give or take, buy something else.

I can pretty much guarantee what you buy won't be what you end up with in a few years so I wouldn't buy new as you have no idea what you need or want yet, no disrespect intended.

Be sensible, buy a good used 4m ish package and try it out I'd say, it is as close to a money back guarantee as you will get.

Oh, a used yam, mariner, Suzuki etc or a new parsun.......that is a no brainer, used brand name as plenty of choice.

BTW, pound for pound a RIB or Sib has to be one of the most expensive means of getting into boats, tubes are not cheap and need careful looking after. If you can store a trailer than perhaps the funyak or the terhi is a better get for you. If you need it to fold then have a look at f-rib, if you need to roll it up then check out the sib section for advice.

[John Kennett]

I reckon the Terhi 445 looks pretty cool. Way more usable space than an equivalent sized RIB, and nice deep freeboard for the kids. If you're only doing short runs in good conditions then rough weather sea-keeping isn't really an issue.

Am I helping?

[willk]

Originally Posted by John Kennett

Am I helping?

For sure Boss, that would be my take on it too - hard boat every time for this one. I'd eat my liver with a blunt spoon before I'd fit a Parsun tho!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Stigomery

What drew me to the RIB world was (1) sea-worthiness, (2) cost and (3) convenience/weight.

Your intended use doesn't really demand the level of sea worthiness a RIB brings - you aren't going to go out far, or in bad weather. RIBs are not cheap. SIBs are not convenient! I'm not sure weight really matters - does it?

'If' we were caught out in bad weather I've been advised a RIB will handle the rough stuff much better than any 14' solid boat.

This is an often stated reason - and its fair enough, but checking the forecast will probably hold you in better stead. Some hardboats are definitely not particularly sea worthy, but others are perfectly adequate for what you need.

You might also want to consider some which are very "rib like", e.g.
Choose Whaly for boating fun! - Whaly
http://www.fun-yak.co.uk/crbst_9.html#anchor-FYsecu12WR
Mac 360 Mac Attack | Dinghies-Tender-Sail | Rotationally moulded boats | Mac Boats
Pioner - Pioner boats and dinghies for leisure and family boating

The Terhi will cost me >£7k and be slower.

Will it be slower? Why? I've never tried one - but intuitively its got a planing hull with a reasonable looking V on it - so will cut through the chop OK. It might be a bit heavier, but you might be surprised how it compares to a SIB!

However nowhere in your "spec" did you mention a need for speed - so why let a few knots be the deciding factor?

[MatFromPoland]

Friend of mine make similar boats for TERHI in Poland (HORN 440)
He uses for each Kevlar mats and good quality materials.
Some of clients in Poland use them in Baltic some of them in rivers.

They survived even some rocks when be on plane

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

Suggested engine 30 HP (works fine with EVINRUDE HP)
It is fast but, it can have kill guard but still pebbles or rock beaching is not recommended.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td2uXQJdtII

So If TERHI is the same quality and has service in UK I will consider to try it and test.

I like RIB's and SIBs very much but on small boat you will have more space for family

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

This boat is much faster than SIB. I can guarantee.

[Stigomery]

Thanks for all the advice and the suggestions Poly, although some of them look truly awful/not my cup of tea.

You know I'm still coming back to the Honwave (I hear shouts of "he's not listening to us").

Knowing the space, storage, launching etc. It does seem to be the better bet. I also never stated I wanted to transport 6 "in comfort". 2 adults & 2 kids 9 times out of 10, on short journeys, occasionally filling her up to do a short hop to a picnic spot. At the minute it's all academic so will go and actually look at a Honwave and make a decision then...

Thanks

[jeffstevens763@g]

you don't live far from Morton boats near Lincoln he does plastic boat packages with tohatsu engines the last one i saw had plenty of seating with a 30 hp on for 7.5 k new, i cant give any details as i just had a quick look but it looked a very nice boat.have a look on boats and outboards loads of different boats, then as someone said get to the boat show you will get a deal possibly.but in truth you really need to know what you want it for,calm days flat water,or chop/1m waves,safe seating especially for kids & the wife,speed/pulling toys,will the family like being out in the elements cold and wet,do you really want to beach the boat consider the wear on any craft all that money and its sat rubbing stones/gravel etc. its a compromise as we have all found out i am on my eleventh boat spanning 45 years never had one that ticked all the boxes that includes a 6 m rib with a top spec.

good luck with your choice
sorry didn't see your last before posting

[Stigomery]

I didn't actually state what the family are stepping up from... we have a Canadian canoe with a 56Lb Minn Kota trolling motor...

We've had that out in a fair swell so they all know what it means to get wet... ANYTHING is a step up from that

[Fenlander]

I'd not posted before as it appeared you wanted to know about RIBs but now you're leaning towards a SIB...

I've owned a Honwave not that long back and they are superb value for money and really well built for a "budget" SIB. I have also owned at least 6 more SIBs over the past decade while I worked out what I really wanted.

I can't agree re used outboards... "once bitten" you say... well I've owned about 10 used outboards from 2hp to 25hp over the past decade or two and all have been reliable, good starters and never let me down. Your choice of course.

Thinking used this complete Honwave 3.8 outfit made under £1700 and would have fitted your SIB needs perfectly..

Honda Honwave T38 IE2 Inflatable Boat with Tohatsu 15hp 2-Stroke outboard | eBay

And it included the expensive special launch wheels you need for that air floor Honwave plus anchor/rope and loads more kit.

I wonder how old the children are?

As you were thinking of a RIB I assume you are happy to trail... but what would you do with a SIB? Wonder how big your car is in the loadspace area. Roof topping a SIB of the size you need might just work if you lived a mile from the sea, didn't care about your roof too much and always had two strong folks to lift on/off. It's a non-starter for family use travelling from Cambridge to North Norfolk.

If using a trailer is something you are happy to do everything you have said you want to achieve would probably be easily met with something like this...

Bonwitco 300 Open boat | eBay

I've had two Bonwitcos and they are great boats... more room than a RIB or SIB, plenty of seating choices for kids, unsinkable and a very special efficient hull profile for speed/economy.... it's just a thought.

As a matter of interest we live near Huntingdon and always go to Mersea Island rather than Norfolk as the launch/retrieve window is pretty well all states of the tide. It would be a nice run from Cambridge but perhaps you have other reasons for going to Norfolk.

[Stigomery]

The out-laws live North Norfolk. And we would probably store the boat there most of the summer which is about 2 miles from the launch site. In a garage hence the appeal of something that can pack down.

That Bonwitco looks good.... but but but... a 3m boat with a 25Hp engine rated for 3 persons max... not so sure about that.

There's a 2nd hand Honwave, 20Hp, trailer etc. on for £1750 which I might have a look at.

[MatFromPoland]

I have been using HONWAVE 6 weeks in Greece and ... survive ...
Great days, great fun.



If you are going to use boat few times in year - why not to rent small RIB/boat ?

You have the same ideas which I used to have some time ago.
Boa is small so consider to invest for automatic life jackets.
Consume less space than traditional

[Stigomery]

That looks like one fully laden boat there Mat! Perfect!

If only the UK summer was as predictable as the Greek!

You can't really hire powered boats for the sea by the day in the UK (that I have ever found), rivers yes, lots, on the sea... not that I've found, in the locations I've looked. It was one of the first options I considered.

[Stigomery]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

I wonder how old the children are?

6 and 8

And the boy (6) loves all things boats, most importantly steering/driving them.

(He uses the Minn Kota on the canoe whilst we relax)

[Fenlander]

OK understand re the draw to Norfolk.

I really just meant the Bonwitco as an example... not that particular size.

We've had one of these with both 20 & 25hp...

Bonwitco Boatbuilders - The Bonwitco 375

If you meant it might be a bit lively they actually feel far more planted in the water than any SIB of similar length with that outboard size.

Oh so quite small at 6 & 8 (compared to out teen girls who have only just stopped boating with us). So for you anything from 3.4m up in SIBs would do for the next few years.

Knowing you have a base 2mls from the sea how would you intend to operate a SIB... daily setup or use a trailer?

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Stigomery

You can't really hire powered boats for the sea by the day in the UK (that I have ever found), rivers yes, lots, on the sea... not that I've found, in the locations I've looked. It was one of the first options I considered.

Its because GENUINE SEA requires the boat to be coded. Coding a RIB is a nightmare at the best of times, and it means you are looking at something like 6m+ in size and probably putting a zero on the price tag you'd expect!

There are some places which are 'sea like' that you can hire a RIB but you'll be restricted to a harbour area / estuary etc. Probably the most reasonable with a decent area of water is Hire RIBs | Bembridge
But even they aren't megga cheap. Not criticising Jim's prices - just if you did hire a few times over a few years you could have bought Whisper's SR4 and had much more freedom to go more places and still have an asset to sell on at the end.

[jeffstevens763@g]

this i my boat for info 3.65 m same as the old 3.8 m cone ends were changed cat c i would go out in 2 m seas and feel safe 6 man capacity.

[Stigomery]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Knowing you have a base 2mls from the sea how would you intend to operate a SIB... daily setup or use a trailer?

Option 1:

Part deflated and shoved in the back of the van with the outboard mounted on the van (in)side using transom wheels to get it into the water

Option 2:

Fully inflated and stuck on the roof of the car (VW Passat estate), motor in the boot... assuming the wife will help me get it on/off the roof. We do the 30Kg canoe with ease... what's 20Kg more

Option 3:

If second hand and came with a trailer then I'd use the trailer or consider buying a trailer at some point depending on how big of a PITA option 1 and 2 were.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Stigomery

Option 1:

Part deflated and shoved in the back of the van with the outboard mounted on the van (in)side using transom wheels to get it into the water

Option 2:

Fully inflated and stuck on the roof of the car (VW Passat estate), motor in the boot... assuming the wife will help me get it on/off the roof. We do the 30Kg canoe with ease... what's 20Kg more

Option 3:

If second hand and came with a trailer then I'd use the trailer or consider buying a trailer at some point depending on how big of a PITA option 1 and 2 were.

got bombard aerotec written all over it IMO

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Stigomery

Thanks for all the advice and the suggestions Poly, although some of them look truly awful/not my cup of tea.

Interestingly I assumed I knew which ones you were referring to until you said this:

Originally Posted by Stigomery

That Bonwitco looks good.... but but but... a 3m boat with a 25Hp engine rated for 3 persons max... not so sure about that

If you are within a few hours of Morton's then I'd definitely suggest a visit.

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

you don't live far from Morton boats near Lincoln he does plastic boat packages with tohatsu engines the last one i saw had plenty of seating with a 30 hp on for 7.5 k new, i cant give any details as i just had a quick look but it looked a very nice boat.

I'd guess that was a 4.5m - they should be able to do a 20HP 4m ish tiller steered on a trailer for within the OP's budget.

The out-laws live North Norfolk. And we would probably store the boat there most of the summer which is about 2 miles from the launch site. In a garage hence the appeal of something that can pack down.

Some people seem to have no issues packing and unpacking SIBs. Personally I think it would make it less likely I bothered to use it at all. A SIB could be a great upgrade from a Canoe, and you probably wouldn't lose much on it if you looked after it.

There's a lot to be said for free boat storage - but do consider whether Norfolk is the only place you will use it. I used to keep my boat 2+ hrs away from home because it was where I planned to use it. This made maintenance a PITA and meant if someone suggesting using it 1 hr in the opposite direction it was impractical. With good planning, and the fact that presumably you have to visit the in-laws anyway this might not be the same for you...