small ribs....

[badbaws]

I was thinking along more the lines of an informal gathering of likeminded people more just to cruise around the southcoast or possibly further afield. I usually take a crew of 2 or 3 and head off round the solent, but thought it would be good to go with a few other boats and maybe have a BBQ on the beach somewhere, but knowing should there be a problem a group of boats is there to deal with it....
The trouble with a proper established club attracts the bigger boats that would leave us smaller ones behind and trailing in the wake. Hence the size of between about 3.5m-5.5m as long as 20 knots could be made. Hence there would be no need to pay membership just a little plnning and all meet at a pre arranged launch site and go off in a group to explore and area??
BIBOA is a great organisation but tends to cater for everyone not a select group of smaller boats. I should imagine someone with a 7-8 metre boat wouldn't want to really wait for a 3.5 metre boat doing half it's speed flat out...
I have done a small cruise with 2 other boats before but alas those people have given up boating..
Alex

[John Kennett]

This is exactly what BIBOA is really about. It's a members' club, run by the members, for the members.

BIBOA organises whatever events anyone decides to organise, and offers a useful ready made framework for doing this. If people with small boats don't join, or join and don't organise anything, then it will continue to cater exclusively for larger boats.

With an increasing number of new members with smaller boats, I expect to see more and more small boat events coming up. It is the British Inflatable Boat Owners Association after all!

John

[Alan]

John hits the nail exactly on the head. BIBOA works by members joining the club, providing the demand for and organising whatever type of event they are looking for. They can be small boat owners or owners of 10m twin diesel monsters, it doesn't matter. Last time I went through the members register the number of boats 6m or less was greater than 6m or more!

Alex, there is absolutely nothing wrong with organising and promoting a cruise for some like-minded souls through ribnet or whatever. My comment was is there really any neccessity to organise another RIB club for this purpose?!

John, Don't start the whole club name debate again please. I can't face spending the whole year talking about it in the committee meetings

Cheers, Alan

[John Kennett]

Alan

I'm not suggesting a name change any more. Having been soundly thrashed when I proposed it I'm adopting a different tactic -- change the club to match the name . . .

John

[Keith Hart]

John 10 out of 10

"If people with small boats don't join, or join and don't organise anything, then it will continue to cater exclusively for larger boats. "

Right on! BIBOA members should keep their eyes open in RIBLINES for details of the 'Highland Explorer' event for the summer of this year. It has been especially designed for the owners of smaller boats (like mine).

Also if you read RIBLINES you will find that most of the articles deal with BIG RIBS. So, I've sent them an article (if they decide to use it) about my small SIB. They can only print what they recieve! Come on all small RIB and SIB owners lets show them what the SBS (Small Bopat Section) is made of!

To quote JK again: "It is the British Inflatable Boat Owners Association after all!" Perhaps us SIB owners should get a cheaper membership rate because we have real inflatable boats?

Cheers

Keith (small but perfectly formed) Hart

PS the above refers to the boat, Im anything but small!

[matiboy]

Badbaws

Where do you tend to launch in the southampton area ? I tend to use Warsash but would be interested to meet up with other rib users, particularly as I may have to launch and recover on my own, which isnt easy.

At present I only have 2 x 25 litres tanks so I'm not sure what sort of range this would give me burning a 75 Merc 2 stroke ?

Cheers Phil