Tiny RIB vs less tiny SIB

[RiDr]

Hello Gents, first post.

I live in Canada and will be driving a thousand kilometer round trip in a few days to visit a Highfield dealer as they're the closest to me.

The boat will be used for fishing in one of our Great Lakes but around sheltered bays and not far from shore. Conditions are usually windy with chop.
Access is through a boat launch in a Marina and the bay leads out to open water which I'd like to traverse staying close to shore exploring other bays and inlets.

I will boat alone and other than an emergency kit, I'll carry one fishing rod, a tackle box and net. The outboard will be a Tohatsu 6hp four stroke.

I've narrowed the boats down to the following which is what my budget will allow:

A 77lb 2.6 Ultralight RIB with 15" tubes. (Highfield UL260 rated MAX 6hp) The only RIB that deflated will fit in the back of my Subaru Outback. I don't want a trailer.



or a roll up 84Lb 2.8 SIB with 17" tubes with inflatable keel & drop stitch floor. (Highfield KAM280 rated MAX 10hp)



The dealer says that even though the SIB is rated at 10hp, the boat will feel unstable in chop with a 9.8 outboard which is something I was considering.

Do I choose the SIB with the bigger tubes and longer length or the RIB with thinner tubes and shorter length but with rigid floor for the conditions described.

Thank you, Gents.

[Steve509926]

Hi and welcome,

It would be really interesting to know which carries the most profit for the dealer

Assuming you are thinking of a 9.8 4s, the difference in weight is approx 25lbs/10kg. That extra weight will be more than supported by the larger diameter tubes.

In theory the extra width and larger tubes of the 280 airdeck should provide a more stable platform, but in practice the difference in size is that small I don't think you would notice.

I think in short frequency chop the airdeck will give you a smoother, softer ride as it tends to soak up a lot of the impact, where as the 260 will tend to "slap" in any chop.

Why are you restricting your choice to a 280 airdeck? 3 metre + would give you a much better ride, and shouldn't take up any more room than a 260 "rib" in the back of your Subaru.

[Fenlander]

Welcome from me too. I'm with Steve on this re going a little larger giving you lots more room and reassurance.

I do wonder if the dealer is referring to the ability as a fishing platform in a chop rather than under way? Because as Steve say the two boats you mention with a have a very similar feeling of stability and security under way with the air floor giving a softer feel to the ride. However not everyone likes and air floor particularly for fishing if you stand up at all it will not feel as stable underfoot as the alloy floor.

[beamishken]

Unless you can go to a bigger sib I doubt the difference between the two will give the sib any advantage over the rib. In general a rib will out perform a similar size sib in every way apart from portability. It will be faster, track better and plane easier, the vee hulls are usually steeper so give a better ride over the usually flatter sib.
We swapped our tender from a 2.9m sib to a 2.8m rib and its better all round & actually lighter than the previous air deck sib. Whether the slightly bigger difference between your two examples means the sib is better for you would be debatable but in my opinion & experience the rib is the better of the two. Only way to know for sure is try both on the water but that may be difficult given the logistics involved.

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[RiDr]

Thank you for the welcome gentlemen. The insight is much appreciated.

Standing is not important. If I were absolutely certain I could handle the 9.8hp 4 stroke I would choose an available 320 air deck model which is also a little heavier at 94Lbs.

I think I'll keep the whole package a little more manageable with the 6hp and 280 air deck for the softer ride.

Thanks again fella's. I thought the rigid hull trumped all other considerations, I have a lot to learn.

[RiDr]

Originally Posted by beamishken

Unless you can go to a bigger sib I doubt the difference between the two will give the sib any advantage over the rib. In general a rib will out perform a similar size sib in every way apart from portability. It will be faster, track better and plane easier, the vee hulls are usually steeper so give a better ride over the usually flatter sib.
We swapped our tender from a 2.9m sib to a 2.8m rib and its better all round & actually lighter than the previous air deck sib. Whether the slightly bigger difference between your two examples means the sib is better for you would be debatable but in my opinion & experience the rib is the better of the two. Only way to know for sure is try both on the water but that may be difficult given the logistics involved.

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Thank you. I guess my primary concern is stability while adrift in swell & chop and not so much underway.

Even though both boats are relatively small, would the 17" tubes along with the wider beam of the air deck not provide any advantage in this regard?

[HDAV]

Unless you need to pack it away and roll/fold it up get the rib or just a small boat! Why a rib not an alu John boat far more common in your pet of the world? The rib was invented in my part of the world (Atlantic college) to handle the choppy seas and strong tides of the Bristol Channel you don’t get them on a lake…….probably a reason it’s along way to rib dealer…

[RiDr]

Originally Posted by HDAV

Unless you need to pack it away and roll/fold it up get the rib or just a small boat! Why a rib not an alu John boat far more common in your pet of the world? The rib was invented in my part of the world (Atlantic college) to handle the choppy seas and strong tides of the Bristol Channel you don’t get them on a lake…….probably a reason it’s along way to rib dealer…

Haha this gave me a chuckle (The lake comment).

Lake Superior

The dealer is far because I live in a remote mining town literally in the middle of the Boreal Forest.





Also, not to get off topic but regarding our Great Lakes, I'll quote from this article that maintains our Great Lakes are Inland Seas.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...es-inland-seas

The Great Lakes of North America’s midsection—Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario—together span nearly 100,000 square miles, with a combined coastline just shy of 10,000 miles. They hold more than a fifth of Earth’s unfrozen fresh water, straddle an international border, and help move more than $15 billion dollars worth of cargo each year. They even have their own U.S. Coast Guard district, the only lakes with such a distinction. And the Guard’s rescue teams stay busy: Superior and its siblings are capable of storm surges, rip currents, tsunamis, rogue waves, unique extreme weather phenomena, and destructive surf. They have claimed more than 6,000 ships, more than the Gulf of Mexico and the Black Sea combined

tsunamis have been documented on all five of the Great Lakes

In the tragic 1975 loss of Edmund Fitzgerald; shortly before the ship went down, the captain of another vessel nearby reported being hit by multiple 30- to 35-foot waves in quick succession; the monster waves were heading in the direction of the doomed freighter.

Sorry for the detour

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by RiDr

Thank you. I guess my primary concern is stability while adrift in swell & chop and not so much underway.

Even though both boats are relatively small, would the 17" tubes along with the wider beam of the air deck not provide any advantage in this regard?

Personally I think any advantage gained from the larger tubes will be more than offset by the hard bottom of the rib. Ribs tend to be deeper from top of tubes to floor so are nicer to sit in & far better if you actually want to stand up.

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[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by RiDr

Thank you. I guess my primary concern is stability while adrift in swell & chop and not so much underway.

Even though both boats are relatively small, would the 17" tubes along with the wider beam of the air deck not provide any advantage in this regard?

Originally Posted by RiDr

I think I'll keep the whole package a little more manageable with the 6hp and 280 air deck for the softer ride

Know nothing about your age, health, glass back etc however, I think you would notice a big difference going 3mtr + with a 9.8hp

I'm 62, relatively fit with a glass back and I can manage a 20hp at 47kg, notice I said manage not carry! It's all down to how move the OB. From workshop to the truck on a stand with casters, onto a board with casters to easily push it into the back of the truck. OB comes out of the back of the truck on the board and lifted straight onto the assembled SIB. I only lift the OB twice and move it less than 2 metres.

[HDAV]

Originally Posted by RiDr

Haha this gave me a chuckle (The lake comment).

Lake Superior

The dealer is far because I live in a remote mining town literally in the middle of the Boreal Forest.





Also, not to get off topic but regarding our Great Lakes, I'll quote from this article that maintains our Great Lakes are Inland Seas.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...es-inland-seas







Sorry for the detour

Very interesting, come back when you have 30’ tides twice a day

[RiDr]

Originally Posted by HDAV

Very interesting, come back when you have 30’ tides twice a day

You win

Originally Posted by beamishken

Personally I think any advantage gained from the larger tubes will be more than offset by the hard bottom of the rib. Ribs tend to be deeper from top of tubes to floor

Thx beamishken, this is really good info.

2.6 RIB Hull

Air Deck Hulls

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by RiDr

You win

Thx beamishken, this is really good info.

2.6 RIB Hull

Air Deck Hulls

Might be the camera angle, but that hull looks very flat to me. Don't see any deep V that's going to cut through the chop, just a big flat bottom that's going to slap over every little ripple.

I've got to acknowledge beamishken's experience as he has had both a small sib and a small rib and I've had neither, however the word "tender" was used and I'm wondering if the use of his sib/rib is completely different than the use the OP intends.

[RiDr]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

Might be the camera angle, but that hull looks very flat to me. Don't see any deep V that's going to cut through the chop, just a big flat bottom that's going to slap over every little ripple.

Hi Steve509926, I'm glad you brought this up. The 260 model on the website lists a 10 degree deadrise. The 290 RIB which is one model up is listed as having a 15 degree deadrise.

I read somewhere that anything under 15 degrees would be considered a flat bottom?

Here's a short video with some shots of the hull.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5aulsmt2no

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

Might be the camera angle, but that hull looks very flat to me. Don't see any deep V that's going to cut through the chop, just a big flat bottom that's going to slap over every little ripple.



I've got to acknowledge beamishken's experience as he has had both a small sib and a small rib and I've had neither, however the word "tender" was used and I'm wondering if the use of his sib/rib is completely different than the use the OP intends.

Small ribs aren't ever going to be "deep vee" ours is a ribeye tl280 which may be slightly deeper than the picture suggests but its all comparative if you look at the rack of sibs the op has posted the rib is definitely deeper. They also dont flex like a sib & generally need less power as they remain more hydrodynamic than a sib. Whilst ours is a tender our use is probably comparable with the ops as we tend to moor or anchor the cruiser then get the rib out to go exploring or take the kids out fishing. 2 boys aged 4 & 6 with fishing rods & gear can be a handfull out at sea. The ribeye is definitely more competent than the previous excell 290 we had when our older kids still went boating with us, the older kids are 26, 23 & 19 now. Had the ribeye 8 or 9 years now & the excell 10 years prior to that so not like we only had either boat for a short time. If/when we replace the ribeye it will definitely be another aluminium hull rib

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[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by RiDr

Hi Steve509926, I'm glad you brought this up. The 260 model on the website lists a 10 degree deadrise. The 290 RIB which is one model up is listed as having a 15 degree deadrise.

I read somewhere that anything under 15 degrees would be considered a flat bottom?

That's a question for one with far more experience than I.

I have a 3.6 mtr SIB which suits my needs and wants, so I am a little biased.

Earlier this year I had a spin in a couple of small RIBs (4.2mtr & 3.8mtr) and I loved it, I had a great time. I actually enjoyed the 3.8mtr the best as it didn't "slam" as much as the 4.2mtr, I think that was because it was a tiller steer. Performance, speed, handling was much better than my sib. However, not for me, it wouldn't suit what I do and who I do it with. The ride would be far too hard for Diane (partner) and Isla (my dog) would never get back in again after one trip. I also thought they both wallowed much more when stationary than my sib.

Basically, what I'm saying is there will be those that say a small rib and those that will say a small sib. Whose right, probably both, but for different reasons.

I still think whichever way you choose, if at all possible go 3 mtr +.

[RiDr]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

That's a question for one with far more experience than I.

I have a 3.6 mtr SIB which suits my needs and wants, so I am a little biased.

Earlier this year I had a spin in a couple of small RIBs (4.2mtr & 3.8mtr) and I loved it, I had a great time. I actually enjoyed the 3.8mtr the best as it didn't "slam" as much as the 4.2mtr, I think that was because it was a tiller steer. Performance, speed, handling was much better than my sib. However, not for me, it wouldn't suit what I do and who I do it with. The ride would be far too hard for Diane (partner) and Isla (my dog) would never get back in again after one trip. I also thought they both wallowed much more when stationary than my sib.

Basically, what I'm saying is there will be those that say a small rib and those that will say a small sib. Whose right, probably both, but for different reasons.

I still think whichever way you choose, if at all possible go 3 mtr +.

Thank you Steve509926, you sound plenty experienced to me and this is exactly what I need to hear.

I don't think a 6hp would plane on anything 3 mtr + (I weigh 97 kg) and moving up to a 9.8 4 stroke would have me dreading setup & tear down times.

[69cmw]

Originally Posted by RiDr

Haha this gave me a chuckle (The lake comment).

Lake Superior

The dealer is far because I live in a remote mining town literally in the middle of the Boreal Forest.





Also, not to get off topic but regarding our Great Lakes, I'll quote from this article that maintains our Great Lakes are Inland Seas.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...es-inland-seas







Sorry for the detour

Your playground looks good [emoji106]
The bike looks like a DRZ 400 [emoji41]

[RiDr]

Originally Posted by 69cmw

Your playground looks good [emoji106]
The bike looks like a DRZ 400 [emoji41]

Thank you. Yamaha WR250R Incredible bike that has taken me through remote wilderness and also to visit family across the Province. If only it floated.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by RiDr

Thank you Steve509926, you sound plenty experienced to me and this is exactly what I need to hear.



I don't think a 6hp would plane on anything 3 mtr + (I weigh 97 kg) and moving up to a 9.8 4 stroke would have me dreading setup & tear down times.

Our ribeye would plane with 1 adult & 1 small child with 5hp & with current 8hp it can just plane with 2 adults & 2 small kids. I'm surprised the highfield is restricted to 6hp to be honest pretty sure it would be fine with more hp

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