Tips for buying mini rib, Zodiac YL 310 R etcetera

Patrik · 25 June 2011, 20:12

Hi all

I'm looking for some advice on what to buy. I mainly need a small boat to get to shore from my 7 m house boat. I saw the opportunity here to get a rib boat as a combination to get some fun at the same time. Basically, I will mostly go on my own, but pretty often two people will ride in the boat. In case of emergency it'd be good if it wont sink with three people in it, however that'd be just for ferrying. As I want it to be easily managed, I don't want the saddle back, I just want flat floor. And it also should be able to be carried by two (strong) people, the engine not included there though. I can carry that separately...

As I'd like to go for the RIB option rather than another inflatable boat, i'd like it to be possible to go pretty quick and low fuel consumption would be a big bonus. However it's not really important with high speeds, I'm not really in it for the rush. I just want to transport myself reasonably quickly.

Is it correct that these boats handle a bit rocky waters better than other boats? If it does, I might even be able to go on the river outside my house, which isn't possible with my other boats because of some stones and pretty strong current.

Watching youtube for films with these boats, it seems they are rather unstable and commonly seems to make an unintended "wheelie", I suppose because of the short length and low weight in the front. So what's the advice from you guys on what to buy, and what to avoid? Should I aim for something else?

kubcat · 26 June 2011, 00:19

I think of a RIB as a conventional boat with a huge Floatie around it that will not scratch boats you come up against. They are more forgiving and you can gently bounce off if you get your approach wrong.

The huge Floatie also gives the most stability at rest than any other boat design. You and your passenger could both sit on the same side, you wouldn't try that in a small conventions boat. This also gives a lot more load carrying capacity which is really useful when you got to get supplies to your houseboat.

As for the front lifting on YouTube videos, they try pretty hard to do that. Lots of trim and lots of power.

Size for size, no other boat design is more stable and safer.

Patrik · 26 June 2011, 01:29

Thanks alot, sounds like this is the right path to go then! I feel like the RIB would be much sturdier than just having a regular inflatable. How about different brands, is there much differences how they behave in the water and so on? Or is it mostly other differences? Is Zodiac any good?