What is new in the world of Ribs?

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

I'm confused... What's the issue with Walnut in shotgun? Are people screwing fittings into it and making it rot?

Poor ol Shiney....seems confusion runs in the family eh!?

Aye - well the good news is over the last 6 years everyone on Rib.net all became best of friends and loves each other all the time...

Of course

[GetOffMyLand]

ahem... I am terribly sorry to try and drag this thread back onto topic... :-)

Any more recommendations...?

[Poly]

Originally Posted by GetOffMyLand

I have looked at Apollo Duck and B&O - just wondered if there were any new entrants that were well thought of.

I remember RibEye, Zodiac of course, Humber, Cobra, Tornado... but I now see X-Ribs, Brig and a number of other brands I don't recognise...

I assume you mean Rib-X? They've been around a while (more than 6 yrs) although I think I have only seen one this far north... Brig are not well regarded on the forum (partly because they use some underhand marketing), I am sure they service a market need - but I'd have any of the boats on your original list in preference.

Tornado and Barnet Marine went their separate ways - and Barnet started making XS Ribs. They seem to be at least as well thought of as Tornado. Humber still make their basic boat ranges - but they've also made some more luxury boats.

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Poly

I assume you mean Rib-X?

He could have meant either X-Rib or Rib-X - two very very very different boats!

Rib-X are in a the Superyacht type market.

X-Rib were one of the first "mass produced" aluminium hulls - HMS had a play on a few and liked them. Then Highfield arrived and SeaSwift seemed to stop selling the X-Rib (better boat? better profit? exclusivity deal?). But they are still available. (Search ocean first marine). Above 4.3m they are not Aluminium but GRP... They seem to be targeting the club safety boat market.

That may actually be the biggest change in 6 years... rather than being the domain of the workboat, Aluminium hulls on RIBs have become available - but possibly not at the lengths to OP was looking at.

[willbank]

Originally Posted by GetOffMyLand

Very interesting re the 'greater than 150 on the backs of 6.5ms... 150 used to boot a 6.5 along quite nicely, so i can't imagine 250 on a 6.5...

I picked up an XS-Ribs 650 (6.5m) last yr with a Mercury 150 and it's a cracking boat. Easily pullable on a single-axle trailer by my 335d GT BMW (so not a massive SUV).

That engine is excellent on it: pushes it to 35-40 knots but is totally unstressed as it's the same block used for some of their bigger horse Verados (excluding the supercharger). Good fuel economy of 0.8 litres per nautical mile at around 25 knot cruise. I'm mainly just inshore or up to 10 miles offshore so my passenger's tolerance for the weather conditions tends to limit speed rather than engine size!

It's also a Category B rib for the heavy stuff - likely your bravery will run out before the boat's capability.

If you went new you can do almost anything you like with seats - talk to Laurence Lock at XS.