Which used rib?

[username]

Hello everyone, I recently joined and asked in the 'ribs wanted' for a rib around 5 grand and I have ended up with three or four choices.
Can you help me out please because I am absolutely clueless.
Here are my choices.

Please excuse the obvious cut and pastes

This one Avon 5.4m Rib Honda BF75 4 Stroke in Kilmelford, Argyll and Bute | Boats, Kayaks & Jet Skis for Sale | Gumtree.com which is provisionally sold until Saturday so that the buyer can get his money together. Something I believe rarely materialises.

A Searider 5.4 sunken hull with new hypalon tubes and two 40hp outboards that will just have been serviced. £5000

The next is also a Searider but a 4.7. The engine is a Yamaha 75hp 2 stroke auto lube, power trim and tilt, 1 of the last 2 strokes sold, serviced fully and fitted by the Yamaha dealer, starts 1st time, auto choke model which I think is great. Age is around mid 2000.

The boat is 1999, I bought it last year, then took it to Whitham glass fibre down near Preston, this is the guy that makes Osprey Ribs, he replaced the console with 1 he makes and glassfibred it in place with a 91l fuel tank in the console. It's a 2 person console and a lot higher than the standard Avon consoles, he also put a backrest on, grab handle and windscreen, . It also has lifting Davis inside if somebody wanted to lift it in and out of the water.
As the Searider has a flooding hull, I have a quick realise system for blocking it off if you want or you can leave it standard.
The A frame was powder coated this year in orange and looks like new.

The engine was then fitted (this year)by the local Yamaha dealer, with new steering, new flush mounted control box, new ignition switch etc etc, everything was new, 2 Yamaha multi digital gauges also fitted.
The fit out is A1 and very neat. £5500

THe next is a Humber
a mid 90's 5.3m Humber Attaque (which is the same as the Current Humber ocean pro 2m beam currently produced) Tubes Hold Air , with a Good Strong Clean 1995 Mariner 2 stroke 75Hp power tilt trim , with a Good well maintained 2006 Gavlanised Roller coaster Trailer, Very Good Reliable sea keeping Boat
Brand New Ultraflex Steering System This week.
Brand New jockey wheel & Breakaway Cable
New Wheel Bearings and ALKO Stainles Steel Brake Cables This Week
Brand New Brake Rod System This Week.
2 * 22 Litre Fuel Cans.
Boat Needs little bits but Nothing Major.Has been used for diving in its past , But I have owned it for the last 3 years for pleasure cruising.
It will do 36 knots +
THere is a pic on my wanted advert.

The chap PM'd me to tell me the price so I shall not say on the forum, but it is a fair bit cheaper than the others.



Help please

[username]

Anybody?

Even a little knowledge would help

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Based on your tight budget, twin engines are going to cost more to run/service fix. Additionally the 5.4 has a low waterline on the transom and twin 40's are heavy. You'll have a wet deck a lot of the time.

Then you have a 4.7 or 5.3. Both that model Humber and Avon seariders are great solid boats with renowned sea handling.

One is much bigger than the other I'd guess (?) including beam.

Though the yam 75 on the 4.7 is a fantastic engine and set up. We had an old school carbed mariner 75 on a searider 5.4. The engine was very temperamental, whereas the Yam autolube is famed for being a great one.

The 4.7 is a rare boat, millions of 4 and 5.4s. They fit in a garage too! With drawbar amendment.

I'd take the 4.7 and Yam, unless size is more important. (That depending on conditions of boats mind)

[Max...]

I've got a teeny, tiny bit of experience of RIB's compared to the vast majority on here but I did own a 4.7m SR for a short while. That paired to a Yam 75 2 smoke sounds like a wonderful combination and as above a heck of a lot less hassle than a twin engine set-up. Though having had a 4.7m if i was going down the RIB route again (now a SIBber) I would probably now go for a 4m at one end or 5.4m at the other.

Regardless you cannot buy a boat from an ad or from anyone's recommendation, you need to view each one closely, judge the state of them in all respects and preferably have a spin in each to try them out.

[whisper]

The SR4.7 is an awesome rib But it's overpowered with a 75hp on as the max power is 70hp so you will struggle with insurance

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Originally Posted by Max...

I've got a teeny, tiny bit of experience of RIB's compared to the vast majority on here but I did own a 4.7m SR for a short while. That paired to a Yam 75 2 smoke sounds like a wonderful combination and as above a heck of a lot less hassle than a twin engine set-up. Though having had a 4.7m if i was going down the RIB route again (now a SIBber) I would probably now go for a 4m at one end or 5.4m at the other.

Regardless you cannot buy a boat from an ad or from anyone's recommendation, you need to view each one closely, judge the state of them in all respects and preferably have a spin in each to try them out.

+1 you need to sea trial them for your purposes and either take someone who knows about boats or pay for a marine survey

[davej]

The ability to be put in a standard garage is a great asset, enables you to work on out of the weather, keeps the tubes from fading etc
You don't need a braked trailer on the 4,7, which is another great advantage.

happy hunting

Davej

[Tino]

Is that advert on Gumtree for SR5.4 with a honda 75 4stroke for real.
Its worth a lot more than that!

[username]

Thanks for all your advice so far, it is going to spend most of it's time moored in a sheltered bay, that's why I did not want to spend too much.

[Maximus]

Decent looking RC 545 in Budget on B&O too

[Boatnomad]

Originally Posted by Tino

Is that advert on Gumtree for SR5.4 with a honda 75 4stroke for real.
Its worth a lot more than that!

Its been knocking around on there for nearly a year

[ShinyShoe]

You didn't say how you'd be using it. Twin 40s have a role if you are going remote etc with limitted backup.

Will u be alone? Passengers? Seating arrangements?

Access to fuel?

SR on a swing mooring - seem to think there are issues with barnicles etc growing inside the flooding chamber and then blocking the exit??? Have I made that up?

[Poly]

I don't think any of those are necessarily BAD boats assuming they live up to the description / expectations of condition for value.

SR5.4 + Honda 75: needs investigating why its been on the market for a year. Looks tidy enough. I think the RIBnet "perfect" engine for this boat is a Yam 90 2 stroke, if I remember correctly so it won't be quite as sprightly as it could but it should be OK. If the engine is mid 2000 (rather than mid 2000's, i.e. July 2000 not 2005-2006) then its not one of the last 2 strokes!

SR5.4 + Twin 40's: other people have rightly pointed out the downside of twins in terms of double the maintenance but in your part of the world it might be a nice 'safety blanket'. Beware much of the benefit is lost if fuel and electrics are not kept separate.

SR4.7 + 75HP Yam: highly sought after boat and well thought of engine. The 'over powered' issue might be a bit harder for insurance but others have managed in the past.

Humber + 75HP: "holds air" is never the most inspiring description of tubes and the engine is 10 yrs older than some of the others. Still if it is a good bit cheaper then it might be worth it. "Boat Needs little bits but Nothing Major" is not a great sales pitch (but is very honest) - it depends it you can be bothered with those for the cost saving.

The best will all be about condition - which with only one set of pics we can only guess.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

SR on a swing mooring - seem to think there are issues with barnicles etc growing inside the flooding chamber and then blocking the exit??? Have I made that up?

Where are you finding:

(1) Barnacles in fresh water
(2) Barnacles big enough to block the fist sized exit whole

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Originally Posted by Poly

Where are you finding:

(1) Barnacles in fresh water
(2) Barnacles big enough to block the fist sized exit whole

1) Where does it say fresh water?
2) agreed, ours sat on a drying mooring and never had many. Though there were on the hull. We blocked it up to increase buoyancy at rest as the boat flooded over transom when tide put stern to waves!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

1) Where does it say fresh water?

in the gumtree ad, right in the same sentence where it implies its kept afloat :

Originally Posted by gumtree

The rib is in the water as we live next to a freshwater loch

[username]

Originally Posted by Poly

in the gumtree ad, right in the same sentence where it implies its kept afloat :

I think there has been a misunderstanding, I think the other poster was pointing out potential pitfalls and problems with how any of the boats might be once I had any of them in my care.

It looks like the smaller Yammy is winning the race at the moment.

[willk]

I should like to draw Senior Council's attention to the OP's intention to moor said vessel in a "sheltered bay", to whit, Ardminish Bay, Gigha, the location whereat attack of said barnacles is likely to occur...

[whisper]

Originally Posted by Poly

SR4.7 + 75HP Yam: highly sought after boat and well thought of engine. The 'over powered' issue might be a bit harder for insurance but others have managed in the past.

But it's not just the insurance, if anything were to happen then it is the first thing they check in the accident investigation.

[willk]

Originally Posted by username

I think there has been a misunderstanding, I think the other poster was pointing out potential pitfalls and problems with how any of the boats might be once I had any of them in my care.

It looks like the smaller Yammy is winning the race at the moment.

My advice is to answer only the questions put directly to you. We'll be out of here in no time