why are ribs good

[gtflash]

i posted a link on a hard boat forum asking if ribs really have a softer ride than hard boats. The general thought was that the tubes dont soften the ride and ride comfort is all down to the hull and weight distribution. If thats the case then why are ribs the so called 4x4 of the sea and ultimately so good??

Thanks

[Louise]

Oh no. Who handed you the can opener?

[MeMe]

Originally posted by Louise
Oh no. Who handed you the can opener?

I'm glad I'm off on my travels tomorrow as I don't fancy reading the hours and hours worth of posts that MAY follow.........

[Andre]

Originally posted by gtflash
i posted a link on a hard boat forum asking if ribs really have a softer ride than hard boats. The general thought was that the tubes dont soften the ride and ride comfort is all down to the hull and weight distribution. If thats the case then why are ribs the so called 4x4 of the sea and ultimately so good??

Thanks

Do a search on the threads and for sure you will find your answer.
We have been down that road before

Andre

[Jono]

Speaking as a LandRover owner of many, many years.. who said 4X4s give a good ride?
Perhaps they were implying that RIBs were as rough as a Bears arse, uncomfortable, thirsty, slow and handle like poo... but once you drive 'em there's no going back..

[Rogue Wave]

I agree with Jono (has your Landie got power steering)

the real reason I boiught my forst one was that the RNLI were prepared to send people out in em (ribs that is)

[chrisallse]

Ive had many a good ride in my Landy

[Mark Halliday]

has your Landie got power steering

Yes, well most of the time! Now where is my can of ATF?

Mark H

[Keith Hart]

RIBS are safer than hard boats because it is more difficult to sink a RIB.

Keith (keep it simple) Hart

[Matt]

You pays yer money and take yer pick.
I pick the one with the TV, twin inboard engines, toilet, bed, galley, fridge, sundeck, swim platform, etc.

Except when I'm doing rescue duty, then a 5m searider and a drysuit wins.

[gingercoastie]

Originally posted by MadMat
You pays yer money and take yer pick.
I pick the one with the TV, twin inboard engines, toilet, bed, galley, fridge, sundeck, swim platform, etc.

Quite right, but I got my boat to get away from the telly.

[Louise]

Originally posted by MadMat
I pick the one with the TV, twin inboard engines, toilet, bed, galley, fridge, sundeck, swim platform, etc.

But you get all that in a nice comfy hotel (well, not the engines & swim platform!)AND a shower and a minibar AND someone else makes the bed, does the cooking, washes up, etc.

[gtflash]

i cant find any links to posts on this. Can anyone point any out Are you guys sayin the tubes are an added safety feature ie if the hull is holed etc?? Cause when you look at the physics of it how does a 2psi collar really improve ride against the pressures of water if at all. I understand they can increase stability at rest effect turning etc etc

[Richard B]

Hiya GtFlash,

or can I just call you GT?

Just come out and try one on the water!

There's all sorts of different RIBs for different purposes - big tubes, little tubes, diving RIBs, racing RIBs, rescue RIBs, cruising RIBs

BTW the tubes on our RIB don't increase stability at rest as they don't touch the water.

[Keith Hart]

BTW the tubes on our RIB don't increase stability at rest as they don't touch the water.

However Richard B, my SIB floats on it's tubes and this is why it is so stable. In a hard boat the same size you would be wobbling all over the place as you moved your weight (in my case 'substantial' weight) around.

The attached photograph shows 'The Pentland Warrior' in some pretty choppy water (the look of fear on my face is due to the fact that Magellan Alpha had just crossed our bow at a great rate of knots). I can tell you that a 3.4m hard boat would have been likeley to have been swamped and then to have sunk.

The SIB just kept going despite the addition of a few extra gallons of sea water.

Keith (carries his own balast) Hart

[Matt]

Let's face it we all choose the boat we like the most, and if we didn't think it was the best boat for us we wouldn't have bought it.

Ribs are good for some things, hard boats are good for others.

Every example of where a RIB is good, you can find an example of an equal hard boat or vice versa (Atlantic 21 is a RIB, but then a Tyne Class isn't) In a storm I'd rather be in the hard boat here. But Keith is absolutely right, his 3.4m is gonna be load more versatile than a 3.4m hard boat with an open deck.

Some people say a RIB is unsinkable. But then if you collide with a sharp object and hole the tube, even above the waterline, you're probably pretty much in the sh1t as the tube deflates.
A hard boat with a hole above the waterline will most probably be able to limp home without too much trouble.

If you want something unsinkable, dories are good. But then their ride is so uncomfortable your real teeth fall out, let alone false ones.

ALL boats are a compromise, but the one thing we all have in common is we like the water and we like boats.

If any of you 'bump' (mind the sharp edges) into to me in the summer, you're most welcome to say hello and sample the 'hotel' minibar.

[Richard B]

He he he, this is developing nicely.

Keith - yes, agreed, on a small RIB/SIB the tubes provide great stability. In fact, your tubes are your boat! We once ran Pepper II with tubes only (no floor!) with 6 people in.

Matt - agree that you pay your money and take your choice - different boats for different folks. However, interesting to hear that you would rather be in the Tyne class lifeboat in a storm than the Atlantic 21. The Tyne class is a 47 ft 24 ton boat! Bet you'd roll around and feel a bit sick though.

OK this rubbish about being in the sh1t if your tube's punctured. I must remember to ask my friend Gordon if his RIB sank when he punctured the tube. Oh I remember, he was fine and so was the RIB. A hole is a hole in any boat and whether you sink or not depends on many factors, e.g. where the hole is, how bad it is, how far from shore you are.

And as for dories - I'm not sure what they are good for apart from water taxis. I have it on good authority that the foam sandwich often absorbs water making the hull useless in old dories.

Looking forward to sampling the minibar.

[Keith Hart]

OK this rubbish about being in the sh1t if your tube's punctured

Richard B.

Here is a photograph of Magellan Alpha about 50 miles off-shore in a rather wild sea. The front tube is punctured.

Over to Mike for the rest of the story.....

Keith Hart

[Searider]

A RIB won't give a better ride than a hard boat just because it is a RIB.

However, because the tubes make up the overall beam often the hull is narrower than an equivalent size (length) hard boat.

Narrow hulls normally give a softer ride than wider hulls.

In addition the overall beam may be greater giving better stability at rest (for types where the tubes do contact the water).

Tubes can also absorb some of the wave impact - although I'm not sure how much effect this has. Looking at the rear of my boat when running in waves the tubes can be seen deflecting as the waves pass by. (My tubes are normally pretty soft). In a hard boat the wave energy would be transmitted into the boat, perhaps giving a harsher ride.

Puncturing a tube is not normally fatal (most boats have 5 or more chambers). Part of the test carried out for charter RIBs is to load it up to the capacity it is being coded for and then to deflate the bow and all compartments on one side and see if it remains afloat and not distorted. Not had one fail yet including a 5.5m with 13 persons on board.
Same boat with all 13 people on board, tubes inflated but full of water also still operable (could also do this with a dory though)

Just my 2p
kerplink

Duncan

[MarkWildey]

Keith

Is that a recent picture of MA ,i.e. pre or post last summer ?

In a previous boat I had spate of my back tube deflating and it made no real difference to the ride !

Cheers

Mark