Woild you buy a diesel rib NOW?

[mdt]

Back on to the buying a Diesel RIB topic… a diesel RIB of any size will be a fair bit heaver than an outboard set up. So you will be needing a bigger trailer and towing vehicle and remember that you will be needing to hall it up and down slipways.

All these add up to more expense. (not to mention Gordon B’s new tax on things that can tow big toys)

Have been looking in to a bigger RIB my self, however buying a RIB with a cabin in my eyes is a bit like buying a Caterham with a hard roof and air con.

Have you considered a wide console and side by side jockey seats ? you would be surprised how much weather they can keep off, and you are not inside when the sun is out

[Poly]

Originally Posted by mdt

Back on to the buying a Diesel RIB topic… a diesel RIB of any size will be a fair bit heaver than an outboard set up. So you will be needing a bigger trailer and towing vehicle and remember that you will be needing to hall it up and down slipways.

All these add up to more expense. (not to mention Gordon B’s new tax on things that can tow big toys)

Have been looking in to a bigger RIB my self, however buying a RIB with a cabin in my eyes is a bit like buying a Caterham with a hard roof and air con.

Have you considered a wide console and side by side jockey seats ? you would be surprised how much weather they can keep off, and you are not inside when the sun is out

Matt - thanks for bringing us back on topic.

You are bang on with the trailer and tow vehicle issue. And also a need for the added licence categories. However I am figuring that west coast cruising would give me scope to keep it afloat (and in a boat yard for winter). cost of having someone else lift it out are less than Gordon's latest tax!

Not having to tow the boat - and launch it every time would be a bonus which would make us use it more often.

I appreciate your comments about the caterham - and I guess this is the advantage of the redbay wraparound-fold-up-soft-top-cabin-thingy in that you have both worlds. I see where you are coming from but - it rains more on the west coast than in the forth. If the weather is crap next weekend - i'll bet you are wishing for a cabin when you do this

I own a citreon C5 rather than a caterham because it is warm and comfortable. A caterham would be nice but given that I am a big girl and like my comforts and the wife and son are even worse - it would only get used twice a year!

If we do go down this west coast cruising route I am exploring, it will take a bit more forward planning than my current boating - which means we may be going even if the weather isn't as great as when we go out just now.

[mdt]

Originally Posted by Polwart

And also a need for the added licence categories.

you are never that young

Originally Posted by Polwart

it rains more on the west coast than in the forth.

right so get a non cabin rib and keep it on the east cost

Originally Posted by Polwart

If the weather is crap next weekend - i'll bet you are wishing for a cabin when you do this

no if it is crap I will get wet but a few G&T's in a Inn and one will soon be ok. but if it is sunny

[Poly]

Originally Posted by mdt

you are never that young

nah just a bit of a slow starter! I went to university in the days when students were poor and couldn't afford cars/boats driving lessons etc... when I passed my test I was one of the first with the new rules (if I had passed first time it would have been different).

[RIVA]

i did mean deisels are more expensive to maintain , sevice costs and legs
and parts ?

[Poly]

Originally Posted by RIVA

i did mean deisels are more expensive to maintain , sevice costs and legs
and parts ?

don't see why the service cost is more - especially since those who own them are telling me they are not.

there are some dodgy legs which have cost people lots, but then there were outboards that weren't exactly reliable either (e.g. Ficht).

In theory I might be able to keep a diesel rib without a trailer (or at least a road legal trailer) as I wouldn't need to tow it to the petrol station to fill it up - so thats a set of bearings every year I can save on, plus breakdown cover that covers a trailer etc...

I suspect my priorities on the W coast may be different from yours / your customers on the S coast.

In any case it is irrelevant to the original question which was concern that I would lose money on a diesel rib bought now (or perhaps it was hope that I could save money if I waited a year or two).