Can a SIB be too big?

[ba_fisher]

This 5.3m boat from Inmar looks pretty tough and the price is reasonable. 80 inch beam and 22 inch tubes. I really want a RIB but for the same price I can only get one that's 4.3m in length. The SIB will give me more than 1 square meter of internal space.

My main use is fishing nearshore on the Pacific coast on clam days, but want to be able to go home quickly if weather suddenly gets bad.

Will such a long SIB be too flexible in the water? What kind of 4 stroke engine do I need to get to 20mph on flat sea?

[Poly]

Originally Posted by ba_fisher

Will such a long SIB be too flexible in the water? What kind of 4 stroke engine do I need to get to 20mph on flat sea?

will obviously depend on the load it is carrying. I'd think 30 HP would manage that. BUT a 30HP 4 stroke is a bit of a beast to lift on and off a transom - and that goes some way to explaining why really big sibs are less common:
- advantage of a sib: can fold it up, carry it round, no trailer, easy to store, small portable engine.

When it gets big these advantages start to disappear. You end up keeping it on a trailer all the time, some people don't like trailing SIBs with engines on transom (poorly supported), and of course other advantage of RIBS relating to sea keeping etc start to take over.

But big SIBs do sometimes win out in the inevitable battle of compromises.

[Peter_C]

Buy a used RIB. I was out Sunday on the SF Bay and it was glassy, then the wind wiped up a little bit. It became a far slower ride home. If I had a larger tow vehicle I would already own a RIB for comfort in rougher water. The ocean is an unforgiving place that changes quickly and without warning. There are not many days I can head outside the Golden Gate past Point Bonita comfortably. Nor can I escape Monterey Bay very often, for references. My boat is setup for rougher water too, as I put a bilge pump and an elephant trunk on it. Not being in a drysuit and taking a wave is a bit unnerving, and cold. A slightly bigger boat at 16'+ and a RIB would alleviate much of those concerns. Of course an Avon SR4 is a great exception and an excellent SF Bay boat.

Originally Posted by Poly

~When it gets big these advantages start to disappear. You end up keeping it on a trailer all the time, some people don't like trailing SIBs with engines on transom (poorly supported)~

That is easy to overcome with any outboard. Transom Savers work well enough.



What kind of tow vehicle do you have?

[Nos4r2]

I'd take a 4.3m RIB over a 5m SIB any time.

At 5m+ you'll hardly ever deflate a SIB anyway,.

[ba_fisher]

I have a Honda Odyssey that's rated for 3500lb. I just installed the transmission cooler as recommended by Honda, so I am good to go.

I just went to the Boston Whaler dealer to look at the 170 Montauk. It's a nice boat and lots of space and features compared to a SIB or RIB, but after the initial wow factor I realized that I won't need that space anyway. Not for $30K. Most of the time I will be fishing with one buddy inshore (at most 3 miles out from the shore), so a 430 RIB will do just fine. I can save the rest of the money.

So imagine the following picture, with the passengers replaced by two unattractive middle age men weighting about 150lb each, the seat replaced with a cooler seat, a portable fuel tank and a bait bucket behind the seat, battery inside the console, 20hp replaced by 30hp. Do you guys think such a set up would work?

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by ba_fisher

I have a Honda Odyssey that's rated for 3500lb. I just installed the transmission cooler as recommended by Honda, so I am good to go.

You can definitely tow a small boat My brother just bought an Odyssey last week.

Originally Posted by ba_fisher

just went to the Boston Whaler dealer to look at the 170 Montauk. It's a nice boat and lots of space and features compared to a SIB or RIB, but after the initial wow factor I realized that I won't need that space anyway. Not for $30K.

Whalers are awesome boats! Unfortunately they do ride rougher as they are flat bottom.

Are you looking for new only?

Originally Posted by ba_fisher

Most of the time I will be fishing with one buddy inshore (at most 3 miles out from the shore), so a 430 RIB will do just fine. I can save the rest of the money.

3 miles is further than you are going to swim.

Originally Posted by ba_fisher

So imagine the following picture, with the passengers replaced by two unattractive middle age men weighting about 150lb each, the seat replaced with a cooler seat, a portable fuel tank and a bait bucket behind the seat, battery inside the console, 20hp replaced by 30hp. Do you guys think such a set up would work?

Imagine 2 healthy 150lb guys smiling and enjoying a beautiful day on the water. They have a cooler full of their favorite drinks and food, plenty of fuel onboard, a chum bucket leaking blood behind the seat (Careful the bait might attract a really BIG fish), 40hp leaves enough power on smaller boats to avoid unpleasant situations. What is in the fishing rod holders are the most important item and when the fish are biting, it will be a fun filled day Hmmm...crab season.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by ba_fisher

So imagine the following picture, with the passengers replaced by two unattractive middle age men weighting about 150lb each, the seat replaced with a cooler seat, a portable fuel tank and a bait bucket behind the seat, battery inside the console, 20hp replaced by 30hp. Do you guys think such a set up would work?

Nope. No beer. Unless you stocked the cooler (Enough beer and you needn't worry about storing fish, as you won't catch any.) You know the old saying: "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in a boat and drink beer every weekend".


17' Montauk will beat the crap out of you in the SF Bay (where chop is the primary culprit) and nearshore Pacific if the wind is up. They area nice, well made boats, but with the cathedral hull, they prefer flat water. Not all that cheap anymore, either, I think, especially when adding the motor and rigging, and electronics.

jky