Which safety boat 4.2 - 4.5m?

[bericd]

Looking for a new RIB safety boat for a lake based sailing club. Any recommended makes for reliability/durability? Looking for a 40HP engine to match (Suzuki or Mercury) Thoughts anyone?

[Phil M]

Assuming budget is a concern and are after something more basic and durable, then Humber or XS would be on my list. You can get some fantastic discounts on Humber's stock boats.

Phil M

[bericd]

What are your views on Excel RIB. We have a Humber Assault at the moment with a 30HP and its just not right. Hard to explain but the 4.3 and a 30HP don't seem to be a good package.

[xpertski]

Originally Posted by bericd

What are your views on Excel RIB. We have a Humber Assault at the moment with a 30HP and its just not right. Hard to explain but the 4.3 and a 30HP don't seem to be a good package.

30hp sounds on the small side for a 4.2m rib. I’d think something like a 4.7-5m assault, or even a similar sized destroyer or Ocean Pro would be a good fit with a 60hp or thereabouts.

Good thing about Humber’s is the tubes sit on the water at rest.

[Deno]

I ran my clubs safety/mark laying boats for my club for years. Avon Searider all the way, the 4.7 was and still is the workhorse. A great seaboat, they aren't fast but are predictable and safe with 40hp Yam 4 strokes - my opinion is if you are going to have a host of different Helm's, as you will in a club, then 25kts is plenty.


We tried a move to ribcraft 4.8's as they offer more space per length but the tubes couldn't take the wear, older Avons are still running and looking presentable whereas the ribcraft was sold off long ago. Before I get slammed by the RC crew on here I'd have one in a second for private use. However for pulling mark tackle up, towing sailing dinghys alongside and abuse by less than expert helms it has to be a searider with the armored tubes.

[Bobg]

Yam 40 4s. I would go for 4.8m, as it is then big enough to carry an injured person laying flat.

[Orwell boy]

this seems to still be about from southamton show
https://www.xs-ribs.co.uk/used-ribs-...rcury-trailer/
have no reason to reccomend or otherwise but just thought it was a nice looking little runaround
i have no safety boat expierience or no connection to xs ribs

[Seaflyer02]

I would have suggested 5-00 Humber Ocean Pro or Destroyer

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Deno

Before I get slammed by the RC crew on here I'd have one in a second for private use. However for pulling mark tackle up, towing sailing dinghys alongside and abuse by less than expert helms it has to be a searider with the armored tubes.

Although the devils advocate might ask if you shouldn’t spend the extra cost on training the helms given they will frequently be driving boats near people...

Originally Posted by bericd

What are your views on Excel RIB..

I’ve never seen one used as a club boat.

[ShinyShoe]

Not sure starting at a known engine is logical unless you already own it.

Two reasons - the boat could want more or less grunt. The rib supplier may have a deal on a certain combo. But I do accept if those brands are what the club uses... You don't want a third make.

What hull - many questions:

- what size lake?
- what sort of sailing do they do (sedate or go out in F6/7?)
- what sort of boats?
- other watersports?

Assume you want console. Why?

Keep afloat or launch daily?

Maximum tow - number of boats, size, distance?

Maximum transportation - in emergency and routine? (Do you have moored boats that need taxis)

Ground below?

Storage ashore - garaged or compound?
Do you moor at all? Jetty? Anchor other than due to engine failure

Is it a rescue boat, coach boat, committee boat or all 3

Size of people - adults or kids. Adults take up a lot of floor space when unconscious and being resuscitated.

Does colour matter (before you all laugh - my club every rib is a different colour to make identification easier)

[bericd]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

Not sure starting at a known engine is logical unless you already own it.

Two reasons - the boat could want more or less grunt. The rib supplier may have a deal on a certain combo. But I do accept if those brands are what the club uses... You don't want a third make.

What hull - many questions:

- what size lake? Long and Thin. We use a strip about a mile long and 300yds wide.
- what sort of sailing do they do (sedate or go out in F6/7?)Training to racing (both adults and children) Often in very windy conditions.
- what sort of boats? Oppis up to Flying 15's
- other watersports?Potentially SUP's

Assume you want console. Why?Coxes prefer consoles rather than tiller

Keep afloat or launch daily?Launch daily, stored in a boat house

Maximum tow - number of boats, size, distance?Several Oppis or 2 man i.e. Albacores, up to half a mile.

Maximum transportation - in emergency and routine? (Do you have moored boats that need taxis)On duty carry 2, potential to pick up 2 extra adults

Ground below? Fairly shallow lake, mud.

Storage ashore - garaged or compound?As above, stored in boat house.
Do you moor at all? Jetty? Anchor other than due to engine failure Hardly anchor, tie up to pontoons.

Is it a rescue boat, coach boat, committee boat or all 3Rescue mainly. Occasional coach

Size of people - adults or kids. Adults take up a lot of floor space when unconscious and being resuscitated. Both

Does colour matter (before you all laugh - my club every rib is a different colour to make identification easier)

Not a silly question. We currently have black rescue, red rescue and two Jaffas (big and small Rigiflex)



Good points raised , which luckily we have considered, but still can't decide!

[Deno]

Originally Posted by Poly

Although the devils advocate might ask if you shouldn’t spend the extra cost on training the helms given they will frequently be driving boats near people...

All helms were trained, no issue there. It was more that the boats in my club rack up huge hours, hundreds per season. Its a big sailing club with both dinghy and yacht racing. So the boats have to fulfil a number of duties from picking kids out of the water and righting capsized dinghys to mark laying in deeper water for yacht racing. They also spend a lot of time moored to committee boats in open water and are moored in the water most of the year. Its heavy use, especially on the tubes. The design of the armour on the Avon tubes (flat strips) simply is more resistant to abrasion from dinghy gunnels, polyprop anchor warps and the sides of committee boats. The 'D' section rubbing strake on most ribs just got chunks taken out of it.

In saying all that, considering the OP's intended use on an inland lake, maybe a Searider would be overkill.

[InlandAlex]

I’m out on a 1550 acre inland lake every weekend and we only use 5.4 sea riders as we have found that we require their sheer robustness. I wouldn’t count them as overkill.

Only downside is that we have “Killer shrimp” (an infectious species) and we can’t use our safety boats anywhere else as they are trapped in the flooding hull and could be spread.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by InlandAlex

I’m out on a 1550 acre inland lake every weekend and we only use 5.4 sea riders as we have found that we require their sheer robustness. I wouldn’t count them as overkill.

Only downside is that we have “Killer shrimp” (an infectious species) and we can’t use our safety boats anywhere else as they are trapped in the flooding hull and could be spread.

Clean them with hipitane we use it for our dive equipment working for the environment agency

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by InlandAlex

I’m out on a 1550 acre inland lake every weekend and we only use 5.4 sea riders as we have found that we require their sheer robustness. I wouldn’t count them as overkill.

Me neither - even the SR4 is a very capable boat. The flooding hull gives a very stable platform. But last I heard a new one would set you back almost the
cost of two cheapo chinese ones...

Only downside is that we have “Killer shrimp” (an infectious species) and we can’t use our safety boats anywhere else as they are trapped in the flooding hull and could be spread.

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

Clean them with hipitane we use it for our dive equipment working for the environment agency

Not sure how effectively you can clean inside the flooding hull.

[ShinyShoe]

- what size lake? Long and Thin. We use a strip about a mile long and 300yds wide.

So a mile is not massive.
So speed may not be the biggest issue.

Training to racing (both adults and children) Often in very windy conditions.

So you want a decent enough V.

Oppis up to Flying 15's

Was going to ask if you needed a RIB or a Poly-hull but it sounds like a RIB would be a good plan.

Potentially SUP's

Think about how you will recover them (across both tubes?) and sit 'casualty' and crew.

Coxes prefer consoles rather than tiller

Course they do! Consoles take up floor space. Its a compromise.

Launch daily, stored in a boat house

So size of the boat house is a constraining factor?
Would you consider a PVC? Not as durable in the sun, but you store indoors. But will be sat out in the sun several weekends.

Several Oppis or 2 man i.e. Albacores, up to half a mile.

Just one albacore? Not trying hard enough! I guess for that sort of distance you tow alongside?
Do you ever tow with boats capsized over the rib (common with toppers) - needs the console far enough forward and probably no a-frames etc.

On duty carry 2, potential to pick up 2 extra adults

Thats not a lot TBH. But thats presumably not your worst case scenario. You need to spec for worst case. Blowing 6-7, whole fleet knocked down, abandoning boats - how many might you be covering? With adults its less of a concern. With kids they will stress if you are leaving their area and headed to shore. Do you have a ratio?

Fairly shallow lake, mud.

Have you looked at aluminium hulls?

Gonna throw something in that might seem a bit random to some of the others on here: X-Pro 4.3

https://oceanfirstmarine.co.uk/colle...cts/safety-430

Will take 8 passengers (so rescue plus crew of 3 adult boats or probably 8 oppies if it goes t*ts up, certainly 6). Light weight for recovery. Can take up to a 60, but they've been across the channel with 40's. (I don't quite know the difference between the 430 and 420)

Price £11.5k with PVC tubes and engine. Add £2.25k for Hypalon.
Need a trailer £1k. So you could have a complete package for < £15k. I may be wrong - but I think you'll struggle to find cheaper

Not sure how easy it would be to up specify protection on tubes etc.