{JK - feel free to move this to the ribs for sale/wanted section if you think it is more appropriate there}
I am looking for a RIB to do some serious 'family' cruising on the West Coast of Scotland - but I have 2 issues...
(i) I don't have the money needed for serious a 6.5m + rib capable of cruising in typical Scottish weather and keeping its crew comfortable/dry
(ii) Due to other commitments I don't expect to be able to use the boat as much as I might like to - and so when you consider depreciation, fuel, maintainence, storage etc it works out as a bloody expensive toy.
There seems to be a solution which addresses both of these points: to form a syndicate and share the rib between other people who don't have the cash/time to justify outright ownership or want a decent sized boat at a reasonable price without a big project.
The idea is for a legal constituted syndicate which takes "turns" using the boat rather than for an informal sharing arrangement or using the boat at the same time.
Everything would be open to discussion and agreement between the syndicate before we start but here is the sort of idea in my head:
- 6.5-7.5m boat possibly diesel inboard (for fuel availability)
- possibly with wraparound console (Redbay, Excalibur style) or cabin to provide shelter.
- Engined to give comfortable cruising around 30 knots.
- Probably kept afloat somewhere on west coast (or even NI/Eire).
- Syndicate of 4-5 people (~10 weeks use per person per annum)
- Seating etc layout suitable for 2 adults, +2 kids.
- For a new boat that probably works out at around £10k per person and annual costs of less than £1k.
- it might be possible to spend less or involve fewer "partners" if we went second hand - but perhaps that makes getting something to meet everyone's spec even harder...
So if there is anyone who likes the sound of this, even if it is just to explore the idea a bit more over a beer or two, then please reply to the thread or PM me.
I am figuring that even if I get snowed under with interest it will be the 2009 season before we have discussed, debated and decided on the spec and the way the syndicate will work and then actually got the boat built if that makes a difference to anyone.
Cheers,
Neil
