console location

tue · 31 July 2003, 19:07

I am renovating my rib and as the floor is being replaced I am considering moving my console to the very back.

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with stern mounted consoles and plus and minus points to having it placed there.

Richard B · 31 July 2003, 19:45

Good question... I certainly don't claim to have the answer, but I suppose it 's a question of balancing weight distribution against seating position?

I suppose that with your setup (ie, sounds like a conventional outboard powered RIB) the question is - how are you going to keep the nose down with the 200hp outboard, console, seats and the passengers all pushing the back of the boat down?

Most RIBs with rear mounted consoles seem to be mid engined jet-drive rigs.

Also, with a RIBtec, you've got a lot of volume at the bow with that constant-deadrise hull, so it's very buoyant at the front.

Colin F · 31 July 2003, 19:53

my avon has a rear mounted bench seat. When I first got the boat it pointed its nose skywards and was very slow to get on the plane. Shortly after I bought a set of doel-fins to fit on the outboard which made a massive difference. This rectified the proble. One plus point with a rear seat, plenty of open space in the boat, the only down side is if a few people are in the boat your view soon becomes obscured.

hope this helps

Ribnwheels

tue · 31 July 2003, 20:12

I have hydro foils already attatched

.

Also I have two large underfloor fuel tanks set from centre, one back and one forward. Would this help keep the bow down at all? Also the Rib will mainly be used for diving so a bottle rack can be placed in the bow for added weight.

I have driven an ex-marine 23ft rigid raider with twin 200hp!! and a rear mounted console and did find the bow tended to rise off the top of waves, but put it down to its flat dory like hull catching the wind, and its fuel tanks were situated more towards the stern.

Is there any other way of adding a bit more weight to the bow if I'm not diving, but playing

?

John Kennett · 31 July 2003, 21:25

Quote:

Originally posted by tue
Is there any other way of adding a bit more weight to the bow if I'm not diving, but playing ?

You could fit a bow ballast tank that you can fill with water nd drain as required. It's common on race boats, but could be a major job to retro-fit.

An aft console will give the most comfotable driving position, but you must make sure that you can balance the boat fore and aft or else it will be a dog to drive.

John

David Hickman · 31 July 2003, 23:09

I prefer to have my weight balance slightly forward. On my 7.2m Ribeye, I had the steering console fitted much furthur forward than it was normally with the jockeys behind. When getting on the plane, the bow hardly rises at all and everyone has some protection from the windscreen.
On a following sea I just have to be a bit more alert and use the full maximum height on the trim control.
Personal view, steering console forward and seating behind.

Rene · 01 August 2003, 10:56

Hi

As a diving RIB i would prefere to have the console all the way up front.

This way you can have a clear sight of the divers you might be picking up, without having others divers in front of you.

Also since the other divers is sitting on the tubes, and the ride is worst up front. The the driver might take a bit more consideration, if he is all the way up there.

Just my thoughts.

Regards
Rene

Mosser · 01 August 2003, 11:14

From a diving point of view, I think Rene hits the spot.
It seems that when small(er) ribs are used for diving, the tendency is to push the console as far forward as possible and to use the beam at the back to take the divers and gear.

My only experience of an aft-fitted console is on a 9m Ribcraft which could take 12 divers and gear. Then again, that was more like a bus on water (probably due to the inboard diesel adding to the effect).

Pete7 · 01 August 2003, 11:47

Tue, the 6.5m Ribtec is a deep v hull which is great in the waves just needs some power to make it move but you have plenty of that. However it means the engine is mounted lower that say on an Osprey hull with a planning wedge.

Therefore noticed when I first started using mine that waves did tend to poop over the stern when we had divers on board and used the rear fuel tank(130L). We now use the front tank (130L) which makes a big difference and we also keep the weights up front as well.

A rear console would mean divers on the rubes rather than seats which I wasn't keen on so compromised by having just one off set seat for going diving.

Mark Bleaker did have a 6.5m Ribtec built with rear console and fuel tank but it was only run lightly loaded. With a Yam 200 Pro V it was a 60 mph boat albeit @ 20 gph, eek!

Peter

Colin F · 02 August 2003, 08:07

I guess you'll be ok if you tend to keep the bow tank full and use the stern one first. On my rib, both 25L tanks are behind the seat, so all our weight is at the back. The only other consideration is as the others have mentioned with regards to visibility, which does get comprimised as soon as anyone sits on the tubes.

On my next boat - which will be a 7m, I'm going to sit further forward?

So who knows whats best???

tue · 02 August 2003, 15:13

just been looking at the Camel boats, which used the Ribtec 6.5m. and their consoles are placed up just at the point where the tubes start to bend towards the bow, so I think I will put my console there, get rid of the bench seat and put in two jockey seats.

I can then use the back for dive gear and divers. Does make the bow a bit of wasted space but I'm sure to find something to go there

Thanks for all your advice.

Powerboat · 02 August 2003, 23:30

The pivot point for most RIBs in displacement mode is one third from the bow or direction of travel and approximately half way at planing speeds.

On all of our training boats we specify that the console should be mounted one third of hull length from the boaw as that way the Cox is right on the pivot point giving that BMW feeling of being part of the boat rather than being on the boat.

For dive operations I would sacrifice that BMW feel for deck space and move the console up towards the bow.

For passenger ops or when carrying inexperienced divers the best place for the console is down the back where the Cox can keep an eye on his / her charges !

This is just a rule of thumb. Naturally other factors type / size position of engine , fuel tanks etc will also bear.

Best wishes,

Stuart

Rene · 04 August 2003, 09:45

Hi

On my Osprey the console is placed in the forward part of the boat. Not completly up front. Normaly we have the divers sit on tubes in the back, and the divegear stored in front of the console. Spare tanks on a bottle rack just behind the drivers seat. This evens the weight on the boat.

Rene