Been pondering an upgrade from my Honwave Sib to a comparable hard hull boat for some time now.
After much deliberation my short list has been narrowed down to the 2 above named aluminium hulled Ribs.
I see them as pretty much joint favourites.
Looking to use my Tohatsu 20hp 4 stroke on tiller as propulsion.
On paper they are very similar.
Looking to get the boat and trailer new and sell on my Sib.
In terms of damage to my wallet there's nothing to separate the 2 either .
Just wondering if any one has any knowledge or experience of these small Ribs or any words of wisdom to impart that will help me come to a decision for a future purchase.
Tim M cheers for that.
Unfortunately I'm in Scotland and the Rib is in far South of England.
If I'd been closer I'd definitely gone for a look and considered a bid on it.
Tim M cheers for that.
Unfortunately I'm in Scotland and the Rib is in far South of England.
If I'd been closer I'd definitely gone for a look and considered a bid on it.
Perhaps you should consider that to help you make your choice Kaman. Bosuns Locker .. Port Edgar in Edinburgh have the Highfields..I viewed one there. Would you not have to travel south if you wanted to see a Ribeye..or even buy one new ?
are they both imported highfield made in aus are ribeye Chinese built under licence if not if it were me i would go ribeye you might get some mods added more easy ie; securing points etc that you mentioned on gurnard's Frib worth asking.
Cheers guys.
I've emailed Charles at Bosuns Locker already and got quotes for the set up and trailer.
Not got a quote yet gor a Ribeye and trailer yet - trying yo work out my nearest dealer???.
As yet I've not seen either boat in the flesh.
I will definetly be visiting Bosuns after I return from my hols.
I want to see the Ribeye in person as well before I make my final decision.
Don't think there is a great deal between the 2.
Ribeye slightly larger and a few kgs heavier.
I like the front locker set up on the Highfield.
Looks like there may be more after market mods for the Ribeye.
Think it will come down to which one is most suitable for modifying to my needs.
A very interesting pair of small RIBs Karman... and whichever you get I'll be very keen to hear how you get on.
The year before buying the Aerotec we nearly gave up boating for a few years and actually were SIBless for a few months. When we quickly came to our senses we did think hard about all sub 4m smallcraft options... SIB vs trailed... Frib... Folding transom Avon RIB... even rooftop possibilities. During that time we had more than a few "what if" discussions about the Highfield CL360 having seen one at the pontoon and chatted to the very content owners. I really liked the concept.
I was actually thinking of deflating the tubes, strapping up and car topping but we realised the weight was just too much unless one of these complex car topping roof rack systems was used which we didn't fancy. Trailer not an option for us so stayed with SIBs.
It was my impression the CL range from Highfield was Chinese (not a bad thing for me after our excellent 3.5 Honwave like yours) but I have no idea if the Ribeye tender range is Chinese or UK built?
I see the Highfield is fractionally wider and the Ribeye only has half its extra length as internal space. The Highfield is a few kg lighter. Personal things... I prefer the tapered cones of the Ribeye over the Highfield rounded ones and I don't like the eye motif on the Ribeye. The Highfield has more grab handles and I slightly prefer its bow locker/step arrangement.
I guess unless you hear of quality or performance issues for either then very comparable craft and for me it might be down to the deal and availability on the day.
BTW what seems a really good deal at the moment is BHG Marine with the Ribeye TS370 at £2375. A better internal length than the Honwave 3.5 alloy floor but some 20lbs lighter. But perhaps you want even more space.
'Ribeye' boats are made in Dartmouth, South Devon.
Unless I'm mistaken, the smaller ally Ribeyes are Chinese imports, & badged up as Ribeyes.
They are also PVC tubed. My mate was quoted £3k extra to have one made with Hypalon tubes
Sh1t happens
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Basically I'm looking for a wee bit more room than my 3.5m Honwave.
Still want to be able to dry launch and recover it from a trailer and want to be able to pull it out of the water (on launch wheels) when beach hopping.
Therefore i couldn't go much heavier than the Honwave.
Both these Ribs are more or less the same weight as my Honwave.
I initially thought of going down the polyethylene boat route but decided against it as I would need to get a long shaft engine and they are wet launch only from a trailer IMO.
I wanted a bit more speed for pulling the kids on rings than my Honwave could offer with a 20hp Tohatsu 4 stroke.
Didn't want to go much bigger or heavier than a 20hp engine due to upgrade cost and weight.
So it basically boiled down to wanting something a wee bit bigger, no heavier than my Honwave, better performing with the same sized engine.
A tall ask I though - but I think both these boats will fulfill my requirements without spending a fortune.
I can use my S/S Tohatsu 20hp 4 stroke on tiller
Shiny shoe - I'm going to have another look at the X Pro as I made a boo boo when I looked at it first time around.
Looked at the weight of one with a console and a few other add ons.
spy-sea-one
BLACK PIG
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