How many people do you take out on your RIB?

Simon Guest · 04 November 2002, 11:56

There appear to be various reasons why people have larger RIBs (e.g. faster, longer distance cruising in more comfort). One I'm interested in is passenger carrying capacity.

So, how many people do you take out? What size boat and engine (if not obvious from your profile)? How do you accomodate them, in what conditions, and how well does it all work?

cheers,
Simon

Alan · 04 November 2002, 12:19

Whilst you can obviously get more people on a 7.5 than 4.5m, many larger RIBs still only have seating for 4-6 people as standard. I think its more to do with comfort and seaworthiness of a larger RIB than the ability to get 10 people on board!

My RIB is 7.5m and has jockey seating for 4 (2 x 2man pods) plus a bench seat for another two. After that you are into riding the tubes or standing, neither of which is particularly comfortable for extended periods! For extended offshore cruising I would only take 6 if the weather was reasonably good. If things were rough I'd stick with 4 people on jockeys as this is the safest and most comfortable way to travel on a RIB! (I can recall going around Lands End in Cyanide at Easter this year when I had to ask my other half to move from the bench at the stern to the jockey behind me as I was worried she was going to get washed away by one of the waves breaking over us!). I have 200Hp as my profile indicates and 4 up can cruise at 35-40kts no bother.

My 10c's!

Alan

DJL · 04 November 2002, 12:22

If its rough I normally only take out one other person as I only have one jocky seet, so the passenger has to stand. Standing seems to be the most comftable position in rough conditions anyway.

In normal conditions I will take anything from 1 - 3 passengers and sit them on the tubes. Trouble is, if the sea state gets too bumpy people start to bounce all over the place.

I have had 8 people out on my RIB when we went on a waterskiing trip. They all sat on the tubes, worked very well, but then it was flat calm. After the water skiing we spent about 30mins, doing high speed tight turns and jumping over the other RIBs wake; nobody felt uneasy about sitting on the tubes. It was especially good because I could still out run the other RIB that was there, even though they had 3 people on board.

Julian · 04 November 2002, 12:26

Hi Simon

I take out quite a lot of people during the summer locally around the solent. We have seating for 8 people but I would not cruise long distance with them. i prefer to have 4 people on board for long distance cruises etc. I took 16 people to cowes last year which was interesting, I had people sitting on the tubes but again its not the best place to sit.

With 4 people on board you have less to worry about when the going gets rough. I got caught out in a Force 9 in the english channel a few years ago and luckly on had 2 people on board. Any more and you lose concentration as you need to keep a constant eye on the wave paterns and dont have much time to deal with crew.

Julian

Garygee · 04 November 2002, 12:37

Hi folks

I used to have a Ribcraft 4.8/Mariner 50 4 stroke set up.

We would carry helm, on single man jocky seat plus two others on a double jocky seat, 3 in total.

The new RIB, 7.8M will have two single jocky seats and two double jocky seats, 6 persons in total.

As far as carrying people goes we would only carrying people on jockey seats in anything other than a light swell. If we need to carry more we ask then to sit on the floor in the bow, back to tubes, and then not if its rough.

As far as carrying people on tubes, we limit that to windermere & in harbours etc.

Kids only ever go on double jockey seats with a adult behind them on the same seat.

Regards Gary

Manos · 04 November 2002, 15:01

Hi All,

I have a 7 mtr RIB now lying in Greece with 200bhp outboard as my profile indicates.
How many people I take on board it depends on where I'm going and most importantly what is the weather like and what will be on the return voyage.
When the RIB was in the UK (due to the unpredictable weather) have NEVER EVER taken more than 4 people o/b (although the boat can accomodate up to 8- comfortably). 4 people sit very comfortably on the two bucket seats the boat is very well balanced and cruised at about 45 knots and 3800-4000 revs.
In Greece, however where the weather is more predictable and the sea calmer (although meltemi can be of a problem in the Aegean) I have taken up to 6 people o/b to do about a 50 mile round trip.
There was a bit of a chop (wave height about 0.50 cm- 0.80 cm) wind SSW and the boat was cruising at 45 knots and 4000-4200 revs.
However, the people sitting in the bow section (specially the women) had a bit of a problem with their bikinies (u know what I mean. Don't you lads!!)

Any way, in a more serious tone how many people one has o/b a RIB (or on any pleasure craft on that matter) depends on the weather conditions and the distance one plans to sail.

SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT AND ONE SHOULD NEVER EVER TAKE CHANCES OR UNCESSARY RISKS.

An old Greek saying says

' ALWAYS RESPECT, BUT DO NOT BE AFFRAID OF THE SEA'.

Tiger · 04 November 2002, 17:28

As you have seen this is a "how long is a piece of string" question.

What do you do when you run out of seats?
Depends (again) on the experiance of the people and the coxswain.

I would say to anyone who sits in the bow, be very carefull how you sit in the rough, its not a fun place to be (dory chop effect and slaming).

Best place is to stand as you can see better and read the waves.
If its really rough and you don't have enough seats then stand and use those knees. (Think about how you hold on to a seat backwhen you buy your new rib as some manufacturers have seat backs that trap your hand when the coxswain sits back, not nice for either of you when its F6+).

If you are in really bad weather with the wind behind you, try sitting in the stern, braced across port starboard, again sat on something soft, even rope. Its noisy, but helps the balance of the boat (nose high) and you are tucked in low.

On the Sibs I use, we sit on the floor pushing against the tubes, rather than sat on the tubes in the rough, soft tubes are dangerous as they ping you off!

Eventually it comes down to the driver and safe speed!!!

Tiger

Richard B · 04 November 2002, 21:25

Paul Lemmer got six (or was it seven?

) into my SIB around Isles de Chausey

I've found it OK for four up and down the Thames...

I once experienced zero persons on board in a rough chop

but wouldn't recommend it!

Phil · 05 November 2002, 10:16

Go to RIB Gallery and search for "Harwich" ;I f I recall the final crew was 13 children and 3 adults - but that was just a trip up the Orwell to Harwich for a fish and chip lunch !

Keith Hart · 05 November 2002, 10:33

I usualy take Quicksilver out with two or three people. The manual says you can take 5 adults! Mind you I have had more on. See photo.

Keith (more the merrier) Hart

Simon Guest · 05 November 2002, 11:53

It seems that if you're out in any sort of weather, people mostly agree you want to be sat on a seat, and most ribsters don't fit that many seats (except the tourist boat lot, obviously).

Does anyone have any more comments on standing, holding onto seat back, for instance. Is the problem here endurance (i.e. you get tired) or safety (i.e. you fall or get swept overboard)?

cheers,
Simon

Julian · 05 November 2002, 11:57

Hi Simon

I would say its both. Standing up in the rough for long periods becomes very tireing and you can lose you grip and be thrown over the side. Is allways much better to be sitting down and holding on.

Julian

Manos · 05 November 2002, 12:00

For whatever my opinion worths (not much anyway

) I think that one should always be sitting safely on a RIB.
The English Channel or the Atlantic is not to be taken lightly.
To do a MOB manouvre is more difficult in real life than when you took the test (believe me I know)