Humber Destroyer vis a vis Ocean Pro

The Beard · 27 July 2009, 02:14

I think I can understand why an Assault is cheaper than a Destroyer as the beam appears to be smaller on the Assault, but even after looking at the spec sheets, I can't work out the difference between a Destroyer and an Ocean Pro apart from the price.

Can someone enlighten me please?

Cypman · 27 July 2009, 03:51

This question has been asked before and ,put simply,the Ocean Pro hull is a more complex hull shape with additional spray rails etc. Each Humber fan has his/her own favourite and mine is the Ocean Pro as it is the driest ride in the 'rough stuff'.

The Beard · 27 July 2009, 10:34

Thanks Cypman. I presume this means a more complex mould, but nonetheless, once made, surely that would be the end of any extra costs?

Jono · 27 July 2009, 11:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Beard

Thanks Cypman. I presume this means a more complex mould, but nonetheless, once made, surely that would be the end of any extra costs?

...and how do you expect that the costs of the "new" design and tooling are recovered?

chewy · 27 July 2009, 13:09

I thought the Ocean Pro was a race boat hull?

Cypman · 27 July 2009, 18:40

If I remember correctly the Ocean Pro hull is a re-incarnation of the Attaque hull, which was the original Humber design and utilised for early RIB racing.

wavelength · 27 July 2009, 19:19

Assault-- shallow V --- dont like it
destroyer-- deep V --- v. good in rough stuff
ocean pro-deep V --- multiple spray rails cost more to lay up as needs a more skilled operative. Superb in the bigger sizes. Very quick onto the plane but can feel a bit twitchy and not as firmly planted in the sea as the destroyer in the smaller ones
The two 8m sports pros with 300hp each and the 10m sports pro with twin 300s were awesome to drive at the last RiBEX - ocean pro hulls.

HUMBER P4VWL · 27 July 2009, 20:18

Love it. So dry and soft landing in the rough. Also been good for skiing ie up on the plane.

The Beard · 29 July 2009, 17:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono

...and how do you expect that the costs of the "new" design and tooling are recovered?

Er, well.....erm.....now you come to mention it.....actually I haven't got a clue. Bearing in mind the learning curve I'm on, I have a picture in my mind (doubtless inaccurate) that once you get away from the likes of Halmatic, Sealine, Sunseeker and their ilk, much of the British boatbuilding industry is in the mould (sic) of 3 or 4 blokes in a shed with a kettle, a slide rule and several hundred sheets of Wet & Dry.

Deepest apologies to all those involved in the British boat building industry.

The Beard · 29 July 2009, 17:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavelength

Assault-- shallow V --- dont like it
destroyer-- deep V --- v. good in rough stuff
ocean pro-deep V --- multiple spray rails cost more to lay up as needs a more skilled operative. Superb in the bigger sizes. Very quick onto the plane but can feel a bit twitchy and not as firmly planted in the sea as the destroyer in the smaller ones
The two 8m sports pros with 300hp each and the 10m sports pro with twin 300s were awesome to drive at the last RiBEX - ocean pro hulls.

Thanks very much, that makes things a little clearer. My problem is, apart from not having a
boat yet, that if I buy a camera and it's the wrong one, then I've wasted a fairly small amount of money. Buy the wrong boat and it could cost me a lot more than that. All these answers are good as it helps me understand what looks simple when you glance at the pretty pictures but in reality could turn out to be a nightmare.

chewy · 29 July 2009, 18:22

When I spoke to Humber they told me the Ocean Pro was the better boat but more involving to drive.
I believe the Destroyer is more forgiving and therefore easier to drive.

I think the British RIB building is a bit more than a few blokes in a shed these days. Workshops should be temperature and humidity controlled for both making tubes and doing glass work.

MIRO Stewart · 29 July 2009, 21:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewy

When I spoke to Humber they told me the Ocean Pro was the better boat but more involving to drive.
I believe the Destroyer is more forgiving and therefore easier to drive.

I have never driven or been on and Ocean Pro but have driven a couple of Destroyers and would agree with chewy that they are extremely forgiving boats and they handle the rough stuff pretty well.

matt h · 29 July 2009, 21:53

when i had a humber 5.3 ocean pro, it was a awesome hull, bloody hell was it fast, i had a mariner 90 f/s on it and 46 kts was acheived, it also handled superbly in the rough,

9D280 · 30 July 2009, 14:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cypman

If I remember correctly the Ocean Pro hull is a re-incarnation of the Attaque hull, which was the original Humber design and utilised for early RIB racing.

No idea about the racing bit, but when I asked Humber about my dinosaur they told me it was their original rib design which evolved into the Attaque...... (I think the difference was a thicker transom for bigger engines - 125Kg instead of the 110 mine's rated for. the O- pro is rated something like 170Kg to handle 4- stroke 90s)

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt h

when i had a humber 5.3 ocean pro, it was a awesome hull, bloody hell was it fast, i had a mariner 90 f/s on it and 46 kts was acheived, it also handled superbly in the rough,

I was passing 30knts with a 60 when the engine blew up......

- Granted with a lighter version of the hull and a slimmer leg than today's engines. I will echo matt in that it eats rough water like a snack. I can stay sat down in conditions where in my old SR I'd have been wearing a gum shield & feathering the throttle......

If you are based in Manchester, Hull isn't toooo far a distance - I'm sure if you are threatening to buy a hull off them they'd give you a test run in both?

The Beard · 31 July 2009, 01:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by 9D280

If you are based in Manchester, Hull isn't toooo far a distance - I'm sure if you are threatening to buy a hull off them they'd give you a test run in both?

A few weeks ago I decided to actually go and look at some boats instead of the Internet and brochures. Given a choice between Hull for Humber and Caernarfon for a number of different boats at dealers, Caernarfon won.

Purely by chance I met Jonno Garton who took me out in a 5m. for about half an hour. As I'd never been in a RIB before this was great but I had nothing to compare it against. It could have been the worst boat ever and I wouldn't have known any different. But the make seems to have a very good reputation on here which is possibly the best recommendation.

I also have a near-irrational desire to buy something British.

Cypman · 31 July 2009, 01:48

I admit that I may be slightly biased but I don't think you will go far wrong with an Ocean Pro. Humber have currently got some good deals on pre-built boats, have a look on their web site.

The Beard · 03 August 2009, 01:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cypman

I admit that I may be slightly biased but I don't think you will go far wrong with an Ocean Pro. Humber have currently got some good deals on pre-built boats, have a look on their web site.

I have done and they look good deals. I just hope they still have them when I get around to buying one.

Discovered somthing recently that shows why I came on here. It isn't just a case of buying a boat and an engine and bolting it to the back. It costs money to do that and it needs to be rigged. The only reason I found that out is because there is am advert for Evinrude that
offers free rigging of up to, I think, £500. Er, didn't see that one coming.