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Old 04 September 2011, 12:57   #1
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New to RIBs - advice re first boat

Hi

We've just completed the RYA powerboat2 training course and now thinking about buying our first rib.

We're in Mallorca and plan to use it for inshore/coastal cruising (beach and town hopping!) and in fair weather conditions.

First, what size? We're currently thinking 5 to 6m max but need something that 2 people can handle on a trailers in and out of the slipway, as we'll be keeping it at home and taking it to the local marina for launching. We have plenty of hard standing at the house and 2.9m wide gates. We have thought of starting smaller but we're concerned about stability on rough seas and don't want to change in a year or two for a larger RIB...

What power outboard motor would be needed to give sufficient speed for days when we might want to do a longer run out? We're currently thinking of a 4-stroke 70. Any recommendation for makes?

Top of our list at the moment is a Zodiac Medline 550 but we'd love to hear of recommendations for other makes too!

What options are recommended for "casual cruiser" use - e.g. bimini... ?

Finally - new or second-hand? What are the pitfalls of buying S/H? What do we need to look out for (e.g. damage, service history...)?

Hope some of you experienced guys can help us!
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Old 04 September 2011, 13:06   #2
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Medline good but there's also the option to go Zar. Beautiful Ribs and they take the sea very very well with a soft ride due to the hull shape. There's a guy here in Empuriabrava (a friend of mine) who might well be able to help out! He has a medline and a larger Zar at the moment but has good contacts for sourcing others.

Welcome to the forum by the way
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Old 04 September 2011, 16:08   #3
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There's a medline in my yard with yam 115 4 stroke for £13,995. Looks nice. Google south west rib centre (Plymouth) for more details.

Peter
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Old 04 September 2011, 16:11   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by happydays View Post
We're in Mallorca and plan to use it for inshore/coastal cruising (beach and town hopping!) and in fair weather conditions.
my advice would be to look and see what other people are using locally. Often there is a particular style of boat which seems to "evolve" in a particular area because its hull is suited to the seas an its deck layout etc suited to the weather, whilst if everyone in the local marina is running a particular brand of engine its probably because the local dealer is really helpful/good. Obviously do this with a "critical/cynical" eye - because sometimes its just there is very little competition, but even within the UK there seem to be local preferences.
Quote:
We're currently thinking 5 to 6m max but need something that 2 people can handle on a trailers in and out of the slipway, as we'll be keeping it at home and taking it to the local marina for launching. We have plenty of hard standing at the house and 2.9m wide gates. We have thought of starting smaller but we're concerned about stability on rough seas and don't want to change in a year or two for a larger RIB...
2 people will be able to launch a 6m boat no problem with a bit of practice. Once you get good and organised you could do it single handed. Many people change ribs after a season or two once they start to understand what the really want. Obviously that could be expensive if you are buying new...

Quote:
What power outboard motor would be needed to give sufficient speed for days when we might want to do a longer run out? We're currently thinking of a 4-stroke 70. Any recommendation for makes?
that will depend a bit on which boat you end up with. 70HP would be fine at the smaller end of 5-6m but probably too little at the top end. In terms of makes all the big brands are generally considered to be much the same. i.e. Yamaha, Mariner/Mercury, Suzuki, Honda, Tohatsu etc, I wouldn't discount an E-tec modern 2 stroke either (3 yr service interval!). There may be a specific engine or brand which makes more sense at a particular size because it has better power to weight ratio etc.
Quote:
What options are recommended for "casual cruiser" use - e.g. bimini... ?
most folk here are in the UK so have no idea what a bimini is, but would quite like one to keep the rain off If other similar sizes boats (even if not ribs) used locally all have biminis then you should probably give it serious consideration.
Quote:
Finally - new or second-hand? What are the pitfalls of buying S/H? What do we need to look out for (e.g. damage, service history...)?
Nos4r2 has a "guide" somewhere in the depths of Ribnet for you to read over. Its no different to buying a car really - do you want to spec exactly the features you want or live with what someone else picked? do you want to take the big initial depreciation? do you want a "pride and joy" or "a means to get from a-to-b"? does a warranty matter to you, or could you afford to replace a dead engine if the worst happened? If you are buying a boat in the med I'd also be paying extra attention to the tube condition if it has been stored outside.
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Old 04 September 2011, 18:13   #5
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Many thanks Courageous,

We have looked at a few Zar's and may try one in a week or so but they are pricey! But is it a case of you get what you may for....
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Old 04 September 2011, 18:52   #6
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Ya welcome. I just ran a search on cosasdebarcos.es and there's a good many Zars in Pollenca so this supports one of Polwarts suggestions. That's quite a good site anyhow you know and I noticed there are a few medlines on there too. Anyhow, let us all know if we can be of any more help and in the meantime good luck.
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Old 04 September 2011, 20:11   #7
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Many thanks Polwart!

Great help and certainly helps me with some of the stuff floating about in my head right now!
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