New to ribs... hungry for knowledge!

[BritBoater]

Hey Guys,

I've been in boats for about 20 years and have owned several wakeboard/ski specific and also sports boats... recently however I've really been turned on to the idea of RIBS! Having recently spent a weekend on one all my previous assumptions were blown to bits! They seem to present a simple, easy to care for solution to someone wanting to get into a little coastal cruising, lunching and relaxing with a crew of 4-6

So, the long and short is... as of Sunday night the current 18ft sports boats up for sale and I'm scouring the lands for info on RIBS, with a view to purchase a 6-7 metre Rib late this year/early '09... problem is... where to start! I'd like to stick to about £25k really but it seems that int he RIB world that might be a little low? The prices seem very high compared to other boat styles or am I mistaken?

Anyone want to throw some recommendations for brands, preference to inboard/outboard, layouts, hints and tips etc? Any help for a total newbie to this market would be tremendously appreciated as whilst I know my sports boats and Ski boats I am the first to admit I'm clueless when it comes to RIBS and desperate to learn more about them before I make any purchase decisions!

Cheers guys!

BritBoater

[codprawn]

Yes RIBs are over priced for what they are - mainly because it's a cottage industry and no economies of scale as such.

Buy 2nd hand and let someone else pay for the depreciation. It USED to be the case the best time to buy a boat was Winter but with this weather it doesn't make much of a difference.

With the credit crunch and fuel price you should get a REAL bargain if you shop around. £25,000 will get you one hell of a boat!!!

Places to look are on this site and http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/php/welcome.php3

Also http://www.ribsforsale.com/index2.htm

Don't worry too much about age of boat - condition is far more important.

What sort of RIB do you want - hardcore or family or bit of both?

[BritBoater]

Hey CodPrawn - Thanks!
I'm already aware of BoatsandOutboards but Ribs for sale is a new one... Will check it out.

I've just spent the last 2-3 hours blasting through this site and all I can say is WOW! what a resource! So much info and so many friendly people...

Quick question before I hit the hay - I'd be more tha comfortable rigging a boat myself (And quite enjoy working on boats) - do people reckon its worth it? and are there much in the way of savings available to make it worthwhile?

I quite like the idea of buying the hull new with seats and helm. then adding my own engine, auxiliaries (Marine Electronics is second nature to me).... I also see this as being far more straightforward than rigging a skiboat... am I mad?!

[BritBoater]

Also, sorry... to answer your question.. ideally a bit of both. I need something that'll take on a bit of rough but with stacks of storage, plenty of power and room to lounge out ideally.....

[martini]

Welcome, you've come to the right place to learn more about ribs for sure!

As Codders says, it's a cottage industry, most ribs are built to the customers specific requirements so finding something that fits you exactly might be difficult. I know my 1st second hand rib was great but so many little things that really annoyed me!

Beware of prices quoted for new hulls though, it goes up at a shocking rate when you start adding little things like grab handles and wear patches on the tubes.

My advice for a 1st timer would be buy a 2nd hand boat and spend a couple of seasons finding out what exactly you want and dont want on a rib. Suddenly you will find that rather than being overwhelmed with choice you will be hunting high and low for the right boat.

[Hightower]

Storage is always a little bit of a problem on RIBs, a large console helps. I suspect a cabin RIB is out of your price range and kind of defeats the reson most people buy a RIB.

I would have thought a 7 meter RIB with a mid point console and seating at the rear for 6, this would open the bows up to accomodate people for a pic nic or for sun lounging with some bow seats increasing your storage.

Home finished RIBs are very popular here as I think you'll agree after you read some build threads. You can get some reasonably priced Hull and Tube combos from most manufacturers, add to that the trailer and engine and you should save youself thousands and get a boat that is speced exactly how you want it and to a high quality.

There is a Shakespeare hull for sale in the "for sale" section and is quite keenly priced. The 720's are good hulls, have a look HERE

These a very beamy RIBs as you can see and will fly with a 200 on the back. Add a set of tubes for about £5000 and a new motor for about £10000 a trailer and kit out and you should still have plenty of change left from £25000

[codprawn]

Why do I feel a new "Osprey Vipermax Build" thread coming on???

[BritBoater]

I've got a Bee in my bonnet now over this... For the kind of boating I'm now doing, and the way in which I'm doing it.. I just can't see a downside to Ribbing... and the more research I do the more sensible the idea appears to become.

The idea being..... Custom build my own!

I reckon I'll buy the Hull (Tubed) from a British manufacturer, Trailer from SBS (friends of mine) then dependant on price buy the outboard(s) from the UK or USA (I have zero connections in the outboard world so no idea where to look for deals)... then build the internals how I want them to the standards that I want (storage - dry and wet, sun worshipping platform up front, buy console and seat bases etc etc... then line-x (or similar) the whole deck and finish with the upholstery I want (I have an industry friend who does beautiful work) and rig it how I want, add the electronics I want (Colour GPS chart plotter, compass, VHF, custom stereo installation etc etc) and bobs your uncle I'll be left with a boat I (hopefully) love and can use practically for possibly sub £20k if I'm lucky so money left over to do my day skipper!

Extremely rough break down of my plan:
Hull and Tubes: £7k
Trailer: £2k
seat bases and grab rails: £1.5k
Engine: £8-9k (115-150hp 4stroke)
Rigging: £1.5k (electronics, controls, cables etc)
Upholstery: £800 or so
interior constructions/mods: £300
Line-X: no idea?! £500??

Total ish: £22,000 ball park.

Anyone able to spend 5 mins to play devils advocate or critique... honestly greatful for anything in the way or guidance or knowledge.... so if I'm living in la-la land please do speak up

[Bern Hanreck]

It must be the strong smell of mackerel in the air

[Ian M]

Originally Posted by BritBoater

I've got a Bee in my bonnet now over this... For the kind of boating I'm now doing, and the way in which I'm doing it.. I just can't see a downside to Ribbing... and the more research I do the more sensible the idea appears to become.

The idea being..... Custom build my own!

I reckon I'll buy the Hull (Tubed) from a British manufacturer, Trailer from SBS (friends of mine) then dependant on price buy the outboard(s) from the UK or USA (I have zero connections in the outboard world so no idea where to look for deals)... then build the internals how I want them to the standards that I want (storage - dry and wet, sun worshipping platform up front, buy console and seat bases etc etc... then line-x (or similar) the whole deck and finish with the upholstery I want (I have an industry friend who does beautiful work) and rig it how I want, add the electronics I want (Colour GPS chart plotter, compass, VHF, custom stereo installation etc etc) and bobs your uncle I'll be left with a boat I (hopefully) love and can use practically for possibly sub £20k if I'm lucky so money left over to do my day skipper!

Extremely rough break down of my plan:
Hull and Tubes: £7k
Trailer: £2k
seat bases and grab rails: £1.5k
Engine: £8-9k (115-150hp 4stroke)
Rigging: £1.5k (electronics, controls, cables etc)
Upholstery: £800 or so
interior constructions/mods: £300
Line-X: no idea?! £500??

Total ish: £22,000 ball park.

Anyone able to spend 5 mins to play devils advocate or critique... honestly greatful for anything in the way or guidance or knowledge.... so if I'm living in la-la land please do speak up

I think that you are answering most of your own questions. The prices that you are using may be a bit lean in places, but that is going to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Some little time ago I was in the same position, although for me it is the second RIB that I have owned.
The important thing for me was selection of the right hull. To that end I spent a lot of time trying out the hulls of different manufacturers in the hull length that I was interested in. These included Ribcraft, Ribeye, Ring, Solent, Osprey, Humber, and a number of others from my diving activities, although I have to admit that I have yet to try out a Scorpion - I think that they no longer manufacture a 6.5 metre hull, and it would have been out of my price range anyway!.
The important thing for me was handling in the Solent chop, a soft riding hull, and general sea worthiness if and when it blows up a bit.
I will be the first to accept that my selection criteria may not be the same as other peoples, so I think that it is important that you make the effort and get out and try the different hull types. Bear in mind that any hull is a compromise, and it is what you are willing to compromise on, and what you are not willling to compromise on that will make your choice for you.
I went for a self build and it is progressing, more slowly than I and others would like, but I will finish up with the boat that I want
Once you have selected one or two hulls that you are interested in, talk to the manufacturers or agents, it is surprising how much information that you pick up that way.
Internal fittings (console, seats) are also worth spending a little time over. If I had my time again I might select a different console, but having said that I am making it into the console that I want - just a bit of work involved.
Good luck, I hope that like me you find it an interesting activity. PM me if you would like more