New vs old small rib

williams359 · 28 September 2014, 17:41

Which would you buy an old Avon 4m sea rider or something new like the Highfield Classic CL380 RIB Aluminium Hull. Have any of experienced both, I know the sea rider handles very well but I'm worried the Highfield has a shallower hull so it may not be in the same league. Im open to other suggestions, the boat ideally would be at least 3.6m and no more than 4m due to storage.

Wibs · 28 September 2014, 17:50

Budgets a big factor here.

Or are you talking new Searider.?

williams359 · 28 September 2014, 17:52

no not new, i would be looking at £4000 £4500 tops. If i got a new boat it would have to be a second hand engine.

Wibs · 28 September 2014, 17:53

To make myself clearer,

I don't believe you can get any more smiles per £££ with a 25yr old well used (but maintained) Sr4 package.

However.....if you've got £10k to spend on a new Highfield package all the trimmings then I'd say go for it.

Wibs · 28 September 2014, 17:55

£4500 would buy you a very nice Sr4, with a newish engine on and a trailer

Would you be able to buy the Highfield package and rig it with something reliable for that sort of money.?

williams359 · 28 September 2014, 17:58

I have a trailer and the new boat is £2799. My main concern is how the new boats handle. It looks to me as the new small sub 4m ribs have a shallower hull. They all seam to be short shaft and the sea rider is long.

Wibs · 28 September 2014, 18:01

I was very impressed with the Highfield OM460, in particular the seating layout options.

I don't know how different the smaller one is.

..but that price seems cheap.

Wibs · 28 September 2014, 18:03

When I say impressed.....I mean cosmetic. (I saw them at the boat show)

I would also be interested in how they handle the chop.

williams359 · 28 September 2014, 18:10

I think the OM460 is a very different beast to the Highfield Classic CL380 RIB. I currently have a honwave 3.2 air deck and I find it just to uncomfortable In anything but flat calm. It's old age catching up with me. I was out fishing whist a 4m sea rider was darting about. It looked a completely different boat to the sib.

Landlockedpirate · 28 September 2014, 20:28

They are completely different animals. The Searider is a deep V sea going rib, where as the Higfield is much more leisure orientated, The Highfield takes a short shaft engine and means the hull is much flatter.

I really like the Highfield, but it needs to be considered more like a very competent sib, rather than a seagoing rib. The Highfield can also be used quite happily with a tiller set up, this gives a lot more space on the deck compared to a Searider with a jockey set up.

IMHO, both are really good boats, but totally different to each other.

williams359 · 28 September 2014, 20:31

Will they ride be a lot harsher on the highfield

camelgas · 28 September 2014, 20:34

I looked at the highfields at southampton , IIRC they do make a sub 4mtr that takes a longshaft.

Nos4r2 · 28 September 2014, 21:43

If you're comparing anything 4m or below with an SR4,have any concerns about seakeeping and don't want to carry more than yourself+1 then save your searching and buy the best SR4 you can afford.
I ran an SR4 with a 50hp for 2 years and nothing I came across of equal or smaller size came close. Granted, it was a few years ago but there's nothing stupendous been built since.

Nothing else is that good and that affordable.

bingosucks · 28 September 2014, 21:54

agreed on the sr4 i was in chop the other week and she was mint easy to tow and launch single handed tight for a family but hey ho.
cracking boat to buck value

Rogue Wave · 29 September 2014, 06:22

I done think there is a better sub 4.5m sea keeping boat than the SR4 if their is I don't think it's made by Highfield.

The build quality of an Avon is extremely solid so therefore they last for decades, providing it's got a good transom then you have an extremely good 1st boat. You can buy a groovy SR4 for sub 5k beat the chap out of it for 2 Years and then sell it for close to what you paid.
Providing you have looked after the engine Cos it can take a lot more than you can.

Another good thing about a Searider is the flooding hull settles the boat down very well when fishing

Daniel · 29 September 2014, 07:26

I've got one here, a SR4, it's a FANTASTIC thing. Can't believe it's taken be 20 yrs of ribb'ing to discover the delights of such a cheap toy.

I've also seen the highfield & I'm a fan of the x-pro (grp boat marketed by same dealer) but Looking at the hull, they'll be no contest in sea keeping, so unless you need more space than a SR4 offers then look no further.