Searider in !!!

vanisle_rib · 18 May 2005, 02:35

Finally !!!

Humidity finally let up a bit so I actually had a few days to finish the tubes. The floor got a new paint job as well. Put a sounder in, siliconed the console, reupholstered the jockey seat, sealed the water ballast (since its going to be moored most of the summer in a tidal area which exposes about a foot of mud on low tide), installed an automatic bilge and, hummmm, lots of running around getting this and that (you know how it goes).

Anyways.

Trailed the rib out, started up the Mariner 60 and brought it out in some good ol Vancouver Island wind swell. Handles GREAT !!!! Way better then my old soft bottom Futura. Got out of the semi rough stuff and opened it up on the calm waters to get a top speed of 40 Mph, not bad considering its a 5.4 being powered by a 60 hp. I’m impressed. Wouldn’t mind maxing out the HP with a 90 one day, mmmmmmmm, one day.

So, enough with the blabbering, here’s some pics of the re-conditioned Searider 5.4

Planning a trip to the west side of the island soon, will post pics later.

boatster · 18 May 2005, 03:47

Sweet rib,

I use my Searider to hit the surf here in Southern California out at the islands. Mines only a 4 meter though. I want to get another, hopefully a 5.4. Where did you get yours? Looks like you painted yours also.

vanisle_rib · 18 May 2005, 04:12

Thanks for the comment.

I actually picked the Searider up at a Marine Garage Sale here in Victoria for $500 Canadian. Couldnt believe my luck !!! I've been looking for a decent rib for about a year with no success and then bam, the opportunity hits. She was in pretty rough shape when I picked er up but 30 days later its lookin not to bad.

I did a complete paintjob on it using SRC Tuff-Coat since the tubes were pretty worn out.

boatster · 18 May 2005, 04:16

WOW!!! $500

I wish I could find a deal like that. How is the Surf up in Canada? I've heard its pretty good. Isolated, which is good. Down here in California even heading out to the islands its crowded but much less so than on the mainland. That and the water is cleaner too! I would love to hear about your surf experience up there.

vanisle_rib · 18 May 2005, 04:21

The winters are good, summers not so good. Looks like a nice ( rare ) summer time pulse is about to hit this coming Thursday so I'll bring the boat out for that one.

http://facs.scripps.edu/surf/images/pacne60.gif

The crowds are pickin up slowly here, seems everyone is getting the surf bug on the island these days. Thats why I bring the rib with me.

SoCal, I like it down there, I consider Imperial Beach my second home, hehe.

boatster · 18 May 2005, 08:38

Looks good!! Yeah it seems everyones looking for isolated surf these days. Good deal on ye boat!

Biggles · 18 May 2005, 09:21

Hi from England,

So what do you guys mean by riding the surf. I've just started to ride the back and the top of what surf I can find. Is that what you do, and if so any chance you can post some pictures. You've got to have some large waves where you are.

Regards Nick R.

boatster · 18 May 2005, 09:41

Hi Biggles,

Surfing as in standing on a surfboard and riding waves like in Hawaii

.
We like to use ribs to get to surf breaks because they are safe, fast, and fuel efficient. The surf breaks are usually only accessible by boat which reduces the crowd and competition for waves. Surfing has become a very trendy thing to do in the United States.

The only time I surf waves in my rib is when I'm in a following sea with big ground swells of 14 seconds or more. Its almost like surfing on surfboard sometimes

Boatster

Biggles · 18 May 2005, 11:14

Hi Boatster,

Somehow I couldn't imagine me surfing my Sea Rider like a proper surfboard. Might be the start of a new craze though.

Had a bit of a wake up call last Saturday. Went to a beach I normally stop at for refreshements which is always flat calm like a mirror, and saw what I though was a load of seals in the water. Once we got closer I could see that they were surfers. Strange, but then I could see the big swells that were coming in and we were on them. Good fun but can be tiring working the boat over them.

And to cap it all the Cafe was closed.

jwalker · 18 May 2005, 11:25

Looks a nice wee boat. Well done.

sunrider · 18 May 2005, 12:58

Boatster and Vanisle - I got into RIbs because they were so much fun to surf! Started in Hawaii - only offshore swells, but big. Then California - the outer break at Santa Cruz and sometimes off lighthouse point. If I kept in the break, but out of the whitewater everything went well. Great fun to turn into the swell from inshore, go up the face and pivot under power at the top then back down the face. I felt I could surf/play with the waves in three directions instead of one - down, up and sideways. I would go for miles down the coast just off the shorebreak balancing/riding on the crest. Great fun in a little RIB or SIB. I started with a Zodiac GRMark III, then to bigger RIBs - but found something small was ideal for surf, and bigger for offshore. The greatest fun was several days of 20+' swells in the Indian Ocean (following seas of course!). I have a couple of 24' RIBs now (Willard and Zodiac), and am reconditioning an Avon 5.4 as time permits - which I intend to play with for a while before selling. But there is not much surf in Iowa so my opportunities are limited.

I've got some pictures from the early days in Santa Cruz somewhere (around 1980), and will post them if I can find them.

If you like surfing with a RIB/SIB you would love the Zapcats. My only experience with one was a joyride in Capetown with one of the local fanatics. Huge seas, airborne more often than in the water, and any direction was OK - definately feel my age on one of those!

boatster · 18 May 2005, 18:31

Hi Sunrider,

Thats sounds pretty crazy, and fun!! I have yet to go out in 10' ground swell seas. I've already done some swell surfing on my way back from the islands and can tell its a blast. Feeling the boat kick up 3-4 mph faster planing down the face of a big ground swell is awesome.

Please post some pics of your boats. I would love to see them.

Boatster

sunrider · 18 May 2005, 20:41

Here are pics of the Zodiac (with cabin) and Avon (as I said, it needs some work) - I just got the Willard 730 at auction in Hawaii so won't have pictures until I go over in a couple of weeks to work on it - in the meantime I've attached a pic of a similar one from Willard's web site for reference.

Until reading posts on this forum by so many very experienced RIB people I had no idea the Avon was such a highly respected boat. I originally bought mine for resale, but now would like to keep it for a while - I want to see what everyone is talking about...sounds like incredible performance. I'm looking for a 90hp I can drop on the back, and either buy or build a console.

Have fun out there................

boatster · 18 May 2005, 22:00

That is one amazing looking Zodiac rib. Did you build the cabin? As far as Avons, I love my searider. It is such a capable fun boat. I can't imagine it getting any better than this, though I'm sure it does.

I've posted these before; here are pics of mine.

BTW Sunrider, if you do choose to sell your Avon, I may be interested

.

jyasaki · 19 May 2005, 17:16

Sunrider: You're in Fairfield, CA? Long message trip, Fairfield to England to Hayward.

Boatster: when you talk about the Islands, are you talking about surfing at the Channels (off California, not the Atlantic ones), or do you head out to Cortez Banks?

jky

boatster · 19 May 2005, 17:31

jyasaki,

I believe he said hes from Iowa. I'm in Socal so I'm referring to the Channel Islands down here. How far out is Cortez? Isn't it over 50 miles? Quite a long trip for my boat, plus the weather variable, could be dangerous.

dctucker · 20 May 2005, 17:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanisle_rib

<snip>
So, enough with the blabbering, here’s some pics of the re-conditioned Searider 5.4

Nicely done.

I was able to get out in my Searider yesterday afternoon and this morning as well. A bit riding solo and a bit with wife and 5 y.o. daughter. I was nice to actually play around a bit when I was alone, to see what the boat would do. When I opened up the 80 HP with no one else on the boat, it sure felt fast! Need a new handheld GPS to get a speed reading. Mostly pretty calm water though. And this morning I used the RIB to install the mooring pennants for my sailboat, then side tow the sailboat from one mooring to the other. Cool.

I have a couple of niggly things to do, like adjust the shift cable, and sort out why my electronic compass isn't working

Not that I needed it either day. Also need to order a trim switch, as it only runs down. Muscling that 4 cylinder Merc out of the water is WORK! And if I trim bow down too far, I'm stuck that way.

Still have a bit more ribbing to do today, as I need to get the boat off the yacht club dock and back onto its trailer. Have to wait till dinner time when the tide is a bit better though.

Alan · 20 May 2005, 17:42

Weather has improved in MA then? I was in Danvers & Gloucester Tues & it was very foggy! Weds seemed a lot nicer but then we flew back to Newfoundland where we have had 2 weeks of continual rain, drizzle and fog

I'm thinking of building an ark......

Would have got in touch Dan but had colleagues with me and no real free time unfortunately. Next time!

dctucker · 23 May 2005, 04:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan

Weather has improved in MA then? I was in Danvers & Gloucester Tues & it was very foggy! Weds seemed a lot nicer but then we flew back to Newfoundland where we have had 2 weeks of continual rain, drizzle and fog

I'm thinking of building an ark......

Would have got in touch Dan but had colleagues with me and no real free time unfortunately. Next time!

Yes, weather was a bit nicer later in the week. Still a bit chilly though! We're back to rain, fog and mist for a few days

I was flat out with work early in the week too...

prairie tuber · 23 May 2005, 05:21

$500 for the sea rider? That is one sweet deal!!! Please post up some pics of cruising around Vancouver Island.