The shed is back.

[GAW405]

Haha, I hate to be the one to admit this but I am the possibly daft guy who bought the non-Osprey!

Perhaps wish I had searched more before buying it having seen the amount of discussion/speculation that it has had on Rib net. The sad thing is I work in the boat building industry, so should know better, but maybe that was why I didn't spend much time checking into it as I'm not too phased by sorting out the little problems and always intended on changing the engine right away as I had another lined up (wish I had known it wasn't an Osprey though!).

Anyway, I viewed it before and didn't buy it for the price he had it up for, he seemed to know absolutely nothing about it (or anything else I would say) then after the last eBay run I offered him £4k for the lot which he took. The boat was local to where I work in the New Forest so I collected same day again without much time viewing it (got carried away as usual). The 200 was way way too big and some of the tab bonding around the transom stiffeners was showing signs of fatigue, that will be a winter job to tidy but it is all sound. I have put a 90 Yam on it, the trailer is good and the boat itself is generally pretty solid and will clean up well. I just need to sort out the right propeller and it should be pretty good for the money.... stupid thing was I wasn't planning on buying a project... this time.... and I didn't consult my wife!

So if anyone has any questions or thoughts on it, let me know!! I would love to know what it is, it seems too 'factory moulded' to be a home build, unless it is part and part.

[GAW405]

I just found a post for someone trying to find out what this one is, which i am 99.9% certain is the same hull and console....

http://www.rib.net/forum/f8/osprey-rib-58229.html

Any ideas on builder of this?

[gotchiguy]

Well you've definitely done the sensible thing by reducing the engine size on the back of it though I suspect it may have been pretty good fun with that 200! I'm afraid I have no idea what that boat in the other thread is though it would be interesting if we could establish if they are the same. We certainly don't believe them to have been made by Osprey in any official capacity but the moulds have been around the block over the years...

It would be really interesting to have some detailed pics of the hull, transom, and nose cone if possible so we can really rule out it being an Osprey. Somewhere along the line someone started calling it an Osprey so it must surely have come from somewhere. I'm really not surprised that the previous owner hadn't a clue about it!!

With a little bit of work and assuming it was built relatively solidly to begin with, you should have a decent boat there for not too much money. Probably made your money back just with the engine I would imagine, the guys over on boatmad love those things! There's another thread somewhere where hightower and I tried to work out whether it would be worth it to do it ourselves

Best of luck with her

[GAW405]

Originally Posted by gotchiguy

Well you've definitely done the sensible thing by reducing the engine size on the back of it though I suspect it may have been pretty good fun with that 200! I'm afraid I have no idea what that boat in the other thread is though it would be interesting if we could establish if they are the same. We certainly don't believe them to have been made by Osprey in any official capacity but the moulds have been around the block over the years...

It would be really interesting to have some detailed pics of the hull, transom, and nose cone if possible so we can really rule out it being an Osprey. Somewhere along the line someone started calling it an Osprey so it must surely have come from somewhere. I'm really not surprised that the previous owner hadn't a clue about it!!

With a little bit of work and assuming it was built relatively solidly to begin with, you should have a decent boat there for not too much money. Probably made your money back just with the engine I would imagine, the guys over on boatmad love those things! There's another thread somewhere where hightower and I tried to work out whether it would be worth it to do it ourselves

Best of luck with her

Thanks Gotchiguy... I have now found some of the other threads (wish I had before buying it), and should have checked it over more thoroughly as there are a few other niggles (that to be honest could be wrong with any budget priced RIB) that will just add time a few £'s to sort but nothing major.
I sold the engine for £1400, so paid £2600 for boat and trailer. Perhaps not the bargain I originally thought it was, but it isn't too bad. I think it should be an OK boat once I have done some work to tidy it up, it is definately solidly built so I am not worried there. That other post with the black tubes I am certain is the same hull (looking at the nose cone/locker arrangement) and the console looks the same too. Anyway I will get some more photos of the hull and put them up for interest - I am keen to know more!

[GAW405]

Soooo, if this is a BWM....

1998 BWM 6.1 RIB Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Then so is the shed. Same hull shape, nose, locker, tubes etc etc. At least someone to contact for more info anyway :-) !!

[nugent]

Can you post pic of transom well will say lots will that pic

Personally believe it to be a north craft hull with a bitza nose cone added so tubes/coler can be manufactured cheaply

And put together in Leicester. Willing to bet on it

[GAW405]

Originally Posted by nugent

Can you post pic of transom well will say lots will that pic

Personally believe it to be a north craft hull with a bitza nose cone added so tubes/coler can be manufactured cheaply

And put together in Leicester. Willing to bet on it

This picture is all I have to hand, it's just after I picked it up with old engine and launched for first time (and before repairing bilge pump by the looks). The centre moulding from the transom opens out to a raised circular opening under the console with access to the tank lid. I am sure it is quite distinctive to someone who knows.

Don't like Bitza nose cone in leicester idea... but to be honest I am pretty certain it isn't added to the hull from looking at it up close.
The bow is EXACTLY the same as the blue rib in the link I posted, and the one with black tubes (yellow patches) posted some time ago on Ribnet - same locker hatch, same recess for bow/anchor line, same tubes, same hull sheer etc. However of course that could have been built by the same guy in Leicester too!! The transom structure is similar but different to the blue rib in the link...

As always any thoughts appreciated. Cheers