thinking of buying prosport 8.5m

codprawn · 19 March 2004, 23:34

Fitted with a 225 optimax

What would be a fair price for this with trailer?

Anything in particular to look for?

I want a boat that wont lose money and I can sell again quickly if I am ever stuck - what is resale like on a prosport?

Finally what sort of performance can I expect from such a best????

Please help - it's my first RIB - don't want to make any silly mistakes!

Want to use if for general cruising but knowing me I will probably venture out into the rough stuff from time to time.

DepSol · 20 March 2004, 00:15

what do you want blood from a stone.

Give Jason Norman a call or send him a pm/email. Go to the Prosport test place and try one.

Only way you will find out is if you give it a go but from visiting the workshop I reckon they are wel worth the money for the build and they seem to go really well.

Very good start intot ht world of RIBs I reckon. all IMHO of course.

codprawn · 20 March 2004, 02:01

forgot to mention - either I buy a NEW 7.5mt or a used 8.5 for the same money - decisions decisions!!!

John Kennett · 20 March 2004, 10:01

If you buy a new boat you will lose money on it when you sell it. If you buy a second hand boat you will probably lose money on it, but possibly not as much.

From watching the "for sale" section here, it's clear that well known brands tend to sell quickest (Scorpion, Ribcraft, Ribtec, Tornado, Humber, Avon, Zodiac). Prosport are relatively new to the game and as such haven't built up much brand history -- early reports sound good though!

John

Manos · 20 March 2004, 11:47

You do not need to be a rocket scientist to realise that when you buy a new boat (whatever the make) the depreciation is quite large up to 35% (and more in some cases - i.e. companies that have gone bust, boats that have bad reports etc) for the 1st year. If you intend to keep the boat for a long time (say over 8 years) it worth’s your while to buy a new everything RIB.

If you buy second hand and you keep your boat for a long time I don't think that you will lose in the long run. Say if you buy a 2nd hand , 1/2 year old, 8 mtr Scorpion, with low hours for about £35,000 (they sell for about Euro 40,000 in Europe 2nd hand) with a 250 bhp engine on it, trailer etc and you sell it after say 4 years, the boat has fully depreciated (banks say that a RIB is fully depreciated in 5-6 years time) and you sell it for say £15,000-£18,000 then you made a profit on it.

Is a difficult choice. But in my view buy a big RIB rather than a small one (even if it is 2nd hand)

Good luck!

codprawn · 20 March 2004, 11:55

you don't always lose money if you buy right! I missed a picton cobra 7.5m that was on sale for 14k - the guy was on west coast of scotland and thought nobody would travel.... the boat was easily worth 20k - my money was 1 week late coming through - typical.

The 8.5m prosport is up for 21k - is this a real bargain or just about right?

I am desperate to get soaking wet!!!

ribsforsale.com · 20 March 2004, 14:08

just exactaly how old was the picton in scotland ???? not refurbished but first built

codprawn · 20 March 2004, 15:08

I think it was a 1997 or 1998 but had been to the factory for new seats etc last year

RIVA · 20 March 2004, 17:48

SORRY MATE if you think a 97 boat ( thats 8 years old ) with a old 2 stroke on is worth 20 k , i need to sell you some double glasing and a block paved drive , please do a little bit more reserch first otherwise you will be seen as green and robed in daylight without a mask

if it sounds to good it is ,

RIVA · 20 March 2004, 17:51

a less than 2 year old, modern engine for £23850 www.ribsforsale.com

codprawn · 20 March 2004, 19:29

age is not really that important - I would rather a 1997 mint boat than a tatty 2001 model....

my MAX budget is 20k - I want a RIB with loads of comfy seats for leisure use - cobras hold their money - prob due to Dave Picton being very shrewd and not allowing them to be sold too cheaply!

If they will sell me that Cobra for 20k with a trailer I will be there tomorrow!!!

I have been looking for months and the only true bargains I seem to miss by days - so annoying!

Manos · 20 March 2004, 19:43

Try a Falcon 640SR (6.5 mtrs) or 700RSR (7.00 mtrs).
Brand new with trailer, and 115 or may be 150 bhp Yamaha from SAfrica total cost at about £15-20,000.00.
Or if you want to pay a bit more ask X-RIB. They import those under their own name. They are FALCON boats but they have the X-RIB sticker on and some patches to make them look like AVONs

RIVA · 20 March 2004, 20:48

sorry but the guy who pays 30k for a cobra 7.5 dosent wreack it in 2 years .its not like buying a car were thers loads of a model supply and demand you will be looking for a long time . by the sound of it

Richard B · 21 March 2004, 20:42

Quote:

Originally posted by codprawn
I missed a picton cobra 7.5m... my money was 1 week late coming through...

Lucky escape!

codprawn · 21 March 2004, 23:57

Yes very funny - NOT my ideal boat but the girlfriend does like em. Personally I would rather a Revenger or similar - having said that cobras really hold their money!

Bilge Rat · 22 March 2004, 07:54

MMMMmmmmmm

Quote:

They are FALCON boats but they have the X-RIB sticker on and some patches to make them look like AVONs

!!! Looks like a bitch, sounds like a bitch.....must be a bitch !!!

Quote:

Yes very funny - NOT my ideal boat but the girlfriend does like em. Personally I would rather a Revenger or similar - having said that cobras really hold their money!

So who's buying this boat then ?

Bilge Rat · 22 March 2004, 08:02

Best advise Codprawn IMO would be to go and try some of these boats out for size, 20k is a lot to spend on a boat that your going to be stuck with a possibly lose of money, and dont be fooled by the pretty sales promotions your'll get, buy a boat on its merrits not the way it looks or its nice teak deck or med style table. If you decide to buy new ask to try one out and go and look over the finished product well before you part with any money. if they dont have one you can try or cant show you one then its your money !!

One last thing.... if you want to get wet forget the 8.5 metre and go for a 4 metre boat, you will have to be working hard in a big sea to get wet in an 8.5 metre boat !!!

Rat

Suzuki416 · 22 March 2004, 09:21

I can confirm that you will get 'damp' on a 4m. Well, I did on Saturday!!

However, Ian also managed to get wet in his monster!

Pete

Richard B · 22 March 2004, 10:20

Quote:

Originally posted by codprawn
Yes very funny - NOT my ideal boat but the girlfriend does like em. Personally I would rather a Revenger or similar...

I was being serious!

Like Bilge Rat says, who's buying the boat? If you prefer Revengers, go for it!! The bigger ones are certainly good.

When you get it, will you use it or just look at it? Certainly you'll never be satisfied with something that's not your ideal boat.

Have you tried some RIBs in different seas? Talked to owners?

If your g/f likes the look of a Cobra, have a look at something like a Phantom Evo which is miles better. Also there will soon be a "Bananashark" leisure RIB which promises to be sensational but I think that there will be a queue round the block for that.... and of course they will only be new ones around.

I spent a year cruising with other RIB owners (by joining BIBOA) to find out what I liked. Then drew up a specification list and looked for RIBs that suited that list. Took a long time to find the right one!

Here's a quote from someone wise I was speaking to recently...
"Nobody ever buys a second Cobra"

Best thing to do... get yourself down to Cowes for RIBex and look at the exhibitors stuff and come out with us for a "real" test if you like

Alan · 22 March 2004, 10:43

Pal o mine has a 7.5m Cobra which he uses on the East Coast. Nicely finished boat and generally copes well with what he wants to do with it which is generally fair weather cruising & waterskiing. Medium V so it rides harder than my Scorp did although not a problem unless you are desperate to go out into bad weather & big seas. Major problem I saw was that the moulded in rear seat means that you have one stupid little drain hole to the transom. So when he stuffed it (in the Thames Estuary, wind over tide last summer) and filled it with water there was nowhere for it to go fast - unlike on a RIB with a decent sized elephant trunk etc. Took a while to bail it out!

I think Richard B has it right - Go on a few cruises, come to RIBEX have a look at and ride on as many boats as poss. Then wait and wait and wait for one to come up and buy a Scorpion!