used 5,4m searider or Tornado

[dodl]

Hello,

Not really urgent, but i started to look around for a RIB for next year.
It has to be a cheap used one. Had a 4,7m Searider 2 years ago, but had to sell it.

Now we think of a 5,4m Searider, because we were very satisfied with our 4,7m. Never had to take care of the weather in the adriatic sea. Great!
There are lots of good offers for the 5,4m SR on boatsandoutboards.

Now i also see some 4,5-5m Tornados, also looking great. But i know nothing about those boats. Are they comparable to the SR when it comes to seaworthiness? Thats my biggest interest. I do not really care how the boat looks, and how fast it is. Just has to be stable, safe and has to take some beating.

thanks
martin

[Rogue Wave]

go for the SR they are a much better boat. The Tornadoes have PVC Toobs and they go off a lot quicker than Hypalon

[JIY]

Tornados do not have PVC tubes, they have Polyeurothane tubes and there is a world of difference (search this forum for many threads discussing the pros and cons of Polyeurothane).

Polyeurothane tubes do not oxidise, nor do they suffer from the same sort of abrasion damage you often see on Hypalon tubes. My old 8.5 Tornado is now 5 years old and the tubes still look like new, so they certainly do not go off in our UK climate.

The downside is that Polyeurothane tubes can be more difficult to repair than Hypalon, and I suspect that older boats may not have the same quality of welded seams that more recent Tornados use.

[Rogue Wave]

I am very pleased that you are very pleased with your toobs and thank you for the lesson in plastic toob materials. I've never paid much attention to the nomenclature as I have no interest in toobs not made from Hypalon. But you pays your money and you takes your choice


I was answering a specific question as to which secondhand boat would be a wiser buy. I think your last Paragaph reinforced my pont It's a lot trickier to repair than hypalon and the seams welds give after a while therefore the searider may well be the better option.

[Jelly]

Martin
Please you don't say if you intend to keep your boat on the water or recover it to a trailer every night.
If you are keeping the boat on the water then the Tornado will be much easier to clean / antifoul. This is due to the Seariders flooding hull.
The 4.8 - 5 M Tornado's are often wider and a drier ride than a 5.4 Searider, but you can pick up the later for a better price as the MOD police are always putting their old craft up for sale.
It's a swings and roundabout choice swayed but what you are going to use it for, dinghy safety work Tornado would be my choice, anything that involved lots of high speed trips (except watersking etc) I would go Searider.
Well thats my 2p's worth
James

[dodl]

Hello,

I mostly do some trips around the islands in croatia. Not really high speed trips. We always were around 20-30 knots with the SR4.7.

Boat was great and we had some pretty big waves. Always safe an dry, but sometimes we had a "bumpy" ride. Up to about 20knots (~35kmh) you could go anywhere with this boat and ignore the weather forecast, as long as you stayed near the coast. But above that speed, sometimes we had a hard ride, even in a moderate chop. It seemed the first lifting rail was relatively big (to get the deep V flooded hull on plane more easily??) I thought maybe the Tornado provides a softer ride at higher speeds?

thanks
martin

[graphicsguy]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

I am very pleased that you are very pleased with your toobs and thank you for the lesson in plastic toob materials. I've never paid much attention to the nomenclature as I have no interest in toobs not made from Hypalon. But you pays your money and you takes your choice


I was answering a specific question as to which secondhand boat would be a wiser buy. I think your last Paragaph reinforced my pont It's a lot trickier to repair than hypalon and the seams welds give after a while therefore the searider may well be the better option.

Probably best to answer specific questions with factual and experienced information.


In my experience Martin, Tornado ribs are excellent. Stable; sea worthy and long lasting.

Regards,

Tony

[walruz]

I am biased as I have the 5.4 SR and don't have a problem getting wet except in very big seas of high cross winds if you are doing slower speeds.

I disagree with the earlier post about keeping it on a mooring as mine sits on it's mooring from Late Feb early March until Oct Nov and I just acid spray the hull about twice a year. (15 minute to 1/2 hour job maximum).

My Hull is a 1996 and was 9 years old when I got it and the only things I've had to do are fill a few small gel coat chips and replace the grab handles. (Rope and garden hose do the trick). Tubes have required no work except one patch when some kind sole decided the rear cone looked too hard and stuck a knife in it .

I also question Jelly's comment about using it as a dinghy safety boat which is how many 4.1 and 5.4 SR's spend their lives. WIth the flooding hull they are more stable at rest and you are closer to be able to tender any assistance required. The flooding hull also helps when you leave the boat on a mooring as the don't jump about as much in the waves or get as badly affected by the wind so they don't worry the mooring line as much.

I'm not knocking the Tornado as I haven't owned one and have very limited experience with them but do know they generally have a good rep as long lasting, good boats.

All this just IMHO of course.

Ian

[dodl]

Hello,

I forgot to mention - the boat will not be moored more than 2 weeks in holidays (salt water). At home it will only see fresh water and will sit on a trailer after each trip.

I'm also a bit biased, because i was deeply impressed about the capabilities of the 4.7 Searider in rough conditions. But then i read, that the Tornados give such a smooth ride. And this was a weak point with the Searider at higher speeds (25-30knots).

cu
martin

[walruz]

I disagree.

While I usually cruise around at around 24 knots I never have any handling issues up to my max of 36. Indeed I was just out for a quick blast (it's absolutely gorgeous here today) and was running around at 34knots.

Ian