What are the advances on RIB design these days?

[Manos]

Looking at RIB prices Worldwide I see that they get higher and higher by the minute.
Justifiable you may say since labour and material costs escalate at the same pace.
Not enirely acceptable I will argue.
But is not only the cost. What about the design? Are there any new drastic developments on RIB design that reduce the BANGING, give better performance, reduce consumption due to less friction. I'm not talking here for the stepped hulls VERY OLD, USA NAVY DESIGN - I think it came out in 1950s or the concave hulls that are OK for rough but not good for smooth waters, or any of the other gimmicks that ALL have come out from the USA before the European manufactures ever knew what a RIB is. I am trying to talk about GENUINE DEVELOPMENT IN EUROPE where RIBing is a popular sport.
What are the advances?
I .... haven't heard of any new major advances lately in either design, materials or fabrics. May be I'm wrong.

IMHO it would have been justifiable to pay through the nose £350K I hear for a bloated boat (RIB), £299K another one and the list is endless. I think this is rediculous UNLESS these boats except the crap that they have on board and which IMHO make them look like something out of a halloween's night they have something else to offer.

Looking at the photos of some of them I can't see anything ... but then again I'm not an 'expert'. May be there is. BUT WHAT?

Any views on the subject?

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by Manos

I think it came out in 1950s or the concave hulls that are OK for rough but not good for smooth waters, or any of the other gimmicks that ALL have come out from the USA before the European manufactures ever knew what a RIB is.

I'll put this down to a mis-type . I think you may find RIBS are generally considered to be down to the British ???????

Is it a case of 'if its not broke , dont fix it' . Why try to re-invent the wheel ?

[m chappelow]

as blackroady said british ,the RNLI atlantic collage in wales to be exact with help ,hence the ATLANTIC CLASS BOATS 18,21 ,75,then the 85from the other well known wesh inflatable firm .way back around 1963,first idea by desmond hoare ,it was working with the RNLI sibs at that time the 16 ft zodiac D class which lead from adding plywood to the rubber hull to the concept of adding rubber to a hard hull ,first were plywood then grp ,most of the experimental boats are still around though not in use ,even now the RNLI is a leader in rib design trying new ideas out ,having said that they are not in the leisure market ,though engine inversion proofing ,self righting bags ,console seating .and ballast tanks were all developed at atlantic college or at the inshore lifeboat centre on the isle of wight .even the very large Medina class r.i.b with a full cabin was developed,eventually going to the dutch ,

[Manos]

@ Blackroady ... I was talking to friend of mine that works for the US Navy as a naval architect and engineer and he said that it was them that invented the new technologies on RIB design. Not that they invented the RIBs of course.
May be I didn't expressed it as well as I could and I'm sorry.

I agree if it does not brake don't fix it. However we are talking that some manufactures ask for very many thousands for a 10 mtrs RIB (350K I heard for an open RIB not even a cabin RIB). For that amount I think that the boat MUST have something new developed so this guys is asking this much for his R&D costs. Which IF this WAS THE CASE I can understand. BUT IS NOT!

[JSP]

There are new design's in hull shape all the time but how much can you change a hull?

[Manos]

@ jsp ... do you know what are they? How are they different from what we have?

From what my sources say some so called 'new hull designs' are EXACT copies from military US hull designs. So they are not new

[JSP]

Originally Posted by Manos

@ jsp ... do you know what are they? How are they different from what we have?

From what my sources say some so called 'new hull designs' are EXACT copies from military US hull designs. So they are not new

Ok, more variations of the design.

[chewy]

Originally Posted by Manos

I'm not talking here for the stepped hulls VERY OLD, USA NAVY DESIGN - I think it came out in 1950s or the concave hulls that are OK for rough but not good for smooth waters, or any of the other gimmicks that ALL have come out from the USA before the European manufactures ever knew what a RIB is. I am trying to talk about GENUINE DEVELOPMENT IN EUROPE where RIBing is a popular sport.
What are the advances?
I .... haven't heard of any new major advances lately in either design, materials or fabrics. May be I'm wrong.

Cookee on here might be a good person to speak to.
You could try doing some research yourself and find out who invented the RIB rather than just making it up yourself.
Don't the US Navy use Avon Seariders, designed and built in Wales (Wales is part of Great Britian!)

New materials are carbonfibre and kevlar. I believe the Atlantic 85 has a kevlar hull.
Developments could be considered as ballast systems or fuel tanks that have transfer pumps.

As for pricing it all depends what you want. I think RIB prices in the UK are reasonable.

[JSP]

Originally Posted by chewy

Cookee on here might be a good person to speak to.
You could try doing some research yourself and find out who invented the RIB rather than just making it up yourself.

New materials are carbonfibre and kevlar. I believe the Atlantic 85 has a kevlar hull.
Developments could be considered as ballast systems or fuel tanks that have transfer pumps.

As for pricing it all depends what you want. I think RIB prices in the UK are reasonable.

I don't totally agree there mate. Newer designs fair enough as your paying for the research and development of the new hulls, tubes etc but have you seen the price of a new Avon searider 5.4 I mean come on!

[chewy]

How much are they?

I was thinking of how cheap Humbers are, well I don't think they're badly priced anyway?

How much do you think the SR5.4 should cost?