What size of rib to garage

Euan · 21 July 2009, 18:22

Looking to buy second hand rib with view to garaging it when not in use. The length of my garage is 18ft 9in. I guess I would be looking at a maximum length of 4.5m rib but It will depend upon trailer. I know some trailers have a swivel arm which may be useful but dont know much about them. Anyone any ideas about this?

Euan

Tim M · 21 July 2009, 18:25

A Ribcraft 4.8 will fit in a standard garage apparently. Never tried it my self though!

Euan · 21 July 2009, 18:33

Thanks Tim

The problem will be the added length of the trailer. Dont fancy knocking down any walls into the house

Euan

Carl · 21 July 2009, 18:39

urm measure it before you buy it

Euan · 21 July 2009, 18:40

Have thought of storing it at the local marina lock up which will mean not restricted on size but not sure of security.

Poly · 21 July 2009, 18:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Euan

Have thought of storing it at the local marina lock up which will mean not restricted on size but not sure of security.

Which marina? Probably just as secure in a marina as a garage. Garage doors are not very secure in my experience. Insurance costs made no difference when moving from my garage to either Port Edgar where I store my boat (shed locked at night, CCTV), or to a small boat yard on the west coast (not even a gate on the yard - but it was the back of beyond).

Reasons for storing at home would be (a) to save cost (b) if I headed out often in lots of different directions so going to marina to collect boat first would be a PITA.

On the other hand storing at the slipway saves faffing around with trailer boards, tie downs etc every trip. And leaves you your garage free for its proper purpose of storing random crap!

Euan · 21 July 2009, 19:23

Thanks Polwart

It was port Edgar that I was thinking about. Sounds like that may be the answer. I will look into that and look at costs etc

Cheers

Euan

Poly · 21 July 2009, 20:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Euan

Thanks Polwart

It was port Edgar that I was thinking about. Sounds like that may be the answer. I will look into that and look at costs etc

Cheers

Euan

Euan, Its not 100% secure (you could drive in with an angle grinder and take my boat away easily enough - and with fake plates on your car (or a stolen car) it would be impossible to catch you (although if you did arouse suspicion there is really only one road out and the police station is pretty close!), but with a wheel clamp on there is probably easier prey.

Mine lives in a shed, which is locked after hours, but is unlocked during the normal day - and obviously the other dozen or so people who use the shed all have access to the boat. I sometimes leave gear on board (tools, ropes, fenders, anchor etc). None of it has ever gone missing.

The staff are actually more diligent than I expected at checking up on the boats. I got a phone call in December to say "your boat has gone awol" - actually I had it at home for the night. Last time I was in the office I noticed there was a note for the staff to call the owner of one boat to tell him his tyre was flat.

Fees are on their website - and although they force a sharp intake of breath when they are due - they are competitive with other places of a similar ilk. Somewhere like Dalgety Bay SC will be cheaper but no option for indoor storage, and no permanent security presence on site.

Worth bearing in mind that P.E.s charges jump up if the boat is >4.6m long. If you use it alot (in the forth). then you could consider keeping it afloat too. I would use my boat twice as much if I didn't have the hassle of launching.

Leapy · 21 July 2009, 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

Probably just as secure in a marina as a garage.

Can't think of anything potentially more secure than your own anonymous garage...no other boats around, no sign saying 'Boats This Way', no strangers wandering around pretending to own or browse.

Assumes you have the garage, of course

Poly · 21 July 2009, 22:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leapy

Can't think of anything potentially more secure than your own anonymous garage...no other boats around, no sign saying 'Boats This Way', no strangers wandering around pretending to own or browse.

Assumes you have the garage, of course

I know what you are saying buy there are a large number of high value (>£1000) mountain bike thefts from anonymous garages - but these are not believed to be random attacks - rather someone spots the bike on a car roofrack and follows the car to see where it is stored. I am sure the same will happen with boats.

When I used to keep my boat in a garage - everyone in my street would have known it lived there. Anyone visiting them or driving up and down the street when the garage door was open would know (and because of the other stuff we use our garages for it was open at some point most weekends).

My next door neighbour had a big bowrider thing he kept in his - and I wouldn't have challenged a stranger taking it out his garage unless they were obviously shifty, or had clearly broken in, as he would take it out with various people who would tow it from time to time.

In my experience domestic garages are pretty insecure buildings, and insurance don't require clamps etc when in a garage. I think it might be wrong to assume that your own garage is "safe". If I was nicking my boat I think it would have been "easier" at my old house (from the garage) especially if I was obviously away for the day/weekend/week than from the marina - where there is a risk of getting caught.

Personally I would like to see key pad type security on the shed door and a barrier that requires me to prove I am a berth holder to take a boat off site at the marina - but talking to the staff thefts don't seem to be a problem.

Mollers · 21 July 2009, 22:12

http://www.style-your-garage.com/

This could confuse your average garage lurking 'Tea Leaf'.

bencymru · 22 July 2009, 12:40

I have a 4.1 m rib which fits more than comfortably into my slightly larger than normal garage.

On the issue of security, i bought an old van for £50 which i just leave on my driveway in front of the garage. this makes life difficult for would be thieves as hey have the added problem of dealing with the van.

overall security= clamp , deadlock on garage door , chain on trailer which is used to chain to a fixing point i found on the ceiling.

dodgy van in front of garage.

and i'm still convinced its going to get nicked...... perhaps i need cctv that i can access anytime

regards

ben

9D280 · 22 July 2009, 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Euan

18ft 9in. I guess I would be looking at a maximum length of 4.5m rib but It will depend upon trailer.

You may be able to squeeze in a 5m - your garage is not amillion tho' different to mine- I had an SR4 that I could reverse in & leave the engine up - I now have the humber, a non standard trailer and a piece of carpet down the back wall to protect the engine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Euan

I know some trailers have a swivel arm which may be useful but dont know much about them. Anyone any ideas about this?

I thought asbout that but the thought was immediately followed by "what a PITA having to dismantle the trailer every time". I called Mersea traielrs who did me a short drawbar version of the old Snipe R750 braked (they bought Snipe out as I was ordering it!) Anyway, it all fits in with 1/2" to spare 'tween hitch & door! If you are careful with weights & have a big enough car you could get away with an unbraked trailer, which has a lot less sticking out the front.

I wanted to keep mine in the garage as I am pretty central to lots of different water, and as Polwart says, diverting 2 hrs to pick it up if I want to go the other way........

As for security, I am of the belief that no matter how well you lock it down, if someone really wants it, they'll take it. Main aim is to make it marginally more difficult to nick than the next one!

Leapy · 22 July 2009, 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by 9D280

You may be able to squeeze in a 5m

Our 5.3m Ribcraft with shortened drawbar braked trailer is 8.5m or 21ft 6ins overall with the Suzuki DF90 down

Watch the garage door width too...our boat clears the door frame by 20mm each side and so we winch it in

tinker · 22 July 2009, 16:25

My 4.8m Ribcraft did fit in my garage with the draw bar removed and the tubes deflated. The garage is 1950's construction, which is a tight squeeze for modern cars (not sure on the actual dimensions)

Fitzy · 22 July 2009, 17:56

I have the latest model Avon 470 Adventure and that fits just fine in my standard sized garage, although the trailer does has a rather short draw bar, but even so there is still about a foot clearance from the door.

As someone else pointed out the width might be more of an issue as I only have a couple of inches clearance on both sides going through the door. Height may also be an issue if you go for a boat with a windscreen on the consol.

Leapy · 22 July 2009, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitzy

As someone else pointed out the width might be more of an issue as I only have a couple of inches clearance on both sides going through the door. Height may also be an issue if you go for a boat with a windscreen on the consol.

Which reminds me...we had to have a non-standard A frame made. It clears the up-and-over garage door by 0.5ins

The windscreen clears by a massive 0.75 ins

BogMonster · 22 July 2009, 23:30

It depends on all sorts of things including the approach to the garage. My 5.8m won't go into a 9m long garage because of the trailer drawbar length, but even if it would there is no way I'd get it in because the door, though it is 2.5mx2.5m which is quite a bit bigger than a standard door, is only a few inches wider than the boat and there isn't enough room to get the perfectly straight back approach you would need to get it through with such a small clearance either side.

Downhilldai · 22 July 2009, 23:41

Mine's a bit 'made to measure' too.
Another coat of paint on the reveals and I'd need to let the toobs down

spartacus · 23 July 2009, 08:20

My zodiac 7-Man Pro (4.2m) fits with about an inch to spare. The engine is down and steering at hard lock. This is on an Indespension Rollercoaster (750kg load) break-back trailer. I noticed that the winch post could move further forward, which would allow a bigger boat to be accommodated, possibly a Pro 9-Man which is 4.9m long.

Regards security, I agree with Polwart, in as much as all my immediate neighbours know what's in the garage, and obviously I'm aware of passing cars, and those who are taking more than a passing interest.

Security-wise, there's an Indespension hitch-lock, wheel lock, Yamaha outboard-lock, yale security push-bolt locks (x2) on the garage door, and it's linked to the main Yale security house alarm. I also have the option for it to ring my mobile if the alarm is triggered!