What to get for around £11000?

[ribandlandy]

Hi all,

I have been looking at the 5m area and really want a ribcraft 4.8m but they are too pricey new and second hand seem to be non existent. Further manufacters i have looked into are Humber and ribquest. All are commercial bias boats because i prefer the look.

So am open to any suggestions ideas about other makers or models, anyone know of any good deals going (could poss stretch budget a bit for right boat)

Requirements:-

Would like to use for skiing if poss

Bit of fishing

General cruising

All year round use including rougher winter months.

I know questions like this are common place on here so i am sorry but any help would be appreciated.

Many thanks

[ashbypower]

Hows about a XS460 with 40Hp mercury?

Here

[ribandlandy]

Thanks for the prompt reply, would prefer something with a bit more go something up around the 60hp mark i think, nice boat though.

[Kernow Buoy]

Worth a look

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/r...t-rib-PAA21918

[Ribshop]

What about the tough RS we just had a great review in rib mag
http://www.rib-shop.com/prodtype.asp...ageHistory=cat

[spartacus]

Originally Posted by ribandlandy

Hi all,

I have been looking at the 5m area and really want a ribcraft 4.8m but they are too pricey new and second hand seem to be non existent. Further manufacters i have looked into are Humber and Ribquest. All are commercial bias boats because i prefer the look.

So am open to any suggestions ideas about other makers or models, anyone know of any good deals going (could poss stretch budget a bit for right boat)

You're exactly where I was probably a couple of years ago. I used to have a Zodiac Pro, which to be fair was a great rib, but in ideally for the Mediterranean on account of the shallow V hull.

With the Pro sold, I looked for a boat that wouldn't break the bank, could take a mid-sized outboard, fitted in the average domestic garage, and had a decent V hull so my backside stayed on the seat instead of being permanently airborne!

Your choices are good. Ribquest make a fantastic 4.8m commercial, and their attention to detail is fantastic. I took a trip down to Sheffield and spoke to their owner Dave Rose, who was very knowledgable, and clearly passionate about the boats he builds. Unfortunately, their products come at a price. The Ribquest 4.8m, with Suzuki DF50 fully rigged with electrics are about £15k. You can of course buy a basic boat and rig it yourself, something that's worth considering. Incidentally, it's a well-build boat, and as a result is a little on the heavy side compared to your other choices.

Looked at Humber, especially the Ocean Pro 2.1m beam. Prices were okay, but by the time you add in a double jockey console, trailer, and the usual extras the costs were rising.

In the end I opted for a RIBcraft 4.8m. I won't go into the hassle I had when I bought it, but suffice to say they came good in the end and have built me a boat that's robust, well finished and came within budget.

I wasn't RIBcraft's typical customer when I bought my RIB. 99% of their customers are buying the full bells and whistles packages, and that's where they make their profit.

My advice is to buy your RIB of choice, but rig it yourself. There are others that will tell you to buy a new engine and second-hand boat. I'm the reverse as I service the engine myself, so feel confident enough to buy second-hand.

Without the engine and electrics, the price for a new RIB and trailer suddenly becomes very competitive. Just remember you'll need to source an engine at some point and rig it yourself.

Any more details - feel free to PM me.

[Vandad]

I am looking to buy a new rib and my budget is exactly same as yours. But I am looking for something over 6.5m length and I have come to this conclusion that I may save more money!!!

From what I have seen so far, you can buy a brand NEW Humber with a Brand New 4 stroke outboard suitable for water skiing. But it will be a Humber Assault. It is Cat C so you are kind of limited "insurance wise!!".

I have owned many boats and having a brand new boat+outboard will give you at least 3-4 GOOD Memorable boating seasons without difficulty, or wasting time just sorting our problem...

I have owned 3 Humbers, they are Simple (sometimes ugly!) BUT reliable and very stable at sea.

As for the engine, go for something that you can find the parts easily at your local marina (or where you more often go boating). so if there is a local Honda dealer go for Honda, it saves you a lot of time and hassle. Yamaha and Honda are very easy to maintain in the UK, but a bit expensive. Mercury/Mariner (I have never owned one), AND AVOID Evinrude pre 2004. The E-Tec one are OK, but I have seen a couple of them with ECU failure after 3 years...

There are good Ribeyes on the market (2nd hand). But again, I am reluctant to recommend a 2nd hand boat whilst you can get a brand new one with your budget.

You may also consider buying the rib and outboard separately (if you are buying brand new), as you will get the best deal usually.

[ribandlandy]

Thanks for the replies,

As for rigging it myself i am not too confident on doing this just through fear of the unknown not through inability!

I was quoted 16 thousand odd for the ribcraft 4.8 which had double jockey and 2" a frame with a 60hp zuke but cant really afford that.

Vandad - when referring to new boats for my budget - which ones are they, i cant seem to find any (not from my choices anyway)

I dont mind buying second hand but the two 4.8 (ribcraft and ribquest) are hardly about anywhere!

[tony t]

I dont mind buying second hand but the two 4.8 (ribcraft and ribquest) are hardly about anywhere!

the best 2 rib makers out there

[Vandad]

Originally Posted by ribandlandy

Vandad - when referring to new boats for my budget - which ones are they, i cant seem to find any (not from my choices anyway)

Look at this:

http://www.ribworld.co.uk/ribs-detail.asp?testid=284

It says £13.5k, it comes from Humber company directly and has a Suzuki (I love these engines, they are damn quiet...buggers!). I bet they give it for around £12.5k, and you don't have to go to them if you don't want to. Order a Brand New Humber Assault which is around £6k: http://www.ribworld.co.uk/ribs-detail.asp?testid=475

Then buy a Brand New 50hp from Honda for around £5k: http://www.youngsboatyard.co.uk/prod...t-with-Remotes or get a Mariner/Mercury higher HP even cheaper.

Then spend a good weekend installing them all or take them to your local marine engineer and they should do it for like £100 - £200 MAX!

If you see you are short of like £1k to buy a decent package (either new or 2nd hand), either wait to have a fund ready or find it from somewhere (and show me where too!!!!).

I have a very bad experience of buying a 2nd hand boat once when I was on tight budget and it really ruined my whole summer. I spent more time fixing things than enjoyig the boat....