hand launched SIB/RIB

[swaninbay]

We are fortunate to be able to store a boat near the water with a slipway. We would like a SIB or small rib that can be hand launched from the slipway. It is a sea loch. We would like it to take up to four, not very heavy people, two adults two teenagers (total people weight probably 200kg). Just for getting about , enjoying the water, maybe a spot of fishing. But light enough that we can put it in the water from the slipway without using a car. I guess the hand launching limits the length to less than four meters? Would prefer a hard floor and a bit of a keel for stability. I read the sticky but didn't really see something that fitted our situation. Advice appreciated.

[Fenlander]

Hi and welcome to the forum. For holidays we always book a cottage immediately adj to a slip or launch point where there is a fairly secure place to have the SIB hauled out overnight. So it sounds similar to your home scenario.

We found everything up to a 3.8m with 20hp no problem using transom wheels... often OK with just me or with a single helper if a steep slip. We have downshifted the outboard size in recent years accepting a pensioner with shoulder issues and less help these days needs to adapt. But with your teen crew and assuming you will be a good bit younger than us your limits will be loads higher.

If you are always going to be at least two to launch/retrieve and keep inflated when not in use any of the 4m ish alloy floor/sausage keels would be manageable but as beamishken mentioned in your hello thread an alloy floor light RIB may be best and if you don't need to pull right out at a destination then no need for transom wheels so a small launch trolley would be great. Probably be OK with a 25hp too in that circumstance if you fancied extra fun.

[dhaglund]

Here is what we have for just that scenario you described!


It is a 3,7m SIB with a 20 hp Suzuki EFI motor on a simple wooden trolley. The boat weighs 100 kg and the motor 44 kg, unless you go for electric start then it is 48 kg. Newer Tohatsu and Mercury weight about the same.

My 15 year old son and his friends walk this down to the beach and back without issues. It is possible to do single-handed but easier with two people.

Unless you absolutely need to be able to fold the boat up a RIB is almost always a much better boat than a SIB. Less maintenance, less weight, longer lifespan, rides better etc. Having said that I really like this SIB and I just sold a smaller 3,2m RIB and kept this.

[Easedalenovice]

Originally Posted by swaninbay

We are fortunate to be able to store a boat near the water with a slipway. We would like a SIB or small rib that can be hand launched from the slipway. It is a sea loch. We would like it to take up to four, not very heavy people, two adults two teenagers (total people weight probably 200kg). Just for getting about , enjoying the water, maybe a spot of fishing. But light enough that we can put it in the water from the slipway without using a car. I guess the hand launching limits the length to less than four meters? Would prefer a hard floor and a bit of a keel for stability. I read the sticky but didn't really see something that fitted our situation. Advice appreciated.

If you have 4 people to lift the Honwave T40 would be an excellent choice and plenty of space. If you want lighter try the Honwave T38 but it is quite smaller