Newbie alert

[Bouldy]

Hi all,

I am a newbie to RIB well SIBs, I am considering getting a small SIB around 3m and motor to use with my family, when we are away in our touring caravan. There we hit the first obsticle, in that I tow the caravan so the "rig" will need to be transported either in the boot or split between the boot and the roof of the car along with childrens bikes.

So my first question is are SIBs easy to deflate and fold up and get back in to the bag or are they one of these, " there is no way that is going back in there once out "

What is the protocol for beach launching, or again is it down to local bylaws.

Just so you dont think its another all the gear and no idea, I spent my weekends and holidays before wife mortgage and kids waterskiing and wakeboarding around the welsh coast and then moved to sit on top kayaks to escape for an hour but now the family want to join in

Cheers

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Bouldy

So my first question is are SIBs easy to deflate and fold up and get back in to the bag or are they one of these, " there is no way that is going back in there once out

I suspect that there will be a specific method to getting the thing back in the original bags (most boats I've seen have the floor and stringers and assorted other parts in one bag, and the tube/floor/transom in another.) Once you figure out how to fold the boat to fit, it shouldn't be all that bad. A slightly larger bag may make that a lot easier (assuming someone can sew one up for you.)

jky

[paddlers]

There's a definite knack to it, one way is to suck all of the air out with the pump. That said I only ever get it near enough for travelling as I like to rinse the saltwater off & dry it thoroughly until next time.

[chipko]

Originally Posted by Bouldy

Hi all,
So my first question is are SIBs easy to deflate and fold up and get back in to the bag or are they one of these, " there is no way that is going back in there once out "
Cheers

Well it may well be nigh impossible to get everything back into the box it came in!
They are however quite easy to pack up into the fabric valise hold-all usually provided. It's probably a good idea to note (photo even) how the manufacturer rolled/folded it when first opening.

[shaunholland]

Regarding launching if you want to do it cheap then stay below 10hp and most places were I've been if you can carry it then you don't have to pay, it depends on what you want, I too started with car and caravan plus kids etc but I had a yam 380 with a 25hp and also a flat pack trailer which use to take about just over an hour to set up but slightly longer to dry of and put away but it is do able

[Poly]

Could it go in or "on" the van?

[beerbelly]

a 3.2 honwave airfloor is very easy to fold back up into its wrapper no need to suck the air out the halkey Roberts valves lock in the open position so just fold it up and the air comes out .it will also easily fit into your caravan for transportation

[Fenlander]

There is an art to packing a SIB away but once learned it applies across all SIBs and we never fail to get ours down tight into its packet. If you get ours packed just a few inches too wide it doesn't fit widthways between the estate loadspace wheelarches and messes up the whole arrangement of boating/holiday kit... so I always have an incentive to get it right.

[Chopperbill]

Mine came with a big flat envelope you have to fold up around your folded SIB with straps to cinch up. Alway plenty of room if you do a sloppy job folding it.

[r1rocket]

I used to have a 3.2m sib with a mercury 15hp on it until I upgraded to a bigger boat. It was big enough for the family while the kids were smaller. I used a Rooteq outboard trolley to transport the outboard across the beach etc. The 15hp weighed about 50kg so consider the weight before committing to an engine - mine could do over 20 knots on the 15 but was a bit wild if you were single handed! Check local info with regard to launching, but I never had any problems. I also invested in a 12v pump with pressure cutout to make it easier and quicker to set up.
Don't know what vehicle you are using but I made a wooden 'trolley' on wheels to enable me to slide the outboard into the back of my L200.
The other point to note is that the SIB will weigh about 50kg (that was the weight of my 3.2m) so it may be too heavy for your roofrack (most limit the weight to 50 kg total) unless it is a commercial rack.
PM me if you want any more info - happy to chat.

Regards,

Andy