Hi from South East London UK.

[ALABAMA ANDY]

Hi to ALL.

Ive had no history or has any of my family of boats.
My interest has always been on four wheels.
Currently own a Beach Buggy, an old 60's American Dodge van, Beetle, Karmann Ghia, building a traditional steel HotRod.......you get the picture.

Anyway.......

A few weeks ago I went on the River Thames on one of their taxi-cruise boats from Westminster to Richmond (I actually ended up at Teddington lock).
I live a five min drive from the River Thames & this was the first time I ever went on it (apart from crossing it on the Woolwich Ferry of course).
Instantly I thought.....how cool would it be to park the Dodge van in somewhere like Putney, pull a small boat with a outboard out of the back of it, drop it in The Thames & cruise up the river & do some exploring

Now I do actually own a Challenger 400 Inflatable Dingy, which ive had for about 16 or 17 years I think.
Only used it a couple of times as a rowing boat, once at Camber Sands I think & once last year at Dymchurch.
I discovered a week or so ago that you can get motor mounts for Inflatable Dingys, so I unfolded my Dingy to see if it had motor mounts.
Alas......its so old that in needs the older style motor mount (the type that hooks into the two lower mountings & then uses the oar mountings as the top hooks.
Can I find one of these type of mounts new or used ?
Err.........no

So......bearing in mind I live in a terrace house with a teeny tiny front garden, no garage & no rear access to my enclosed garden.......Ive been limited to searching for a RIB.

This is why I joined this Forum.
I need some advise as I have absolutly NO idea what im doing to be honest ?

Im just trying to learn what all these boat types really are.
RIB I assume is "Rigid Inflatable Boat" ?
But some have solid floor, some dont, some are slatted, do they all fold away once deflated ??????
TENDER & DINGY Im starting to realise is what people just call small boats ?
Also some RIB's have a standard outboard on the back & some have a steering console.
Now Im really confused

Basically what I think I want (by searching Ebay, Gumtree, Google, Youtube, etc) is a 3-4 man size RIB (for me, the misses, one or two kids) that I can deflate & pack away to transport rather than using a trailer.
An Outboard engine that I steer manually from the back of the boat.
No idea on the HP or weather 2 or 4 stroke would be best suited ?
But i'm guessing somewhere between 2.5 & 5 HP is what I need ?

I would like to use it on the River Thames & maybe even take it down to the South East Kent beaches when the weather is calm.

I dont even know if I need a licence, insurance, permit ?
I really know nothing.
Apart from the realisation that the is a whole different part of England that Im missing out on.

Sorry for the rather HUGE introduction...........
But I want to have fun exploring, but at the same time be safe.

Any advise would be wonderful.

Andy

[Bern Hanreck]

That's quite a confusing first post ! Whilst qualifications are not essential , you would be well advised to consider some basic Power Boat Training ( such as Power Boat Level II ) before you go to sea or tackle any large rivers like the Thames . Insurance will probably be desirable . Take a look at this thread....

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/biggest...sib-64205.html

It tackles the question of what may or may not be manageable .
Also try playing around with the search function to get lots of basic answers to basic questions .

I assume you can use your garage facilities for boat storage ? You are almost certain to need something storage-wise even if you have to hire it

Good luck . Perhaps ask one straight question at a time and replies may be more forthcoming . Bern

[ALABAMA ANDY]

Yeh I know.......
I did read it back & thought hmmm yeh a bit much.

Anyway.
The basics.
Yes I have garages, workshop, sheds, etc, but nothing to contain a boat or a trailer.
Hence thinking a Rib is best.
I'm thinking the thinner part of the thames & the Medway, plus can practice on Southmere lake in Thamesmead & practice launching on the launching jetty at Erith where there is hardly any traffic.
I was just confused about legalitys & different rib designs (floors mainly).
I have a Beach Buggy that.....well.....isn't really allowed on beaches.
Plus I had Gopeds which turned out to be totally illegal in the UK.
Just wanted to search out legalities, googling questions just mainly come up with loose guesses & confusing links to large boating clubs.
I might break the questions down & post separately.

Thanks.

[HDAV]

Go do the RYA powerboat level 2 course and most of your questions will be answered plus you'll have a great weekend and learn how to handle a boat and all the legalities. Cost is about £250 but will reduce the insurance cost for your boat when you get it.

I suggest a 3-4m SIB/Zodiac + 10-30 HP motor packed will fit in a large car small van, motor comes off to store (motor smaller than a wheelie bin) under 10/15hp IMO you'll loose interest after a couple of trips