1991 Novamarine RH 460 full restoration project by a RIB newbie

FredyCro · 14 May 2025, 17:09

Hi all, I am new to the forum and new to the RIB world.

I am Croatian and based in Austria, planning to use the RIB for short family and fishing trips in north and south Adriatic sea.

I would like to have a thread to document the project and also to pick your brains about my uncertainties and unanswered question.

A bit on the background of the vessel:
Purchased from a Croatian gentleman who purchased it off a Slovenian guy. The previous owner dismantled the whole boat, including console, seats, flooring, rollbar and engine and had it retubed in hypalon. The project was then left for various reasons, so it is currently consisting of the hull with the new tube and all the other pieces apart. I bought it without the engine basically for the price of the discounted new tube.

I am somewhat inclined to tinkering and have a double garage with sufficient tooling to take on the job.

Pics and general plan incoming! In the meantime looking forward to the project and your input. Cheers!

Fenlander · 14 May 2025, 17:22

Hello and welcome to the forum. A project is always welcome reading, particularly with images.

Peter_C · 14 May 2025, 22:04

Welcome to the forum

If you want unsolicited advice stick around and post lots of pics. Might just save you a lot of time and trouble. Although it might also cost you a lot more money too.

Sounds like a fun project. So he even removed the flooring? Was there rot? Fuel tank replacement? If you got the big parts like the console and seat bases, the rest probably needed to be replaced anyway.

FredyCro · 14 May 2025, 23:44

Ok, figured out how the pics are working - load incoming.

How it used to look:

How it looked at the point of sales:

How it currently sits ready for sanding and primer/paint:

General plan:
1. Sand the bottom, 2K PU primer, sand, 2k epoxy paint

2. Make a hatch cover for the bow, make flooring boards, partially as hatching, partially fix depending on the new layout of the console/back seat.

3. Raise the center console slightly, leaning post for the driver and back seat turned longitudinally. I will post an inspiration.

4. New electric plan and cabling.

5. Used 4 stroke yamaha or suzuki 40/60 OR new Mercury 40/60. Still open for debate.

First two questions:

1. Close off the large scupper or no?
Option a) try to find a scupper and install a tap on the inside as a safety measure

Option b) glass the scupper and drill a new hole for a expandable bung or tap.

2. Raise the transom for L shaft or not? Currently S length. If yes to raise, whats the best way? Insert a wooden board, glass it off and reinforce with stainless steel or aluminium plates? Thickness/size/one piece/two piece construction for reinforcement or not necessary at all if I taper in 4-5 sheets of glass?

FredyCro · 15 May 2025, 00:06

Thanks, first images are up!

FredyCro · 15 May 2025, 00:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Hello and welcome to the forum. A project is always welcome reading, particularly with images.

Thanks, first images are up!

FredyCro · 15 May 2025, 00:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

Welcome to the forum

If you want unsolicited advice stick around and post lots of pics. Might just save you a lot of time and trouble. Although it might also cost you a lot more money too.

Sounds like a fun project. So he even removed the flooring? Was there rot? Fuel tank replacement? If you got the big parts like the console and seat bases, the rest probably needed to be replaced anyway.

All advice is welcome, I am quite stubborn and sometimes need to learn the hardway.

The floor boards were removable, I have kept them for templates but have some new plans for making them new.

There was no built in tank, so I guess not.

I haven't noticed any rot on the hull, the floor boards are wooden and quite tired. I am planning some waterproof plywood and either glasses for added protection or just primed and painted with epoxy paint and some quart sand for anti-skid.

FredyCro · 16 May 2025, 13:55

Some of the scupper options I found

https://www.boot-und-motor.de/shop/b...EALw_wcB#attr=

https://a.co/d/iN9G99E

Or cover with a round inspection lid and insert a bung from the inside? I am not sure I like that option as I would not be able to reach out and open if driving the boat...

What about making a new homemade lid to the existing scupper and screw/glue a new lip so it can seal and mounting a threaded cap from the inside?

Peter_C · 18 May 2025, 15:59

A scupper would be at deck level above the water line. Is that a flooding hull? Kinda like Avon has on some of their Seariders? If it does and it was me I would try to fit a sewage dump valve or such to be able to control it from the helm.

For the floor boards some good quality ply, and use a 2 part Epoxy on them to seal them. Then paint or gel coat them to color. Not much need for fiberglass, but it wouldn't hurt as long as the thickness is correct.

FredyCro · 18 May 2025, 16:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

A scupper would be at deck level above the water line. Is that a flooding hull? Kinda like Avon has on some of their Seariders? If it does and it was me I would try to fit a sewage dump valve or such to be able to control it from the helm.

For the floor boards some good quality ply, and use a 2 part Epoxy on them to seal them. Then paint or gel coat them to color. Not much need for fiberglass, but it wouldn't hurt as long as the thickness is correct.

That's what I've been pounding. Found numerous threads about scuppers below water level on older boats.

So from my research it's not a flooding hull but rather a self-bailing hull which should bail any water on deck/in hull once on plane and keep closed when put.

I took off the old scupper and it doesn't look salvageable (OD is 120mm and ID is 60mm).

Current idea is to reduce the ID of the hole somewhat and mount something like this https://www.gamaronline.com/5354-sca...n-ritorno.html, then have a rubber bung as a fail safe and an automatic bilge pump.

As for the floor, sound like a plan, I was thinking maybe one sheet of woven roving just as and added measure, shouldn't add much extra costs.

Peter_C · 18 May 2025, 17:13

Scuppers like the one you listed fail often. Any piece of debris makes them useless. Even the ball scuppers fail easily. An elephant trunk may be an option?? Could be controlled at the helm with a line.

At the very stern it looks like there is a sump that would be a perfect place for a bilge pump? Might be best to just close off the scupper hole and go with a bilge pump.

A thin layer of woven fiberglass sure wouldn't hurt anything. Most important is to get the wood 100% sealed. You are probably going to want to put down some kind of flooring on top to keep it from getting slippery. Paint is very slippery, and although you can add a sand type friction, paint will wear quickly. Then again paint is cheap!

FredyCro · 18 May 2025, 17:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

Scuppers like the one you listed fail often. Any piece of debris makes them useless. Even the ball scuppers fail easily. An elephant trunk may be an option?? Could be controlled at the helm with a line.

At the very stern it looks like there is a sump that would be a perfect place for a bilge pump? Might be best to just close off the scupper hole and go with a bilge pump.

Yeah, forgot to mention that"s where the bilge pump will go. Elephant trunk I am not sure as the scupper is just in front of the engine. Maybe a very short one.

Effectively it would be closed with the rubber or screw-on bung from inside if I ever had to drain larger quantities of water (eg getting swamped by a wave). So closed off with a bung and bilge as a primary setting AND scupper as a drain hole that could be used when gliding or for draining on trailer.

Peter_C · 18 May 2025, 17:52

Either way I would recommend pulling the bung completely and check for damage to the transom from water intrusion. Take a pick and poke around.

If you do decide to close it off, make the hole smaller, and put a regular drain plug in. Having a rubber plug is not a good solution, as it could fall out. A larger bilge pump will take care of a good sized swamping. The nice thing about inflatable boats is they are pretty much unsinkable.

FredyCro · 18 May 2025, 18:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

Either way I would recommend pulling the bung completely and check for damage to the transom from water intrusion. Take a pick and poke around.

If you do decide to close it off, make the hole smaller, and put a regular drain plug in. Having a rubber plug is not a good solution, as it could fall out. A larger bilge pump will take care of a good sized swamping. The nice thing about inflatable boats is they are pretty much unsinkable.

Already did that, some surface degradation to the plywood, but no bad rot. The previous owner inserted a rubber bung reducer with some silicone, so it was not that bad. Ok, i will skip the scupper all together then, I will sand out the degraded plywood, insert a new plywood with some wetted fiberglass around the plug to bond it and then taper in some new fiberglass to close it off, then a through hull drain with a threaded cap. Thanks for jumping in!

FredyCro · 19 May 2025, 20:48

The basic inspiration, I would like to do some things differently, but it should be moving in this direction https://www.boat24.com/at/schlauchbo...detail/632098/

Following a lead for a brand new 40/70 honda in italy for a very good price. It would mean raising the transom, but it should be doable.

FredyCro · 22 May 2025, 18:42

Ok, I think I will tackle rasing the V notch on the transom. The plan is to feather in a piece of plywood with couple of sheets of fiberglass and sandwich it between two pieces of stainless to get to the regular L shaft size. This should help me to sort out a 4 stroke engine easier.
Fiberglass and resin for raising the console, making a hatch on the front, mounting some console and seat supports and raising the transom are ordered.

Also ordered a lot of smaller stainless hardware from AliExpress to see how the quality is, as the cost is very affordable.

FredyCro · 25 May 2025, 19:06

Had couple of afternoons working on the RIB this weekend, did some sanding, fairing and hole filling... Still some sanding left, but I tested the primer on couple of places and it holds quite good.

Cleaned out the rot with a wire wheel on a drill.

Dry testing

Since the fit was quite tight and I had to close the holes on the transom I used the fairing compound with two sheets of a fiberglass tape. I also used the fairing compund to fill the gaps left by the rotten plywood

Whn it dries, I will sand it and when doing the rest of the transom I will fiberglass over it, should be ok.

Some more sanding and will be ready to paint.

Peter_C · 27 May 2025, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by FredyCro

Ok, I think I will tackle raising the V notch on the transom. The plan is to feather in a piece of plywood with couple of sheets of fiberglass and sandwich it between two pieces of stainless to get to the regular L shaft size.

Got access to a Festool Domino 700? I would recommend using some kind of dowels, biscuits, or something vertical in the transom to the add on piece. My way would be to use a router free hand and a router table to cut the transom and wood into a rabbit joint.

As to the stainless from China it does rust sometimes.

FredyCro · 27 May 2025, 20:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

Got access to a Festool Domino 700? I would recommend using some kind of dowels, biscuits, or something vertical in the transom to the add on piece. My way would be to use a router free hand and a router table to cut the transom and wood into a rabbit joint.

As to the stainless from China it does rust sometimes.

Transom raising is happening, I have couple of woodworking friends who might have the dowel tool. That's a neat idea, thanks!

I was already thinking of freehanding some dowels, a very simple 90 degree steel jig to help drilling straight holes would do it, eg centering holes in 4 mm and then a 10-12 mm wood drill bit and 8-10 aluminium dowels over 60 cm notch each about 10 cm long.

As for the stainless, let's see, the boat is gonna be on the trailer and spend couple of weeks on the sea and be gently showered after use... I am at least looking at the "marine" grade and the stuff that looks a bit more massive.

FredyCro · 28 May 2025, 09:59

Fiberglass quantity calc:

Plans for the dowel jig (a piece of thick micarta with 2 evenly spaced holes for nice 90 degree drilling and side guides to glide over the transom, drill, insert dowel in the jig, drill next), holes should be straight, evenly spaced and centered. I would drill one size up to allow for some room for fitting. And the transom reinforcement sketch.