Advantages of a RIB

Salty John · 05 September 2013, 08:05

I've been around boats most of my life - sail and power - but my experience with inflatables is confined to yacht tenders.
So, I thought I'd ask the people who know: What are the perceived advantages of a RIB over, say, a Boston Whaler of the same size? Stability, load carrying, speed, economy?

thomas · 05 September 2013, 08:08

Stability, weight, ideal for recuse boats as low freeboard and above all, much cooler.

willk · 05 September 2013, 08:52

This precise topic has been VERY well covered here recently:

http://www.rib.net/forum/f45/the-rib...ler-57379.html

Salty John · 05 September 2013, 09:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

Stability, weight, ideal for recuse boats as low freeboard and above all, much cooler.

Ah, the cool factor. Mustn't forget that.

Salty John · 05 September 2013, 09:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

This precise topic has been VERY well covered here recently:

http://www.rib.net/forum/f45/the-rib...ler-57379.html

Thanks, I guess I should have searched. I tend to think of this as a forum for discussion rather than a database.

willk · 05 September 2013, 10:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salty John

Thanks, I guess I should have searched. I tend to think of this as a forum for discussion rather than a database.

Think of it as a database of discussions

dennis61 · 05 September 2013, 10:30

Why I like RIBs

1.cool
2.easy to launch/recover
3.easy to store
4.dont easily sink

5. easy to maintain
6 get wet (hot day)
7. easy to park along side / run up beach

down side

1. limited galley facilities
2. get wet (cold day)
3. dont like sharp pointy things.....

9D280 · 05 September 2013, 16:35

And due to the hull shape etc can handle the lumopy stuff a lot more comfortably* than a big flat bottomed thing with a heavy lump of fibreglass on the bow!

There's a reason the RNLI use Ribs!

*this of course doesn't take ointo acccount the fact that you will be tempted to stay out in worse weather 'coz the rib can take it & makes you grin like the proverbial cheshire cat, so you end up out in lumper weather so probaby doesnlt seem any more comfortable.....

dennis61 · 05 September 2013, 16:43

..Done many a big lumpy trip off Milford Not so nice in the 5.4
but the Halmatics & Deltas no that was fun.........

Salty John · 05 September 2013, 16:55

I'll bet a lot of people think of RIBs as a relatively new innovation, but they've been around for at least 50 years!

Seaworthiness, stability and, of course, coolness seem to be the main reasons for their success.