Any flatacraft fans?

[gtflash]

mate had a f3. He took me from calshot to warsash. I was hooked. Soking wet, but a big grin and in love witht the tatty little boat.

Very small transom, so flooded if weight was aft, his had a 40-50 on back which made it a little nosey to get going, but it was a very stable boat, which pushed the waves away from a stuff, if you drove it silly, however the windscreen was pointless and it was very wet. my 5yr old girl loved it too. Brilliant boat.

[RIB-Teccie]

The Rassay boat will be the one. The company came to Stonehaven in 1985 for a blast round the bay with it before it was delivered. I can't remember much about the boat given the time that has gone by but it was a bit of a jolly and a good excuse to burn some fuel.

[RodellaRibs]

Originally Posted by MagicPowers

Hi, cheers for the replies!

Ah yes I remember now, the fuel tanks on a Force 6 sticking above
deck slightly, to be covered by the console and a 'fibreglass box'.
I wish I had some pictures to share!

Nice work on those tubes!
I remember entering a competition in Sportsboat magazine
(in the '90's?!) to win a Merlin with a Tohatsu 60 and ski pole
I'm pretty sure the hull is from a Marshan or Phantom 16?
I think it was quite a late model, much better hull than the
Force 4 / 4 GT which has a full length planing pad - you're
lucky to find one of those! Look forward to seeing some pics

Cheers!

Pics as promised earlier of what I believe might be a Flatacraft Merlin. This is going to be a total referb (when I get round to it!) I will be making some new tubes (white and blue) with a slight redesign, total respray Blue dash/deck to match the upholstery and a white hull.
I am also looking for an engine? Any suggestions?

[totsworth]

Hi Rodellaribs,
Just to inform you that what you have there is a force 4 GT (14'6") and not a Merlin (15').
Only 6"? I hear you cry. But a big difference in the build. The 4GT was an extended F4 and as such had a hull and floor moulding bonded together. Light, fast, ideal as a tender, but not as strong as it could have been. There is always a compromise!
The Merlin was a shorter version of the 19' Force 5. Which as someone earlier stated was a Marshan 18 hull? This is incorrect and it was in fact based on the Phantom 16 hull.
All Flatacraft from the Merlin upwards did not have a floor moulding, but a built in foam cored stringer and bearer system with a foam cored floor bonded ontop. This was incredibly strong and light and made for a superior boat. The Merlin may have been only 6" longer, but being of this construction and Phantom pedigree, was a better, albeit heavier boat.
It was only in production for a couple of years before Flatacraft closed down, so it would be a very rare boat to find.
I am currently refurbishing my own 22 year old Force 6, with still solid hull, floor and transom. It should last forever as long as the transom doesn't rot, and currently it is still as true as the day it was built.
What is dying are the tubes. The rib's achilles heel. Are you (Rodella) still in the business of making replacement tubes? I look forwards to replacing mine in the near future and am looking for someone to make them. I would fit them myself, heck, even make them myself but time and space are at a premium.
Many thanks and should be posting some shots of my refurbishment soon.
Cheers!

[RodellaRibs]

Originally Posted by totsworth

Hi Rodellaribs,
Just to inform you that what you have there is a force 4 GT (14'6") and not a Merlin (15').
Only 6"? I hear you cry. But a big difference in the build. The 4GT was an extended F4 and as such had a hull and floor moulding bonded together. Light, fast, ideal as a tender, but not as strong as it could have been. There is always a compromise!
The Merlin was a shorter version of the 19' Force 5. Which as someone earlier stated was a Marshan 18 hull? This is incorrect and it was in fact based on the Phantom 16 hull.
All Flatacraft from the Merlin upwards did not have a floor moulding, but a built in foam cored stringer and bearer system with a foam cored floor bonded ontop. This was incredibly strong and light and made for a superior boat. The Merlin may have been only 6" longer, but being of this construction and Phantom pedigree, was a better, albeit heavier boat.
It was only in production for a couple of years before Flatacraft closed down, so it would be a very rare boat to find.
I am currently refurbishing my own 22 year old Force 6, with still solid hull, floor and transom. It should last forever as long as the transom doesn't rot, and currently it is still as true as the day it was built.
What is dying are the tubes. The rib's achilles heel. Are you (Rodella) still in the business of making replacement tubes? I look forwards to replacing mine in the near future and am looking for someone to make them. I would fit them myself, heck, even make them myself but time and space are at a premium.
Many thanks and should be posting some shots of my refurbishment soon.
Cheers!

Hi,
Thank you for information on the Flatacraft, I did a slight Re-design for a set of Flatacraft Force 6 Tubes a while back I will try find a picture and post it at a later date. Have you any pics of your Flatacraft you could send me? Any questions please don't hesitate contact me.
Giovanni Rodella

[totsworth]

Hi Rodella,
Here's my project, tubes well worn, and she is at least 24 years old, but the hull floor and transom are all as good as the day she was born.
Would you absolutely need the old tubes for templates? Travel to uk would be difficult as she is abroad now. Ideally am looking to get the tubes made and shipped to her in France. Let me know what you think.

[RodellaRibs]

Originally Posted by totsworth

Hi Rodella,
Here's my project, tubes well worn, and she is at least 24 years old, but the hull floor and transom are all as good as the day she was born.
Would you absolutely need the old tubes for templates? Travel to uk would be difficult as she is abroad now. Ideally am looking to get the tubes made and shipped to her in France. Let me know what you think.

PM sent

[Blue Marlin]

Hi,
Just bought a secondhand Flatacraft Merlin. This is a one owner from new and has been kept in a garage all of its life and thoroughly looked after by its owner.
I used to work at a marine dealership 20 plus years ago and they were a Flatacraft dealer.
Looking forward to getting back on the water!

[Blue Marlin]

[willk]

When was she built?

[Blue Marlin]

Originally Posted by willk

When was she built?

The whole outfit is roughly 20 years old, amazing condition.

[willk]

Originally Posted by Blue Marlin

The whole outfit is roughly 20 years old, amazing condition.

20 years? Absolutely stunning - well done you. You sound like the right keeper for the foreseeable!

[Blue Marlin]

Originally Posted by willk

When was she built?

20 years old this month

[Blue Marlin]

So pleased with handling of this boat and goes very well with the 70 Yamaha!

[dogboy]

Originally Posted by Blue Marlin

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A very informative thread. I always seem to have my eye on the flatacraft as I still ponder over my first rib. This one is fantastic !

[Rum_Runner]

Originally Posted by MagicPowers

Hi,

I know this is an old thread, but incase anyone's presently looking
at Flatacrafts, I thought i'd throw my experience in!

In the 4m category, where a 4m Avon Searider would equate to
a Flatacraft Force 4 - the Searider is undoubtedly the better offshore
and durable boat. I've had a Searider with a 50hp Evinrude and a Force 4
with a Mariner/Yamaha 55 - though to be fair was probably only putting
out 40hp! I'd go anywhere in the heavier and deeper-V Avon. While the
Flatacraft was more exciting in terms of acceleration and being lighter,
it was very 'slappy and slammy' in any chop.

Although not a practical concern, I must say I loved the Flatacraft for it's
'retro' design features which were way ahead of their time.
I wouldn't say this a fair overall judgement on Flatacraft though - I've also
had a Force 3 GT with a Yam 30, which although smaller than the Force 4,
was actually a much better sea boat with a very deep-V hull. I took this
around Start Point many times (Dartmouth-Salcombe) and it was very
comfortable - in a drysuit mind you!

Going back over 10 years ago, I remember my Dad's Force 6 Flatacraft.
They're rated for 150 hp, and in the name of good fun, he put a Yamaha
200 on it! (I must add, I'm not recommending this - he's very experienced).
And that was from the glorious 2-stroke V6 days. It flew - literally!!!
I remember helping him re-gel the deck and hull one Winter and I recall
transom being exceptionally thick with integrated supports and upon
upgrading the fuel capacity with s/s fuel tanks, I recall the decks being
about 3 inches thick! The tubes were very well made too.
Excuse me, having a nostalgic moment here!

I remember being a passenger on a Force 5 with a Yam 90 a couple of
times during a B.I.B.O.A cruise (are they still going?!) and for a leisure
RIB, it was remarkably comfortable in the rough. It was a Marshan 18
hull if I remember correctly. If a good example of a Force 5 came about
I'd snap it up straight away.
It sliced through chop like an old 7m Ribtec - before they foolishly
increased the beam!

I got excited about the near revival of Flatacraft a few years ago.
I think there was a lot of investment in design and retro-fitting a
jet-ski engine into a luxury tender. With an established brand name
and reputation, I would've liked to see some well built, no frills RIBs.

All those great hull and deck/console moulds must be laying around somewhere!
Any info would be appreciated, incase you

hadn't noticed, I'm a bit of a fan.

Hi I believe I have the last or one of the very last Flatacraft F6 ribs built