BWA Rib opinions

Into The Blue · 26 November 2011, 15:05

I've finally managed to persuade my brother to join the ribbing fraternity.
He has been looking for a while and has a budget of £3-£4k. This 5.5 mtr turned up today but I've never heard of BWA ribs.
It's got a 90 Merc from around 2000 with plenty of documented service history but the boat is clearly older, it needs a damn good scrub but no obvious signs of abuse more of lots of use.
The outboard is on a pod mounted ouside the transom, looks like it was originally intended for a jet drive not an outboard. The hull form looks closest to a Medline.
Has anyone got one, know anything about their history, sea keeping etc?

I'd hate my drother to fianlly take the leap into the glorious world of Ribs and get the wrong boat. He's only intending it for local day trips out of Poole to Swanage or maybe Christchurch in the summer so doesn't exactly need anything too radical.
Views appreciated

ItB

Into The Blue · 26 November 2011, 15:11

Oh and I have found the website
http://www.bwa.it

But thats for new boats, and just give the usual guff. Not what they are really like
thanks

boilermaker1 · 26 November 2011, 17:56

I do not know about that particular make of Rib except that it is from Italy..I had an Italian made Rib , an AB inflatable, which looked like it was made for the delux yacht tender market. The rear sections of the tubes were always in the water which caused a lot of drag. hull was tapered deep v with the back section very shallow. boat acted more like a soft inflatabe than a rib. purchased a Tornado of the same size and it is 100% better boat

Into The Blue · 26 November 2011, 20:49

Thanks, there is some damage to the underside of the aft end of the tubes that looks like it might have at least been made worse by the tubes running through the water.
Will make sure we get it onto the water for a test and will look for the tubes lifting out of the water - or not

juggster · 29 November 2011, 21:22

We have loads of them over here, infact i had gone to see 1 before i bought my zodiac, my impression was that they are not bad.... but not great either, if the price is right then its a good buy, but i was not too impressed with the quality, small details like cheap fittings and not very durable seams, just my personal opinion there

Just · 21 February 2012, 22:18

How did it go with your test to see if the tubes drag in the water? Did it turn out to be a good boat?