Tube height off the water question

[skipper64]

My Ribeye sits with its tubes well clear of the water , yet some other Ribs sit with the tubes just on or partially below the water when stationary , what are the pro`s and con`s of the two designs if there is any please??

[Poly]

Originally Posted by skipper64

My Ribeye sits with its tubes well clear of the water , yet some other Ribs sit with the tubes just on or partially below the water when stationary , what are the pro`s and con`s of the two designs if there is any please??

clear = less drag so more speed / better fuel economy for the same speed, also means that if you keep your boat afloat growth (weed, barnacles etc) on tubes is less of an issue.

touching = more stable, so more pleasant if you are bobbing around at anchor / fishing / diving. also usually means the boat has lower "freeboard" so is easier to get into from the water.

has been debated much in the past...

[Vandad]

Originally Posted by skipper64

My Ribeye sits with its tubes well clear of the water , yet some other Ribs sit with the tubes just on or partially below the water when stationary , what are the pro`s and con`s of the two designs if there is any please??

Very interesting topic. I have owned two Humber RIBs. One was 5m Assault and the other was a 6.5m Destroyer. The Assault's tubes were always touching the water. We used to have a very smooth ride. Same for the destroyer although just the end of the rubes was touching the water when in stationary...

But I have seen ribeye's tubes are well above the water when in stationary and start getting wet above certain speed...

[the_fifer]

is it not also connected to the V of the boat hull?

Personally having taught in both i prefer the lower tube height as this mean the boat doesn't feel like its falling over (as if sitting on grass) as you move side to side and get the boat rigged and ready with all its equipment.

If i remember rightly the smaller Ribcrafts i.e 5m and 5.2 have their tubes out the water

[Cookee]

The 785 has been extended sideways to give more room inside the boat, they also went up with the tubes resulting in the boat lurching from side to side at anything less than planing speeds quite considerably, defeats one of the objects of having them in the first place IMHO!