Vipermax Advice

Richard Selman · 19 July 2007, 16:32

Looking to replace my trusty Northcraft 5.5 with something around the 7m mark. The osprey vipermax 7 is on my shortlist. Only concern is whether the raised tubes costs in stability terms. I intend to use the boat mainly for longer distance cruises in Scotland (contemplating a round Shetland run) and general thrashing around with the wind in my face (its my motorbike substitute - I like to go out when it is nasty) but occasionally I will use the boat for diving and sailing club rescue duties where stability at rest counts. Also is it noticably more difficult to climb on board from the water (we always dive with drysuits up here - plus the 25kg to 30kg of lead required to make the suit & beer belly sink). Anyone else use a vipermax for these types of activities?

Also the water round Peterhead are cold, rough and lonely. Looking for either a big main (>225 HP) and decent auxilliary (>12 HP) fitted on the transom for immediate use or a pair of decent HP twins (>100 HP each). Yamaha 4 strokes only being considered - they've never let me down. Only pictures I can find are of one main engine. Anyone got any experience (pictures good) of a setup like this? Too much metal on the back?

Regards

Richard

Hightower · 19 July 2007, 16:55

Have you considered the 7m Viper?

Tubes much closer to the water than the Vipermax, don't know if they're in the water tho.

Will take a single 250 or twin 115's

Richard Selman · 19 July 2007, 18:15

I want a wider rib like the vipermax (it will just fit through my garage door nice). There's just so little useful room in some of the more narrow ribs. Just trying to find out whether the higher set tubes affect the stability too much. Don't want to get one of those ribs that are really a hardboat with permanently attached fenders in disguise

I am trying to get down south to try one out but work keeps getting in the way (8 hour minimum drive to Wales).

Richard

Hightower · 19 July 2007, 19:44

I don't know any 7m Vipermax owners, but there are a few 6.5m owners on here and as the 6.5 and 7m Vipermax is moulded from the same mould, I guess thats the handling and seaworthyness would be very similar to each other. Everyone I have spoken too loves the hulls.

Biggles · 19 July 2007, 19:52

Richard,

I've often wondered about the design and handling characteristics of some RIBs. I have been on a RIB with high set tubes, not a Viper or one of its sisters, and it wandered all over the place at low speed.

I guess you'll have to try before you buy. And when you do report back.

Nick R.

Erin · 19 July 2007, 20:38

A timely post.

I'm just contemplating the Vipermax 6.5. I managed to get a brief but good demo in one by Roy Bishop, and I have to say it felt like it was running on rails... definitely no wander. I agree the tubes issue may leave it slightly less stable than others at rest, but I don't think this will be a major issue as whilst most ribs have tubes touching the water, they're not actually low enough to be providing actual buoyancy or support to the boat IMHO.

keith

Hugh Jardon · 19 July 2007, 20:46

Erin....i still owe you some pics.....sorry forgot

Richard....there are two people on here with vipermax 7m boats

humper and ribster rache

they may be able to tell you how much the tubes sit above the water on their boats, if you look on the pwhelli cruise last summer there are probably some pics ther of them, i will see what i have of them as well to see if i can pull out a 7m pic at standstill

as for stability......unfortunatley i cant comment as i have never compared ours to other ribs with their tubes in the water from a stability point of view

Downhilldai · 19 July 2007, 21:09

Here's a pic of Humper's 7m Vipermax at rest, next to a 5.8 which used to belong to Ribster Rache.

Seaharrier · 20 July 2007, 09:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Selman

Looking to replace my trusty Northcraft 5.5 with something around the 7m mark. The osprey vipermax 7 is on my shortlist. Only concern is whether the raised tubes costs in stability terms. I intend to use the boat mainly for longer distance cruises in Scotland (contemplating a round Shetland run) and general thrashing around with the wind in my face (its my motorbike substitute - I like to go out when it is nasty) but occasionally I will use the boat for diving and sailing club rescue duties where stability at rest counts. Also is it noticably more difficult to climb on board from the water (we always dive with drysuits up here - plus the 25kg to 30kg of lead required to make the suit & beer belly sink). Anyone else use a vipermax for these types of activities?

Also the water round Peterhead are cold, rough and lonely. Looking for either a big main (>225 HP) and decent auxilliary (>12 HP) fitted on the transom for immediate use or a pair of decent HP twins (>100 HP each). Yamaha 4 strokes only being considered - they've never let me down. Only pictures I can find are of one main engine. Anyone got any experience (pictures good) of a setup like this? Too much metal on the back?

Regards

Richard

I have some pictures of the Viper Max 7,5m. On one of them you can see 2 VM 7,5 and both have their tubes touching the water. Maybe that's due to the fact there are 4 persons on each boat ... I’ll try to upload the picture later on today.

Anyway, the tubes are not mounted very high.

If you install twins, even with one person on board, they will touch the water.

P.

blufin · 20 July 2007, 18:19

here's a couple of pics of a vipermax 7.5m with twins. a 7.0m will take twins no prob. there is one in kerry somewhere with 2x90 mariners and also the police divers here have an older viper (or two) with 2x90 yams. its easy enough to get yourself back into a 7.0m single motor even with gear on.
atb
gerry

Hightower · 20 July 2007, 18:40

Blue Fin, Any chance of posting the pics of your 6.2? I'd be really interested as I should get my own one in the next 2 weeks.

Seaharrier · 20 July 2007, 19:13

What speed do you get? the only viper max I have seen with twins was a 7,5 with twin 200 mercury XS.

bedajim · 21 July 2007, 07:53

Hi

Couple of pictures of my 6.5 with 200 hp Optimax and a 15 hp aux. The aux give about 7 knots using the main as a rudder

Richard Selman · 21 July 2007, 10:37

Nice boat bedajim. Perhaps 6.5m is enough for me. Why the bracket for the aux? To clear the A-frame or to reach the water? Do you have a separate fuel tank for it?

If there is just you in the boat and you cross from one side to the other at the back does it heel until the tube hits the water?

What speed do you get with your 200?

Cheers Richard

Richard Selman · 21 July 2007, 11:02

Blufin.

Was the transom on your 7.5m beefed up at all to take 2x200 HP? Thats a lot of metal - 550 kg? - (but it certainly pulls the tubes to the water!).

Richard

bedajim · 21 July 2007, 11:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Selman

Nice boat bedajim. Perhaps 6.5m is enough for me. Why the bracket for the aux? To clear the A-frame or to reach the water? Do you have a separate fuel tank for it?

If there is just you in the boat and you cross from one side to the other at the back does it heel until the tube hits the water?

What speed do you get with your 200?

Cheers Richard

The rock on the boat is very small (and i like pies) I'll check tomorrow if its dry we're out for a play

I made the bracket as you can't fit the aux over the transom due to the lip at the top and the side transom boxes. It's a solid bracket bolted to the transom so the engine is clear when tilted
I've a separate tank for redundancy and the aux is a 2 st but with my filter/separator set up you could run a 4 st aux off the main tank or the main engine off the aux tank if needed

I've had 48 knots at 5200 rpm but i've got a new prop to try

I've attached some pics to try and show the transom, the rear jockey seats can be removed on four female flush fixings and the Outhill console is smaller than the Osprey one so you've got 200 mm either side to walk around

James

Hightower · 21 July 2007, 11:48

James, where did you get the inspection hatch's for the transom boxes and flanged fittings for the conduit from?

Very neat at the back tho!

Richard,

You can specifiy any number of bespoke modifications with an Osprey as the guy who builds them is Nr "Ormskirk" spelling

and you can visit him during the build process. This means that any number of measures beefing up area's like transoms is possible. I could have had a 200 on the back of a 6.2m Vipermax if I wanted, and I know that a 225 honda was put on the back of a 5.8 vipermax in one application.

Give Roy a ring and speak to him about it.

07811190764

bedajim · 21 July 2007, 12:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

James, where did you get the inspection hatch's for the transom boxes and flanged fittings for the conduit from?

Very neat at the back tho!

Richard,

You can specifiy any number of bespoke modifications with an Osprey as the guy who builds them is Nr "Ormskirk" spelling

and you can visit him during the build process. This means that any number of measures beefing up area's like transoms is possible. I could have had a 200 on the back of a 6.2m Vipermax if I wanted, and I know that a 225 honda was put on the back of a 5.8 vipermax in one application.

Give Roy a ring and speak to him about it.

07811190764

Inspection hatches are from Force4 8" they do two shades and one of them matches the hull
The flanged fittings are supplied with that size of conduit it all came from a local electrical wholesaler

blufin · 21 July 2007, 15:05

andy ; i dont have many pics yet but here's one for you.
richard ; 2x hpdi motors @ 216kg each. the 7.5m is rated for 2x150 as standard which weigh the same but i did explain to kris/roy/mike what i was looking for before the build.
seaharrier ; it's not run-in yet, 4.5hrs only, and the props are too small but it makes just over 67mph gps with 2 pob and 200ish litres of fuel. i'm hoping for more with bigger props.

gerry

Seaharrier · 22 July 2007, 16:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by blufin

andy ; i dont have many pics yet but here's one for you.
richard ; 2x hpdi motors @ 216kg each. the 7.5m is rated for 2x150 as standard which weigh the same but i did explain to kris/roy/mike what i was looking for before the build.
seaharrier ; it's not run-in yet, 4.5hrs only, and the props are too small but it makes just over 67mph gps with 2 pob and 200ish litres of fuel. i'm hoping for more with bigger props.

gerry

Is that a viper max 6.5m with e-tec 250 HO?

If yes, there is one in Belgium with with the Traditional console and does 60 kn... acceleration is awsome!

BTW, I thing that the Vipermax 7,5m with the twin Mercury 200 XS is doing 64kn.