Thames Auxiliary Marine service needs a Sib or Two.

[Poly]

The logical choice is something like MORTON BOATS BLOG: First boats for London Fire Brigade

Robust enough to take major abuse against jetties, nails, ladders etc without worrying about punctures. Easy to maintain. You could probably even drop one (engine off) over the side of a a harbour wall without worrying too much. More 'sea worthy' and comfortable than a similar sized SIB in my opinion.

Its baby brother the Secu12 might be OK too. Lighter to move on land, and a wee bit cheeper as a bonus. You might get away with roof topping one of them?

Other than being able to fold up a SIB (which is time consuming, risks damage and doesn't really solve the storage issue (it just lets you move the problem inland)) I see no advantage for your type of use.

Assuming the service is genuinely useful and welcomed by the PLA (or other bodies on the river) you'd have thought one of them would have provided some mooring space free or very cheap.

[SPR]

I asked why the RNLI used SIBS - they use the surf rescue SIB in the flood teams.

Answer was - 2 fits in there 4x4 with 4 crew for fast response - not restricted to towing speeds. And they have spare boats if they get damaged.

Key point - Spare boats !

S.

[CJL]

Originally Posted by Poly

Assuming the service is genuinely useful and welcomed by the PLA (or other bodies on the river) you'd have thought one of them would have provided some mooring space free or very cheap.

Free or cheap moorings on the River Thames -

Chris

[Thamesvolunteer]

Originally Posted by SPR

I asked why the RNLI used SIBS - they use the surf rescue SIB in the flood teams.

Answer was - 2 fits in there 4x4 with 4 crew for fast response - not restricted to towing speeds. And they have spare boats if they get damaged.

Key point - Spare boats !

S.

Yes, that was our thinking also. If a boat gets a puncture we can swap the engine over onto the spare while the damaged on is getting repaired.

Chris, as for cheap moorings, I had central fore and aft trot moorings for 280 pounds a year. Greenwich yacht club can also supply me a cheap dry mooring for our sibs with a private slipway that's handy.

We're just trying thinking out the box with our boats. Our hard hull boat has free moorings upriver.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Thamesvolunteer

Yes, that was our thinking also. If a boat gets a puncture we can swap the engine over onto the spare while the damaged on is getting repaired.

I'm not following your logic. You aren't the RNLI - you don't have massive budgets or a fleet of spare boats without engines to just pop it on. Repairs are expensive. Repairs take time. Repairs devalue the asset. Damage to a SIB is potentially a safety issue.

We're just trying thinking out the box with our boats.

I think you've already made your mind up though and aren't thinking outside your particular box. I think thinking outside the box would be looking not at what the RNLI do or rescue organisations but at some of the other groups doing flood rescue work (as tying up to random sharp stuff and unexpected floating objects is their normal MO). London Fire Brigade Link I posted earlier sends a clear message to me, so does the British Red Cross , and International rescue corp Search For Missing Student (David O - notice the "Yellow Zeagull" - thats thinking out the box, and might suit your needs.

[Thamesvolunteer]

Ok, just to be clear, I have mentioned this several times, we are not a rescue organisation. We wish to provide a basic patrol keeping an eye and reporting dangerous situations.

Thanks for the advice. I will bring it up at the next meeting and advise to reevaluate the choice of boats.

[rigi36]

Sorry if this sounds rude, but you sound like wannabe river police.

I appreciate you're looking at SIBs for their portability etc but hard boats are the things designed for what you want to do.

Rigiflex
Pioneer
Whaly
FunYak

Those brands are what you want to look at IMO

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Thamesvolunteer

Ok, just to be clear, I have mentioned this several times, we are not a rescue organisation. We wish to provide a basic patrol keeping an eye and reporting dangerous situations.

that was my point although I may not have communicated it well enough. You are not a rescue org so some of the benefits of soft sides are negated (coming alongside other vessels, pulling people over the side, ability to deflate tube to get fat folk in etc).

However if you look at organisations who work in conditions not dissimilar to yourself they would be the flood rescue folk who encounter all sorts of flotsom and jetsom coming past and need to tie up to any old obstacle rather than nice jetties with fenders.

If you think you might actually do something useful like remove the hazards the drop bow options may be helpful. Any of the PE moulded boats would be better for this than an inflatable. I suspect you might get more respect from PLA if you are helping rather than reporting their "inadequacy".

To add to rigi36's list the boat I mentioned that disassembles is actually a "Zegul 380".