Want to buy a small rib - need some advice!

[Broseidon]

Want to buy a small rib or inflatable - need some advice!

At some point next year I'm thinking about buying a small rib or inflatable boat, the thing is, I don't have much of a clue about them, all I know is that I want one! :blackeye

It needs to be small enough to fit on a roof rack or possibly a small trailer, yet big enough for 2 maybe even 3 (Dafydd!) people to pootle about in.

I don't want to spend too much so I'll be looking for something 2nd hand. As I wont use it that often, I wouldn't really want to spend over £500, although I'm not sure what I'll get for that kind of money, might need to increase the budget!

Would really appreciate people's input as to what size I should be looking for, where I might find one (eBay?), what engine it should have and what I should look out for.

Out of interest, how far could one travel in such a small craft, given calm seas? Would it be good for only very small trips, or could it have some decent range?

Thanks

Mike

 

[foxfish]

Lots of small boat experts on the Dorset thread!
You might find it a challenge to get a three man rib on your roof rack though?
Ribs have solid fiberglass bottoms & they can be quite heavy.
Potabotes are great fun & will fit on your roof rack, I have one, it goes very well with a 5hp motor & wights about 50kg!!!
I have taken mind out in some scary weather & it has only sunk once...
http://www.porta-bote.com/

 

[Broseidon]

Thanks for the reply buddy! The Porte-Botes look awesome, absolutely perfect, but unfortunately, the cheapest 8' one is over £1,500

A few companies do nice little inflatables, here's a Honda one I saw on eBay: [ame=http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Honda-HonWave-T27IE-2-Air-V-Floor-Inflatable-Boat_W0QQitemZ200412307811QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_3?hash=item2ea9812163]Honda HonWave T27IE-2 Air-V Floor Inflatable Boat on eBay (end time 30-Dec-09 09:08:51 GMT)[/ame]

 

[Trelawney]

Hi Broseidon.

I've got a 3.4m Avon inflatable with a Mariner 15hp outboard and I can fit 4 spearos on it with kit, but the performance does suffer a bit. With two it flies! Tong and myself can lift it on to the roof of my car and strap it down (no roofrack). Scottwilson does the same with a similar size boat on his Punto.rofl
Depending on how much fuel you have, and how reliable your engine is, you can go as far as you want. If you're staying coastal, you will never be that far from the shore anyway.

Anything made by Avon or Zodiac (Hypalon tubes not PVC) will be pretty robust and easy to repair. I bought an Avon Rover from Shiny1 this year. It looks a complete dog of a boat with more patches than I care to count, but hasn't lost any air whatsoever. You can pick up a boat cheap if you don't mind giving it a bit of TLC.

IMPORTANT!!
The engine is going to be the most expensive thing you will buy. Stay clear of Ebay bargain engines unless you can go see them running and take someone who knows what they are looking at. Stick to the well known brands, ie Mariner, Tohatsu, Honda. They also have a good spares backup. 2 stroke or 4 stroke, the choice is yours. Pros and cons to both.

Bear in mind though, there is nothing worse than having an unreliable engine die at the end of the day, miles from anywhere, when you are cold, wet, tired and by yourself.

So.....

You will also need a Marine VHF radio, because when thinks go wrong at sea, they go VERY wrong VERY quickly.

A nice "Alpha" flag for when you're in the water, but don't expect other boaters to know what this means.

An anchor, and about 30m of anchor line.

First aid kit.

£500 will get you started with something, but don't expect a minter, but then again, most spearo boats get a bit battered anyway.

Good Luck!

 

[Broseidon]

Thanks Trelawney, great post - really cleared a lot of things up for me!

 

[karl_h]

Pick up a carp fishing magazine there are inflatable boats in there that they use over in France/Romania on the huge lakes. Take 2-3 with gear plus a few come with engines echo sounders and other bits n bobs.

 

[Broseidon]

Cheers Karl - appreciate it man!

I'm doing a fair bit of business in China at the moment and have links with quite a number of suppliers. I spoke to a few yesterday and have found that I can pick up all manner of inflatable watercraft and engines at really good prices. According to my research, China is where 99% of these things are made, most of the big companies just custom order their own colours and branding.

Take this as an example - can get something like this, (solid carbon hull with hypalon) for about £2,800 (not including engine).



Obviously WAY bigger than I need but illustrates the kind of saving that can be had over your typical UK prices. I'm going to look at some more 'sensible', small ones and see what kind of prices I can get!

 

[foxfish]

You are going to need some extra fuel tanks to bring one back from china mate?

 

[Broseidon]

You are going to need some extra fuel tanks to bring one back from china mate?

LOL rofl - I think I'll go for sea freight!

The main problem with Chinese suppliers is that they'll ship from their factory to a Chinese port, then it's up to you to get it from said chinese port and back to Blighty!

 

[Jonny250]

Simpson Marine / Boat Sales / Quicksilver 310 Air Deck (2008)

Mike, these guys give good service.

alternatively, what about using sot kayaks? if you're staying near the coast then might be better? i love mine

 

[Broseidon]

Hi Jonny - the Kayak wouldn't be the right choice for me as I always go out with my girlfriend + I really fancy wizzing about in a little boat!

The Quicksilver was one that I'd already looked at, seems a nice little boat! Seems I can get a 3.6 m inflatable for about £250-90 from China, although I'm not sure what shipping will cost.

What size engine would you recommend? Is a 5hp decent enough or should I be thining more along the lines of 10-15hp?

 

[foxfish]

Mate all boats will have independent engine ratings but bare in mind to go fast you need more power & that means a heavy engine.
Its not just the weight either as outboads are very ungainly to handle, basically you can say anything over 10hp is not pleasant to get on & off your boat.
I have been down this rout many times & ended up with the potabote + 5hp motor = total portability & a 15 ' boat +50hp = a permanent mooring or trailer.
Perhaps the compromise would be a 12' inflatable & a 10hp motor?

 

[Broseidon]

Perhaps the compromise would be a 12' inflatable & a 10hp motor?

Sounds about right to me!

 

[scottwilson]

13ft inflatable with a 15hp outboard and launch wheels would suit your needs mate.


You wont be going brake neck speeds but it will get the 3 of you to your dive spots in comfort.

the launch wheels imho are a must. you can loadup the SIB by the car and wheel it down the beach/slipway with ease and it also makes launching the boat on your own easy.

I use a 12ft zodiac SIB with a 15hp and get 17mph with all my gear in, my average trip out is usually 16 miles which is done with ease.

Make sure you have something onboard to bail water out quickly. If the sib gets flooded by a wave you are going to want to get that water out as quickly as possible.

I got hit by a wave while launching from the beach and its not nice. I have a bilge pump as well as a jug.

Extra item to carry onboard.

Hand held gps ( I have the etrex hc with blue charts installed)
water, water ,water ( I use 3 2 liter bottles )
Food, chocolate
Mobile phone water proof case ( I bought one from the pound shop)
Hat and a wind breaker

all the above fits in a bag which I put in the bow of the SIB

I also carry a spare snorkel, stringer and mask

and of course a coolbox to keep those well earned fish in.

A fish finder is also a good move if you exploring new areas

Hope this helps

 

[Jonny250]

can you get to the london boat show - usually good bargains to be had there on the last of last years or 08 gear - might be worth a visit?

will you get a full warranty and service if you buy from china? could be expensive otherwise..

 

[DafyddRees]

Woah, just sen this thread

Guys, one thing...why are none of you trying to persuade him to buy a boat such as the one above? It should go faster than that Prius he drives hey! rofl

 

[Broseidon]

Woah, just sen this thread

Guys, one thing...why are none of you trying to persuade him to buy a boat such as the one above? It should go faster than that Prius he drives hey!

LOLS! Maybe because they're all sensible chaps! Imagine pulling that behind my Prius!?!? My MPG might drop below 100 causing me to fall into state of deep emotional shock and cute fluffy bunnies to instantly die! :waterwork

I recon I can get a CE rated 3.6m PVC inflatable with an aluminium floor, pump, oars, bag, repair kit and 5 year warrentee, shipped, all for about £350. Sounds like a winner!

Will need some more advice about the engine though - I'm enqiring about wholesale prices at the mo!

 

[foxfish]

Well whatever boat you buy it will have an engine rating ie 7-10hp, 10-15hp etc.
I dont know what you guys do about insurance but if you go over to the boats max engine rating you wont get insured.
Two stroke v four stroke is the next issue, there are lots of guys who are convinced 2/Ss are lighter & better but in my mind 4/s win!
Anyhow, if you want a nice smooth, electric start, twin cylinder with power trim & tilt it will cost you in weight & £s.
If you want a very basic 2/s you will have to get second hand as they are no longer made in the smaller sizes.

 

[Broseidon]

The rating of the boat I'm looking at is 15hp - I seriously have NO clue about engines so will be doing as much research as I can.

As I don't have a massive car I'll be looking for something on the small side! I'll ideally get something new as I don't want to get stuck out at sea with a dodgy engine!

 

[foxfish]

OK - new boat new engine...:thankyou
As I have yet to study this years new models I cant say what I would recommend.
What you need to do is study all the manufactures specs to see who produces the lightest 15 hp motor (I assume it will be a short shaft for your boat?)
There could be significant weight differences depending on the particular model but you wont really need power anything for such a small rig so discount power trim or power tilt.
I have a feeling Honda's 15 is the same as their 20 just a different state of tune so their 15 might be heavy?