On Fri, 06 Jan 2006 19:40:00 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:40:27 GMT, Jim wrote:

Caribe makes a darn good boat.

All of them are RIBs as far as I know. I have a Caribe RIB which is
doing OK but it is showing some minor signs of wear and tear.

I have a Zodiac Yachtmaster 1 310 RIB made of PVC from 1996. Even
covered (out of the sun), the PVC has deteriorated, even here in
Toronto. In the tropics, I doubt it would have lasted two years. Good
thing I paid well under half-price for it when I bought it in 2000.

Nonetheless, the RIB portion is sound, and for me it makes sense to
have it retubed (with 17" instead of 16") Hypalon pontoons prior to
going south in about three years. The cost of retubing will be about
$2,000, or about $3,000-$3,500 less than a new 310 cm. RIB.

I also glassed on a "strake" last year for about $30 in raw materials
and about three hours of labour. I will add barrier coat before the
spring.

I guess what I'm getting at is that maybe if you can pick up a
PVC-rotted Zodiac RIB for $100.00, you could have it professionally
retubed at a fraction of the cost of even used Hypalon. The RIB part
rarely sees damage or even much wear and is quite amenable to
"recycling".

Practical Sailor ran a load of reviews on both RIB and non-RIB
inflatables last year. I got the impression Brig was cheaply made and
Caribe was being seen as a decent contender.

Also, if you are in love with "new", consider the aluminum RIBs.

R.