For long term cruising we want to buy a rib, around 3,25 meters, with
a 15 hp outboard.

Important criterium for us is llifespan, in other words:UV-resistance.
At the moment we're looking at two neoprene ribs: 1) Joker Boats from
Italy.They give a 10 year warranty on the tissue and the glue. 2)
African Cats from the Netherlands, kevlar/carbon bottom, they use
hypalion. Hypalion gives 5 years warranty.

Another criterium : suited for scuba diving from the rib.
Joker 315 weighs 53 kg. No problem to get aboard with bottle removed
and floating. African Cats 335 weighs 24 kg (nice for the davits) but
won't this low weight become a nuisance when climbing in from the
side?

Anyone here with long-term experience?

Thanks in advance.
Len.

Len wrote:
Important criterium for us is llifespan, in other words:UV-resistance.
....
Another criterium : suited for scuba diving from the rib.
Joker 315 weighs 53 kg. No problem to get aboard with bottle removed
and floating. African Cats 335 weighs 24 kg (nice for the davits) but
won't this low weight become a nuisance when climbing in from the
side?

Most RIBs are very stable and lighter is better in every way. Larger
boats like the ones you are looking at will have bigger tubes which
make for a drier running boat but do make it harder to get board from
the water. Haplon should come with a 10 year warranty, PVC boats that
don't have covers last about 5 years in the tropics but can last
indefinitely with good covers or paint. I'd suggest looking at Aquapro
and Force (New Zealand companies w/Chinese manufacture). Give some
thought to how you will store the RIB, too.

-- Tom.

Ever consider a Portabote? Their not pefect, but I like mine. Seems to
perform well, be reasonably durable and pretty easy to stow on deck. Also,
our 12' peforms well with a 6HP motor....fuel savings.

Glenn.

"Len" wrote in message
...
For long term cruising we want to buy a rib, around 3,25 meters, with
a 15 hp outboard.

Important criterium for us is llifespan, in other words:UV-resistance.
At the moment we're looking at two neoprene ribs: 1) Joker Boats from
Italy.They give a 10 year warranty on the tissue and the glue. 2)
African Cats from the Netherlands, kevlar/carbon bottom, they use
hypalion. Hypalion gives 5 years warranty.

Another criterium : suited for scuba diving from the rib.
Joker 315 weighs 53 kg. No problem to get aboard with bottle removed
and floating. African Cats 335 weighs 24 kg (nice for the davits) but
won't this low weight become a nuisance when climbing in from the
side?

Anyone here with long-term experience?

Thanks in advance.
Len.

I'd second the portabote suggestion. It's a lot more durable, takes up
very little space when folded, is easy to unfold or fold, and can
handle rocks, glass, fish hooks, nails, coral, etc far better than any
RIB. Probably a good deal less maintenance too, but I basing this on
six years of owning a porta-bote, and none of RIB ownership.

They also have full positive flotation and are exceptionally difficult
to puncture. They're also very stable in rough water and row much
better than any RIB. If you don't want to row and don't want an
outboard, they even have a sailing rig as an option.

For a LOT less money you can get a Porta-bote that will last 25 or 30 years. It
weighs less than a RIB, gives a dry ride, and you can drag it over rocks and
broken glass without worry. It also only needs 5 or 6 hp to put it on plane.
http://www.portabote.com


Having owned RIBs and now a portabote, I can tell you that NOTHING they
claim on
their website about the porta-bote is exaggerrated.

I will look at portaboat.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I doubt if you can climb in from the water though.

Regards,
Len.

Mys Terry wrote:
On Sun, 09 Apr 2006 20:17:58 +0200, Len wrote:

I will look at portaboat.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I doubt if you can climb in from the water though.

Regards,
Len.

That question has been answered on the website, including photos. I'm well on
the wrong side of 50, a little over weight, moderate arthritis, and I can get in
from the water. My wife and I snorkel off of ours.


Which website is it that shows how to enter and exit? We have both,
and use the ribby for diving; we've not figured out what to do about
getting into a bote from the water.

If you're speaking of the PB website with the firemen hauling one of
their divers in over the bow, we won't have anyone in the boat to do
that for us, never mind whether it's comfortable to do so.

The president thought he was directing me to a ladder someone had made
and it wasn't there - that's the closest the company can come to that
suggestion.

That's not to say I don't think they're the best thing since sliced
bread - it's why we bought one despite having a perfectly good ribby
and motor. I just don't expect to use it for diving or any other
activity requiring deep water re-entry...

L8R

Skip

Thought the same thing. I jumped overboard at anchor and tried crawling
over the side....again and again...simple. It's flexible sides make it even
easier.

Glenn.
s/v Seawing
www.seawing.net


"Len" wrote in message
...
I will look at portaboat.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I doubt if you can climb in from the water though.

Regards,
Len.

I've towed it over and over but had problems on only one occasion. Normally,
with enouh painter it sails back and forth, up and over the waves. I was
sailing back up from Key West...had the 'brilliant' idea of using 2
painters...for a more secure connection. Feel silly now, but it didn't
allow it to sail back and forth...just got the sails set...roaring along at
hull-speed...looked back just in time to see my 12' Portabote duck under a
wave. Nasty! Stopped...got it along side and hoisted it with a hallyard to
get the water out. Learned that lesson...tow with one long painter.
Usually if we expect any seas, we stow it on deck.

Glenn.
s/v Seawing
www.seawing.net


"Mys Terry" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 09 Apr 2006 20:17:58 +0200, Len
wrote:

I will look at portaboat.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I doubt if you can climb in from the water though.

Regards,
Len.

That question has been answered on the website, including photos. I'm well
on
the wrong side of 50, a little over weight, moderate arthritis, and I can
get in
from the water. My wife and I snorkel off of ours.

I can also hand launch the portabote over the lifelines by myself. It only
weighs about 60 pounds. The 3.5 hp motor which moves it along smartly
weighs 29
pounds.

I HATE towing a dinghy. The portabote quickly folds up into a neat,
surfboard
shaped package that I lash to the lifelines with a couple of webbed
straps. Ribs
take so long to inflate and deflate that you end up towing them a lot.
They are
not that easy to store onboard, either.

I have had several RIBs, and if my Portabote were to be stolen, I'd get
another.
I don't have to think about what I'll do when it wears out, because I'll
be long
dead.

I simply swim up 'bout 2/3 of the way forward, grab the side, pull myself up
and roll head first into the bottom of the boat. The flexible sides give
way and mean you don't have to heave yourself up as far as it would seem.
The boat is real stable.

Glenn.
s/v Seawing
www.seawing.net


"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
oups.com...

Mys Terry wrote:
On Sun, 09 Apr 2006 20:17:58 +0200, Len
wrote:

I will look at portaboat.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I doubt if you can climb in from the water though.

Regards,
Len.

That question has been answered on the website, including photos. I'm
well on
the wrong side of 50, a little over weight, moderate arthritis, and I
can get in
from the water. My wife and I snorkel off of ours.


Which website is it that shows how to enter and exit? We have both,
and use the ribby for diving; we've not figured out what to do about
getting into a bote from the water.

If you're speaking of the PB website with the firemen hauling one of
their divers in over the bow, we won't have anyone in the boat to do
that for us, never mind whether it's comfortable to do so.

The president thought he was directing me to a ladder someone had made
and it wasn't there - that's the closest the company can come to that
suggestion.

That's not to say I don't think they're the best thing since sliced
bread - it's why we bought one despite having a perfectly good ribby
and motor. I just don't expect to use it for diving or any other
activity requiring deep water re-entry...

L8R

Skip

On Sat, 08 Apr 2006 18:27:48 -0700, wrote:


Len wrote:
Important criterium for us is llifespan, in other words:UV-resistance.
...
Another criterium : suited for scuba diving from the rib. Joker 315
weighs 53 kg. No problem to get aboard with bottle removed and
floating. African Cats 335 weighs 24 kg (nice for the davits) but won't
this low weight become a nuisance when climbing in from the side?

Most RIBs are very stable and lighter is better in every way. Larger
boats like the ones you are looking at will have bigger tubes which make
for a drier running boat but do make it harder to get board from the
water. Haplon should come with a 10 year warranty, PVC boats that don't
have covers last about 5 years in the tropics but can last indefinitely
with good covers or paint. I'd suggest looking at Aquapro and Force
(New Zealand companies w/Chinese manufacture). Give some thought to how
you will store the RIB, too.

Putting in another vote for New Zealand, we've been using a Southern Cross
brand RIB with an aluminum bottom. It's the lightest 10' we could find,
~60 LB. It seems better made than all the others too. At 4-5 years old
now it's holding up much better than others. We're very happy with it.

A RIB is best for us, but as others have mentioned the Portabote is great
too.

Matt O.