Beautiful lines on that boat! Did you ask when they are they making some
bigger ones?


"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
I had the opportunity to speak with Daryl Wilbur of Tiverton, RI who
has designed and built a 20 foot center console fishing machine - the
North Rip 20.

http://www.northrip.net/

The boat caught my eye as I walked out of the Eastern Outdoors Expo
held at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. I have a thing about
Carolina styled hulls and this one just jumped out at me.

What is unique about this boat is the tumblehome - yes, I said
tumblehome. With the high bow flare flowing to the stern and the very
gentle inward slope of the stern makes for very pleasing lines - at
least to me. Daryl told me it took almost two years to develop a two
piece mold that allows for easy removal of the hull once it's set up -
the tumble home disallowed a straight pop out like most boats.

The hull shape, evident in the trailer picture, shows the long and
rather sharp forefoot very similar to the early Mako center consoles
and the famous Master Marine "Moonie" center consoles used for chasing
tuna. It draws roughly a foot of water with the engine up.

The workmanship is flawless - I mean flawless. I am very picky about
form, fit and function and a lot of that is how well the boats are
built. The only thing I saw that I didn't like was the open stern.
Daryl struggled with keeping the stern relatively open, using a "dam"
setup or setting the engine back on a bracket making the choice to
keep the open stern for esthetic reasons. I think he made the right
choice although I would opt for a dam just because.

Daryl is taking the time to do this right and his first production
boat, the one in the pictures, is very appealing to the guy who is
looking for a smaller, towable boat that can sneak outside the bays on
a decent day and not worry about the ride back. I can see a couple of
potential problems, but when I was talking to Daryl, he was right up
front with a self-critique of his boat and some of the changes he will
make in future production boats.

The North Rip 20, and it's future sibling the 27, are actually aimed
more towards the custom market. Daryl is willing to work with the
customer to design a custom North Rip working well within design and
capacity limitations.

I have been offered the chance to take a demo ride when the weather
breaks a little. I plan on taking the ride and reporting back.

Later,

Tom

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 00:12:17 GMT, "Butch Davis"
wrote:

Very pretty and salty looking boat. What sort of price and performance
numbers were mentioned?

In the low 40s all set with what I wanted customized

If the fit and finish is as good as you say, that's a pretty reasonable
price. I'd like to see them offer one at the 23' length...which would catch
the eyes of the 23' and under SKA guys.

A similar boat in the 26-28 foot range is the Southport:

http://www.southport-boatworks.com/28cc.php

They tested a 26' Southport in one of the boating magazines, but I think the
price was in the $120's.

Looks like a re-incarnation of the mid '80s Wellcraft V-20 Steplift, Center
Console. Wide bow flare, gentle drop to amidships, then a little
"tumblehome" at the back. Runs about 50mph with a good 200 and is usually
available in the mid "fours or fives" (instead of the low 40s)!
I will admit it looks like it has a few more inches of freeboard, but mine
('78 and standard seating) gets me out just as far and fast as this one
without spending another $35,000!
LD

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 00:12:17 GMT, "Butch Davis"
wrote:

Very pretty and salty looking boat. What sort of price and performance
numbers were mentioned?

In the low 40s all set with what I wanted customized which is about
average for a fairly custom boat. The Blue Fins I was looking at were
about the same price if not a little higher.

As to performance - I was told she will top out at 50+ with 200 four
stroke. I imagine you would go a little faster with a DI engine.

The more I look at the information and the web site, that's the boat
to replace the Ranger.

Of course, I haven't run it yet or taken a test drive - that could be
a whole different ball game. But Tiverton is where I run with my
Ranger so I know the water in Narragansett Bay very well - on a windy
day, I can make a good test for a boat - in particular East Passage
and up around the Narrows between Warwick Neck and Patience Island,
heh, heh, heh.

Later,

Tom

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 15:32:44 -0500, "NOYB" wrote:


"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 00:12:17 GMT, "Butch Davis"
wrote:

Very pretty and salty looking boat. What sort of price and performance
numbers were mentioned?

In the low 40s all set with what I wanted customized

If the fit and finish is as good as you say, that's a pretty reasonable
price. I'd like to see them offer one at the 23' length...which would catch
the eyes of the 23' and under SKA guys.

A similar boat in the 26-28 foot range is the Southport:

http://www.southport-boatworks.com/28cc.php

They tested a 26' Southport in one of the boating magazines, but I think the
price was in the $120's.

He's planning a 27 which is next up in the prototype.

I went back this afternoon - not just to see the North Rip, but to
pick up a Ranger from the display - and talked to Kyle Wilbur who is
the actual designer, architect and engineer of the boat and he is set
on doing custom one off's based on this hull design.

It's an interesting concept.

That Southport is very nice looking.

Later,

Tom

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 15:21:48 -0500, "NOYB" wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

Beautiful lines on that boat! Did you ask when they are they making some
bigger ones?

There is a 27 in the mold design stage right now based on this hull
type. A 23 is WAY down the road.

Later,

Tom

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 18:09:49 -0500, "LD" wrote:

Looks like a re-incarnation of the mid '80s Wellcraft V-20 Steplift, Center
Console. Wide bow flare, gentle drop to amidships, then a little
"tumblehome" at the back. Runs about 50mph with a good 200 and is usually
available in the mid "fours or fives" (instead of the low 40s)!
I will admit it looks like it has a few more inches of freeboard, but mine
('78 and standard seating) gets me out just as far and fast as this one
without spending another $35,000!

Yeah - it's similar, but it's a very different boat.

Later,

Tom