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RIBs What is the best brand now??


Island Time

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Also in the market for something slightly bigger than my 2.4. Reckon the KitKat is too wide for my narrow foredeck so gonna check out the SP 2.6 and 2.8. But also the relatively new GH Inflatables range built by Brin Wilson - they've done a load of high quality boatbuilding work on AC so I reckon their home grown RIB is worth a look.

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We had the first of the takacats that look like every other inflatable out there on board the boat I crewed on to Tonga in july. It seemed fine.., they all seem to have goofy little seats right up on top of the floats though, I didn't like that feature, makes your average rower look like Jeremy Clarkson in an MG midget..

 

The cat shaped ones interest me because they're relatively low profile and you can poke the pontoons around the mast when its on deck.

 

When the inflatable is on deck I mean.

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Yep, either around the mast, or if the foredeck is to narrow, deflate the deck and pull the bow together - a bit over 1m wide then. The beam is an issue on Island Time as I have a baby stay - so the dingy cannot go right back to the mast...

The seats - I rarely use an athwart ship seat - except for rowing. Prefer to sit on the pontoons.

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To be honest, mines only been in the water once. The aquapro rib held up all the way back to NZ, so we kept using it.

The takacat has been stored under the front bunk on case we needed it.

 

My thoughts . The floor does not drain well unless moving , as the bung hole is below the surface-with a 15 HP

Means you get wet feet often when stepping in. might be better with a smaller engine. Also with the 15HP Merc, When using at speed, it splashes water in over the transom

 

 

We bought ours as a spare , and now no longer need it as we are home. If you want one, I'd sell it for a reasonable offer.

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I have issues with the prop on the 5hp merc that we have on it. It is very difficult to get up and plane. When it does it boogies. I must change the pitch to see if that gets it going.

 

The seat is a pain on the pontoons. The inflatable floor leaks. On the plus side it is very light and easy to deflate and roll up for longer passages. Tows well with little strain. Easy to get on board over the bow if you fall in. No leaks in the main tubes. Rubbing strips on the bottom seem to be holding out OK. When it is on the plane it is very fast and reasonably dry, certainly VERY stable

 

Some of the fittings are cheap and nasty, painted alloy, and the paint comes right off. Overall I'm happy, as the main thing I wanted was something I could stow. Can't do that with a RIB.

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Hi, my little business repairs and rebuilds inflatable boats so for my 2 cents worth, if you can get one an Achilles rib, Japanese made best hypalon in the world just incredibly expensive. If its pvc be purely price driven all the fabric in the world only comes out of a handfull of factories mostly german or Korean or German/Korean in China. Zodiacs are nice but use friendly glue which is basically Cr*p. Welded seams like a force 4, Southern Pacific, Zodiac or Aquapro are better than glue seams: Maxxon, Honwave, Fyran, Java Aakron etc. The other thing(s) to remember is that most of the fitting are all the same (some exceptions) in fact a lot of these boats come from the same factory or used the same stolen patterns. If you buy a used one bear in mind that a pvc boat has a life span of about 10 years a hypalon can be open ended like a clinker dinghy. Beware of trademe used boats and if you can find a nice hypalon boat grab it there prices are drastically reduced due to cheap pvc and people not understanding the difference. Be price driven on pvc they are all much the same, if you want to support nz business buy Southern Pacific they're not bad, you can normally get one cheap somewhere. Aquapro are desparate to sell some boats after a disastrous import period where all their boats fell to pieces.

Sorry to jump into your thread but i thought i might have some helpful info also I don't sell boats I only fix them.

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I think I've seen something like them on an Italian boat but pretty much they've all gone for a swivelling rowlock locked in a base. They are definitely not readily available. Nobody rows any more so they tell us which is why we have crappy oars and rowlocks. Mind you an inflatable is a pretty crappy boat to row as well. I can remember as a kid the boat stretching back and forth as my Dad rowed out to the boat. I'll bring up memories of seagull outboards in a minute and then i'll choke right up.

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Southern Pacific have wooden blade oars and raised rowlocks. They also have a full length keel. This makes them better for rowing. I think the Puffin 260 is the best of our models.

Some enthusiastic people can snap the plastic rowlocks over time. The rowlock is designed as a safety fuse, so if you are rowing a lot it will pay to have a spare pair on board.

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Hi Jono, I can't let that go, safety fuse! So when you're pulling really hard on the oar (because the effin" seagull broke down) whilst trying to get back the boat and the tide or wind are conspiring against you the last thing you need is a broken rowlock. And I actually retro fit your rowlocks when I have a choice because they allow the use of any oar in a pinch not just wooden ones. The replacements are cheap and easily available and wooden oars are the best for various reasons. But I can't think of an occasion where snapping the rowlock is beneficial at the cost of designed functionality.

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Zodiacs have recently reinforced theirs with a stainless steel pin, they still wear out and cost a fortune to replace if you can buy one at all. I think we sell Southern Pac's for about $10. Lets face it the reason we use inflatables is because they're light, easy to stow and get on board, they're comparatively cheap and incredibly stable. You won't win a rowing race with one but you can get it of the deck.

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Another brand if you end up in Europe could be Valiant.

 

The club I was working with in the UK had a couple of these, they were excellent. In the eight years I was there they had a lot of hard use, and absolutely no repairs or obvious signs of wear.

 

I cant comment on the smaller ones (these were 4.9's) but if the whole range is that good they could be worth a look.

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Promarine-Obviously they're Chinese. The Chinese seem to copy designs to the letter, the quality varies a bit but the materials and fittings would be exactly the same as any other Chinese brand, Quicksilver, Honwave, Maxxon, Java, Aakron, Silver, pretty much any mass produced inflatable with glued seams. Those drop stitch inflatable floors are very delicate and have a shorter lifespan than the rest of the boat. They are good but be careful with them. Zodiac air floors are a lot better but the price is a lot higher too.

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