A high quality product such as the Aquapro can be so basically flawed. Great concept with a big market but to my mind it needs more research and development below the waterline.
Amongst the countries of the world where RIBs are ever on the increase few can claim to having caught the RIB bug with as much enthusiasm as the folks down in New Zealand. Little wonder perhaps when you consider the nature of their coastline. Washed by the mighty ocean currents of the southern hemisphere, this rugged, mountainous and immensely beautiful land pos­sesses some of the finest and most richly rewarding waters in the world.
For anyone with an appreciation of their surroundings, a love of the sea and a taste for experiencing the elements first hand, RIBS just make perfect sense. Of course, New Zealand's seas have their own attraction offshore, but the beauty of the humble RIB is that one can explore close in like no the other craft. Stable off the plane, seaworthy in the rough and able to ride the big ocean swells, these boats though not infallible, are unique in their multi faceted ability to provide safety combined with performance.

Perhaps it is not surprising then that this country has its very own crop of RIB manufacturers which are now well established and find themselves in the happy position of servicing an increasing demand for their product range. Amongst the larger New Zealand companies plying their trade is the now internation­ally known firm of Aquapro International Ltd. Like their competi­tor, Naiad Inflatables, Aquapro are now selling RIBS into the overseas markets including, North America, South America,

Southeast Asia, Australia and the UK. With some 25 models in the range they're a company that clearly mean business with every­thing from a 7ft. inflatable tender through to a medium sized production 21 ft. deep vee RIB.

RIB International recently had opportunity of having a 1601 Oceanmaster model made available for test, a boat which I have to say caught my eye at last year's RIBex 99 International Boat Show. This particular boat represents a typical mid range model with definite leanings toward the semi light commercial as respects its styling and internal layout. Of course, if there was one feature that this and several other New Zealand makes of boat are renowned for it would be there use of aluminium. The 1601 weighs in at an astonishing total weight of 193 kgs. which means the amount of power this RIB needs attached to its tail is far less than its conventional GRP hulled counterpart. With up to a 40% weight advantage, outboard engine capital outlay can therefore be lessened considerably, not to mention the big savings associated with the overall running and fuelling of a smaller engine.

The other advantage in connection with owning a RIB with an aluminium hull is that if ever it does receive a bash down under it can be repaired easily by a non specialist. In the main, aluminium is far more suited to the marine environment as a material than GRP, being generally stronger and more durable than its `plastic' counter­part. This aspect then, forms one of the key aspects that set this range of boats apart, suiting clients whose chief requirements lie in the areas of weight conservation. (We are still talking about the boat here I assure you.)

The grey hypalon sponsons to this boat are in fact made by Naiad and very well constructed they are too. The bow section, often the most difficult section of a boat's sponson to actually get right, is on this RIB, well made and attractively styled, the finished result therefore enhancing her overall lines very nicely indeed. Sponson colour choice is good, at least from a practical point of view, for grey is actually one of the few colours that will not degrade overtime. Your reds, blues and whites etc. I'm afraid, will in time turn to pink, patchy blue and off white. However, this vessel's tubes are special from the point of view they are removable.

The method used to secure them centres around an upper and lower rope runner with bolt fixings that form a simple yet effective attachment to the hull. Speaking of the hull, this is con­structed in 4mm aluminium and features a 26 degrees entry forward with 21 degrees of deadrise at the transom. The 1601's hull and deck are typically self draining with two large under floor storage lockers and a 50 litre under floor fuel tank. Four davit lifting points are standard on this boat as is the useful large anchor locker forward. Though constructed in aluminium, the deck and hull are far from utilitarian in their appearance. In fact you wouldn't know at first glance that vessel wasn't constructed in GRP.

The test boat, as you can see from the accompanying photographs, was fitted out with steering console, in line jockey seats, two sectioned s/s arch mast plus many other little extras that could be described in the brochure as forming the `complete package'. The quality of these items was good, they were well made and finished to a high standard. My only criticism is that some of the fixings holding the s/s grab rails and handles were a bit lightweight and I dare say prone to the odd rattle underway. All In, for a small boat, it was carried a surprising amount of kit without giving the impression of being too cluttered on deck. From this point of view it appears the internal layout and fittings have been specially made with this model in mind.

I like everything about this boat except for one thing. The way it handled. It had a severe tendency to steer from the bow, which meant coupled to the propeller torque effect on the wheel, the boat gave the impres­sion it was trying to fight one virtually the whole time. "Possessing a mind of its own," is the way I would describe this boat's character. Trimmed out at speed she became flighty and unstable, trimmed in, the situation became nothing short of alarming. Keeping one's finger depressed too long on the downward trim button produced an immediate and dramatic veer to starboard. Quite, that's exactly what I thought, a quirky little number!

Its light weight certainly enabled it to get up onto the plane quickly and at half throttle the poor handling charac­teristics were not so pronounced. In a chop she provided a reasonably cushioned ride but this again was spoilt by the fact that when she did become airborne she had the tendency of landing somewhat dead in the water. The hull gave me the impression that it relied to much on mechanical lift. Inherent lift therefore, particularly in the foreword section, was not being generated naturally by means of the hull's spray rails and chines etc. I suppose it is possible that the problem of the boat steering from the bow could be corrected to some degree by adjusting the set up of the engine. However, without getting a technician to examine the boat's `rear end' out of the water it's hard to say whether the situation could be improved or not.

Engine wise, the Susuki 50hp outboard is a terrific product. Re­spected throughout the industry from an engineering point of view, it represents the latest in 4 stroke technology. Its styling is attractive too. The blue livery and slim form setting it apart from the rest of the competition. Quiet running and excellent in terms of fuel economy, this engine makes the ideal compli­ment to the mid sized Rigid Inflatable. On the day of test it performed in a very respectable manner, propelling the Aquapro 1601 along a healthy 32 knots.

In conclusion, I think it's a pity that a high quality product such as the Aquapro can be so basically flawed. Great concept with a big market but to my mind it needs more research and development below the waterline.