Polymarine Ltd, the well known inflatable and marine rubber specialists, became responsible for importing and marketing the Venezuelan range of Rigid Inflatables, Caribe, as from June of last year. These classic leisure boats range from small tenders of 2.5m in length right through to luxury RIBS of 6.75m including an impressive sports tender styled jet RIB of 5.4m pictured here and included within the subject of our double boat test.

Caribe possess an enviable and substantial share of the Caribbean market, in fact, if you visit these waters you'll be hard pushed to find anything else out there. However, the harsh tropical conditions and relentless all year round sunshine, (sounds absolute hell, doesn't it!) are not the most favourable in which to own and operate an inflatable boat. The strength of U.V. rays in this region call for a superior quality of fabric, in Caribe's case, 1100 grm D.Tex Pennel Pennati Hypalon.

As we said, both the C22 and the C17 have been produced specifically with the leisure market in mind. Their colour schemes, internal fit-outs, extensive storage capability and generous beam, substantiate this fact. The general specification to these boats tends to be very high also, with the only additions you may choose to add at the point of purchase relating to just personal safety items and electronics, etc.

Caribe have taken on somewhat of a blue water approach to RIB building, at least in terms of overall appearance and design. This can be seen in the fact that they have favoured an oversized tube/ deep vee hull combination: the C22 having a tube diameter of 65cm and the C17 has a diameter of 53cm. Sponsons of this size, if anything, tend to give a RIB handling characteristics moreto give a RIB handling characteristics more akin to an all inflatable boat due to a substantial proportion of inflatable collar remaining in the water when underway. A high degree of stability is gained by adopting this type of design but, of course, the down side is that the deep-vee hull has less of an opportunity to work to its full potential as it retains a larger amount of wetter area that will ultimately increase drag. Extremes in design rarely are as effective as seeking to strike a balance between both ends of the scale. Both the C22 and C17 have a very secure feel about them. This is due largely to our old friend the inflatable collar who's size does at least mean that the craft is afforded a large degree of on deck security -ideal when children are aboard. When helming the C17 Jet RIB you're positioned securely below tube level. As we said, the lateral stability of both craft is excellent, particularly so with the C22 which gives one the sense of being aboard quite a substantial craft.

All the internal fittings to these craft are moulded to produc­tion standards no rough edges or unsightly nasties here. Decks, consoles, seating units, bathing platforms etc. are all finished to a high standard and have aesthetic appeal to boot. In general, the design of these internal items showed good thought and the implementation of understanding regarding the needs of the user. The latter sounds a pretty obvious requirement but it's surprising how often it's ignored by boat builders.

Features of the C22 include: an ergonomically designed helm console complete with acrylic visor and wraparound s/s handrail, a sports-style helm seat complete with hinged locker compartment housing the battery within its lower section, a large rear seating unit plus forward sun-lounger and optional s/s stern arch to balance the boat's overall appearance and provide mountings for antennas etc.

Whilst the C22 clearly has the sports cruiser in mind I would say the C17 RIB Jet is more akin to the coaster or those wishing to purchase a fast, safe, luxury sports tender. Both craft are available with a complimentary list of extras and optional equipment that includes bimini top and full camper/boat cover. This latter item is a really useful addition to a craft like the C22, for with its full height/windowed capability, this tented cover allows for a total of 5 people to sleep aboard.

As regards the lay-up of these RIBS, although we have endeavored to gain technical information for readers, none has been forthcoming from the manu­facturers.

Both the C17 and C22 handled in a competent manner, although as one might expect, they are quite different in nature. The C17, being jet powered, has a high degree of manoeuvrability and I particularly liked the fact she was uncomplicated to helm. She possessed good forward visibility off the plane in spite of her low helm position and also showed a respectable turn of speed that would ensure she was able to meet the multi-functional needs required by this type of sports tender. The inboard power pack installed to this craft was the 175hp Mercury Sports-jet. Whilst this engine installation represents quite a reasonable lump in the stern of a boat this size, the C17 remained correctly balanced with the boat/ engine package offering a useful power to weight combination.

The C22 is the largest in the Caribe RIB range and being 6.75 metres in length makes for a nice size of coastal cruising boat. She proved quick off the mark on the day of test carrying a Suzuki 200hp extra long shaft. Plenty of power then, not only to guarantee that the cobwebs are blown away, but also to give the craft a good load carrying ability. With a beam of little under 6ft (or 1.70 metres to be precise) and an overall weight of 744 kilos, those who wish to carry a large crew or transport diving gear will be attracted to the advantages this model offers.

My feelings on the C22 centre around these key points. Long offshore voyages would be fatiguing in moderate to rough conditions with this particular hull/ tube combination as the latter dominates the handling characteris­tics of the craft giving it somewhat a "flat bottomed" feel. At high speeds, the boat has a slight tendency to run from one sponson to the other, holding very close to each wave contour before sporadi­cally lifting and ventilating her underside before returning once again to her typical level running attitude.

In spite of this, being a big beamy boat with high topsides, she would be a very safe boat at sea. If your requirements don't include the need for extended or long passages offshore, then the C22's many alternative attributes of stability, space, comfort, and on deck security, would prove ideal for a wide range of leisure pursuits.

It's good to see variety and different concepts now being explored more within the RIB industry. Different ideas and combinations allow the customer greater choice and greater potential to find the model which is really going to suit his or her needs.

In conclusion then, being a quality craft with a respectable overseas track record, both the Caribe C17 and C22 will I'm sure make a welcome entry into this northern European market, along that is, with their 26 smaller Caribe contemporaries !

HMS


Builder

Caribe Inflatables USA, Inc.
14372 S.W. 139th. Court # 7
Miami
FL 33186
USA

Tel: +1 (305) 253 4822
Fax: +1 (305) 253 4450

UK Importer

Polymarine Ltd
Ferry Farm Road
Llandudno Junction
Gwynedd LL31 9SG

Tel: +44(0)1492 583322.
Fax: +44(0)1492583111.

Factory

Caribe Nautica c.a,
1ra. Calle La Industria
Edif.Caribe
Zona Industrial Palo Verde
Caracas
Venezuela.

Tel: +58 2 214212 / 214612
Fax: +58 2 214122