Over the course of the last 18 months the UK market has seen several new companies entering the industry, each claiming their craft are here to make a substantial contribution to our ribbing needs. It is possible that some will not, of course and coupled to that a single product will never fulfill all roles because compromises have to be made, depending on the intended function.

Just about the most aggravating gripe I have though, is when a boatbuilder tries to convince me that his craft is something it clearly is not. It may be perfectly capable of fulfilling a certain role quite adequately, but that may not include going offshore. Generally this latter factor is the bone of contention because whilst RIBs in the main are known for their seakeeping/offshore qualities, not all fit into the true ‘offshore’ category. Try convincing some builders of this and they start taking this observation of their craft as a criticism, or sometimes even personally. The fact is some RIBs are clearly best suited, ideally so in fact, to inshore purposes only, such as beaching and watersports activities etc. Remember, just because something is called a RIB doesn’t mean that its infallible.

So clearly, as a potential buyer, you need to know a RIB’s design limits and true prime use category. If you fail to gain sufficient information from the sales person, or worse, be given a false impression of the RIB’s ability by him, then you will undoubtedly attain ‘unhappy customer’ status even before the warranty has run out!

So let’s define the prime use category of the vessel tested here. The Coastline 6.5m is indeed a new RIB to enter the marketplace and from that point of view lacks the track record of some of its contemporaries. Nonetheless, the team responsible for creating this new range have a joint history in the marine trade of almost a century between them so its perhaps not surprising that even in its prototype form this craft should appear to have the makings of a serious contender. Though the product may be new, the company has chosen to adopt tried and tested designs of conventional thinking well suited to deep water use.

Internally, the layout is uncomplicated and functional, though this is not to be taken as meaning the craft’s finish is somehow wanting. Minor refinements will be needed before the production models hit the market but as regards the issue of overall fit out, the uncomplicated and clean styling serve as an advantage.

Seating for helmsman and crew consists, on the prototype at least, of typical jockey consoles. This form of seating though often not favoured by sports RIB users nonetheless remains one of the best forms of seating for an offshore RIB. This is because it provides a reasonable degree of security and the option to take much of the ride on natures finest shock absorbers the human legs. The jockey consoles to the Coastline are well suited for these purposes being of a suitable height and design to support both the seat and the back, although the jockey seat does tend to be a little long to provide complete back support for a single person.

The double helm console is of substantial proportions enabling the storage of gear within its locker section, plus the housing of the main fuel tank to its lower half. In an effort to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible, the fuel tank itself is set into a recess within the deck and, because of its location, remains easily accessible for maintenance purposes. I did find that the position of the wheel was too high. Extended passage making with a wheel and throttle set this high would be fatiguing and, in my opinion, this current design needs reevaluating. At present, it would prove unsuitable for people of shorter stature not to mention those members of the fairer sex.

Its good to see that the company have seen fit to expend the money on providing a moulded flooring shell to fully finish the 12mm plywood reinforced 450gsm chopped strand mat/gel coat deck construction aboard this boat. The bare appearance of a hand finish GRP deck topped off with Treadmaster non-slip, though perfectly functional, tends in my opinion to be unsuitable in terms of appearance for a craft having a leisure function. Below deck, the basic construction of the 25 degrees deep vee hull consists of 2 layers of gel coat over 2 layers of 450gsm chopped strand mat, solid filled chines of single layer combination and chopped strand mat, plus 2 fore and aft stringers which are of GRP encapsulated 18mm marine plywood construction with 2 layers of 600/300gsm combination mat each 600mm in width.

Sponsons are made by Henshaws and were constructed in hypalon - obviously a highly proven and popular material made by people who know their trade. The tubes to the Coastline range are manufactured in a 1200gsm coated fabric, possess a total of 5 chambers and include deflation valves, 190mm cone ends, 12 lifeline rope patches and large D-section black rubber fendering.

The use of planing flats and spray rails, coupled to the hull's substantial degree of deadrise, should ensure she's capable of handling a sensible payload. She certainly seems a beautifully balanced craft and, on the day of test within the waters of the Solent, gave a very soft ride. In terms of handling, I tried to throw her around in a pretty carefree manner doing all the wrong things at all the wrong times in order to catch her off guard. But, try as I might I could not get her to put a foot wrong. Her hull gripped the water throughout all her fast manoeuvres and ran at full bore with a single Honda 130hp four stroke outboard at speeds easily in excess of 45 miles an hour. Quiet and super economical, this engine, in spite of its size and weight, seemed well matched to this craft providing plenty of get up and go for the shifting of 420kg of pure boat weight. Even going full astern the Coastline behaved herself, with her large `storm' transom well taking the slop and her scuppers shifting the excess.

You will note from the photographs that besides the Honda powered RIB, we also were shown the Volvo TAMD22SX diesel version. Both the Volvo and the Honda power-plants proved themselves well suited to the job of propelling this model, thus providing different users sensible and economical options depending on their individual requirements.

Clearly, this craft has a great deal of potential and would be highly suited to both offshore cruising as well as many commercial applications. In conclusion, I would go as far as saying that the Coastline 6.5m is probably one of the most seaworthy craft to be launched onto the market place within the last 18 months. With 7.5m and 8.5m versions coming on line in February, the future looks set to be an exciting one for the team at `Tenders & RIBs.'

HMS

Builder

TENDERS & RIBS,
Wilsons,
Mill Lane,
Kinver,
Staffs. DY7 6LH.

Tel: +44 (0)1384 872983
Fax: +44 (0)1384 877200

Email: JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING
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