Ribcraft for their part, have made repeated sales to the U.K. Police, H.M Coastguard, North and Irish Sea Fisheries Liaison, as well as ensuring all their craft are built to the regulations laid down by the Marine Safety Agency, for safety of small commercial motor vessels of up to 24 mtrs in length. This type of pedigree is as I said, a good indicator especially where the leisure user is concerned, that the product is tried and tested, allowing the prospective purchaser an added element of confidence in the boat he's buying.

Ribcraft's range does however as one might expect, reflect this commercial influence in its design to a large degree. So if you're looking for an inflatable sun lounger then it's probably best that you look elsewhere.

The dapper looking yellow and black 5.85 model on test, had been commissioned by Bournemouth and Christchurch Borough Councils for their maritime patrol work, and featured a standard rescue style internal layout which represented the optimum choice for their particular needs.

Further to this, the double width helm console set ahead of the 4 side by side jockey pods, possessed a chunky, robust look about it, providing generous internal space within it's rounded contours. Again, in keeping with this functional design popular with RIBS of this type, it affords plenty of space for instrumentation as well as waterproof protection for the battery and electrics. Both the console and seating pods had been bonded as opposed to being screwed to the deck. The seats were well squabbed and provided good support to the back when seated by means of their high supports. What I liked also was the position­ing of the units which meant one didn't have to stretch or strain to helm the boat. I have to say though, I disagree with suitability of positioning the throttle controls as high as this. For a good degree of control and comfort, its a far better practise to situate these at a level were the arm does not have to be unduly raised, therefore helping to avoid slow response as well as fatigue.

All the stainless work was strongly made and well finished including the double stern arch. The styling of this item aestheti­cally speaking, is crucial to the overall appearance of the boat, and coming up with a good design can be a challenge. In general I have to say I think most companies lack a great deal of imagination when it comes to this key element of the boats anatomy.

Ribcraft are one of the few RIB builders that make all their own components such as sponsons and hulls in house. In fact the only aspect not directly undertaken by them is the stainless steel work, but even this is handled by a local company on the same industrial site. This clearly gives them an advantage in some regard as to the matter of quality control. The sponsons on this boat were made to a high standard with all seams and wear patches well tailored and neatly finished. The tubes themselves were even and well formed and showed no signs of poor cutting or shaping which reveals itself in unsightly bulging etc. (Materials used include, 1200gsm Du Pont Hypalon and Bostik 2402 adhesive.)

As for the hull, like all the range, it incorporates woven rovings, chopped strand mat and commercial grade resins, all of which are Lloyds approved. Hull lay-up on the 5.85 model is 32oz, approximately 25mm in the keel, and 16oz or 12.5mm throughout the rest of the moulding. Ribcraft inform me that they even go to the trouble of placing a telescopic solvent extractor in the mould to ensure styrene removal at the correct rate thus further ensuring even curing and a strong blister free hull.

The 5.85 hull is an orthodox deep V at the bow which then runs to a flattened planing section aft. What is quite noticeable about the forward area design is the high bow sheer. This gives good seakeeping ability in the rough and goes a long way to avoid stuffing the nose in a following sea. Impor­tantly, from the helm position, the bow sheer gave no problems as to forward vision.

The twin Mariner 50hp outboards gave a top speed of 33 knots but were sluggish to respond, being somewhat underpowered for a craft of approximately 850 kilos in weight. This unfortunately meant the performance of the boat was disappointing and lacked any real sparkle. The engines having been supplied by the owners had also been fitted locally as well. Largely due to this and the fact the Piranha props fitted were not best suited to the rig, although she ran level, the engines had the habit of repeatedly cavitating in tight manoeuvres and caused the ride to be a somewhat drifty at times.

Having tested several Ribcraft models in the past, I have to say this is out of character for a RIB noted by many including myself, as a boat possessing a very fine seakeeping hull which usually performs exceptionally well through all its paces. All this goes to show the importance of having a craft rigged by the people who know what their doing and who understand what it's to be used for.

In conclusion I would describe the boat supplied for test as a very fine example of modern Rigid Inflatable boat building, sadly let down by an ill matched power unit

Ribcraft 6.85

At the recent International Workboat Show, Ribcraft were displaying the 6.85 metre boat they had just built for the Portishead Lifeboat Trust for work in the waters of the notorious River Severn and Bristol Channel approaches. An area that suffers the second largest tidal drop in the world. In my opinion this was the boat of the show in terms of finish and standard of fit out. The attention to detail was superb and the craft itself possessed some innovative design features. For instance, the sponsons to the stern of the boat had been raised to alleviate the climbing attitude of getting onto the plane. Other less noticeable things too were of interest, such as the external anchor holder bracket, which gave evidence of a practical under­standing toward the importance of ancillary equipment and the necessity for such to be simple but effective.

All cabling was run through the underdeck bulkheads via water proof glands and the whole craft had been designed for total water immersion capability. This was further evident in the inclusion of a self righting system to the stern arch set just below the top hamper of Firdell Radar Reflector, and the communication and navigation antenna points.

Powered by twin Mariner 75hp outboard engines swinging s/s Lazer props, she has a top speed well in excess of 35 knots. Her twin underdeck fuel tanks each with a capacity of 115 Iitres, also enable her to operate for a substantial 4 hour period at full throttle setting. Although obviously no "lightweight" carrying such a full specification, she nonethe­less still handled in a nimble and surefooted fashion which was attribut­able to her good power to weight ratio. This meant she was a pleasure to drive.

Topped off with instrumentation and electronics provided by the likes of Cetrek, Icom, D.S. Developments and Garmin, she is clearly a craft which has been coupled to a high grade specification of ancillary equipment installed for the purpose of serious use in a very tough environ­ment. A RIB which is a credit to her builders and the people of Portishead who raised the funds to have her commissioned within an amazing timescale of only nine months.

Builder
Ribcraft Ltd
33 Oxford Road,
Pen Mill Trading Estate,
Yeovil,
Somerset BA21 5HJ

Tel: +44 (0)1935 411846

Fax: +44 (0)1935 411870

Email: mailto:sales@ ribcraft.co.uk

Web: http://www.ribcraft.co.uk