Hello from the north

[PaulR]

Hello everyone
I have been looking into purchasing an FRIB or something similar and saw your videos on Youtube, I thought this would be a great place to get impartial advice and meet like minded people. In the past (10 years ago) I owned a few small speedboats including a jet rib and just recently started getting the urge to get back on the water again without all the hassle of having to trailer the boat, find a suitable slipway and parking for the car and trailer. I have just purchased a touring van so thought the FRIB would be perfect to take on our trips and set it up virtually anywhere. I look forward to discussing things further with you all and who knows maybe meet up with some of you in the future.
Thank you
Paul

[Paul B]

Hi Paul and welcome to the forum, lots of advise and knowledge on here, and quite a few Frib owners up North

[Martin]

Hiya Paul, welcome to fribs and sibs forum..

The f-rib is a remarkable bit of kit, so much so , i sold my honwave t38 about 2yrs ago to purchase my F-Rib 375.
They really are very stable at sea, a good solid hull on them and they set up in quick sticks, also they're not much heavier than the comparable sized sib. (my 375 weighs in at 55kg)

Enjoy the forum, we have a great crew on board with loads of help at hand should you need it.

Martin

[PaulR]

Thanks for the welcome
Just to give you an idea of what I am looking for.
Budget of up to 6k, less would be nice
The ability to set it up without towing a trailer
I would love it to be able to tow some type of inflatable toy for the grand kids to enjoy, the weight of the outboard might hinder this as I would have to carry/transport to the boat somehow.
Any suggestions?
Forgot to add, I will be using it mainly in the north sea on the coast of Bridlington and Scarborough

Thanks again
Paul

[Paul B]

Maybe something like Martins setup, 375 with a 20hp on the back , the new Efi Suzuki isn’t too heavy and makes Martins 375 go like stink

[pugwash2]

Hi paulR and a big welcome to our information station,

[Paul]

Hi Paul and to the forum
I've had my 360 for three years now and still very happy with it
I've a 20hp Tohatsu 4 stroke to enable me to tow ringo's etc for my teenage kids and it copes very well tight turns without slipping at around 20knts, I'd imagine a 330 with a 15hp wouldn't be far off those figures.
If you're going to be folding everytime I'd recommend you trial 'man-handling' each folded boat prior to purchase
Great boats, enjoy

[PaulR]

Thanks for the advice. I have until next spring to make a decision so still a bit of time to do some window shopping, at least the wife will start to understand how I feel when she drags me along shopping.

[Mitch]

Hi Paul & welcome,
I was in your position 6 months ago so I looked up this forum & found they’re a great bunch of guys with loads of information.
I looked at the f-rib & because of the weight difference (10 kgs) which doesn’t seem much but the extra 22lbs can make a world of difference when lifting in/out of car & also the £2,000 extra for the boat I decided to go for the honwave 3.8. It doesn’t take too long to inflate, the only thing is rechecking the pressure of the tubes 1/4 an hour after launch because the water temp deflates them a bit, the tubes have to be exact or else the boat doesn’t ride properly. I think the frib cuts through the waves a bit better because of the rigid hull but if your not worried about speed too much that probably won’t matter. at the end of the day they’re both good boats & you won’t go wrong with the frib or 1 of the honwaves.

[chris moody]

I don't think you can go wrong with the F-rib, or a quality air-deck like the Honwave or Aerotec. It's all down to which type suits your personal circumstances.