Maiden voyage + SUV vs pick-up truck?

[DouglasW]

Hi Phil, I am really glad you had a great maiden voyage

With regard to moving F-RIBS you have discovered what awkward packages they are when folded. For true portability you can't beat Gurnard's combination of the 275 and 6hp motor. He launches just about anywhere. My 330 is just too heavy/awkward for me to lift into the boot of my BMW 330 saloon on my own, though with two people and the seats folded I can get the folded 330 and a Yamaha 6HP in, though a 15HP won't fit. I use a LARS side loading roof rack (similar to Kari Tec but with gas struts) and the folded 330 goes on it much more easily than in the boot.

Can I make a left field suggestion? What about a trailer? I think for the weight and size of a 360 with a 15HP 2 stroke, a trailer makes a lot of sense. I even use a trailer to move kayaks if I have the family with me. Then all the wet gear goes in the kayak cockpits with a cockpit cover. If you buy a decent RIB trailing cover you can stash all the wet gear in the boat. Then the family don't get sick from breathing fumes from the outboard as a bonus

Having owned an F-RIB 330 for 15months and had it out over 100 times and seen how often and easily Gurnard gets away in his 275/6hp combo using his SUV, I think the folding makes most sense in the smaller sizes. If I was to buy a bigger RIB, sub 4m but bigger than 330, I probably would not buy an F-RIB but would go for a conventional non folding RIB and operate it off a trailer. Part of safe boating should be understanding the risks handling awkward and heavy weights poses to our bodies. Even with my medical knowledge I ignored this and ended up ripping two tendons off the bone in my shoulder (lifting a 35kg kayak in a wind). I required extensive surgery and long physiotherapy which was very painful. Not only did I cost the NHS/taxpayer £25k, I was off work for 3 months (that was a a lot of cancelled clinics) and off the water for 9 months. It is all too easy to say It won't happen to me, that is exactly what I used to say!

Lastly if you are going to be regularly launching and landing off soft beaches without a slipway for a trailer, nothing beats a trolley with balloon tyres.

I can pull my rig up a steep sandy beach on my own. Transom wheels are a complete non starter on this beach. The trolley collapses into small parts as it is all held together with captive pins. You could transport the collapsed trolley inside a van (I like Chis Moody's suggestion) or inside the F-RIB on a trailer (if you were not/unable to use the trailer to launch).

Anyway however you get to the water (do enjoy spending some more money ) I wish you and your family much happy voyaging in your new boat. Do you have a name for it yet?

Douglas

[James]

Phil

I'm just next to Gatwick, so if you ever want to see how it goes in feel free to come round.
I got the F-Rib 360 and the Same Johnson engine as you.

James

[Phil]

BTW way - I have the double cab version

Thanks Warder. That's super helpful to hear all that fits in the truck. Even though I'm looking at the older d40 model and most probably with a roll or flip up top, I imagine the truck bed is a similar size and should house my 360, OB, one fuel tank and clutter!

I actually went to test drive a Navara today and liked the way it felt on the road, with more poke than I was expecting from something that big.

I had a thought about lifting the FRIB onto the back of a truck which I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts on. I was thinking I could stand the packed FRIB up on its transom on the ground with the keel resting against the open truck bed hatch. Using the hatch as a privet, I thought I could then just lift the FRIB off the ground from the transom by myself and slide it in to the truck.

My FRIB has got a pre-fitted rubber keel guard strip + I could rest a rubber mat on the truck hatch for extra protection and to help the packed boat slide up. In theory, I'm thinking this could be done without damaging he boat/keel, but open to hearing if others would disagree!

[warder54]

That should work Phil. I have done it that way but was worried it might slip. I usually have help at hand but have extending wheelchair loading ramps to slide it up on if on my own - also handy for my Smartwave jockey wheel if I have to whinch the trailer over very deep soft sand

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[Phil]

Anyway however you get to the water (do enjoy spending some more money

You've hit the nail on the head there Douglas [emoji23]. Nothing like a new niche hobby to uncover all sorts of extra toys and bits of kit you suddenly find yourself "needing".

Many thanks for the good wishes. I'm certainly looking forward to plenty of adventures and much fun with friends and family on the FRIB. No name for the boat yet, but I am having a think about that [emoji3].

That collapsible balloon wheeled trailer looks very handy though. Another thing I never knew existed, but that looks like it could be very handy. Do you have a link you could share for who sells them? I could only find someone in Australia through Google.

There's a bit of a shortage of slips where I usually go out to sea, although I do need to try Rye Harbour about 40mins away from my parents' house next time I'm down.

Thanks for the trailer suggestion. I've got a bit of an aversion to trailers as I've got a heavy right foot and like to go round corners quickly. That, and I'm trying to justify to myself the need for a 4x4 [emoji23].

Hope that arm injury is better now. I've just put my fishing kayaks up on eBay to help fund a possible truck purchase and because I don't think I'll have time to use them now I've got the FRIB.


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[Phil]

That should work Phil. I have done it that way but was worried it might slip. I usually have help at hand but have extending wheelchair loading ramps to slide it up on if on my own - also handy for my Smartwave jockey wheel if I have to whinch the trailer over very deep soft sand

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Great, thanks for letting me know Warder.

That wheelchair ramp idea sounds genius! I could get myself a set of those if I find it hard to slide up directly onto the truck bed hatch. They may come in handy in their original capacity too if I do my back in lifting my outboard [emoji23].


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[DouglasW]

Hi Phil, the trolley is an American design but there is no UK importer. I got mine from the European distributor in Spain:

http://www.beachwheelseurope.com/en/boa ... els-detail

Because we are still in the EU delivery was straightforward with no hidden taxes. If I remember correctly they took 48 hours from order to arrive in SW Scotland from Spain! Their web shop never seems to work. I haver ordered three times from them and my uncle once, we always do it by email and bank transfer.

They are not cheap, being anodised aluminium and stainless steel. I also bought another set of 49cm balloon tyres and fitted them to my standard non collapsible Topper Topaz aluminium trolley after replacing its axles with 25.4mm axles to suit the Wheeleez bushes. The wheels can be ordered with bushes for either 20mm or 25.4mm axles.

The wheels and the trolley are very expensive but I have not found any workable alternative (at any price) for the soft sand conditions on the beach from which I usually launch from.

Douglas

[Phil]

The wheels and the trolley are very expensive but I have not found any workable alternative (at any price) for the soft sand conditions on the beach from which I usually launch from.

Douglas

Thanks for the link Douglas!

Really expensive sounds like a cost I'll need to wait a while before adding to my boating financial sink hole [emoji23].

Looks like a decent piece of kit. I'm launching on shingle; wet more compressed sand when the tide's low. The launching wheels are just about usable over this ground without the weight of an outboard.

I might try getting a cheaper and also "needed" motor toter trolley first and use this to take the outboard down to the water separately.


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[Phil]

Phil, You've described exactly how i lift my Frib into my Nav, I wheel it down to the motor then with the tailgate down i lean it onto the bed and lift & tilt at the same time and slide it in.
I have a bedrug fitted in my truck and the frib hasn't damaged it at all.
I regard to height... I have a shelf system fitted (copied from Paul's brilliant idea) and the frib slides under that - JUST !!
My shelf is fitted into the side rails of the bed , they are just floor boards all linked together with the tongue and groove giving remarkable strength and ease of fitment.

I'll try and take a pic later

[DouglasW]

Hi Phil, I made my own Motor Toter Trolley out of some decking board, a 1" aluminium tube and four inflatable 10" wheels (two on each side to spread the load).

Meet Brutus,

I may lack the Gurnard's craft skills and Brutus sure ain't pretty but it works, even on soft sand with a 52kg motor. With the wheels removed, it also doubles as an outboard stand in the shed for the motor in the winter. Best of all it does not rust.

Douglas