Ribs and Sibs

[Joe]

Do you have access to a boat ? For the majority of us it’s probably unlikely unless you have a spare 100k lying around but don’t not knock it just yet. For a relatively low outlay you might be able to buy something sea worthy for a few grand.
I have being doing a bit of research into this lately and you could buy a good SIB for around a grand and less for second hand. Outboard engines are expensive but if you stick to smaller boats around 4m then you can do a lot with 10hp. If you look around you can get a good second hand engine for 1k.
So there you have it, 2k and you have a marine vehicle capable of vast distances and instant access to remote island and installations. Yes it’s not a blue sea cruiser but if you are tactical with the weather you could hop across countries.

SIB - soft inflatable that can fit in your boot.
RIB - more of a solid boat with inflatable sides.

[Straight Shooter]

I have owned a few boats Joe ...all solid types mainly glass fibre ...one inboard but mostly outboard engines , you soon learn the importance of a GOOD reliable engine PLUS a secondary backup engine to get out of the perils of main engine failure ......especially around our UK coastline , a depth finder is a must have for example ...and a good sludge Angkor ......coms .....lights and metal mast so that others can pick you up on radar .

Popping over to a Remote Ireland sounds good and easy ....it’s not ! And is full of unforeseen hazards .....I have set off on fishing trips and it’s like a mill pond ....then changes within a half hour to a force four or higher .....in short Joe ......you have got to know what you are doing ! My advice is to go out with someone with experience watch what they do and ask why they do it . I was out one time in a force six or eight ....to cut a long story short ...I could not make land I had to tack for one hour to reach the pier and tie off there for hours ......anyone pondering on getting a boat without experience is foolish and taking one out. To sea is a idiot ! .

[bigpaul]

I dont live anywhere near the coast, I live inland, very remote and I dont like the sea anyway.

[Joe]

Some good points SS, my boating experience is limited but thought it would be an interesting topic to cover. I started off doing some research in order to upgrade from the inflatable kayak to a SIB but in doing so I noticed some of these higher end SIBs and RIBs can handle some pretty rough conditions.
I totally appreciate the sea, I’ve been on the Tiree ferry in extremely rough conditions that I didn’t think a boat could survive but it’s pretty amazing what the big boats can go through. That’s why I mentioned being careful with the weather conditions when using a smaller craft.
For example if you had say a 4.3m SIB or RIB with apx 20hp would that not be capable of crossing the channel and working it’s way down the French coast if faced with a major bug out event?

[Straight Shooter]

35hp would be the absolute minimum imo ....then there’s the fuel ....a spare prop and the time of year along with the weather ....plus one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world .....the odd timber log and I am assuming the trip over is in daylight hours .....in not multiply the dangers by ten fold , you mention the ferry trip ! ......there is NO comparison if you are in say a twenty foot boat .. and yes ..if it cuts up rough you would struggle to keep the boat up on the plain even if you did being battered is not fun ,even for a half hour ......I say all this and then you read of thousands of refugees making it over in inflatables powered by a 20hp fucked engine .....it’s only my opinion Joe ...when you are out at sea and it gets rough you can be 100 yards from the beach and be rendered useless and not at all be in control ....when you live it .....you never ever forget it , and I’m no drama queen I tell it as it is .....I have skated over stuff here ....there is a lot of hands on that you need to know ....I have not even toughed on safety gear .

[Mortblanc]

This is all completely dependent on ones training and abilities.

I have a couple of friends that have retired to their boats and ply the Gulf of Mexico for thousands of miles over open water under sail power only in 8, 10, and 20 meter boats.

The one friend with the 20 meter boat sailed to and through the Panama Canal and then on to Hawaii. He stayed a few months and turned around and came home.

The ancient Polynesians traveled for thousands of miles in glorified hollow logs.

But if you don't know what you are doing it is better to find other forms of recreation. But were we talking about pleasure boating?

In our present times we tend to view boats as luxury items when thousands of your countrymen view them as tools of their trade, taking small boats into open water for days at a time to fetch you home your fish and chips.

A bug out or SHTF situation??? Come now boys, remember that Dunkirk thing? If it is get in the boat or die when the volcano erupts or be killed by the invading horde, I will be rowing like I was in the Olympics.

[Joe]

So a quick follow up on this one, I purchased a Excel SIB 3.6m for about £1200 new which Is pretty good value for what appears as a sturdy product. And after a lot of searching around I found a Mariner 4hp engine with almost zero hours for £500. This is the same as the 6hp unit but with a smaller cab, I think it’s a 123cc unit.
Now I know 4hp is a bit under powered for sea use but the plan is this will become the back up engine once I can get a 15-20hp unit.