April 28, 2006
Changing Ways...
Owning a RIB often times involves changing the ways you’ve always done certain things. For example, when keeping your boat in a marina or at a dock, it’s important to remember that tieing a RIB up is slightly different than with a hard sided boat. You should avoid running lines up and over the tubes. For the bow, always run lines from the bow eye straight to the dock and at the transom, run from either the aft tow eyes or an A frame or radar arch if your RIB has one. Though the tubes are durable, prolonged wear from a line chafing over the tube will cause cosmetic and potential structural damage. Similarly, when trailering a RIB, never run a strap over the tube to secure the boat to trailer as you would with your 13’ Whaler. Securing a strap over the tube puts incredible stress and pressure on the tubes and can cause considerable chafe over long distances. When I trailer my RIB, I utilize the transom tow eyes. I usually take two motorcycle straps and run from the port and starboard tow eyes straight to the trailer, or take one continuous strap or line, secure to the port or starboard side of the trailer and run through both transom eyes and back down to the trailer. This is an incredibly secure and safe way to transport your RIB without damaging the tubes.
Posted by ribcraftusa at April 28, 2006 01:28 PM
