September 28, 2006
Pull The Plug
When you haul your RIB for the season don't forget to pull the internal hull bung and drain any water that may have entered the hull during the season. Water can get into the hull through the wire conduit, condensation, and any deck hardware that is not properly sealed. Once the boat is on the trailer be sure to raise the tongue as high as possible to insure all water is drained and leave both the hull bung and transom plug out for the winter. It's also not a bad idea to consistently pull the hull bung during the season to insure there isn't any water in the hull.... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 08:50 AM | Comments (4)
September 21, 2006
Forward Thinking... RIBCRAFT's Console Placement
I’m often asked why the consoles on RIBCRAFT models appear to be placed further forward than many of our competitors. It’s a great question - and as you can imagine their placement isn’t done simply by happenstance or by some marketing guy who thought it was a great marketing gimmick. BALANCE One of the chronic problems with RIBs is that they tend to be extremely stern heavy and can struggle when it comes to getting the bow to come down while coming onto a plane. We’ve all seen RIBs with the bow shooting high into the air. This is extremely problematic – not only do you lose visibility, but it can be very unnerving. By placing our consoles forward, we improve the overall balance of the boat by offsetting the weight of the engine(s) with the weight of the operator. You will find that a RIBCRAFT RIB easily pops up on a plan and rides nice and flat. Though this... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 11:02 AM | Comments (4)
September 19, 2006
Sipping Coffee
This morning, I had a special treat of being able to commute into Boston from Marblehead, MA on a RIBCRAFT 190. In a drive that can easily take 45 minutes to an hour by car, my RIB ride was a stress-less 30 minutes. The only stress I encountered was trying to dodge the lobster pots as I whizzed by at 30+mph. What other 19’ open runabout can you be out in sharp 1’ seas and still be able to sip your morning coffee without spilling a drop? None I would argue, except for the 19’ RIBCRAFT 5.85/190. I’m constantly amazed by the performance of this truly amazing boat. The boat easily and confidently sliced through the one foot seas this morning – if I was to close my eyes I would have thought I was out on a flat calm day. I can safely say that a RIB is the only way to commute. I had a fantastic ride and... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 02:32 PM | Comments (0)
September 10, 2006
Rescue Boat Fatality – A Lesson For All
An injured woman was killed a few weeks ago when the rescue boat, a flat bottom airboat operated by a local New Hampshire fire department, sank. Firefighters loaded the woman, who had fallen and hit her head on a dock, into a litter and then strapped it to the boat. The boat, which was being operated at a relatively high speed, began taking on water, capsized and quickly sank. This is a reminder to all of us that we should never allow the “excitement” of a situation come between caution and good judgment. A litter, stretcher or backboard should never be strapped to a boat with a victim attached. If conditions require that these be strapped down, then the operator of the boat should reduce their speed so that the victim is not thrashed about the boat. According to experts, airboats are highly susceptible to swamping and then quickly sinking. Airboats are great for conditions where there is little water... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 01:58 PM | Comments (0)
September 06, 2006
Inflated or Deflated For the Winter
Inflated of course. With Labor Day over and kids going back to school, most boaters in the northern climates begin thinking of hauling their boats for the winter. We’re asked all the time if the tubes should be deflated for the winter or left full. The best thing for the tubes is to leave them inflated. The general rule of thumb is to leave them 80% full, but if you have pressure relief valves (all RIBCRAFT boats built in the US come standard with relief valves) you can leave them fully inflated. The tubes should be left inflated so as to not put any strain on the attachment patches, not compromise the rubstrake attachment, and to prevent any unintended damage that could result from a crumpled up or folded tube.... read morePosted by ribcraftusa at 09:51 AM | Comments (0)
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