Long the choice of militaries, coast guards, and marine pros, RIBs are beginning to interest Americans as rugged adventure craft.
Photo, Brig USA
About an hour’s drive from the perilous Manitou Passage of Lake Michigan, surrounded by pines and the first ominous whiff of November gales, I step aboard a Highfield Velox 560. The skipper punches the throttle on the 300-hp Rotax jet engine, it roars, and heads smack headrests in unison as the 19-foot, 5-inch rigid inflatable pops out of the hole. In seconds we're creaming across the lake at an eye-watering 45 knots. I’m glad I remembered to put on my sunglasses.
At 30 knots we make a tight U-turn, which the Velox 560 carves nearly flat thanks to the inflated tubes preventing any serious banking, while the 25-degree stern deadrise keeps a firm grip on the lake. Designed with towsports in mind, this compact jet boat is complete with a tower for board racks, aft-facing speakers, and an expansive fan-shaped swim step. But Highfield USA president Christophe Lavigne thinks there are plenty more uses for rigid inflatable boats, better known as RIBs.
The Americanized RIB
Many of us think of RIBs as dinghies, tenders, or as military-grade craft. In Europe, however, they’ve long been known as luxury dayboats, and you can find sunbed-packed RIBs in the Mediterranean as easily as you can find fiberglass center-consoles in the U.S. Americans have been catching onto the trend. “There’s been more cross-pollination. More European stuff in the U.S., more American stuff in Europe,” says Stefano Rista, designer of the Walker Bay 22, the company’s new flagship and the largest they’ve ever built – specifically for Americans.
“There’s an aesthetic that Americans appreciate that differs from Europeans. Something with some power,” Rista explained. “In Europe, it’s all about everything being a sunbed. With commercial and military boats, it’s all about the driver, and everyone else has to just find a place to exist.” But Americans expect more versatility. And seats. And cupholders. So some RIB manufacturers have been taking all the features we know and love from traditional fiberglass dayboats and putting them onto larger, dayboat-sized inflatables. Why? “Enough people asked us for it,” Rista said.
RIBS may be more expensive foot-for-foot and have less interior space relative to similar-sized full-fiberglass boats but their attributes far outweigh those traits for some new owners. There’s a low supply of good condition, late model year used RIBs on the market, but the number of dealers specializing in RIBs is growing. Let’s take a look at why.
The Inflatable Advantage
There are stark differences between RIBs and traditional full-fiberglass craft – the most obvious being the tubes. Owners of older inflatables may harbor less-than-fond memories of endless air-pumping and on-the-fly patch jobs, but that’s unlikely to be the case aboard these larger modern RIBs, built with more durable materials.
Small inflatable dinghies are often made with PVC tubes – lightweight, flexible, relatively cheap, and easier to use in mass production, making it a good choice for roll-ups and small, budget-friendly tenders. However, PVC is vulnerable to UV damage, abrasion, and long-term deterioration of the hot-air welds.
Larger inflatables and heavy-duty craft are more often made with more durable Hypalon with its expected 15- to 20-year service life. Hypalon tubes are constructed with specialized glues that hold up better and are easier to repair than hot air-welded PVC. The material stands up better to extreme temperatures, UV, and abrasion.
The tubes of larger RIBs often have five, six, or more separate chambers, providing some insurance against a leak. If a major puncture does occur, tubes can be slid off their rails and replaced, if necessary. Minor valve and glue repairs may cost a few hundred dollars, while full tube replacements (including materials, professional removal, and install) can run around $500 per foot of PVC and around $1,000 per foot of Hypalon. New tubes essentially mean a new boat, so the cost is relative. Depending on the model, a DIY-er may be able to replace the tubes, reducing the install cost.
RIBs are built with less fiberglass (or aluminum, depending on the construction of the “rigid” part), meaning less buffing and waxing. They’re lighter foot-for-foot, which makes for better fuel efficiency and easier towing. The tubes can also be deflated for towing or land storage. Some RIBs deliberately exceed the 8-foot, 6-inch standard tow width when inflated to offer more interior space but deflate to within the width standard when it’s time to hit the road.
In addition to being a built-in backup bumper, the tubes provide an immense amount of buoyancy that diminishes banking angles, reduces the likelihood of submarining or swamping in rough seas, and can offer a cushioning effect that softens slamming in a headway. Combined with the prominent deep-V hull shape sported by most RIBs, for their size inflatables tend to be extremely tolerant of sloppy conditions or excessively sporty handling.