RIB boat (rigid inflatable boat) is incredibly popular amongst watersports lovers, thrill-seekers and generally people who love to spend time near a body of water. These boats are quite light, stable and easy to maneuver, which creates a scenario in which they have a lot of power with decent fuel efficiency. Now, just because this is their stronger selling point, this doesn’t mean that this is all that they do. There’s a wide variety of uses and they can be used in all types of water. This alone makes them more appealing to a broader audience of potential buyers. Here are several tips to help you buy a perfect RIB boat.
Set some basic parameters
A lot of people make a mistake of starting with the budget, yet, no two boats are alike. First, you have the dimensions of the boat, ranging from the overall length and the length of the beam. Then, you have the displacement when fully loaded and the material that the boat is made of. Fuel capacity, engine and the maximum speed that the boat is capable of developing are also crucial in this inquiry. Speaking of speed, you need to understand the difference between the mile and knot (nautical mile). Namely, 1 knot is approximately 1.15 miles per hour and although it can be traced back to the 17th century, the tradition is still actively used amongst sailors. If this is your first boat, you might want to inquire about averages.
Inquire about the price
The majority of platforms offering boats for sale won’t just display the price on the website. This is why you might want to do your research and then send an inquiry. For instance, those interested in getting a luxury Ribco boat should send an inquiry about a couple of vessels, which will allow them to get a more in-depth understanding of the vessel. If this is your first boat and you have no idea what kind of price to expect, it might be a good idea to ask about several vessels and then do a point-by-point comparison of their features. This way, you’ll figure out which of the features affects the price the most.
Arrange a sea trial
It’s outright irresponsible to buy a boat (any kind of boat) without taking it for a sea trial. Here, you also need to come prepared. If this is your first RIB sail, you will find yourself in a scenario where you have no point of comparison, whatsoever. So, start by renting out a RIB boat or convincing someone to take you for a quick sale. Second, prepare some questions to ask the salesman in question.
You also need to understand what you should look for during a sea trial. Is the ride dry? This is crucial, seeing as how the last thing you want is to get soaked every single time. Is the boat comfortable? This is especially something that will play a major role in your satisfaction. Do you feel safe? This is a tricky one, seeing as how it depends on the subjective feeling and, as a layman, you may feel a tad more insecure than you normally would.
Hire a surveyor when buying a used RIB boat
Like any other asset, boats are subject to depreciation. However, their depreciation isn’t as easy to make an estimate of (like, for instance, with cars). The thing is that virtually every person that you know has some prior experience with cars, most of them even bought and sold used cars on multiple occasions. With boats, you might lack this crucial experience. So, hiring a professional surveyor might be a huge step in the right direction.
Deck layout
One more tip that you could use is knowing a thing or two about the ideal deck layout. In order to save space, some boats place passenger seats on the tubes. On rough water, this can be a proper safety risk. Needless to say, this is something that you should avoid. Also, you don’t really need that many seats. Try looking for something that’s enough for your family and your closest circle of friends (those you intend to take boating with you, of course).
Conclusion
As you can see, the main obstacle that you’re going to encounter is your lack of experience in the field. The only two ways to overcome it are to invest some time and energy into research and hire professional aid. Another major boon to your efforts would be to do a brief background check on the reputation of the RIB boat seller in their respective field. This could help ensure that you get a great deal.
