8ft rib vs 11.5 ft Achilles ?

Lund_bC

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Aug 6, 2012
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136
have an offer to trade by 8ft apex rib a very high quality boat that lists for $3500. for a 11.5 ft Achilles boat with wooden floor and inflatable keel.. the apex is newer and in better shape. I have a 8hp Nissan 2stroke and its hard to plane with 2,ppl and gear in the apex and thinking the other would plane easier.. its my main boat so I use it for all sorts of things but not as a tender..the extra room in the Achilles would be the main reason to trade. I use my boat for island hoping on the ocean in bc.. the rib is stable and I love it .. what can I expect out of the other ? I can't try it first the way it works out. would the 11.5 be safer in larger chop ? thanks !
 

ronaldj

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Apr 1, 2013
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655
The rib will always be better in chop. The sib although it has a flat floor, is not as deep as the Rib that you already have. The inflatable keel has no storage space what so ever. If your goal is the max that you can carry, then measure the interior dimensions of both and compute the volum
 

ronaldj

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Apr 1, 2013
Messages
655
The rib will always be better in chop. The sib although it has a flat floor, is not as deep as the Rib that you already have. The inflatable keel has no storage space what so ever. If your goal is the max that you can carry, then measure the interior dimensions of both and compute the volume
 
G

Guest

Guest
If the rib could fold like my sib i would give up the sib in a heart beat. The overall quality of a rib is not comparable to any sib in my opinion. The rigid hull lets you cut chop instead of bouncing on every little bit of chpp
 

Lund_bC

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Aug 6, 2012
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ya i guess that is the think i have never been out in a sib, my little rib slices threw some nice chop and rarely does a drop of water come in the boat when my passanger comes to the stern and we put the bow in the air..

size is an issue, the boat i am using is "meant" for a little tender to get to shore people keep reminding me, but i don't really have the space for a larger craft and just happy to get on the water to be honest, I am never more than 2 or 3 kms for shore, even then it's only in nice weather and the water, at least for the sea is protected by some small islands.

I guess my main thing is the space upgrade but i never though how the rib is deeper so maybe holds the same, the only other benefit is its hard for me to launch alone a rib on a wide beach, i have to use a ramp alone and with the sib i could prob launch in a few better places, and have it indoors in the winter as i have no way of getting it in the basement where i live but the sib i could.

I am not sure a 11.5 ft sib is an upgrade from a really good quality rib i already own, considering my boat is working well.. but the guy has just got a sailboat and wants to trade me pretty bad ..
 

Lund_bC

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Aug 6, 2012
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136
and also with the 2 air chambers in the apex, i have always wondered if i snag a hole in a tube with a hook how fun getting home with one tube might be (plus i guess there is some air in the hull but you know)
 

foggysail

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Jul 15, 2007
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We have a 10RIB made by Avon still going strong since I purchased it in 1988 but we are into our 2nd 8HP two stroke. Prior to the Avon we had an 8' fiberglass (Eli-?). Both boats shared one important factor, a hard bottom. Before we purchased the Avon we rode in friends dinghies with soft bottoms. There is no comparison getting into a hard bottom dinghy versus a soft bottom. I would never consider a soft bottom even though they are easier to store
 
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Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
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Sep 20, 2008
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12,345
If storage and portability isn't an isssue. If it were me, would choose the larger one, is roomier, drags less. Bump that 8.0 into a 9.8 HP (carb swap) to plane faster the revitalized combo. A 8 footer is just a basic tender for very limited uses, definitely not ideal suited for the type of boating you are already doing or plan doing in near future with a more sea capable sib. You are starting very good, as both are high quality Hypalon made.

Agreed that a rib cuts water better, but on slight, medium choppy, windy, wavy seas conditions tubes will bump accordingly because small tenders are shallow deep keel versions. Literally will bang the whole bottom & tubes along.

Many boaters satanizes a sib performance due not topping air as factory stated, and even monitoring so with a gauge, not performing a reinflation during the day as temp cond changes so as water performance accordingly. Would go for a min 340 sib or rib any day, but that's me.

Anyway you shouldn't go at fast plane on those water conditions unless you have a solid built in kidneys & back spine too. As a courtesy to your passengers you must make their ride as comfy as possible as you would expect if being yourself a passenger sitting up front. As we all have experienced, the one who is driving is the least exposed to umcomfy bumpy rides.

If bothers you trading a top cond rib as yours for a less top cond sib, ask for $ 200-300 cash difference and buy a new 9.8 carb and a pressure gauge to top tubes and keel to its factory recommended working pressure for best combo water performance. I'm sure you will enjoy it much more than your current 8 footer, 8.0 HP combo.

Happy Boating
 
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fbpooler

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Aug 13, 2011
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334
When comparing actual room, measure from the front of the transom to the inside of the bow and inside width. As sponsons behind transom are counted in overall length of boat, inside length can vary even for boats of the same overall length.. The shape of the bow comes into play also.

Boats are personal things, and I would not attempt to tell you what is best for you, but I would not trade without knowing how the trade rides and feels to you. Storage and launching needs vary also.

A RIB as short as yours would probably not knock down waves too well, and the pure inflatable does give some which softens the ride. Here again, personal taste rules.
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
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Sep 20, 2008
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No way an 8 footer will have more available deck space that an 11.5 footer. It's not only size, being larger will work better with a 8 HP and much better with a 9.8 if deciding doing the conversion. Anyway try out the Achilles and check if fills your expectations before buying.

Happy Boating
 

fbpooler

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Aug 13, 2011
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334
So who said the 8 ft would have near the inside length of a 11 1/2 footer? We went from an 11 ft Zodiac to a 10 ft Avon and picked up inside room, as tube diameter was less and sponsons were longer on the Zodiac. Our new 9 ft Zodiac has even more inside room. So who knows what suits this man's preference other than him?

I would go for the Achilles myself, but that is due to my requirements.
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
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Sep 20, 2008
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12,345
Agreed, nobody said that, interior space varies from manufacturer to manfacturer, even if comparing 2 same size sibs, some brands are extending tubes out transom thus reducing interior deck space. Prefer standard outward tubes and more available deck space which is a must have and will definitely appreciate when boating.

If the Achilles fulfills our own boating requirements, I'm pretty sure will fulfill Lund's requirements too, specially if planing going on far away trips with a more seaworthy larger inflatable. Weimed, Ronald, which one would you pick and why ?

Happy Boating
 

Lund_bC

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Aug 6, 2012
Messages
136
well, after a water test, i was sold on the trade.. the boat is a 11 ft, i noticed after by looking up the model number it is from 1988 ! wow! lol.. it's in pretty good shape apart from two patches on the bottom a small leak i threw some tear-aid on for the afternoon ride. The boat planes easily with 2 and some gear, with8hp 2stroke, the little rib just couldn't perform as good and the extra space is exactly what i needed. So the 'new' boat is pretty old i see, i wouldn't have guessed it but overall i see the an 8ft dinghy is just to small and hoping to get a couple of years out of this baby and who knows what i will move up to next. Thanks everyone for your wisdom and input.

Now.. 25 years old, still looks pretty good.. see how long it lasts though.
 
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