Rigging your own RIB

ba_fisher

Cadet
Joined
Dec 23, 2014
Messages
13
It seems to me that if I buy just a RIB hull and rig it myself, the cost is much less that buying a pre-rigged boat. For example, for the Mercury Ocean Runner 430 RIB, I am looking at the hull for about $3100, a center console for about $1000, steering wheel for $99, steering cable $129, 25 HP 4 stroke for about $3500, dual cooler seat for about $300, so for total of about $8000 I get a pretty decent boat.

How hard is it to put everything together? I went to a dealer today and saw a rigged RIB that was looking pretty hastily put together. I was thinking, "I could do it better than that!".

It seems to me that it just takes drilling holes on the fiber glass and bolting stuff together.

Or, am I delusioning myself?
 

ba_fisher

Cadet
Joined
Dec 23, 2014
Messages
13
After looking at ebay, I think I vastly over estimated the price of the console ... there are lots of cheap stuff on ebay. Many (all?) are made in China so quality may not be top notch, but probably good enough as I just need a boxy piece of fiberglass.
 

alanfox55

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
476
No Title

There are always ways to save money. I try to do any work needed on my boat myself but there are times I just don't think I'm qualified. For example I didn't even want to try to mount a jack plate and motor so I paid to have it done. I didn't like the cost of it but now I'm glad I had someone else do it. I didn't want to pay for a new motor so I looked for a well maintained one from up north where the boating season is short. I ended up with a 1997 30hp Mercury that runs and looks almost new. It will probably outlive me and the boat. I needed a steering system and settled on a UFLEX paying about $400 for the whole setup. I've seen them on the net for $350 along with a different UFLEX set up for $650. Mine is very small,doesn't take up much room and was simple to install.
 

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Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
You could rig the rib yourself, but it's not a simple screw bolts to deck and voila. You need to find the proper distance to bolt center console and seat on deck to ballance rib well. Once bolted down, know the distance from center console to engine, that's to buy the proper needed lenght of wheel and remote box cables. Will need to drill holes on center console to sit the wheel and helm. All these bumers involves many hour of specialized and dedicated work. Definitely not for the unskilled.

Happy Boating
 
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