Boat Test - Stormforce Ribfisher Dinghy
My introduction to the potential of RIB's (Rigid Inflatable Boats) as fast, stable, go anywhere vessels came some years ago during a shore angling session from the rocks at Rhoscolyn Point, Anglesey. A brisk south westerly had stopped us going afloat. Then suddenly a RIB of around 18 feet came powering out virtually beneath our feet without the slightest whiff of concern. My introduction to RIB's as a potential angling platform came some years later at Cushendall in Northern Ireland aboard Hamish Currie's 30 foot purpose built Stormforce charter angling RIB 'Predator II.' When the fishing was over, Hamish arranged for me to meet Tom McGloughlin owner of Red Bay Boats who manufacture Stormforce RIB's. Having already fished for 3 days with Hamish in what at times can only be described as atrocious conditions, so impressed was I with the RIB angling concept, that as a small boat angler, I couldn't help but ask Tom about the chances of a dinghy angling version.
The concept I was told was already on the drawing board. But with orders flying in for RIB's in the 9 to 11 metre class, finding time to progress the idea would ultimately be the problem. Small new projects were always going to find themselves squeezed out. So to be honest, I never gave the project another thought. Then one evening I had a call from Hamish. "Remember that dinghy RIB you talked about when you was over. Well it's been built, and a chap from your neck of the woods has bought the first one". That chap turned out to be Blackpool Boat Angling Club member Mike Thornton who had just shipped a full angling version of the Stormforce 6.1 metre RIB across on the ferry. The people at Red Bay asked Mike if it would be okay for me to contact him, and the rest as they say is history.
Anglers and RIB's don't normally mix. That however is a joint failing on behalf of both parties as there is no conceivable reason in the world why they should not. On the part of the RIB makers, that is probably due to a range of factors such as lack of angler interest, not producing the right product for that particular sectre of the market, and to some extent cost, as RIB's are not cheap things to buy. Anglers haven't bothered to make the cross over because as everyone knows, you can't fish from RIB's for a whole range of reasons, not the least of which is the potential for hooks, gaffs and filleting knives to puncture the tubes and sink the thing. On top of this they are open to the elements, lacking in freeboard, and liable to take on water. RIB's have absolutely nothing to offer anglers. In a nutshell, that is the widely held view. Meanwhile, back in the real world, nothing could be further removed from the truth.
The first thing we need to do here is nail a few misconceptions. RIB's are the fastest, safest, most versatile any weather boats on the market. If there was anything better out there, don't you think the lifeboat people, coastguard, police, military and HM customs would have cottoned on to the fact. A line on one of the Stormforce advertising brochures sums the situation up to perfection; ' RIB's are for people who have to go out'. Angling most certainly does not fall under that particular definition. But when you are out and conditions take a turn for the worse, we most certainly are people who have to get back. That's when you want the best platform available under your feet, and on a size for size comparison, you simply cannot argue against that being a RIB.
The rigid fibre glass hull bit of the RIB below the tubes (sponsons) is built to all the same exacting standards as any full GRP hull, with strengtheners along the keel and slopes of the 'V', and buoyancy under a solid non slip floor. Where the RIB hull and the full GRP hull part company is in the design of the 'V'. A typical GRP fishing dinghy begins to loose depth in it's 'V' towards the stern to give the boat lateral stability both at anchor and when under way. The 'downside' of this is that you have to throttle back in heavy conditions or take a hammering, though not as bad as in a cathedral hull. There is no escaping from that fact, and don't let any boat manufacturer tell you different. All GRP hulls are the same. RIB's on the other hand carry their 'V' right through to the stern. They don't need flattening to give them stability. That comes from the tubes. This is why RIB's are the favoured tools of those who must go out to sea and need sustainable pace either to help or apprehend. They can keep the power on almost regardless of sea conditions without getting physically damaged as a result.
The day we took 'Ribfisher' out from Blackpool's south shore was perfect. Not so much from a good sailing and fishing point of view, but ideal for a boat test. A brisk north westerly with end to end sunshine greeted us. White horses were visible as far as the eye could see. The kind of day when most small boat anglers would have called it a draw. In short, as bad as it's going to be and still going afloat short of getting caught out by the un-expected. Now I have to say at this point that I can't swim. So I get as windy as anyone when things aren't quite right. One thought I had been carrying with me on the drive to Blackpool was the lack of freeboard and transom height RIB's suffer from, which I presumed would give more of a feeling of standing on rather than in a boat. Out on the water it's a different matter. The sides don't look as low as I thought they would. What's more, they don't dip down in a beam on swell because the buoyancy of the tubes won't let them. Under power at any angle to the sea saw nothing coming into the boat. The only times water should get in is over the transom when conditions are bad is during the launch or retrieve. But that doesn't matter as it is equipped to deal with this anyway.
At the bottom of the transom is a gadget known as an elephants trunk. A flexible tube of around 4 inches in diameter, the open end of which is held above the waterline by a drop cord until needed. If water does get in, this is lowered and empties the boat by venturi effect literally in seconds when underway. For rainwater and the usual stuff that all boats get at anchor, there is an electric bilge pump. There is no reason why stainless steel transom rails could not be fitted to give an extra measure of security. This however would make getting in and out a little more awkward and stop the tubes being used to sit on. These make very comfortable seats and are much softer than you might think. At no time did I feel too close to the water. If I am honest, I have to say that I have never felt safer. A combination of the ride, the boats performance generally, and the fact that at the back of your mind the knowledge that nothing at all can take this boat out, creates a feeling of absolute confidence. Even if it filled up to the gunnel's it would still float. Drop the elephants trunk and seconds later it would be empty. And as for accidentally puncturing it and sinking, well you can forget that scenario altogether.
Anglers, myself previously included, are under the impression that if a hook or a gaff punctured the tubes the boat would sink. For starters, the pressure inside the tubes is only 3 pounds per square inch, so air is not going to come squealing out if the tube is holed. A slow trickle at worst until the pressure inside matches that outside, which is very similar to start with. RIB tubes all have compartments. Ribfisher has five with one way valves inside the boat and a hand pump to top them up if or as required. The hypolon used to construct the tubes would be difficult to penetrate with a hook, on top of which it is reinforced in all crucial areas, with additional hard wearing protection on the upper edges, and heavy duty rubbing strips like the gunnel rubbers on a GRP boat. A gaff could penetrate the tube, but who uses gaffs in all but the most exceptional cases anyway these days. A filleting knife would make a hole. The simply answer here is to use a cutting board and stow knives carefully away when not in use. One other potential problem, though not with this particular boat, is having the bow section of the tube ripped away from the rigid part of the hull in a nose on heavy pounding sea. Having a full cuddy to sandwich the tubes means this simply could never happen. This said, I'm told a RIB can still sail with all its tube compartments down anyway.
And what a cuddy it has. It's huge. Well big enough to stow every imaginable piece of kit out of harms way with lots of lockers and side compartments for all the bits and pieces. All the usual grab rails are present with an excellent steering console big enough to take all the electronics. What struck me most about the size of the cuddy was the fact that the two swivel seats were actually totally under cover. No need for an additional folding dodger to get out of the wind or rain. But it's the boat as a complete package that has the most striking effect of all. We've all seen them on trailers and probably not fancied being in them on the water. We've all seen them on the water go flying by and not fancied getting wet stuck out in the open. But it's not until you actually go afloat in the Stormforce Fast Fisher that you get the true angle on what it's all about. Simply the safest, most comfortable, and most exhilarating way of putting yourself over fish without any of the mis-conceptions anglers have about RIB's. I'm not saying that RIB's as angling platforms are the future of boat angling. But having fished from two different versions, they are every bit as good as GRP boats in most situations and far and away excel in the remainder, particularly comfort of ride in conditions that would see conventional boats creeping home with the throttle pegged right back.
If you get the impression that I was impressed, then you're right. I was. But I would be more impressed if someone made one built on a 5 or 5.5 metre hull. RIB's of that size are available. Most anglers want a boat of between 16 and 17 feet. Not only for practical purposes such as storage at home, but if I am honest, probably on account of weight, though weight when it comes to RIB's is less of a consideration. Mike Thornton's previous boat was a GRP Alaska with a 50 hp outboard. Ribfisher has a 140 hp outboard (rated up to 175 hp), with an integral stainless steel tank fitted below deck, and still weighs in at less than the previous outfit. She is a more efficient boat too, coming up onto the plane at around 8 knots, and can stay there in all but the very worst conditions all the way up to around 43 knots, with better fuel economy into the bargain due to the being lighter and having less in water drag. If I was to be critical, and in the interests of total fairness, I might as well be, my attention was drawn to three things. Hamish Curries Predator II is protected completely on the inside by fibre glass. The tubes on Ribfisher are exposed on the inside. Not a problem really but I couldn't help making a mental comparison between the two. Ribfisher has a soft nose which is a tube that wraps around the bow whereas Predator II had a traditional glass bow and looked classier for it. And finally, for practical reasons, the winching eye is set low in the bow which means you have to get down to wind the thing onto the trailer. Otherwise it was Fab.