It’s hardly news that space in most cruising boats is tight, and room to store a dinghy is at a premium. And then, where do you keep it? On deck, on the swim platform, on an upper boat deck with a crane, towed behind the boat?
The new F-RIBs from Foldablerib in Southampton, England, solve all that. They make five models of folding RIBS, all with fiberglass deep-V bottoms, from nine to 15 feet. The nine-foot F-RIB 275, shown above, weighs just 79 pounds and packs away in a bag that measures 2’10” x 3’ x 1’6.” Just stow it on deck, in the lazarette or in a large locker.
The company says you can assemble the entire F-RIB in just five minutes without any tools. The hull sections clip together with wing nuts. The F-RIBS fold in thirds, and the sponsons are made of Mirasol, a PVC fabric that the company says is highly UV-resistant.
The 9-foot F-RIB costs $2,995, while the 15-footer is $6,418. Foldablerib has dealers on the East and West Coasts of the United States; the F-RIBS will be on display at the Miami Boat Show. For more:
