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Spot the rib

Boat season is here - do you have a RIB for the season? April 2009

Spring is here and so is boating season. Still a little chilly but warm and weather proof clothes makes things easy. Don't want for the summer to get the best deals. If you don't have your boat for the season, you'll start seeing prices going up locally.

We've already seen prices jump in the US (coming back with zero boats after our last shopping trip). With the low Canadian dollar and shipping costs, things add up! Most importantly, whether you end up buying or not, go see the boats before you send your money! The professional RIB buyers never buy boats sight unseen. Don't be caught doing this as a novice. If you can't locate a good RIB locally, plan to make the trip to see your future boat. Pictures always look better. Get a "out of 10" opinion on the boat before seeing it so you have an expectation. We've bought many boats from Florida for example (and skipped even more!). Boats from Florida and California are "well used" because boating season there is 12 months out of a year, not just 5-6 months... Boats show wear but rarely on pictures (unless they haven't been cleaned up like our 1998 Caribe 15' for example).
Buying remotely is also very risky, we purchased a boat from the US after getting it inspected by a reputable 3rd party. It received a
clean bill of health but we ended up spending thousands of dollars on it before making it available for sale. That's more than just a tune up and oil change.. Shipping is also and issue since, for Canadians, it's hard to get valid insurance on US boats before they arrive in Canada. Most shippers also don't have the right insurance for boats - those who claim they do are often self insured. Get the DOT and MC numbers and check them yourself at the US DOT Safe Driving web site.
We always ship via fully insured partners.

Stay safe and do your homework. Buying from the US is not as attractive as when the dollar was at par (plus). Total all figures
and your see why we started to export RIBs to the US! It's relatively easy for Americans to import boats and RIBs as a personal import so the tide of RIBs is going south these days...

We currently have a decent level of stock but pre-owned RIBs are limited and inventory is dynamic!

New to boating? - August 2008

Are you new to boating? Canadian Inflatables Inc. has a special program for those who are new to boating. If you purchase a boat from us and you are new to boating, we'll give you a training session that includes everything from backing up a trailer, launching, mooring and boating. We'll even lend you the materials required to pass the Pleasure Craft Operation Card (PCOC) which will be required for every boater in 2009. On top of that, we'll pay for your exam and facilitate you taking and passing the exam (although you still have to write the exam on your own!) All of this is included in your boat purchase because we are committed to ensuring that all our customers are knowledgeable on the water. Our instructor has over 20 years of training experience and is specialized in training novices - we'll cover all you need to know to enjoy boating to its fullest.

Fuel Prices and boating - June 2008

At Canadian Inflatables, we aren't scared of high fuel prices. In contrary, we feel that the days of inefficient boats is coming to a end. Although we aren't happy to see the price of fuel go up, we're still at a fraction of what Europeans have been paying for year. There are some things you can do to make your boating more fuel efficient:

1. Use a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat

Yes, we're biased but here's the reason: There are generally two types of boats, the skimming hulls that ride on top of the water and the displacement hulls that have deep V hulls. The displacement hulls with the deep V hulls are considered better for rough waters (like the waters of the Pacific Northwest, Howe Sound and Georgia Straight but they cost a fortune in gas. That's where RIBs shine, they are lightweight so although they benefit from displacement hulls, they don't have to displace as much water so are much more fuel efficient. They are also very stable because the large, multi chambered tubes provides incredible safety, Hypalon RIBs, along with Boston Whalers, are considered to be unsinkable boats. Using a skimming type boat is impractical in most waters unless you happen to boat in calm lakes or waterways.

2. Select a 4 stroke over 2 stroke

Although the 2 strokes have a proven history, the 4 strokes are generally more fuel efficient. They are also quieter.

3. Throttle back

Most motors have a top RPM of 5000-5500 (check with your make and motor). The best fuel efficiency is found at about half that. That's where RIBs really shine, they require less RPMs to get on a plane so your cruising speed is at a fuel-efficient range. It's quite common for RIBs to reach 50+ Km/h but at the top speed, you'll be paying in gas. You can manually calculate this or equip your boat with a fuel-flow meter that will report the fuel consumption.

4. Use the right propeller

As a RIB owner, you want to be careful with this. If you go to an engine dealer, they normally size propellers for regular boats which means that they might not fit your RIB with the right propeller, The trick here is to check with your manufacturer to see that the low range of RPM is for wide open throttle (WOT). That means, at what RPM should you be at when you have the acceleration to the max. Pick a prop that has the highest pitch and size while staying above it. If you have a standard propeller, make sure you are always below the highest RPM rating at WOT. If not, your propeller might be too small (size or/and pitch). As a general rule, consider being more aggressive on pitch and size because your RIB is much lighter than a regular boat its size; it doesn't need a small pitch to plane. Also make sure your propeller is perfectly balanced. There are some specialized shops out there that can repair your props or consider purchasing a new one to keep the old as an emergency spare.

5. Use the power trim

The trim/tilt on your RIB isn't just to tilt your motor up to take it out of the water or trailer; the trim plays an important function in providing you with the best speed and fuel efficiency. Trim down to get to planning then, while keeping the throttle at the same place, trim up until you get the best speed. If you trim up too much, you'll begin to lose speed again. A GPS is an essential part of boating these day and will provide you with an accurate speed reading to achieve this. Most of the RIBs we sell have GPS & Chart plotters on them. Another symptom or over trimming is purposing; your boat bobbing up and down.

6. Maintain your engine

Visit an authorized shop at the end of the season to have your engine winterized (easy but essential in avoiding costly repairs) and have your boat serviced at the beginning of the season with a timing check, carburetor check, lower leg oil check and change of spark plugs. For 4 stroke, there are additional items to check & replace including engine oil & filter.

Most questions on RIBS and fuel efficient boating? Contact us