TheRealAndy
13-12-2009, 12:01 AM
I had the opportunity to test out the 8m VMR RIB (NAIAD) from woody marine today. The boat is being shared amongst VMR units and VMR Brisbane currently has the boat. Not many boats nomrally stand out for me, and this boat did, so praise for any design is pretty rare from me. The boat, 8m is fitted with 2 x 200hp Suzuki 4 strokes.
Well what can I say... I was very skeptical about this boat right from the get go. I stepped aboard and quickly decided the boat was not very stable at rest. Spent some time doing excercises in the creek seeing how it responded. Then put it out into a mild SE breeze. Not a huge chop, but fairly typical of moreton bay. This boat in this stuff is by far the best plate boat I have ever driven. I spent quite a bit of time driving it beam on, following etc, in all the worst directions and it just laughed at it all. I was hoping for a 30knt NE wind to really test it but it never came, yet I have no doubts this boat will deal with it at all.
I have for a long time praised the US designed boat that have the shearline rake up toward the bow, and this boat has that. Its about time the aussie boat builders cottoned on to this idea, cause it works really well.
Great boat, all I can say. I think for rescue boat I would stay with the cat, mainly because of the working room. But I feel more safer in the rib. Today we did a medivac from tangalooma, and the rib at max 4pob would not be able to do it. If we could afford it, it I think the RIB would make a great second boat. If you dont care about getting more than 4 on board, and you wont have to carry a stretcher then this is a brilliant boat. highly recommended.
Well what can I say... I was very skeptical about this boat right from the get go. I stepped aboard and quickly decided the boat was not very stable at rest. Spent some time doing excercises in the creek seeing how it responded. Then put it out into a mild SE breeze. Not a huge chop, but fairly typical of moreton bay. This boat in this stuff is by far the best plate boat I have ever driven. I spent quite a bit of time driving it beam on, following etc, in all the worst directions and it just laughed at it all. I was hoping for a 30knt NE wind to really test it but it never came, yet I have no doubts this boat will deal with it at all.
I have for a long time praised the US designed boat that have the shearline rake up toward the bow, and this boat has that. Its about time the aussie boat builders cottoned on to this idea, cause it works really well.
Great boat, all I can say. I think for rescue boat I would stay with the cat, mainly because of the working room. But I feel more safer in the rib. Today we did a medivac from tangalooma, and the rib at max 4pob would not be able to do it. If we could afford it, it I think the RIB would make a great second boat. If you dont care about getting more than 4 on board, and you wont have to carry a stretcher then this is a brilliant boat. highly recommended.