Rib or Whaler

We are looking to purchase a new tender. We've looked at RIBs and Boston Whalers and can't come to a conclusion as they all seem to have pros and cons. We have a GB 46 Europa and a crane with 800# capacity. We can lift an 11' Boston Whaler with a 25 HP motor. We can lift almost any RIB. Our length limitation is 11 1/2 feet. Any opinions based on experience/knowledge would be appreciated.Thanks, Howard

Whaler is our choice. We have oyster shell beaches here on the Ga. Coast. Our inflatables were replaced 8 times under warranty in 15 years of sailing in the keys of Fl. Our 11 ft BW stows and tows great. I don't think it will sink. See @ TheOffice: May 2013

There are 4 11 ft BW in our marina on trawlers for tenders. Some tow and some stow. Engines are from 15 to 25 hp four strokes. Ours is a 20 hp 4 stroke with two aboard it does 18 mph comfortably.
HTH,
S

There have been a few posts on this topic over the years, have a trawl through the archives.

The answer will probably depend on where you boat and what you will use it for.For mine a 10' Hyperlon RIB with a 15 hp two stroke works well.The only thing I would add in the RIB line is pay a bit more and get a quality brand.

hmason said:

We are looking to purchase a new tender. We've looked at RIBs and Boston Whalers and can't come to a conclusion as they all seem to have pros and cons. We have a GB 46 Europa and a crane with 800# capacity. We can lift an 11' Boston Whaler with a 25 HP motor. We can lift almost any RIB. Our length limitation is 11 1/2 feet. Any opinions based on experience/knowledge would be appreciated.Thanks, Howard

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It is interesting how we all see things different... you couldn't GIVE me a Whaler.. they will withstand shells .. but they will also beat the crap out of the trawler if they are tied along side... and they are heavy= slow for the same power.

We have oyster shells in the PNW and in 20 years I have never cut a hull with shells... a nail out on a dock once or twice but never dragging the hull over anything sharp.

And yes in the second pic the girls are ALL sitting on their life jackets...
and no they are not all mine ( thank god)

HOLLYWOOD

Whaler here. I do like the light weight of a RiB, but the fishability and utility of the whaler better meets our needs

I have a 13 ft whaler with a 40 house and love it. You feel safe getting into it and going any way. If you have lift and house the whaler you can't go wrong, plus you'll never pump it up and in 30 years when you want to sell it there will be a list of buyers. My boat is a 1980's model, runs great and is still worth 3-4 grand. We spent the weekend running around SF Bay having a great time.

I had 13' 3" Boston Whaler with 40 hp Johnson for many years... early 1960's to early 70's. Ahhha those were GOOD Days! But, of course, So Are These Days Simply Great... Yeah Baby!!!

In my BW during good weather seasons I cruised all over New England inland and coastal waters from NY to Maine's Penobscot Bay... sometimes cruising alongside or being towed by dad and moms 38’ cruiser; as I got older; many times taking multi week jaunts alone in my BW with full dodger, travel packs, and survival equipment aboard. I even played around South Shore LI waters during the winter - man that was DAMN cold boating sometimes. Ah hell - WTF - I was young and unstoppable!

In later years I began using inflatable dinks (11" Quick Silver on front cabin deck in avatar, 8 hp Nissan was clamped to railing on rear deck - sold both years ago). Inflatable are OK, but, I’d rather a BW.

Currently we do a comfortable four seat tow behind Crestliner Stinger with 50 hp Johnson. Can’t beat the ease and capabilities for fast/safe gunk holing, traveling all around new locals, visiting other boats, and hitting restaurants/mariners in 50 mile radius of where our Tolly remains anchored.

Every time of life, cruiser type/size, and different areas/climates necessitate need for “flexibility” in the type tender any boater uses!

Happy Boating Daze! – Art

We have a 11' Whaler with a 35hp 2-stroke and we love it. We carry five in it often and traveling many miles in no issue. Much larger inside then a 11' RIB

We have a 11.5ft R.I.B. with 18in tubes. I removed the seat and I can walk fore and aft without stepping over anything. I like the big tubes because it keeps my bad knees below my hips therefore more comfortable. The tubes also provide a little softer place to sit when hitting the waves. 25hp 4stroke goes plenty fast and far enough for exploring. Since these photos were taken we installed a SeaWise davit system on a reenforced swim step.

10' Livingston here. Inflatables are very clumsy to me and I got tired of worrying about air leaks.

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