what do u think

mate of mine has a rib for sale with a 2.3hp engine, mint condition the rib is 7ft long ,with oars and seats, would this be ok to use in the sea ,not far out , i havent been on a boat since i was a chap, any thoughts and advice would be most welcome

Morning

I use a RIB for all my sea fishing as finances dont allow for a "proper" boat atm. Mine is about the same as you have described, although mine is longer at about 10ft. They are very handy for launching from beaches, although I wouldn't try it when there is a bit of a chop, as the boat will prolly end up full of water.

When you are fishing, the one thing you do need to be careful with is hooks. If it is a proper sea going RIB, you would be hard pushed to get a hook into the material when inflated, as the chambers are pretty solid, and the material is about 4mm thick. Just be aware that you could get a puncture, and be prepared. I always take the emergency patching kit and the foot pump with me whenever I go out just in case.

When I go out, I dont tend to venture too far from the shore, just incase I get into difficulty. The furthest I have travelled is about 1.5m from the harbour. This is because if the engine screws up, I dont have far to row :)

Small RIB's are great for inshore fishing, but dont expect to be able to travel too far in it. Also be aware that if the sea has even a small bit of chop, you will prolly get a soaking, and the boat will get thrown about a bit.

Basically, if you are going to fish from one of these, make sure you take all the stuff you need, emergencey repair tools for the engine, fuel, oars, fishing gear and last but very important, a life jacket. Owning and fishing from a RIB is just great, just be aware of the boat's limitations, and you will be fine :)

Sorry for rambling on there :D
Matt

Boat that small, engin that small, sounds like it's for pootling about marinas as a tender.

Personally, I wouldn't be taking it out to the open seas, myself.

decided not to buy the rib, anybody know of any links to second hand boats in ireland, budget is 6 or7 thou, wonderin if u could get something seaworthy for that price :?

At that budget you would be looking at an Orkney strikelines or something similar. They are a good seaworth boat.. Not fast, but very good in handling. They would make an excellent first boat.

Try http://www.apolloduck.ie

These might be worth a look

http://www.apolloduck.ie/display.phtml?aid=79646

The engine would need a good look at on this one, but is a nice looking boat.
http://www.apolloduck.ie/display.phtml?aid=85880

I'm sure there are dozens more boats listed on this site. It is a tough time of the year to buy as good boats are normally sold quickly, so haggling is harder.

Good luck.

Kev