Advice on Avon 310 RIB Lite

[judy]

First time poster here. Have sailed from NJ to Grenada and back with a high pressure air floor Zodiac, and it's finally worn out enough to buy a new inflatable. We like the portability of the air floor, but lust for a hypalon RIB. Has anyone had any experience with the Avon 310 RIB lite? It has a foldable transom and smaller tubes, but weighs only 93 lbs. Would use for coastal cruising and island hopping.

[maxingout]

Although we considered an Rib, we got the ten foot avon sport boat with the inflatable floor. We chose the inflatable floor dingy because of the weight on the davits when coastal cruising, and the ability to fold it up and stow it when on passage offshore. Since we were doing a circumnavigation, being easy to stow on passage was extremely important to us.

If I was going to be based in a single location, and if I was going to anchor far from the shore, that I would get the RIB. For that style of living aboard it would be superior to our inflatable floor dinghy.

[Bash]

It has a foldable transom and smaller tubes, but weighs only 93 lbs. Would use for coastal cruising and island hopping.

I've owned three inflatable-floor dinks, and four RIBs. To me, the more important critereon is tube size.

If you have davits, go with the rib. If you don't, don't. Regardless, a larger diameter tube will almost always outperform a smaller tube.

[Kashmir cat]

I would definitely go with a rigid inflatable. You will be amazed how it feels and handles like a real boat. You might look into ABs. They make a 9.5' aluminum which also weighs 94 pounds , but has more INTERIOR space than an Avon 310 (3" wider inside and the same length inside as the 10 foot Avon). It also has bigger tubes (17") . They are built like brick poop houses and are tougher than lightly built fiberglass RIBs. I own a 12 foot AB aluminum that weighs #130 and am quite impressed with its build and performance. Have fun looking!

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by Kashmir cat

I would definitely go with a rigid inflatable. You will be amazed how it feels and handles like a real boat. You might look into ABs. They make a 9.5' aluminum which also weighs 94 pounds , but has more INTERIOR space than an Avon 310 (3" wider inside and the same length inside as the 10 foot Avon). It also has bigger tubes (17") . They are built like brick poop houses and are tougher than lightly built fiberglass RIBs. I own a 12 foot AB aluminum that weighs #130 and am quite impressed with its build and performance. Have fun looking!

I've been salivating over the RIB lite for a while. Some good points made here for the aluminum hull AB. For me it's the trade off of the space saving folding transom. My boat is in long term dry storage and I already have a Walker Bay sailing dink lashed down on the forepeak. Being able to stow a rib inside the salon is a big deal. I've always carried 2 dinks, hence the space saving issue.

[Minggat]

Judy,

Don't want to see your thread die young. Here's what I got when I asked much the same question some time ago.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ibs-27423.html

I'm too far from my boat to go forward with buying, but it's top of my list when I get back. I sold my last inflatable just before leaving Mexico.

[judy]

Thanks to all for your advise. Will continue researching the folding transom RIB's, and hope to hear from anyone who owns one.