Which RIB, AB,Carib,Achellies,Waker Bay.....?

[windswepttom]

Hi,
I'm looking for a new RIB 10'-12'.
I've looked online at Zodiac, AB, West Marine, Carib, Achellies and Walker Bay.
Online I like the new Walker Bay G2 Genesis 310/340.
But the older version of the Genesis had some bad reviews, so I'm having second thoughts. I also saw some bad reviews of other RIBs also, like they were a great boat 10 years ago, but the quality went down hill because they are now made in China, and so on.

So I'm looking for suggestions on which RIB would you buy in 2018?

Thanks

[KD8NPB]

Originally Posted by windswepttom

Hi,
I'm looking for a new RIB 10'-12'.
I've looked online at Zodiac, AB, West Marine, Carib, Achellies and Walker Bay.
Online I like the new Walker Bay G2 Genesis 310/340.
But the older version of the Genesis had some bad reviews, so I'm having second thoughts. I also saw some bad reviews of other RIBs also, like they were a great boat 10 years ago, but the quality went down hill because they are now made in China, and so on.

So I'm looking for suggestions on which RIB would you buy in 2018?

Thanks

Get whatever you can get serviced and supported in your area.

If they don't have a repair shop, I probably wouldn't buy from them.

[ranger58sb]

Of those, I wouldn't care much about brand names. Instead, I look first at features I prefer: size, capacity, internal "floor," some storage, etc. Eventually weight might be a decider, as would price.

FWIW, we have a WB Hypalon Genesis 310 from 2009, works OK. Has those features, etc.

It also has a folding transom, which is unnecessary for us now although it was useful occasionally before we bought our trailer for it.

Not a recommendation, just an observation...

-Chris

[travellerw]

Avoid Highfield.. The quality in the last 2 years has gone completely down hill. Tons of failures down here in the Caribbean (cracking floors).

[a64pilot]

I rolled the dice and went with a bare aluminum AB. Happy so far, but it is new. I have not had to put air in it and we have had it for six months

[bstreep]

Originally Posted by travellerw

Avoid Highfield.. The quality in the last 2 years has gone completely down hill. Tons of failures down here in the Caribbean (cracking floors).

We found that on a charter we had. It appeared nearly new.



We've decided on an AB.

[boom23]

Originally Posted by travellerw

Avoid Highfield.. The quality in the last 2 years has gone completely down hill. Tons of failures down here in the Caribbean (cracking floors).

Just to clarify, is this on fiberglass Highfield RIBs?

I will be in the market next year...

[travellerw]

Originally Posted by boom23

Just to clarify, is this on fiberglass Highfield RIBs?

I will be in the market next year...

No aluminum.. However, I would avoid the brand completely. I can send you pictures of our warranty replacement. Absolute garbage. Flaws in the Hypalon, bad welding.. Just a complete lack of quality control.

A buddy boat of ours has pictures of about 15 cracked aluminum floors. He took the photos in one Marina in Martinique.

[bstreep]

Originally Posted by travellerw

No aluminum.. However, I would avoid the brand completely. I can send you pictures of our warranty replacement. Absolute garbage. Flaws in the Hypalon, bad welding.. Just a complete lack of quality control.

A buddy boat of ours has pictures of about 15 cracked aluminum floors. He took the photos in one Marina in Martinique.

Aluminum floors - that was our experience too.

[travellerw]

Originally Posted by bstreep

Aluminum floors - that was our experience too.

We know quite a few people with older ones. They don't have the issues.

It appears that Highfield has changed the thickness of the aluminum in a effort to make them cheaper lighter. They have also dropped much of the quality control.

There are actually quite a few brands now with aluminum floors. Only a small fraction of them seem to have this issue.

[Heldenberg]

DON'T BUY WALKER BAY

I have had Caribe and AB in the past and they have been good dinghies and performed as expected, this time I tried buying a Walker Bay, I liked the double flooring and the light weight, but it comes as a cost.

Ours is 2013 and after being in contact Ivan Gamez "Warranty Administrator" they offered me $300 of a new hull or $500 off a new dinghy
We have had the dinghy since it was 2 weeks old, but because we bought it with our "demo model catamaran" as a dinghy, we are not considered the first owner and that is their way out of warranty.
I can only recommend never to buy any of their products.

I have never had to repair any dinghy hull made from fiberglass or aluminum from other manufactures.

This is clearly a design fault and a weak point from the manufacturer, they just don't want to admit it, we have always only had the recommended 15 HP outboard, and never abused it.

Then on top of it, these hulls are made from a type of plastic, that only few people even know how to repair, and good luck finding any in remote places.
When cruising you need it as simple as possible