Thread: Overpowering a RIB

Steve Schmidt designed and built some of the first RIBs... the Naiads built in Marlborough. Fibreglass at first. The original prototype was 2.5m that he used as a plug for the mold... but he wanted to test it

It had a 25hp on it because that is what he had on hand. It sat bum heavy in the water.

He let me take it out for a ride on Picton harbour. Being a little gung ho, when my confidence had built I opened her up ... and it started to chine walk violently, did a 180, there was a huge splash and stopped dead in the water because I had let go the throttle and was laying at the bow half in half out.... luckily enough still right side up.

Caitiously returned to shore. Steve was taller than I and could wedge his elbow into his hip and keep the engine from wobbling if it started walking. Smart as I thought I was, I found a 2 foot piece of heavy plastic pipe that fitted tight over the throttle and gave me more leverage.

"Round two" Throttle wide open, chine walked, big splash and in an instant I was in the water. This time however the throttle was held half open by a bent piece of plastic pipe and the little Naiad was doing 15mph sweeping circles around me in Picton harbour. At about its third or fourth pass I latched on to the life line... stretched my arm and ended up back in the boat.

On another occasion I have been belting along in an over powered aluminium pontoon dinghy, travelling way too fast, a small gust of wind caused the boat to lift up completely lout of the water, the bow had gone past vertical above me, We dropped a little and the transom hit the water while we were still moving forward and the bow crashed down to to the surface and I was laying battered and bruised in the bow... aluminium can be quite hard.

I would not grossly overpower a tiller steer dinghy. 15 hp up to 20 hp maybe but not 15 to 30, because ... 1) the weight makes the bow much higher as well as the stern lower, which make climbing in and out awkward and 2) you will be tempted...