Flugga boats instead of RIBs

trawler · 09-25-2009, 06:02 PM

I found this British design for tenders/workboats called the Flugga boat.

See: http://www.fluggaboats.co.uk

It's a RIB type design that features a sturdy aluminium hull with a buoyant UV-resistant plastic pipe replacing the inflatable RIB collar component, making it a very durable and low maintenance design.
The collar is non-pressurised and basically indestructable. The sun doesn't really harm it either and you get more internal space.

Looks like a great idea. So I wondered, why haven't I heard about it before?

Scott

AMG · 09-25-2009, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trawler

Looks like a great idea. So I wondered, why haven't I heard about it before?

Scott

I rather wonder why you can describe it better than their own website...?

trawler · 09-25-2009, 11:57 PM

Oh boy.

Thanks. I guess I forgot to add a picture!

Why not discuss a perfectly valid question instead of getting grumpy?

Henning · 09-26-2009, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trawler

Oh boy.

Thanks. I guess I forgot to add a picture!

Why not discuss a perfectly valid question instead of getting grumpy?

Well, the answer to your question in the OP is that there are other competing products that are better advertised and possibly better built and that the marketing program from that particular company is for crap.

The answer to the question above is that your original post seemed a lot like:

trawler · 09-26-2009, 11:21 AM

A company comes by with an innovative product - so it seems.

Their marketing needs improvement probably

I try to get some objective feedback and everybody jumps on me.

Just because their website is not flashy, we are not supposed to discuss the merits of their approach to the collar?

Reminds me of, well never mind... I'll do my research elsewhere.

Scott

Henning · 09-26-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trawler

A company comes by with an innovative product - so it seems.

Their marketing needs improvement probably

I try to get some objective feedback and everybody jumps on me.

Just because their website is not flashy, we are not supposed to discuss the merits of their approach to the collar?

Reminds me of, well never mind... I'll do my research elsewhere.

Scott

That's just it, it's not particularly innovative, I can think of at least 10 different companies doing the non Inflatable RIB style design using various methods.

The way you brought up the discussion is what leads people to assume that you have a vested interest in the product and are therefor "Spamming" (aka shilling) here trying to draw interest to it. I'm not sying that impression is necessarily correct, but it is the impression you have left, and for most people, "If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck." That's why you've recieved the responses you have. Most people who were just looking for information would have asked "Anybody know anything about these? Good-Junk???" and posted the link. What you posted is what someone who just started dealing or repping the line would typically post.

Kevin · 09-26-2009, 09:18 PM

And don't take this personally trawler, because around here this happens a lot, and the members who've been around long enough might be jaded.

As soon as you'd posted my first reaction was exactly as Henning posted. As a moderator I checked out the link you posted, and for the time being gave you the benefit of the doubt... but kept an eye on the thread as it progressed.

NYCAP123 · 09-27-2009, 12:18 AM

Must agree with Kevin & Henning too, sorry. When I saw it I couldn't figure out what was so special. I've seen a few foam collared RIBS used in law enforcement and rescue (DK the mfgs.). In the short time I've been participating in YF I've seen several commercial interests try to shill here. Might be a good idea for the admins to simply pull the post.

trawler · 09-27-2009, 12:32 AM

Gentlemen (of the last 3 posts),

Thank you for your suggestions. I regret I gave the wrong impression. To me it looked like a new product and I've certainly not seen anything like it before (except the Safeboat folks but they seem to mostly focus on the military market) so I put in the description in the post to get people's attention.

Well, I surely succeeded in that :-).

And I'm not a dealer either. Just doing research.

So now that we're all clear on that, I'd love to hear about similar products and why it hasn't become more mainstream or been adopted by big brands :-).

FISHTIGUA · 09-27-2009, 12:37 AM

I dunno about shilling a product but I've got the boss's 7m RIB sitting outside my office leaking from somewhere.

Its only 4 years old and with not much hard use, one blasted tube will not stay up. The fabric looks grotty and dull, so any alternative is worth a look.

NYCAP123 · 09-27-2009, 12:44 AM

I think that most people are looking for the soft sided and deflatable aspects. If they go hard sided they look for something more fancy. Once you put a hard collar on it it's more suited for commercial or governmental uses and technically not even a RIB.

Henning · 09-27-2009, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trawler

Gentlemen (of the last 3 posts),

Thank you for your suggestions. I regret I gave the wrong impression. To me it looked like a new product and I've certainly not seen anything like it before (except the Safeboat folks but they seem to mostly focus on the military market) so I put in the description in the post to get people's attention.

Well, I surely succeeded in that :-).

And I'm not a dealer either. Just doing research.

So now that we're all clear on that, I'd love to hear about similar products and why it hasn't become more mainstream or been adopted by big brands :-).

Ribs are the worst of both worlds. They have the maint and leaking cost/problems associated with inflatables and take up all the room (and more) on deck of a regular hard tender. The only reason the design is so popular is that any moron can be sent off with the guests in it and bounce their way back onboard. With a decent driver and a couple of properly placed fenders, or some white D rail around the tender and you could use a much better rigid boat.

FISHTIGUA · 09-27-2009, 01:06 AM

RIBs are used very differently from other boats. You don't go for a lunch cruise or overnight in one. They are for doing 'Stuff'.

Want to go diving, birdwatching, counting dolphin. You name it, they'll do it; in almost any weather.

Its not just commercial or Govt but real people who just want to go for a blast after work that use big RIBs. Get to sea in 5 minutes, sounds good to me.

Henning · 09-27-2009, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FISHTIGUA

RIBs are used very differently from other boats. You don't go for a lunch cruise or overnight in one. They are for doing 'Stuff'.

Want to go diving, birdwatching, counting dolphin. You name it, they'll do it; in almost any weather.

Its not just commercial or Govt but real people who just want to go for a blast after work that use big RIBs. Get to sea in 5 minutes, sounds good to me.

It doesn't have to be a RIB to do any of that. The only advantage to a RIB is you can bounce it off of stuff without doing damage. There are no real safety advantages until you get into the water ballasting hull / self righting rescue boat versions.

Jack Willy · 09-27-2009, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henning

Ribs are the worst of both worlds. They have the maint and leaking cost/problems associated with inflatables and take up all the room (and more) on deck of a regular hard tender. The only reason the design is so popular is that any moron can be sent off with the guests in it and bounce their way back onboard. With a decent driver and a couple of properly placed fenders, or some white D rail around the tender and you could use a much better rigid boat.

So if you are in difficulties in rough weather and the only boat that can get near you is a RIb , you are going to turn them away. Right !

Any moron etc. Don't you want your guests back then ?

Ribs have their place. Don't knock them.