Two RIBs at Castletown, Portland, England

A rigid-hulled inflatable boat or RIB is a light-weight but high performance and high capacity boat constructed with a solid, shaped hull and flexible tubes at the gunwale.

Construction

The hull can be made of steel, wood, aluminium, or more commonly, a combination of wood for the structure and glass fiber composite for the surface. The hull of a RIB is shaped to increase the performance of the boat in the water allowing hydroplaning.

The tubes are made of rubberised, synthetic sheet and provide a large amount of light-weight and secure buoyancy as well as acting as fenders. The tubes are often constructed in separate sections, each with a valve to add or remove air, to reduce the effect of a puncture.

Uses of RIBs

RIBs are often between 3 and 9 metres (10 and 30 ft) long and are propelled by outboard motors or inboard motors in the range of 5 to 500 horse power (4 to 400 kW). They are commonly used as rescue craft, safety boats for sailing, dive boats or tenders for larger boats and ships. Their shallow draught, high maneuverability, speed and relative immunity to low speed collision damage are advantages in these areas.

RIBs up to 6 metres in length can easily be towed on trailers on the road. Increasingly, RIBs are also used as leisure craft.

History

Inflatable boats have a long history, but became widespread after the Second World War as surplus inflatable survival rafts were sold by the military.

The combination of rigid hull and large inflatable buoyancy tubes seems to have been first introduced in 1967 by Tony Lee-Elliott [1], and patented by Admiral Hoare in 1969 after research and development at Atlantic College in Wales.

RIBs were introduced for the first time [2] as lifeboats on the Solent, England in 1970.