Storing a RIB on deck

[Jeff Griglack]

This summer, I stepped up my dinghy game from an Eli, 8', sailing dinghy that I would row to a 9' RIB with a Honda 2 hp outboard.  The reason is that the Eli couldn't really handle 2 adults well, and didn't work at all with 2 adults and some gear.  The new (used) RIB can hold 2 adults and a couple of weeks worth of gear or up to 4 adults.

In the past, I would hoist the dinghy and flip it upside down on the fore deck.  I could do this with hoist points at the corners, so I would hoist it with the spare jib halyard and then roll it over.  

The RIB has hoist points inside, I'm not sure how I would roll it, and I'm not sure how easy it would be to flip it.  So, I could store it right-side-up with a cover, but would still risk it filling with water (at the worst possible time).

I'm looking for opinions, preferably from others with RIBs.

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| Jeff Griglack             "Jabberwocky" P-365 #269

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| "Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent"
|                   - Walt Kelly
| 'Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this
| world, Elwood, you must be" – she always called me Elwood –
| "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
| Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.'
|               —James Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd
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[Alptraveler]

My inflatable is 8'6". We hoist with the spinnaker halyard, guide the stern towards the mast and lay it down with the bottom up. We can still get to the anchor should we need it in an emergency. The only real issue we have is that the rib blocks the vberth hatch which potentially would be our escape hatch in case of a fire. We decided the next time we would hoist the stern at nt to enable the vberth hatch to be accessible if an emergency arises and we need to use it. For short trips we just tow, engine on stern rail of mainsail. The charter boats tow 100% of the time with the engine on the dinghy....not what I want to do. Also, we put a foam wedge under the dinghy when it is on deck so we don't rub a hole in it should it come in contact with the hatch at all.

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[Dave Cole]

Why cant you hoist it by its bow and lay it on the deck inverted? 

Thats what I see in my marina.  Put it over the hatch, strap it down and cover it.  

Dave

10M #26

On Thu, Oct 2, 2025, 1:59 PM Jeff Griglack <grig...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Jeff Griglack]

Dave,

Yes, I thought about that, and it should work fine, but I haven't tried it.  I guess I would rather have 3 failure points than just one.

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| Jeff Griglack             "Jabberwocky" P-365 #269

------------------------------------------------------------------
| "Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent"
|                   - Walt Kelly
| 'Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this
| world, Elwood, you must be" – she always called me Elwood –
| "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
| Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.'
|               —James Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd
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To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pearson-boats/CAD5jJo0%2Bh8oTaDGuWRiA-%3D-s5CCe2fa55NqeEsgVrv5vCTG-ug%40mail.gmail.com.

[Dave Cole]

You may want to supplement the bow attachment by looping a rope around the transom as well and connecting that to the bow attachment?   Or some variation of this? 

Dave

10M #26 

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[Robert Franklin]

This is eccentric. 

I would not own an RIB (that's Rubber not Rigid) that I was challenged to lift onto my foredeck alone. Or one of a size that impeded my access forward for important work such as sail handling or anchoring. I would not own a motor for the RIB that I was unable to lift to the pad on the stern rail unaided.

This policy limits my roaming area.

I have never sailed trailing anything. I consider that dangerous.

My RIB choice is an Avon Redstart. I suppose I could struggle alone with the next model up a Redcrest. No floorboards on either. They double the weight.  If I wanted distance and speed I would have a Corvette not a sailboat.  

My motor size limit is 2HP.  I could struggle with a 3HP. Either is just a margin of ease above rowing. 

Yes, you might spend more time aboard and less eating ashore. 

No fun!

Right.

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Robert M. Franklin, Esq.
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[Dave Cole]

The Internet says a 9 ft rib weighs 110 to 125 lbs.  If you attach the halyard to a rope hoist to that could cut the load by 2 or 4.

Dave 

10M #26

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[John Getz]

I wouldn’t worry about something as light as a 9 footer. I used to lift something about that heavy with my spin halyard and never fretted. Well, I might’ve fretted a little at the beginning, but I got over it.  

And, Bob, I still have a 1983 Johnson 8 horse that runs like a top. I just put some line on it and lower it into the boat. Or you can put one of those Davis straps on it, use a handy billy and lower it from the end of the boom. Though the last couple of years, I’ve had a PT 11 nesting dinghy that I can just lift over the side in two parts and assemble in the water, sail and row. 

John G

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 2, 2025, at 3:27 PM, Dave Cole <dave...@gmail.com> wrote:



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