In a market which is swamped with cheap Chinese copies, we look at the quality of an bonefide Australian hand-built aluminium RIB. Is the quality that much better to justify the additional cost? Is the additional cost worth paying, for the warranty and after-sales service?Andy Alford, a full‐time cruising sailor, details his experiences with his Swift Inflatable RIB. It is the top of the range (in specification and cost) with powder-coated aluminium hull and ORCA hypalon tubes. To make it last even longer, Andy chose to pay an extra AU$1,000 for a very smart, velcro-attached cover to protect it from sharp docks and walls.
Andy had owned a Swift RIB already. And when this was (unfortunately) stolen, ordered the exact same boat. So he has some experience of these types of boats - and clearly was impressed enough to buy a second model, despite costly shipping from Australia to Asia. We look at how this boat looks after 4 years, and see if the quality standards of an owner-operated business are being upheld.Or is it a better idea to buy cheap from China?
(The remainder of this posting will be uploaded soon - please visit again for the full story, with detailed photograph, and a short video. In the meantime, you can contact the author or other interested boat buyers with the Comments section below.)
