Ribcraft RIB offers custom comfort
A new Ribcraft 9.5m cabin RIB powered by twin DF250A Suzuki outboards will enable Northumberland Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (NIFCA) to carry out North Sea enforcement and monitoring work in comfort and with maximum efficiency.
Construction of the RIB took place at Ribcraft’s facility in Somerset, UK, over a seven month period with all parts made within a 10-mile radius. The vessel has a 3m beam, glass fibre hull, hypalon tubes and an economical design. Supplied with 4G, crew can analyse data collected from vessels being monitored.
“Everything is custom and built to the client’s requirements,” said Dorian Martin, project manager for Ribcraft, which presented the vessel at Seawork 2019.
“The Suzuki engines provide a 300-mile nautical range with efficient quieter engines. This means the Authority can use them all day, every day without any noise or vibration interference,” Mr Martin added.
All-season vessel
Al Browne, chief IFCO (CIFCO) at NIFCA explained the organisation is moving away from open top RIBS, so specifically chose a design with a cabin, heating onboard to make it an all-season vessel and an onboard toilet, crucial for extending the length of time the vessel can be at sea and enabling it to be staffed by both male and female officers.
Inside the cabin are three suspension seats, one of which is removable to offer a flexible setup and provide more room where necessary.
Mr Browne said the European Marine Fisheries Fund funded 70% of the cost of the vessel, which will be taken to the Port of Blyth for crew training before it goes into service.
The RIB has been named Robert Arckless MBE after the Northumberland Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority former chairman.
This is the fourth vessel Ribcraft has built for inshore fisheries. Ribcraft also brought a RIB it built for Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority (D&S IFCA), the FPV David Rowe.
By Rebecca Jeffrey
