Although the tender market has changed a lot over the past decade, with increasingly custom designs, RIBs remain largely unchanged. Similarly, it’s still difficult for some owners to find lightweight and compact boats for guests and crew needs. The newly launched Ribcat tenders series aims to solve those problems, while still offering customization.
Yachtwerft Hamburg, a German company uniting construction, design, and project-management personnel, created the Ribcat brand. The firm specializes in constructing composite power and sailing yachts, commercial vessels, and composite components. Carbon fiber composite is yet another material that it employs, and which it’s using for the Ribcat tenders.
Besides offering strength, carbon fiber saves weight. As a result, the Ribcat 3.6 model, measuring 11’10” (3.65 meters) fully inflated, weighs 375 pounds (170 kilograms). The other model, the 14’1” (4.3-meter) Ribcat 4.3 weighs 507 pounds (230 kilograms). Should customers prefer fiberglass-only construction, weight for the smaller model rises to 507 pounds (230 kilograms) and 639 pounds (290 kilograms) for the larger. Regardless, the Ribcats are among the lightest-weight tenders in their respective size ranges. Both models accommodate six people, too.
While weight is important, it isn’t the only crucial factor. Size is especially a challenge for smaller yachts and overall compact tender garages. Ribcat equips models with a compressor to automatically deflate the tubes when crewmembers are retrieving the tender from the water. Inflating and deflating reportedly take just 45 seconds each, too. The Ribcat 3.6 model’s width goes from 5’9” to 5’1” (1.8 to 1.55 meters) when deflated. As for the Ribcat 4.3, width reduces from 5’9” to 4’9” (1.8 to 1.5 meters). Equally notable, the height of each tender is 3’3” (1 meter) whether inflated or deflated.
As the name indicates, Ribcat tenders are catamarans. Johannes Malzahn, managing director of Yachtwerft Hamburg and Ribcat, stresses that twin hulls offer better stability and, in turn, safety. “This criterion is almost the most important for owners of large yachts,” he explains. “They and their guests should be able to get on and off comfortably, without anyone feeling uncomfortable or unsafe.”
Finally, besides offering a variety of colors, fabrics, and surfaces, Ribcat tenders come with all-electric drives. Traditional outboards are available on request.
Ribcat ribcat.de
Leave a Reply