Our monthly survey asks about seasonal strategies and boat-show sales forecasts amid the economic uncertainty. We are now installing two pairs of Wichard folding pad eyes on either side of the forward deckhouse, and will lash the dinghy down more securely with webbing straps. Quality was going down. "We have never built a boat even in our best years in Venezuela with the quality we're doing today," Heyer says. The first major step forward in modern inflatable boat construction came with the development of rubber coated fabrics for the airship industry. For five decades, AB Inflatables has continued to redefine the RIB market through its constant search for innovation, building each AB rigid inflatable boat with exceptional standards. inflatable golf club promotional The hinged, opening console also makes it relatively easy to install and to service the throttle box, engine gauges, and multifunction displays. "Things here work better," he says. In profile, both lines of boats are very similar, with sharply turned-up bows to give better spray protection. This versatile rigid inflatable boat (RIB) also doubles as a sports runabout, topping 30 knots when paired with a 40hp Mercury four-stroke outboard engine. Highfield manufactures RIBs in CSM (Hypalon) and PVC. The company reported higher revenue and profit, and wider profit margins in its third quarter. We concentrate on details that improve visibility, make boarding and evacuation easier and reduce possible discomforts. Our test boat was also optioned with a pair of aft-facing rod holders. 
Its black rubbing strake leaves marks on Calypsos topsides, and the dinghy gives a very wet ride in rough water. After we cleaned it up and re-glued and refinished the floorboards and transom, it looked like new. In contrast, we tested an AB 2.90VS with our little Yamaha, and found that with two of us aboard, the AB was on plane in a matter of seconds. With the guard removed, the dinghy fits neatly behind the inner forestay. 120years of experience and inventor of the inflatable boat, Zodiac Nautic offers products with exceptional resistance and reliability thanks to the materials and processes that are always at the cutting edge of technology. Superior quality, reliability, technology, and fuel efficiency have made Honda an automotive legend. Proudly created with. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, lists Venezuela 174th of 179 in its 2009 Index of Economic Freedom, a barometer of nations' attitudes toward free enterprise. It features a hand-laid fibreglass deep-vee hull bottom with fibreglass stringers providing strength and rigidity. Moving from Venezuela to Colombia has the RIB builder poised for the economic recovery. is marginal for that dinghy. A RIB that will not plane is essentially useless as a cruising tender, when you may have to make trips of a mile or more to shore and return with a big load of groceries. The boat planes easily with the two of us and a load of gear, but we are both quite light: together, we weigh only about 275 lbs. There are some characteristics of the Caribe that seem better than the AB.
In the tropics, Hypalon is the only way to go. This is due to ABs slightly wider hull beam and slightly smaller tube diameter. To raise and lower your dinghy in the safest and easiest manner. We couldn't meet it. On top of that, Chavez changed private property laws so the government can nationalize companies.
French airship manufacturer Societe Zodiac then used their skills in 1934 to manufacture a 2-seater inflatable kayak and then an inflatable catamaran; it didnt take long to attach a floor between the buoyancy tubes and the modern day Zodiac inflatable boat was born. The only real storage area in the AB Inflatables Mares 11 is the compartment beneath the aft bench seat.
130cm paddle shaft linder inkas aluminium plastic Our small outboard meant that we could only get the tiny Caribe C8 or the slightly larger C 9x up on a plane with two aboard. Kidnappings rose 52 percent - to 537 - in 2008, according to Interior Ministry statistics reported in the Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional. The fuel line is run underfloor back to the engine. Making a ChoiceWe faced two significant constraints in choosing a new dinghy.
Login failed. After all, who wants drips of varnish on a shiny new dinghy? High Quality Trailers with a Lifetime Craftsmanship Warranty. To control third party cookies, you can also adjust your browser settingsopens in a new tab/window .
The seat in the bow caters for a second person, while the aft, full-width bench seat accommodates the skipper and a passenger. While it will fit in this space while inflated, we deflate the dinghy to reduce windage. That dinghy was mounted more than 10 above the water. "Since Chavez came into power, every year it has gotten worse and worse [in Venezuela]," he says.
The AB hull is also noticeably wider at the bow. At a glance, the interior layout in the AB Inflatables Mares 11 looks similar to other small console boats in the AB Inflatables range. Each vessel is handcrafted in house, including hull, tubes, rigging, and inboard engine installations. 
This is no great loss, as we almost always remove the forward cowl vent when sailing. Free Shipping on Select Boats and Outboards. Foreign exchange was hard to get, and completing foreign exchange transactions on a timely basis was almost impossible, Heyer says. Some 31,000 right-wing paramilitaries have been demobilized, and leftist guerrillas - the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - have retreated into remote jungles, the report says. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We were unable to deliver on time. Of course, the 460mm diameter flotation tubes also make for quite comfy seats. Your boat motor must be almost as good as a sail light, super-silent and sustainable. The first container of AB inflatables shipped from Barranquilla in March 2008. That doesn't sound all that fast but feels plenty quick on the water. Love me tender: Choosing the right ride for cruising yachts, Top maintenance tips for caring for an inflatable boat. The ideal dinghy for us was the AB 2.90 VS. From 2002 to 2007, homicides were down 40 percent, kidnappings 82 percent, terrorist attacks 76 percent and infrastructure attacks 60 percent, according to a November 2008 U.S. State Department report. This seat box is moulded to the deck so it will stay dry and is therefore suitable for stowing safety gear or life jackets. Heyer has applied for permits to launch boats into the basin, which would enable him to sea-trial new designs right there at the plant. We collect this information so we can contact you when the order is ready. bee bumble inflatable promotional Both have molded-in retainers for a fuel tank. And, in fact, it has done that to the Banco de Venezuela and parts of the oil, electrical power, telecommunications, concrete and steel industries, and to some producers of agricultural commodities like milk and meat. The inflatable boat we recognize today is a recent development and has only been in its current form since the beginning of the 20th century. And it's worse today than when we left.". At the bow, a short lashing secures the dinghys towing U-bolt to a shackle on the inner forestay fitting. Its light gray rubbing strake does not mark our topsides. AB Inflatables produces inflatable boats with both fiberglass and aluminum hulls for the recreational and professional markets. ray sea broker sedan 1999 bridge knoxville yacht sales call email Today we are the world leader in inflatable products and services. AB has a long established reputation for innovative design and superior construction. When Heyer, an accounting graduate of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich., became factory manager in 1985, he joined forces with the Italian inflatable builder Artigiana Battelli and began producing inflatables for that company, along with the aluminum runabouts. The change had to be made.". They are teachable. We were delivering product three, four, five months late. No other boat dinghy davit compares.
With our lines ofInflatable Boats,DinghiesandSail Kits, andInflatable Kayaks,SUPs andDocks, it is our mission to provide our customers with smart, simple, user-friendly solutions so they can fully enjoy being out on the water. Too many login attempts. Our davit systems are built with the finest 316 grade stainless steel available.
Other console features include a cup holder and grab rail, but no glovebox for keys, phones, etc. It has its own custom storage bag and tie-downs, and takes up little space. Today, AB builds 35 rigid-hull inflatables from 8 to 28 feet - with hand-laid fiberglass or welded aluminum hulls and Hypalon tubes - for recreational, commercial and military use. Our quality was going down. Both use Hypalon fabric. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You have entered an incorrect email address! Packages from this specialist RIB retailer start from $30,400 with a 30hp longshaft (20-inch) Mercury four-stroke outboard engine with mechanical steering. You can use this tool to change your cookie settings. In the AB Inflatables boat range there are aluminium and fibreglass hulled RIBS for all manner of marine applications, and ranging from 2.0 metres to 8.5 metres long. The Caribes bottom also has two pairs of molded-in longitudinal ridges, called lifting strakes, while the AB 2.90 has a single pair of strakes. ", Garcia's job, among many, is to build a culture of pride in workmanship. If you've ever taken a ride in a conventional inflatable boat, you will be familiar with how they tend to bounce and jiggle underway. Tohatsu, Japan's oldest outboard manufacturer, has been producing high quality, durable outboard motors since 1956. Discounts of about 10% to 15% off the South American list price are common in the parts of the Caribbean closest to the Venezuelan manufacturers. The 9 6 AB 2.90 VS weighs 152 lbs. Heyer says he saw the handwriting on the wall. Alongside the side console helm station, there is provision to mount a port side seat for a single passenger. Tohatsu outboards were originally developed for commercial Japanese fishermen who needed a motor that could run for days on end, no matter what the weather. It was only with the development of suitable inflatable boat fabrics and adhesives, that we have been able to gain an appreciation of the buoyancy, stability, versatility and robustness of inflatable boats and inflatable structures. The whole console is exposed to the weather so any multifunction displays fitted need to be waterproof. ramp dgrp rollable The 9 6 AB 2.90 VS is longer than the Caribe C9X and shorter than the C10x. Achilles hasthe reputation for manufacturing one of the highest quality inflatable boats in the world, with a niche being the best value in a foldable CSM (Hypalon) inflatable. "People would just stand in front of me and say, 'Fire me.' 2022 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved, Annual Branded-Content Special Advertising Sections. There is only about 10 between our mast and the inner forestaythe only place we can realistically carry a rigid dinghy. Heyer also foresees selling more boats in Colombia, in resort communities on interior lakes, and to growing numbers of cruising sailors who are bypassing Venezuela for the tourist city of Cartagena on Colombia's Caribbean coast. 
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President Alvaro Uribe has made good on promises to strike back against the crime, terrorism and guerrilla violence that has plagued Colombia. An Oceanic single-axle galvanised steel trailer with skid bearers (no brakes) adds $1970 to the price. It was only going to get worse. Our certified mechanics, technicians, riggers, and outfitters are ready to get you out on the water.
Caribe uses more gluing seam overlap in their tube construction. Lanchas and Battelli merged in 1996 as AB Marine Group, a Heyer-owned company, and stopped building aluminum runabouts in 2007. "We were seeing more demand for our boats. The two lines of boats are similar in weight. Increasingly bureaucratic, costly and prohibitive customs regulations drove up costs, held up imports of parts and exports of boats for weeks and even months at a time, and discouraged use of imported parts to build the boats. "Labor-wise, it's much less expensive to do all that here.". And what about our faithful old Achilles dinghy? Standard features include a folding side console helm station with remote controls, cup holder, stainless steel steering wheel and grab rail; integrated stern bench seat with storage and marine cell foam upholstery; bow seat and locker to fit a 23-litre portable fuel tank; removable centre seat with cushion; diamond shape non-slip self-draining fibreglass floor; reinforced transom; eight Orca (CSM) fabric grab/carry handles; raised single solid rub rail; push-push plastic non-corrosive two-stage inflation valves; three-layer reinforced seams, LED navigation lights; battery master switch; battery box; 500 gallons an hour bilge pump; fuel filter; four davit lifting points; hand inflation pump; maintenance kit; and stainless steel tie-downs and towing rings. Originally, we intended to carry the dinghy upright in custom chocks, atop our small forward deckhouse. Labor laws made it prohibitively expensive to fire workers, so worker discipline became more and more lax, and unions - encouraged by the Chavez government - imposed inflexible work rules that tied his hands. He aims to try to retain workers with health and retirement benefits, and certification in their trades. However, it differs from most in that it has a hinged, folding helm console, allowing the boat to fit into a tight tender bay onboard a mothership, or to fit more easily into a garage.
For such a small boat, the AB Inflatables Mares 11 really is quite impressive; the ride is comfortable as noted, but the boat is also reasonably dry and massively stable. When we placed the dinghy in this position, however, we were startled at how high the dinghy sat.
Colombia, by comparison, ranks 72nd, the United States sixth. And he has more production capacity. Caribe Inflatables USA, 14372 SW 139th Court #7, Miami, FL 33186; 305/253-4822; caribe@wwtelco.com; www.wwtelco.com/~caribe. He has worked with Heyer to develop quality controls that include a quality-control team, inspections at every step in the manufacturing process, complete documentation for every boat that records every person who worked on it and inspection results, and daily meetings of inspectors, workers and Garcia to discuss problems with specific boats and how to correct them. When it comes to storage, our flexible valises or high gloss fibreglass containers wont interfere with your boating experience as both solutions fit easily and elegantly on board yachts of any type and size. By July, it expects to be certified to the international ISO 9000 standard. The future for RIBs, inflatable boats and inflatable marine structures is promising and the level of support for the owner and operator is now excellent. During our first two years of cruising, we relied on an older Achilles inflatable, a hand-me-down gift from a friend who had upgraded to a newer model. Yamaha, and was significantly larger than either of the Caribes we could use. Rough seas shifted the dinghy slightly. Resettled, the refugee from the Bolivarian Revolution is confident AB will be ready to rock when the world economy turns. Boatbuilder Ivor Heyer jokes about the fans' intensity, but remains studiously neutral himself. Customers can choose from recreational and commercial models with tiller-steer, side console and centre console layouts. Further, the AB Inflatables Mares 11 gains another two or three knots of pace with just the skipper on board. VIEW OUR CURRENT AB INFLATABLES INVENTORY. Both have small sumps in the floor aft, with self-bailers. The new plant is 200 yards from Barranquilla's commercial port, so he can import parts and materials from the United States and Europe duty-free, bring them in at the port next door, move them to the plant, build the boats, pack them in containers, do the obligatory customs inspections and drug container searches at the plant, close and seal the containers, and truck them back to the port for shipment. Having such a top-quality wheel fitted to a small tender like the Mares 11 is more evidence of the attention to detail in these craft. The Sea Wise Davit System was designed and engineered with two basic goals in mind. We had the AB factory custom-fabricate Hypalon name strips-T/T Calypso-and install them on either side of the hull. With a second person sitting up in the bow, the AB Inflatables Mares 11 jumps quickly onto the plane, accelerating to a top speed of 28.5 knots. The new AB Inflatables Mares 11 is no different. For the serious cruising boat, a good dinghy is more than a matter of convenience-it is an essential. He says Colombians work hard. It would plane with our 8-hp. Development was driven forward by those requiring lifesaving boats. "The political situation was getting worse," he says. "And we have room now to think of new projects, develop new things." 2021 by Annapolis Inflatables a Fawcett Marine Company. Similar to its siblings, the AB Inflatables Mares 11 VSX has a deep vee fibreglass hull and deck surrounded by tough Orca (CSM) fabric inflatable tubes. Venezuelan by birth, the 47-year-old just moved his company, AB Inflatables, from Venezuela to Barranquilla, an industrial city on Colombia's Caribbean coast, in December 2007. We also use some non-essential cookies to collect information for making reports and to help us improve the site. On our first offshore trip with the dinghy on deck, we did not lash it as securely as we should have. The top half of the console folds forward on hinges to reveal the starting battery underneath, secured and sheltered from the weather. In this area, both brands are sold directly by the factory to dealers, reducing the costs of distribution. Both have optional molded bow compartments. The oarlocks of the Caribe are placed so far outboard on the hull tubes that their metal inserts can chafe against a boats topsides. In addition, we have seen a number of ABs with torn-off bow lifting handles-almost certainly the result of attempting to tow the boat by this handle, rather than the towing eye in the fiberglass hull. Now that we have a crane for lifting the outboard, we wish we had either a 9.9-hp. Both have removable fiberglass seats. or 15-hp. Otherwise, well assume youre OK to continue. Meanwhile, an unforeseen consequence is in part to blame for increased shark action off Long Island, N.Y.
All AB boats are constructed with Pennel Orca fabric (Hypalon). MFDs need to be bracket-mounted overhead - as was the Garmin unit on our test boat. The 9 Caribe C 9x weighs 141 lbs. For over 20 years, Walker Bay has been designing and building the most innovative, versatile and enjoyableboatsand watersports products on the market. The US list price is about $2,700. Delivery time was going up. "We have developed a team of people who are very quality conscious," he says. Caribes fiberglass hull moldings seem fairer than those of AB; our AB has a noticeably rippled bottom. The fine entry shape in the AB Inflatables Mares 11 parts the chop as it rides across the water, pushing spray outward, where it is then suppressed by the outer flotation tubes that act almost like reverse chines on a conventional hull. The French-made Orca fabric used for all AB Inflatables RIBs is the good stuff; it's very durable and resistant to scratches, abrasion, and UV sun damage. But would the AB fit on deck? All Rights Reserved. In interior volume, however, the AB 2.90 VS is very close in size to the larger Caribe, and significantly larger than the smaller Caribe. AB Inflatables' hull tubes also have three separate baffled air chambers, while the tube seams are overlapped by 25mm and reinforced by taping on the inside. In our case, we already owned an 8-hp. The result is a full line of inflatable boats designed and built to please a wide array of customers with the exceptional quality they have come to expect from AB. inflatable ribbons clear ball pink beach Both AB and Caribe RIBs are starting to break into the US market in a big way, and you are likely to hear much more from them. Made in Columbia, this compact, high-quality side console tender is perfect for weight-sensitive sail and power cruisers. HighfieldBoats is the worlds leading manufacturer of aluminium RIBs & tenders. Please try again, register or reset password. "That is a big savings to the distributor and to the customer," he says.
AB Inflatables is a Columbian aluminium and fibreglass hulled rigid inflatable boat maker. However, man has been using the principle of buoyancy aids to cross water derived from air being sealed in a bag, starting with coated animal skins, for thousands of years. Another difference between the Caribe and AB is the amount of interior volume for a given length. SimilaritiesThere are many similarities between the AB and the Caribe lines of RIBs. Both AB and Caribe have molded fiberglass hulls with a separate molded flat interior floor. The fibreglass hull is surrounded by 460mm diameter inflatable tubes made from five-ply Orca chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM) coated fabric. AB Inflatables RIBs have CE, NMMA and ISO 9001 certification, and are backed by a 10-year limited warranty. Manufacture of smaller inflatable dinghies, tenders and kayaks has moved into the mass production era, as heat-weld seamed pvc and vinyl materials have been developed, but there are also some low volume customised RIB builders who continue to push the boundaries with larger and even more capable inflatable boats. He had been debating a move for 10 years, ever since Chavez was elected. Unfortunately, this shape also seems to increase the amount of horsepower required to get a Caribe up on a plane. In the Caribbean, the cost of the two lines of boats is very similar, although the actual prices here are meaningless to the North American consumer. "Everyone's concerned about details, about the reliability of our product.".
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My main problem with boat fenders is that they appear to violate the cardinal rule of cruising: any object you bring aboard should serve at least two purposes (the way your crewmate's favorite yellow shirt makes a great Q flag). This allows the boat to cut through wakes and chop, virtually eliminating spray. Talk with Our Boat Experts Outstanding Service Excellent On-Site Selection. Besides their unparalleled level of passenger comfort, these boats are packed with fully customizable top-of-the-line equipment and features, making AB Boats an excellent choice for discerning customers. At the bow the vee is even sharper and carries well forward to meet the waves as they come at you when travelling into a headsea. Given the excellent performance of our test boat with the maximum 40hp Mercury four-stroke outboard engine, I would be tempted to save cost and reduce weight on the transom by dropping back to Mercury's equally fine (and 20kg lighter) 30hp unit. Its one hull patch resulted from a losing encounter with a tough Florida oyster. Voted the Most Reliable Outboard Company in the World. Offshore StorageRIBs tow substantially better than traditional inflatables, but for offshore passage-making, the only solution is to carry the dinghy on deck. Heyer's Colombian operations manager, Hermes Garcia, an energetic 31-year-old who he describes as "young, proactive, intelligent with new ideas and a new vision," is university-trained and experienced in setting up and overseeing manufacturing processes. As Budget Marines founder, Robbie Ferron, says: If you can go around Cape Horn in an AB then it should be good enough to go around anchorages in the Caribbean! For more info:https://www.powerboatandrib.com/2016/06/21/voyage-to-the-end-of-the-world-rounding-cape-horn-by-rib/, In South Africa, where inflatable boats are often called rubber ducks, the sport of racing inflatable boats has led to the development of inflatable catamarans such as the Thundercats, seen recently at the USVI Poker Run in St Thomas. If you're looking for a bit of fun you can also throw the boat about as it carves tight turns with ease and authority. "I feel 100 times safer here in Colombia than in my own country," Heyer says. The other constraint was deck space.
AB Inflatables produces inflatable boats with both fiberglass and aluminum hulls. Hurley Dinghy Davitsare offered in a few different models, as these inflatableboat dinghy davit systemsallow you to store your inflatable on your swim platform or dock giving you an easy launch and retrieval system for your hard or soft bottom inflatable. Heyer agrees. For two solid years of constant use, from Florida to New England and through the Caribbean, it carried us back and forth from boat to shore, enduring days of nosing up to rough Third World docks or bumping against our topsides. On the way south last fall, a large RIB carried upright in chocks was ripped off the foredeck of a 150 ketch. In strong winds or big seas, the dinghy would be in serious danger of being swept overboard, doing untold damage on the way.