Topic: Menai Marine’s New RIBs
Client: BM
Briefed: April 2003
One of the utter joys of a marine journalist is having the opportunity to potter round strange boatyards, and previously unexplored places, to root out stories. Sometimes one comes across the most unusual businesses, doing the most unlikely things, and really interesting and friendly people. Such was the trip to Menai Marine to follow up a story of a new range of RIBs.
Menai Marine is tucked away in Caernarfon, on the mainland side of the Menai Straights, in North Wales, based in a couple of small industrial units. They are one of the few remaining companies in the UK still building steel yachts. Just how they get these beautifully finished craft out of the sheds and onto water is a mystery I have yet to solve! My host on the trip, Tim Bailey, never did get round to explaining it to me!
But steel yachts were not the reason for my visit, however unusual. The purpose was to investigate how a boat builder in Wales became involved with South African RIBs. The answer was simple, but intriguing!
Menai’s yachts are built to a South African design and the MD of the company hails from those sunny climes. He has been contemplating extending Menai’s activities for some time and decided the time was right for a little experimentation. He was sure that craft designed for South African waters, and built to withstand the abuse of lunatic South African owners, would be ideal for the UK.
And so, to Tim’s surprise, a consignment of RIBs suddenly arrived in Wales. A small showroom was rapidly commissioned, in Port Dinorwic, and the boats unpacked. There emerged a set of boats ranging from 2.8m up to 5.5m all built with grey moulded hulls with grey tubes enhanced with blue stripes. The consoles were packed separately as were the beautifully (and dramatically overbuilt) radar arches. Tim set to work and decided to rig a 4.3m boat as a demonstrator. The idea was that anyone looking for either a smaller, or larger, boat would be able to get a feel of the range from a craft this size.
His idea was to rig the 4.3m with a basic engine with enough power to get it going so that he could build it into a realistically priced ready-to-go package. So a two stroke Mariner was fitted and, in consideration of the local tides, a power trim/tilt version was specified.
Last time I visited Port Dinorwic was during tests of a Quicksilver fisher, I didn’t come ashore. Memories of the horrendous conditions in the Straight on that occasion are still fresh in my memory and, although dull, the weather was (so far) being kind for the RIB test.
Port Dinorwic is a totally unspoilt little village with a beautiful “promenade” facing the Menai Straights. There’s a great pub outside of which you can sit and wonder at the scenery. It also boats a coupe of local boatyards and it was from the Dinas yard that we launched. The little Mariner fired first time and the RIB aimed at the strangely calm water.
On water handling and performance.
The craft comes onto the plane at a mere 8mph and will stay planing through normal manoeuvres at only 10mph. With 40hp I did not expect sportsboat performance but was pleasantly surprised to discover that the little Menai 4.2 cruised at 20mph on less than half throttle. At this velocity it would run all day covering a lot of ground with very little fuel being consumed.
Wide open the RIB, on its first run against the stopwatch, showed 31.1mph on the GPS. However turning round to run with the tide brought this up to a highly credible 35.2mph, hardly a sluggard!
When you consider that the boat was running with a crew of two the performance on a relatively small engine is impressive. However it would be equally happy to plane on half the horsepower and, in this mode, would make a super tender or family toy.
The handling is, as one would expect, light and precise. The deadrise of the hull is not as deep Vee as are most UK built boats and this means the RIB is not power hungry. It certainly turns on a sixpence and gives a nice ride for a craft of its size. In really tight turns, on full power, the prop can be induced to cavitate (but not for long) which, in normal conditions, is not be a particular problem. In fact it adds a safety factor when youngsters, the inexperienced, or anyone trying to “show off” is using the craft. In our tests we could not make the boat severely misbehave.
So what do you get for your money?
· The RIB comes with a grey hull and matching heavy-duty PVC tubes. Two rubbing strakes are moulded into the tubes.
· A centre console is fitted together with twin jockey seats (tank under seat) and a padded wheel
· Small low screen with stainless grab handle.
· Battery box in front of transom
· Two lifting handles are fitted per side
· Mooring eye with rope track moulded over bow.
· Safety lines all round the hull.
What’s in the package?
1. Menai 4.3m RIB as tested
2. 40hp ELPTO Mercury/Mariner 2-stroke engine
3. 2 wheel unbraked trailer
Does it fit your budget?
· Packaged boat/engine/trailer as tested £10,426 inc vat
Who to talk to:
Tim Bailey, Menai Marine, Caernarfon,
01286 677 445, M.07890 872 729
info@menaimarine.biz
839-21a/22a/26a The Menai 4.2 is chunky and tough
838-33a At speed the Menai rides flat and dry
838-21a The large low tubes ensure a high safety factor
838-19a The Menai turns easily and safely
838-10a The boat is well balanced and rides well
838-4a The tubes deflect most spray away from the driver
838-1a The Menai is a pretty little boat.