RIBCO Blade 30 - Twin Merc’s 3.4L 225hp

Seafighter 42 – Twin 425hp XTO Yamahas

Stingher 24 GT – Mercury V8 4.6L 300hp Verado

Seafighter 42 – Twin 425hp XTO Yamahas

Stingher 24 GT – Mercury V8 4.6L 300hp Verado

RIBCO Blade 30 - Twin Merc’s 3.4L 225hp

By Thomas P.

Unparalleled aesthetics and luxury, excellent construction and finishing quality, high level of equipment and of course unique off shore features.
All of these may be expected for RIBCO's brand new model and characterize the yard's DNA, but the Blade 30 impressed us for its interior design, that combines a particularly aggressive bow while at the same time highlighting a very comfortable deck that will be very difficult to find in a 9 meter inflatable boat.

The above mentioned make up a very beautiful set of features with wonderful proportions and clean design lines that captivate the eyes of even the most demanding prospective buyer.
A huge advantage worth highliting, giving credit to the Ribco shipyard, is that every Rib delivered to each customer is completely set up and ready for use from the very first moment. Besides, there are very few shipyards that deliver ready to run boats, as most people know. This proves in the best possible way that people at Ribco know exceptionally well everything related to the correct setup of a boat and respect each one of their customers.
In practice, this means that the owner of any Ribco model has the privilege of enjoying the boat and the sea from the very first moment without having any worries about the performance and ride quality, since everything is already tested thoroughly and delivered at their best. Problems such as the boat not navigating properly, and requiring improvements in the combination of the engines’ mounting height with the propellers, the boat not staying on plane at low rpm or that it is not properly balanced… and many more, which lead new owners to an unrelenting vicious cycle of mental straining and especially expensive experiments, are non-existent for those bearing the Ribco’s sign on their Ribs.
So once again, the brand new Blade 30 that we had in our hands was perfectly set up and looked like the ultimate weapon that didn’t even need the slightest intervention from its happy owner.

On deck

Focusing mainly on the comfortable living on board and the uninterrupted movement of the passengers, Blade 30 is a complete proposal of an inflatable boat that is able to travel you safely to any destination as well as a particularly flexible tender for luxury yachts.

She is characterized by her particularly long and aggressive bow in which a comfortable sundeck is formed with a total length of 2.10m and a maximum width of 1.45m in the leg area. Below is a small tent-type cabin with a length of 1.67m and a maximum width of 1.42m, on the floor of which there are two large hatches that give access to the large bow storage area.

At the junction of the air chambers is formed the small and classic hard nose that characterizes all the shipyard's models, providing comfortable step for our boarding or disembarking from the boat.

Just below, in the entrance of the bow, is the stainless steel socket where the anchor nestles very nicely, being an example of elegance and functionality.

The console is centrally located, leaving comfortable passageways to the port and starboard of it, 30 cm wide for the unhindered back and forth movement of the crew. In its front part there is a wide single seat integrated into the tilting door that leads to its interior, where the individual space of the toilet and bathroom is formed which is 1m long and 0.80m wide.
Nestled in the comfortable and separate helm bucket seats, we observed the beautifully designed pilot station where everything is positioned for maximum ergonomics and functionality while ensuring excellent bow visibility in any driving position.

The instrument panel, which is made of excellently finished carbon fiber, has the appropriate inclination and the corresponding space for the installation of large navigation screens, the gauges of the engines, the sound system and the boat's VHF.
The controls are centrally located, with the steering wheel on the port and a very useful glove box for placing small items on the starboard. We particularly liked both the wide footrest integrated into the console and the high crystal windshield that protects passengers and navigational instruments from wind and spray.
The two individual helm seats are very comfortable, provide absolute lateral pelvic support, have a height-adjustable damping mechanism and are characterized by their high-quality upholstery.
Behind the driver and co-driver seats, there is a large 1.11m-wide sofa that faces the stern and houses the boat's refrigerator, while to the left and right it leaves comfortable 40cm-wide passageways.

Further back there is a free deck space measuring 0.80m x 1.78m, which allows us to move very comfortably for the size of the boat and there is also a base for placing a table thus creating the conditions for a large and comfortable dining area where they can sit 6 adults.
The aft settee is 1.90m wide and can comfortably accommodate 4 adults, while its back is tilted forward helping to form a large sundeck measuring 1.13m x 1.97m.
Underneath is the boat's largest storage space, where we can see several hatches giving access to the stern's crucial points, which can easily be converted into a small tent-type cabin.

At sea

It may be that the strong northerly wind was constantly changing direction and caused us quite a bit of trouble on our test day, especially in terms of photography, but it created ideal conditions that gave us a first-class opportunity to evaluate Blade 30's capabilities.

Our test Rib had two V6 3.4L 225hp Mercury engines on her transom, the lower units of which were turning two 3-blade 16΄΄ x 20΄΄ ECO Enertia propellers with a 1.85:1 gear ratio.
With an overall length of 9m and a maximum width of 2.90m, Blade 30 is RIBCO's newest and smallest model which can also be set up as a single-engine Rib, thus reducing the cost of purchase without sacrificing performance.
With 250 liters of fuel, 2 people crew and all the equipment of the boat we went out of the bay of Anabyssos, where the waves were particularly intense. It didn't take us long time to find out that we had in our hands a very seaworthy Rib with a purely offshore character. All indications showed that Blade 30 felt very good with 450 horses on her transom, proving us that her hull works extremely well across the whole rpm range and in every wave direction.
In order to be as objective as possible in our measurements, we headed to a large bay that was protected from the north winds and started recording.
The Rib was planing in 4.6 seconds, standing on plane at just 2000 rpm with 10 knots, accelerating to 30 knots in 7 seconds and up to 40 knots in 9 seconds.
The throttle response was immediate throughout the whole rpm range, the accelerations were explosive while the possibility of sharp maneuvers was exemplary and showed us the direct response of the hull and its absolute control.

At 3000 rpm, we were cruising at 25 knots burning 1.44 liters per nautical mile, recording the most economical cruising speed.
At 3500rpm we were running at 33knots with the fuel consumption staying almost the same, while at 4000rpm consumption increased slightly to 1.6l per mile cruising at 37knots.
At full throttle, the Blade 30 reached a remarkable top speed of 56.7 knots with the engines easily reaching their maximum RPM limit, a fact that allow us to test a longer propeller pitch further improving performance in terms of cruising speed and fuel consumption.

You can see the detailed measurements in the table below:

Perfomance data by e-Ribbing

A closer look at the table of measurements combined with the feeling we got clearly show us that this particular combination of boat-engines-propellers is wonderfully set up and does not need the slightest intervention or any further experimentation because it simply performs at its best for all around use.

With the Blade 30 inspiring a great sense of confidence and safety, I headed to the open sea and turned the bow against the waves, starting to push the throttle levers forward. We were travelling very comfortably at 30 to 40 knots and the Rib behaved wonderfully without even needing any special handling while her hull kept the spray low and away from the deck. At these speeds the ride is truly enjoyable and thus we have the comfort of quickly approaching distant destinations while maintaining remarkable autonomy.
I tried in vain to keep my emotions and driving passion down as Blade 30 seemed to challenge me to share the freedom of the liquid element and the adrenaline of speed. It didn't take long time for me to succumb to the temptation and so I nailed the levers with the ultimate goal of a few minutes of mental relaxation combined with recording the performance of this wonderful hull.
The deep V of the hull was passing through the crests of the waves at the maximum theoretical speed of the propellers at 6000 rpm and made sure to soften our ride incredibly, maintaining an unparalleled attitude as the bow was standing majestically high above the water.
The concentration, technique and simultaneous attention to every detail can be exhausting for the mind, but the final result is highly therapeutic and palpably liberating.

...keep Ribbing!