Organizing space and balance
The matter of the balance and space organization inside the cockpit is very important. The total weight of the outboard engine, driver & passengers, filled fuel tank and luggage is usually bigger than the boat weight itself, which could result in fewer efficiency and even overloading the boat’s structure in case of poor balance & space organization. So, how can we reach the optimum boat balance?
- AIM FOR THE EVEN LOAD DISTRIBUTION ALONG THE BOAT!
- AVOID CONCENTRATING THE MAIN LOAD IN THE REAR!
As the engine is fixed in the rear, there’s nothing you can do with it. However, the passengers should be evenly seated along the boat with all their belongings stored in the bow locker(if there is one), or just kept in the very bow of the RIB(if there is no bow locker) and protected with some kind of a cover to keep them dry.
With the mid size and big center console RIB boats the driver will be seated in the middle of the boat which is, obviously, a good weight distribution. In case of a small open deck RIB dinghy, the driver will be seated in the rear with the tiller control of the boat, which is not so good for the overall balance and could be fixed by upgrading the dinghy boat with a steering console and remote control system installed closer the the middle/bow of the boat, or by upgrading the tiller with an appropriate extensions.
