Welcome to Ribstore Tips and Advice for RIB and Inflatable Boat owners and skippers - How to care for and repair your RIB or rigid inflatable boat, dinghy or liferaft

When searching for help or advice to maintain and repair inflatable boats, we know how frustrating it can be trying to find a single source of concise information to help you enjoy, maintain and repair inflatable boats, Rigid Inflatable Boat's or RIB's, soft inflatable boat's or SIB's, dinghy's or liferaft's, whether it be to discover if a RIB or inflatable boat is the right choice for you, to identify the fabric material that your inflatable collar or tube is made from, to carry out hypalon repairs, buy inflatable boat repair kit's or accessories for your Rib or dinghy. We hope the following tips, advice and relevant links help you to get the most out of your RIB boat.

Before proceeding please note the following: Whilst we do our best to ensure that the information on this website is correct, to the extent that the advice, help, tips or information is provided here free-of-charge, we do not warrant its completeness or accuracy; nor do we commit to ensuring that this information is kept up-to-date, however this disclaimer does exclude any of our or your liabilities that may not be excluded under applicable law. Ribstore is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. If you come across any broken links then we would be most grateful if you could please let us know.

All about Inflatable Boats & RIB's

• A brief history of the origins of inflatable boats - the beginning and the future of inflatable boats and RIB's

• HotRIBS - the online RIB magazine for enthusiasts or rigid hull Infltable boats (RIBs) and infltables

Care, Maintenance and Repair of your RIB and Inflatable Boat

• How do I find out what type of fabric my RIB or Inflatable collar or tubes are made? Hypalon or PVC? - Identify what your RIB inflatable boat tubes & collars are made from

• How do I clean my Hypalon RIB collars or inflatable boat fabric - like the professionals! - how to clean inflatable boat and protect Rib collars or tubes

• My inflatable is not holding air, how do I find a leak or puncture in inflatable boat's RIB collar or inflation tubes or find out if my inflation valve is leaking air? How to find leaks or punctures in your inflatable boat or RIB

• How do I repair an inflatable boat leak or puncture in my PVC or Hypalon RIB or dinghy collar?  Repair inflatable boats, repair dinghy and RIB collars or tubes made from Hypalon or PVC fabric

• My inflation valve is not working or broken, how do I replace an inflation valve on my RIB inflatable boat or dinghy? How to fit a replacement inflatable boat valve - all makes including Leafield, Halkey Roberts, Zodiac or Avon etc

• How do I service or repair Leafield A7 or B7 inflation valve on my rigid infltable RIB, Avon etc? How to service or repair your Avon/Leafield A7/B7 inflatable boat valve

• Guide to screw-in type inflation valves, e.g. Halkey Roberts, Bravo, Valiant, Quicksilver etc as fitted to many RIB's and SIB's including Waveline, Seago, Wetline, Plastimo etc - How to fit screw-in type Rib and inflatable boat or dinghy inflation valves

• I need to make a repair to my RIB gelcoat, how do I carry out a boat gelcoat repair and what repair materials do I need?

Care, Maintenance, Servicing and Repair of your outboard engine

• How to winterise my outboard engine?

Manufacturers Manuals and Tech Data Sheets

• Instructions for Bostik 2402 adhesive - Bostik 2402 Hypalon Repair glue instructions

• Honda outboard owners manuals - FREE pdf's for most models of Honda outboards (n.b. US models)

• I have seen an 'IP rating' on marine electrical items on RIB's and inflatable boats - What is an 'IP Rating'?

• Halkey Roberts Valve design - schematic diagram

• Zodiac and Bombard inflatable boat dinghy RIB valve guide - Zodiac Delrin & Semi-Recessed Valve Guide

• Leafield C7 inflation valve design and manufacturers installation guidance - Leafield C7 inflation valve details Leafield A6 Pressure Relief Valve - Leafield A6 design and manufacturers installation guide

• Leafield A4 inflation valve details and diagram, as fitted to early Avon, Humber and Dunlop inflatable boat's and RIB's - Leafield A4 inflation valve details

• Leafield A3 pressure relief valve details and diagram, as fitted to many SOLAS type life rafts and commercial RIB and inflatable work boats - Leafield A3 pressure relief valve details and diagram

• Leafield A6 and A10 Pressure Relief Valve - pressure relief valve spring guide, as fitted to many quality and commercial rigid infltable boats, RIB's, SIB's and liferaft's - Leafield A6 Pressure Relief valve settings and Leafield A10 Pressure Relief valve settings

Rules and Responsibilities for RIB skippers and inflatable boat owners 

• Where can I find and learn the 'rules of the road' or COLREGS? The Learn the ‘rules of the road’ (COLREGS)

• When I take my RIB to sea, what are my responsibilities? RIB & Boat owners responsibilties when at sea (SOLAS V)

Towing a RIB or inflatable boat

• What are the laws and regulations for towing a RIB or boat on the UK's highways? What are the UK Regulations for towing a RIB or Inflatable boat on the highway?

• Can I tow a RIB or boat? Am I allowed to tow a RIB or Inflatable boat?

Passage Planning 'Tools'

• Tidal predictions - by Admiralty Easy-Tide

• Always check-out the weather forecast before you get underway in your RIB or inflatable; at Ribstore we use this great free weather forecast tool at windfinder.com

Marine Accident Investigation Board Reports (MAIB) - RIB related

• Stay safe on your RIB - Report from MAIB regarding forces at work on crew and passengers when underway in your RIB - MAIB RIB Report