Collection Gift Guide: It’s Swellegant
12/02/2003
Ribcraft MitigatorIn February 2002, Ribcraft, a small boatbuilding company based in Marblehead, Mass., decided to do a little product research. President Brian Gray and marketing director Matthew Velluto loaded up a competitor’s 22-foot rigid inflatable boat (RIB) with sandwiches, Snickers bars, and safety gear, and set out from Fort Lauderdale for the lower Exumas. For almost three full days the pair blasted the rubber-collared boat 321 miles through constant chop and heavy seas. It was not a pleasant experience. “By the end of the trip, we were exhausted and bruised,” Gray recalls. “We knew there had to be a better way.”
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The Mitigator’s console, inset, serves as a panel for controls and gauges, but
is also designed to shield passengers from the ocean’s spray. (Click image to enlarge)The boat itself wasn’t to blame. All RIBs are ideally suited for rough conditions, with air-filled sponsons designed like giant shock absorbers to cushion the boat’s hull as it crashes down onto the water’s surface. No, it was the RIB’s ergonomics—or lack thereof—that caused the sailors’ suffering. “Picture the scene,” says Velluto. “I’m trying to control the throttle with one hand and the helm with the other while being tossed in every direction. The wind is fierce and constant. The only way I can communicate with Brian is to put my face about eight inches away and scream at the top of my lungs.”
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At rest in the harbor, the Mitigator appears almost innocuous. When slicing
through the chop of the ocean, though, it lives up to its name. (Click image to enlarge)Back at homebase, Gray assembled a dream team of boatbuilders, a naval architect, and a Swedish doctor who specializes in performance boat–related back and neck injuries. Together, they addressed every one of their competitor’s shortcomings. Five months later, the Mitigator was born.
Approaching the 25-foot 7-inch Mitigator, you first notice the black-on-black color scheme that immediately distances it from the soft-sided tenders so loved by megayacht owners. From the Mitigator’s carbon fiber A-frame to its solid fiberglass bow box, every detail reflects the boat’s single-minded, mission-critical design. It may be aimed at the recreational market, but even a landlubber can tell that the Mitigator is what the RIB-savvy British would call a serious piece of kit.
When I hop aboard and throw a leg over the copilot’s chair, the ergonomic backrest keeps my torso in the ideal, upright position. The seat sinks gently down on its gas piston, ready to absorb the g-force punishment to follow. The Velcro straps underfoot are another indispensable innovation; they keep passengers from losing contact with the seat while providing sufficient hull contact to assess the RIB’s attitude. Stainless steel handholds are perfectly placed to aid tactile feedback and stability, without necessitating the usual straight-armed death grip.
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At first glance,
the Mitigator’s central console seems overlarge. As we pull away from the lee of
the land, the battleship gray furniture reveals itself as an ideal windbreak,
wide enough to shelter front passengers from a stiff offshore breeze. The
Mitigator’s helmet-mounted intercom system completely eliminates the wind roar.
Even with the electronic engine whir mixed in, I can hear Matthew Velluto’s
sales pitch loud and clear. “We’re really proud of this electronic handlebar,”
he says. “The pilot uses it to control the throttle and steering, adjust engine
trim, and toggle the comms between stereo, VHF radio, satellite, and cell
phone—all without taking his hands off the controls.” (Click image to enlarge)And with that, Matthew spools up the supersmooth 225 hp Honda engine and fires the Mitigator directly into a four-foot head sea. Within seconds, we’re leaping from wave crest to wave crest. Initially, I wonder what all the fuss is about. There is still a considerable amount of heaving and hitting going on. Then I look over at the GPS; we’re doing 48 mph. Once I will myself to relax, find my feet, and let the seat do its job, everything falls into place. Suddenly, going like hell is a hell of a lot of fun.
When it is my turn to dodge the lobster pots, I discover that the Mitigator’s deep-V hull, generous forward dead rise, and multiple chines and strakes give the boat masterful, rock-solid handling, even into three-quarter seas. Whether or not it can transform a 300-mile Atlantic journey into a playful romp is a question Gray will address early next year, when he repeats his Floridian adventure in a Mitigator. “I’m 100 percent certain it will perform as expected,” Gray predicts. “It’s time for the punishment to stop.”
Ribcraft USA
866.RIBS.USA
www.ribcraftusa.com