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.”
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.”
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.
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
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