Useful RIB/ inflatable boat part terms and names

Flat strake is great addition to commercial style R.I.B's it can be placed above and below a d-strake for added protection or in many rows by itself in addition to around or under the bow like many of the larger ribcraft and humber R.I.B's. usually between 90-110mm, One thing to bare in mind is the black does tend to withstand more physical and uv punishment than the grey.

• Used as a minimalistic strake or above and bellow other strakes for wider protection
• Can be used as a reinforcing strip
• Also known as 100mm flat
• EPDM

The big-D strake is widely used and is great for bumping off of piers, boats meanwhile protecting the tube. It can also be useful giving someone in the water a ridge to stabilise while getting fins on or perhaps sorting out their mask/snorkel. these strakes are often referred to as "heavy duty D" because of its strong design and excellent wear resistance. One thing to bare in mind is the black does tend to withstand more physical and uv punishment than the grey.

• Mostly used on commercial RIBS
• Very versatile, can be used as Snubber, Fairlead, Handles, Paddle or boat hook holder, Rope tidy
• Wide base for added adhesion
• Mostly found in black and grey
• EPDM and PVC

Fairleads are quite a common addition to these types of boats they can be fiberglass mouldings with a roller to guide the rope or like the image below a shaped rubber channel.

• Can be made out of flat, Teardrop and D strakes
• Fairleads usually operate as a rope guide or protection on the bow for ropes to rub
• Protects the bow
• Acts as a guide for rope to travel through without damaging the tube
• Spreads the weight load so it isn't directly on one area of the Tube

Often found on leisure boats these bow cleats are stylish and practical offering a wide mounting base for strength and replicable jam slot should the grips wear out or get damaged.

• Good for roping off your mouring lines
• Pretty robust
• Doubles as a control handle
• Available in "fast rubber" or pvc
• Several colour variations available

D-rings are very useful to have on any RIB but more commonly commercial, they offer fixing points and great tie off points for fenders and can be made strong enough to use as mooring points, these are made using 316 grade stainless and extra durable polyester webbing which is both stronger and more U.V resistant than nylon but is inevitably more expensive.

• For fastening objects inside the boat
• Can be used as lifeline loops
• Can be used for mooring
• Can be made extra strong for towing
• Marine grade stainless D-rings

Rubber lifeline/rope goes are a quick easy solution for ropes, with minimum labour for fitting, these can be used for both inline and looped lines. The rubber can go stiff and crack over a few years but with care may last a 10 or more.

• Made in both EPDM and PVC
• Common on leisure inflatable boats
• Come in black and grey
• Can worn with straight ropes and looped lines

These rounded style cleat handles are used more in the leisure market offering a more aesthetically pleasing design with rounded ends. it has a narrower base so less bonding area than the square version but is still a strong, useful handle option.

• Come in PVC and EPDM
• Used more commonly on leisure inflatables
• Usually come in black and grey other colours may be available

Cone end end caps come in many sizes, shapes they can make the conends look like a point or they can be flat ,round/ domed, available in grp, epdm rubber, pvc they are durable and hold shape well, fiberglass ones have been known to crack and become a little fragile when pressure is applied.

• The rubber moulding in the end is knows as an cone end cap or cone end
• The cone panel
• Can be short or long
• Can angle in, out up or down
• Sometimes will be far pointier like avons

Cone steps are both attractive and useful they are usually made from grp and bonded in to the tube body using adhesive, the angular design makes them easier to use when boarding the boat, and also gives it a more sporty look.

In my experience these stepped tube caps have a few issues, after a couple of years both on the top and on the bottom where the fiber glass is bonded to the tube material, on top the step pulls down on the tube effectively separating itself from the fabric and underneath the inner edge of the grp pushes a ridge down in the rubber which then creates drag that may damage the tube over time.

• Aesthetically pleasing
• Makes Boarding a bit easier

These are the internal partition bulkheads that make up the chambers within a RIB tube, there are a few different designs, pointy cones that are known as witches hats and these that are flat.

• Make the boat safer in the event of a puncture
• Makes finding leaks a lot easier
• Less pressure drop when cold across all chambers
• A few different construction types , witches hat, disk method, rolled on method