Known as a jack plate, lift or chair, this special equipment can be used to mount an outboard motor on a RIB. This type of installation, rare on the water, offers numerous advantages.
Simplified, precise settings
The first advantage of using a motor chair is the ease and precision with which you can adjust the height of the motor. This makes it quick and easy to test different configurations and find the best one in terms of sailing comfort and seakeeping. While hydraulic models are available, the simplest chairs are fixed, and adjustments are made using a nut which travels along a threaded rod.
Greater stability
The first advantage I noticed when installing a chair on my RIB was the boat's stability at high speed. The racking phenomenon that can occur when you're trimming high to gain a few turns and knots has virtually disappeared, and appears much later than it did before installing this accessory.
Better sea passage
The second advantage, and not the least, is that your engine is 25 cm further back than in its initial version. In a way, your hull is "virtually" the same length longer in terms of sea passages. Your RIB is therefore more stable and better able to withstand chop and swell.
Space-saving interior
By using a chair to move my engine back 25 cm, I was able to move the rear bench seat the same distance on my RIB. As a result, between my jockey seats and my bench seat, the interior circulation space has increased from 90 cm to 115 cm in depth, a gain of over 25%. When fishing, this comfort is undeniable!
Consumption and performance
By moving the motor 25 cm back from the transom, the propeller turns in water that is less disturbed by the hull. This optimizes performance and reduces fuel consumption. In my case, with a 6-meter boat and a 115hp, at 4,000 rpm, I'm making 26 knots with a fuel consumption of 19l/h.
