RIB finance
Funding for rigid inflatable boats used privately, by training schools and by commercial operators running passenger trips or safety cover.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance an RIB?
Yes. RIBs are funded as marine assets on hire purchase or a marine loan, and because they are usually trailed and outboard powered they are among the easier boats in this sector to place. Used RIBs are fundable, with the tubes and the outboard often deciding the case rather than the hull, since tube fabric perishes long before a deep vee hull does. The thing that catches buyers out is that a commercially used RIB needs MCA coding to work legally for hire or reward, and a funder assessing the boat on trading income will ask to see the certificate.
Used kit: Yes — used RIBs fund readily, typically to around ten or twelve years where the tubes have been replaced or recently inspected and the outboard has a service record.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
What would an RIB cost per month?
Asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what the buttons show, with the equivalent APR beside it. Your exact rate depends on the asset, the term, the deposit and the lender.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £628 a month; total amount repayable approximately £30,150, of which £5,150 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
How lenders treat it
RIBs split cleanly into two very different underwrites and getting the side right is most of the work. A private purchase is a regulated leisure deal on a small marine panel, assessed on personal affordability, with the outboard serial numbers recorded because engines are the most stolen part of the asset. A commercial RIB is assessed on trading income and on the MCA coding category, which dictates how far offshore it can legally work and therefore what contracts it can service. Either way title is messy compared with a vehicle: there is no V5, so we evidence ownership through the bill of sale, the Small Ships Register entry and the engine records, and we clear any existing marine finance before completion.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Ribcraft 6.8 | Commercial and leisure rigid inflatable |
| Ribcraft 4.8 | Compact training and safety RIB |
| Humber Ocean Pro 6.5 | Offshore leisure RIB |
| Humber Destroyer 7.5 | Deep vee cabin RIB |
| Ballistic 7.8 RIB | High speed leisure RIB |
| XS Ribs 600 | British-built sports RIB |
| Cobra Ribs Nautique 7.6 | Luxury leisure RIB |
| Yamaha F150 outboard | Four-stroke outboard for RIBs |
| Suzuki Marine DF200 outboard | Four-stroke outboard installation |
| Tohatsu MFS90 outboard | Lightweight four-stroke outboard |
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
Who buys one
A mix of private owners on the South Coast and in Scotland wanting a fast day boat they can tow, and commercial buyers: powerboat schools, coastal tour operators, wind farm and dive support firms, and safety boat contractors. The private trigger is usually a family looking for watersports without the cost of a berth. The commercial trigger is a contract won or a season booked that needs another hull and crew before the operator can take the work on.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
RIB finance questions
Can I finance the RIB, engine and trailer together?
Usually yes. A trailed RIB is normally funded as one package because the three parts are bought together and sold together. We list the hull identification number, the outboard serial numbers and the trailer chassis number on the agreement so the whole asset is properly identified.
Do the tubes affect whether it can be funded?
They do. Hypalon tubes last far longer than PVC and a set of perished tubes is a significant cost against a boat that otherwise surveys well. Funders price the boat as it stands, so a recent retube is a genuine positive rather than cosmetic. A surveyor will note the fabric type and the condition of the bonded seams.
What is MCA coding and does my RIB need it?
Coding certifies a small commercial vessel for passenger or hire work and sets how far from a safe haven it may operate. Private use does not need it. If you intend to take paying passengers, run training or hold contracts, the coding category is part of what makes the deal fundable.
Can I finance a RIB through my business?
Yes, where there is genuine commercial use such as training, charter or marine support. The application is then assessed on the trading income and the contracts behind it, which is a completely different underwrite from a personal leisure purchase and opens a different set of funders.
Is a rebuilt or ex-rescue RIB fundable?
Sometimes, with care. Ex-service hulls are often structurally excellent but heavily used, and provenance matters because a boat with an unclear disposal trail is hard for a funder to take security over. Documentation from the selling organisation makes the difference. Ask for the maintenance log and the date the tubes were last replaced.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
Also in boat and marine finance
- Narrowboat finance
- River cruiser finance
- Sailing yacht finance
- Motor yacht finance
- Day boat finance
- Charter boat finance
- Workboat finance
- Fishing vessel finance
- Survey vessel finance
- Dive boat finance
- Dredger finance
- Outboard engine finance
- Inboard engine finance
- Boat trailer finance
- Boat lift finance
- Marina pontoon finance
- Pontoon finance
- Marine crane finance
- Net hauler finance
- Fish pump finance
- Fish grader finance
- Shellfish grader finance
- Fish hold refrigeration finance
- Fish processing line finance
- Marine ice machine finance
- Cage net finance
- Feed barge finance
- Recirculating aquaculture system finance
- Oxygenation system finance
See everything we fund in boat and marine finance →
Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Get your quote
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 0333 772 4864 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.