Adventure specialist Arksen is diversifying into the RIB market with a range of Arksen-branded rigid inflatables. Called the Arksen Discovery Series, it is being launched with a 26ft Arksen 8 model in the coming weeks followed by a 20ft Arksen 6 later this year. These will eventually be joined by 7, 10 and 12 metre models.
The idea is not only to series produce an off-the-shelf family leisure range with high standard specifications sold via an international dealer network, but also to build semi-custom ’explorer variants’ on the same deep-vee hulls that will be sold directly as one-offs for special projects or as superyacht tenders. With a maximum beam of 9ft 6in (2.9m), the Cat B Arksen 8 will have an offset helm console that includes a heads compartment. It will be available with single or twin outboard installations and a wide range of accessories.
The first three 8s are already under construction. The first will have a single 350hp motor, which should give a top speed of 45-50 knots and an expected range of 350nm at 25-knots from its 450 litres of fuel. However, the design is rated for up to 500hp, meaning twin 250hp engines and top speeds of over 50-knots should be possible.
The world premiere of the Arksen 8 is expected to be the Palma International Boat Show in late April but it should also be exhibited at the Jersey Boat Show in early May and the British Motor Yacht Show in mid-May. As a guide to pricing, an Arksen 8 with a 300hp outboard and high sailaway standard spec should start at £199,980 including VAT.
The smallest Arksen 6 marks the entry-level for the wider Arksen portfolio and will be rated for up to 200hp and twin-motor installations, but a single 115hp motor will be recommended and should deliver a top speed around 40 knots. Arksen 7 and Arksen 10 designs will be revealed later this summer.
These all-new Arksen Discovery models will be built entirely in the UK at the established Ring Powercraft facility in Itchenor, West Sussex, which the Arksen Group acquired and restructured in 2022.
5 FATAL CRASH LESSONS
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has made a series of safety recommendations for high-speed passenger craft in its final report into the fatal crash of the Seadogz trip boat in 2020.
The Seadogz RIB collided with a channel marker buoy at an estimated impact speed of more than 30 knots.
The
