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I'm exploring options. I don't have plans set in stone. My priorities are safety and comfort and financial viability.Sorry to be harsh but... this question is like a not yet qualified OW diver asking which rebreather to buy. You have a set of requirements which are guesses. Your assumptions sound a bit iffy. For example you mentioned rinse tanks and bottle racks on the engine box of an inboard, honestly that sounds like you have never been on a RHIB in any sort of weather. Even in moderate conditions you need to hold on to stop your feet leaving the deck. Literary anything that is not tied down will vanish. And how fast can you go with a sun shade? Is the sea there completely flat the whole time?
There are a bunch of rhib bases operations in Tenerife you might look at. They all seemed to have regular open rhibs and operate more or less how a U.K. club would, coming back in for lunch. They use a variety from 6.3m Humbers upwards but no cabins. There is a bloke in Kinsale (Ocean Addicts) who used to run a big (8m?) rhib with an inboard diesel successfully. I was recently on a club rhib with an inboard diesel which was a total source of pain due to being hard to work on and ever so slightly broken. Debugging the breakage was extremely slow and likely very expensive as the engine is no longer properly supported. At least with outboards you can take them off.
There are a couple of really proper RHIBs running out of Oban doing basking shark and wild life tours as well as a bit of diving, as well as at least one running to St Kilda, these could just as well be hard boats except they are easier to get back into. They probably cost as much as a similar hard boat, but will be quicker.
Maybe start small, 30 or 40k on a 7m one for six divers, see how it goes?
And how fast can you go with a sun shade? Is the sea there completely flat the whole time?
bingoPriorities:
Safety/Reliability
Financial Viability/Efficiency
Activity Appropriate
Comfort
Cool looks.
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.... my hopes is that I would be able to use that space for tank racks, table space,
The cabin takes up too much space. Having a bimini cover is really ideal for the sun.
Now I haven't worked with diesel inboards before (been around them of course), but my hopes is that I would be able to use that space for tank racks, table space, camera rinse stations, ets.
@Diving Dubai brought up the issue of fumes, and that may make me abandon the idea of diesel, but I'll speak to Manthos Marras about that, as he has one on his Kythnos location, outboards at his Porto Rafti location. @sea_ledford mentioned jet drive engines, and I will look into that. My only experience with those engines is when I was on a friend's boat, and he had a friend with a jet boat who would weave back and forth and then go straight to kick up a huge rooster tail to soak us. lol
Sorry to be realistic to the point of negativity but you have to go in with eyes open. I wish you the best of luck with your endeavor!