A mid-sized rigid inflatable (RIB) can serve as a tender for a large yacht, an all-round cottage runabout or a versatile compact day-cruiser. Whatever role it plays, it has to be light, with a comfortable and practical cockpit layout and a fuel-efficient, reliable mid-range outboard on the transom.
The Grand S420 NLF test boat, one of the European boatbuilder’s Silver Line models, fits the bill on all counts and adds some unique and handy options.
About 14 feet long, it’s got a bench seat at the helm, an adult-size jump seat ahead of the central helm console and a small bow seat atop a locker right forward. Its High Step Hull, with wide chines, well-placed strakes and fine bow entry, is comfortable at cruising speeds, even in sizeable, steep-sided waves on test day.
Powered by a 40-hp Honda BF40 four-stroke outboard, the S420 accelerates quickly, reaching 20 miles per hour in four-point-one seconds and 30 mph in under eight seconds. Top speed is 31.8 mph, a number that could be improved in calmer conditions. The engine is quiet, fuel-injected and economical.
At all speeds, the boat’s inflatable collar provides stability in lumpy waves and plenty of buoyancy. Lake conditions made it difficult to operate long at top speeds, but at cruising speeds and slower the boat is comfortable and always feels safe. There are plenty of handholds on the tubes plus a stainless-steel grab-bar around the top of the console.
For a 14-foot RIB, storage is adequate, with room for gear in bow console and helm seat lockers. The portable fuel tank on the test boat is behind the helm seat. There is some bow rise while accelerating to plane, but it’s short-lived.
Given the S420’s solid performance, the options on the test boat “ including a folding navigation arch with lights, an electrical package that includes lights and a battery switch, plus fibreglass entry step units built into the back of each inflatable tube “ are all bonuses.
Test Boat Engine
Honda BF40 4-stroke, 808 cc/ 49.4 cid, 40-hp inline three-cylinder, four-stroke gasoline outboard with electronic fuel injection, driving a three-blade aluminum propeller
ACCELERATION (mph/sec)
0-20/ 4.2; 0-30/ 7.9
TOP SPEED (rpm/mph)
6,000 / 31.8
CRUISING SPEED (rpm/mph)
3,500 /17.6 ; 4,000/ 21.7; 4,500/23.1; 5,000/25.6
SPECS
Model year: 2016
Make: Grand
Model: S420 NL
Category: Inflatable
Length: 13ft 9in / 4.19 m
Beam: 6ft 4in / 1.93 m
Hull Type: Fiberglass
Engine Type: Outboard
Fuel Capacity: 9.5
According: Boattest.com
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