BRIG EAGLE 480 REVIEW
Almost 22 years ago Slava Rodionnov found himself out of a job when the cold war ended and the Russian space industry was dismantled. Slava was an aeronautical engineer assigned to a facility building parts for Russia’s version of the space shuttle in the university town of Kharkov.
Unlike American spacecraft that splashed down in the ocean, the communist versions landed (bounced) on the ground supported by parachutes and protected by shock-absorbing tubes that inflated prior to landing.
When the Berlin wall came down signalling the end of the USSR, workers at the Kharkov plant continued to show up for a month until they realised they weren’t going to be paid. Eventually, a state representative arrived to announce that the town was now annexed as part of Ukraine and handed out shares in the building and its equipment to the 300 workers.
Slava and others reasoned that their aeronautical skills could translate to nautical applications and decided to use their expertise in synthetic rubber to manufacture inflatable boats. Initial models could be best described as pretty woeful but with perseverance the team has developed into an innovative design and production company where even today, ex-cosmonauts and engineers sit at sewing machines and work spray guns to craft inflatable boats.
These days Slava has taken over the helm and Brig has grown to become the largest builder of inflatable boats in the world.
BRIG INFLATABLES
Brig inflatables are constructed from either vinyl or Hypalon with the latter common on all higher quality boats. So what’s the hype with Hypalon you may ask? Simply put it’s a more robust material and has greater resistance to both UV exposure and punctures. It’s also considerably more expensive, but with judicious use and stored under cover the tubes should last for at least 15 years.
Construction of the Brig involves fixing the Hypalon tube to a fibreglass hull, moulded to a deep V shape to cut through water smoothly. The air filled tubes – around 0.3 Bar – provides stability at rest but lift almost clear of the water when underway.
The fibreglass hull is the rigid component of the Rigid Inflatable Boat – RIB – and the tubes are the inflatable section. In the case of the 480 there are five separate chambers in the collar for an added safety margin in the unlikely event of a puncture.
For such a small boat the carrying capacity of eight people is something of a surprise but such a payload explains the popularity of inflatables as tenders to large cruisers.
LAYOUT
Getting aboard is simple, as the rubber tubes have non-slip pads along the topsides.
Also up front is a bow roller, stainless steel cleats and a large anchor locker as well as another storage locker with a screw- out cover to keep it watertight. Davit points are provided front and rear for lifting the boat out of the water for storage on your cruiser or harbourside jetty.
There is forward seating on washable Sunbrella-clad cushions over the storage locker and on a twin seat forward of the console, which is set to starboard allowing a port side walkway.
Part of the 480’s visual appeal is the neatly moulded console with its sharply raked tinted windscreen giving the boat a lithe, streamlined appearance. A small moulded fibreglass tower behind the helm houses navigation lights and a stainless ski mount and also helps tie the whole design together into a cohesive package.
HELM
Twin helm seats are set at a sensible distance back from the console to allow drivers of different heights to get comfortable at the wheel and a dash mounted engine control is within easy reach.
The console has a waterproof storage locker set into its lower section with a dash panel angled back to the skipper to provide good vision of the Honda instruments indicating revs, speed, fuel and trim. There’s also a 12V socket for charging phones or a attaching a spotlight. A Fusion stereo was the only option fitted to the test boat. Its waterproof speakers are set into the forward part of the console.
ENGINE
Recommended power is in the 60-100hp range so the 90hp Honda fitted tended to the maximum but performed so well that it could have been made for the 480. If the boat was to be used purely as a tender a smaller engine could suffice but I think it would detract from the high fun factor greater horsepower delivers.
HANDLING AND RIDE
At rest the Eagle 480 illustrates the inherent stability of inflatables. This combined with their light weight and the cushioning nature of their air filled collars, has endeared them to the big boat community who frown upon anything with hard edges careening into their million dollar investments. However you don’t need to be a mega yacht owning media mogul or oil baron to justify ownership as these benefits also enhance the small boat’s versatility as a standalone dive platform or general family runabout.
As I clicked the throttle into gear and slowly accelerated, the boat gradually picked up speed and as it did the solid hull started to lift the air tubes clear of the water. The tubes impeded acceleration until the hull was planning at a bit over 3000rpm and 13kts(24kph), but then we advanced smoothly through the range to a maximum of 35kts(65kph) by which time the 16 valve four-stroke Honda was emitting a very pleasant high tech wail. Nailing the throttle from standstill however will engage the Honda’s BLAST feature enabling quicker acceleration and minimise bow lift – just remind everyone to hang on.
A full throttle run from rest with two aboard got the boat quickly clear of the water without any lift from the bow. One up, it was even more impressive, and without worrying about throwing passengers overboard I was able to give the boat a good workout across some nasty chop stirred up by the fleet of commercial vessels plying Sydney Harbour.
Across this chop the ride was soft and safe as the air suspension soaked up any jolts and bangs that might be expected given the conditions. I also noticed how the tubes directed any spray kicked up by the hull, straight back down ensuring a dry ride across all directions of wind.
In the sheltered water around Shark Island I put the boat though a series of figure eights and sharp turns and it handled impeccably without any sign of cavitation no matter how hard I pressed. This is one of the best balanced hull and motor packages I have experienced and inspires confidence that it will do whatever is demanded of it. Handling is nothing short of sensational and it makes a strong case as an eight seat alternative to a jet ski without the noise or the risk of being ejected from the harbour.
THE VERDICT
As a family oriented application the combination of the hull and the 90hp Honda means tubes, wake boards and even a water skier could be easily towed for a fun family day. It would make a great vessel to keep an eye on youngsters learning to sail or as an easily handled harbour cruiser that can be effortlessly beached for picnics.
Priced in the high $40K with a quality trailer, the Brig Eagle 480 has a multitude of uses and is a quality product that should see years of service. It challenges any boat in its size for safety and handling. Moreover, its huge fun factor and incredible 950kg payload puts in at the front of the pack.
PERFORMANCE
3kts (5kmh)@1000 rpm
4kts (7kmh) @1500 rpm
5kts (9kmh) @2000rpm
7kts (13kmh) @2500rpm
12kts (22kmh) @3000rpm
13kts (24kmh) @ 3100rpm (planing)
16kts (30kmh) @3500rpm
19kts (35kmh) @ 4000rpm
23kts (43kmh) @ 4500rpm
26kts (48kmh) @ 5000rpm
29kts (54kmh) @ 5500rpm
32kts (59kmh) @ 6000rpm
35kts (65kmh) @ 6500rpm (WOT)
BRIG EAGLE 480 SPECIFICATIONS
PRICE AS TESTED
$49,790
OPTIONS FITTED
Fusion radio. trailer
PRICED FROM
$45,230
GENERAL
Material Fibreglass and Hypalon
Type Rigid inflatable monohull
Length 4.8m
Beam 2.3m
Weight 420kg
CAPACITIES
People 8
Rec. HP 60 to100
Fuel 98lt
Water 39lt
ENGINE
Make/model Honda 90
Type Four-cylinder four-stroke petrol
Weight 163kg
Displacement 1496cc
Gear ratio 2.33:1
Propeller 16”
SUPPLIED BY
Sirocco Marine South,
79-81 Cawarra Road,
Caringbah, 2229, NSW.
Phone: (02) 0524 8288; 0410 13 14 38
Email: liam@siroccomarinesouth.com.au
Web: siroccomarinesouth.com