Aquaspirit 585 CC test drive review: Is this £50k Ukrainian RIB the perfect starter boat?

Deputy editor Jack Haines takes a quick spin in the Aquaspirit 585 CC…

Here at MBY we are fortunate to test some very large and expensive boats but there is something so pure and rewarding about taking to sea in a well-packaged RIB that is ready to go – including a trailer and tax – for a whisker over £50,000.

You probably haven’t heard of Aquaspirit, a Ukrainian brand that cut its teeth building military craft before turning to the leisure sector.

The Aquaspirit 585 is currently the only boat in the range but there is a 700 on the way and, with many RIB manufacturers targeting the luxury and superyacht tender sector, there isn’t the variety of cheap, capable small RIBs there once was.

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The UK agent based in Plymouth, who is also a Jeanneau dealer, wanted a small and affordable range that would appeal to the new wave of boaters but also liked the idea that their aluminium hulls make them easier to recycle at end of life compared to their GRP counterparts.

There are other benefits to aluminium; it’s light (the boat weighs just 680kg without an engine) and resilient – perfect for beaching or launching and recovering off a trailer and the D tube design doesn’t eat into the deck space as much as a normal rounded tube would.

The metal bulwarks are also a perfect mounting point for guardrails, grab handles and cleats, elements that are often overlooked on other small RIBs.

Read Jack’s full review of the Aquaspirit 585 CC in the April 2022 issue of MBY, out March 3.

Aquaspirit 585 CC specifications

LOA: 19ft 2in (5.85m)
Beam: 8ft 0in (2.45m)
Draught: 1ft 6in (0.5m)
Engines: Single outboard 100-150hp
Claimed top speed: 42 knots
Top speed on test: 35 knots
Fuel consumption at cruising speed: 20 litres per hour
Hull material: Aluminium alloy
RCD category: C for 8 people
Starting price: £35,193
Price as tested: £50,037