What type of inflatable boat should I consider for this purpose?
Excuse the novice question, but I need an inflatable boat of some sort
for the purpose of crossing a 1/2-mile wide river estuary
occasionally. The water flow from the river is very slow, (it's not
much of a river, despite the width of the estuary. The water is fairly
well sheltered from the ocean waves. The tide rises and falls quite
quickly. The boat ideally needs to carry myself, plus a rucksack full
of camping gear. Occasionally, I'd like to add one other adult and
rucksack. The boat needs to be light enough to be carried by one
person for short distances (when inflated but not laden), by one man.I would also like to do longer trips occasionally (a few miles) along
the shoreline of the wider parts of the estuary - sort of leisurely
exploration trips. I'd also like to take the boat out along the
shoreline of the local beaches (outside the estuary) when the weather
is calm. The boat needs to be an inflatable, since the only place I have to
store it is the trunk of my car. Folding boats were also of interest,
until I discovered the cost. Budget is limited, so I have been looking at the Sevylor Tahiti (10 ft
2-seater inflatable canoe) and its 12-foot 3-seater version (both
under $200). My main concerns about these are that I they get blown
around by the wind and track terribly. If a wind blew up when I was
half-way across the estuary, there's no telling where I might end up! So I'm wondering if I'd be wiser to go for some other kind of
inflatable with an outboard motor. What do you think? Any help would
be appreciated... While I have a small amount of sailing and
navigation experience, I have almost zero experience of canoes and
small craft. Many thanks, Al D |
Al
Jun 2
2006
|
| considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:
I hear that!
|
Gene
Jun 4
|
| well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |
Gene
Jun 4
|
| We have a local dealer who sells them. I ended up buying one, but not
the cheapest one; I settled for a 14-ft one that cost 20% more but was
made with a better, lighter, stiffer hull material. Of course, buying
new costs more, but at least I extracted a lot of very useful info
from the dealer. Immediately after buying, I took her out on the water, and was very
happy with the way she handled. So much more relaxing and stable than
my kayak, and now I can take an extra person and loads of camping
gear. After about 30 minutes of getting used to the boat, I made the
half-mile crossing to the other side of the estuary. Dead easy! Anyway, I had more fun yesterday out on the water than I have for
years. So, despite having to shell out more cash than I had banked on,
I feel it was money well spent. This canoe does seem well-suited to my
needs, and besides that, it just feels right for me somehow. So may I
thank you all for the advice you all gave which led me to this
decision! Yesterday, I couldn't get enough of it, actually, and remained
paddling for about 5 hours, exploring the shoeline on the other side
of the water - places that are near impossible to access by road and
on foot. There was a slight wind: force 3, I guess. Getting the canoe
to point in the right direction proved a challenge at times when the
tide and the wind was not in my favour, but once the boat was going in
the right direction, it was possible to keep it that way. It tracks
well - so much better my kayak - even with a skeg fitted.. Unfortunately most of the beaches in this estuary are shingle,
composed largely of sea shells. I noticed the bottom of the canoe was
fairly well scratched up after beaching her a few times on that
shingle. But I guess there's not a lot one can do about that... I hope
she lasts a good few years anyway... I tried hard to get the hang of the J-stroke, but ended up finding it
a lot easier to paddle kayak-style with my double-ended kayak paddle,
sitting on the most central seat with legs crossed underneath, rather
than kneeling and using a single-ended paddle. I could build up quite
a good rate of knots using kayak-style paddling. What I want is a
slight longer double-ended paddle. Perhaps I can modify the existing
one. So thanks again, everyone! Al D |
Al
Jun 4
|
| They row pretty well. They come with a set of collapsible aluminum oars that are
not really long enough for any serious rowing, and use some clamp-on oarlocks
with swivel joints. You can't even feather the oars with that setup. I have a
second set of "real" oars with regular oarlocks that I use most of the time. Terry & Skipper, Clearlake Texas |
Mys
Jun 2
|
| Yep...that's the one. They have a couple of 'outlet' stores around too.
My MapPoint program says it's 535 miles driving the long way up to
Amherst NS, down through New Brunswick & Maine.
Lot shorter to take the ferry, but it's expensive and you have to sail
on their schedule. |
Don
Jun 2
|
| A canoe will be much easier to find locally, so I guess the canoe is
likely to win the day. I need something pretty soon. Here is a
14-footer I am going to look at tomorrow, hopefully: http://www.petra-hughes.com/blue.JPG Any comments as to her likely suitability would be appreciated (as far
as one can tell from a photo, that is)... She's 38" wide with a 'V'
hull, and has a bracket for an ouboard. I can't comment on the
condition until I get a close look. Al D |
Al
Jun 3
|
| I'd go to COSTCO and see what models they have. The plastic Coleman type
used to be reasonable, although closer to $600.00 up here rather than
the $400.00 price they were for years. Another make is Pelican. |
Don
Jun 3
|
| I've seen the Pelican Colorado, a.k.a. the Coleman Journey (15' 6"):
http://www.petra-hughes.com/pelican-colorado.jpg
Is that the one? Does anyone have any experience of these and/or can comment on its
suitability for my purposes? Thank you, Al D |
Al
Jun 3
|
| Those Coleman canoes do not track well. Their only real virtue is the low price. Terry & Skipper, Clearlake Texas |
Mys
Jun 3
|
|
We buy used canoes from the Shenandoah River outfitters. They used them
(rent them out) for a couple of seasons and then when they are not as
pretty as they used to be, they sell them off. You can get an $1100
canoe for about $200. The canoes are perfectly serviceable. Betcha
river outfitters in other parts of the country do the same thing. |
Harry
Jun 3
|
| >
>> Al D wrote:
>>> On Fri, 2 Jun 2006 18:35:42 -0400, " JimH"
>>> <jimhUNDERSCOREosudad@yahooDOTcom> wrote: |
Harry
Jun 3
|
| Yes, that looks like the bargain basement type I was thinking of. |
Don
Jun 3
|
| They do that with ocean type kayaks here...but not at that discount. |
Don
Jun 3
|
| Well, the canoes they resell are top brands but they have lots of
scratches on their bottoms from use. The insides are still pretty good,
and none of the bottom scratches are deep enough to cause concern. Ours
is at least seven years old now, and it still paddles fine and true with
no leaks. |
Harry
Jun 3
|
| well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |
Gene
Jun 3
|
| Maybe you could get the skeeters to do the paddling? |
Wayne.B
Jun 3
|
|
Typically in the late fall, after the season ends, but I have a friend
who lives out there and I will ask him to keep an eye open. There are
about six river outfitters active in the area. |
Harry
Jun 3
|
| . |
chuckgould.chu...
Jun 2
|
| For what you need, I think a used "real" canoe is your best, and least
expensive option. I'll bet you can find someone willing to store it
for you in exchange for using it once in awhile. There are no inflatables that are anywhere near your budget that are
going to work for what you intend. Especially since a motor would be
needed. You aren't going to paddle or row an inflatable any great
distance! Finding a beat up canoe for $200 is going to be tough, but I've seen
them advertised in shopper papers for low prices. If you drive past a
canoe in someone's yard (especially near a lake) that doesn't look
like it's been used for a long time, knock on the door, and see if
they want to part with it. If all else fails, you can keep it on the roof of your car and padlock
it to the racks. |
Mys
Jun 2
|
| I would steer clear of the inexpensive inflatables, and look for a used
canoe or Jon Boat.
|
Reginald
Jun 2
|
| >of an inflatable "keel" as my primary dinghy. It's easy to launch, one |
Al
Jun 2
|
| Thanks for the suggestions. I once bought a real kayak, but it scared
me to death because of the instability - and that was on water that
was dead calm! I've never been in an open canoe... An open canoe that was stable in
the water might be an option, but I fear the wind issue might still be
a problem on that 1/2-mile crossing, don't you think? Is it possible
to rig up some sort of outboard motor on a canoe without too much
expense? I did a search for 'canoe outboard motors' but couldn't find
anything. Al D |
Al
Jun 2
|
| Thanks... Out of the two, it would have to be a canoe. I *definitely*
cannot store a jon boat anywhere. A canoe is possible, though... by
stringing it up from the ceiling in my hallway... (That's what I used
to do with my kayak...) Al D |
Al
Jun 2
|
| You can also see if you can find as used Porta-Bote that fits your budget: http://www.porta-bote.com/ |
Jun 2
|
| There are a wide variety of canoes, and some are quite stable. People
traverse white water in them. Even the tippiest of canoes is a lot
more stable than a kayak. A half mile paddle in a canoe is nothing.
When I was 14, a buddy and I paddled a canoe down the Connecticut
River from Massachucetts to the Long Island Sound. In my opinion, motors on canoes are very dangerous. If you try to
steer with the motor, rather than keeping it locked straight and
steering with a paddle, the motor will roll the canoe over. They do
make special mounts to hang a small motor off the side, but you don't
really have the budget for anything with a motor anyway. I would suggest you hunt around for a place that rents canoes and give
one a try for a few hours. They move pretty easily. If you do get a canoe, get the longest one you can find. Those little
14 footers are a lot more work to paddle. The longer the waterline,
the easier to paddle. |
Mys
Jun 2
|
| Both points are reassuring! That's enough to meake me turn my |
Al
Jun 2
|
| Thanks... I like the concept... Will look out for affordable ones. Al D |
Al
Jun 2
|
| I don't think I've encountered any canoes much less than about 14 feet. For two
people and gear, 14 feet would not be big enough. There is an 8.5 foot portabote
that would fit all of your criteria except cost. It's about $1200 new. That's
about half the cost of a comparable inflatable. It folds up to about the size of
a 9 foot surfboard and weighs about 50 pounds. MUCH tougher than an inflatable,
too. Terry & Skipper, Clearlake Texas |
Mys
Jun 2
|
| Here is a used 12 footer with accessories presently at $455 on ebay: http://tinyurl.com/jtthg |
Jun 2
|
| Yes, I can see the attraction of those. The expense is a problem
though. I do like the idea of a canoe, because these trips, for me, are mainly
about getting back to nature. When I reach the otehr side of the
estuary, I walk as far as I comfortably can into the wilds and camp
out, just to get close to nature. So using something like a canoe
might harmonise with the spirit of these trips better than a
motor-powered boat would. But safety, is of course, a prime concern. I
want to enjoy these trips, but don't want to drown in the process..
(-; I guess I could store a 14-foot canoe in my back yard. It's more prone
to theft, but perhaps I can devise a way of chaining it to the
ground... The other snag is that 14 ft seems a little long for
carrying on the roof rack of a car. Perhaps I'm wrong. I'd like to
hear opinions on this. There is a guy selling a 14-ft canoe locally, actually. The trouble
is, I don't feel I know enough to be able to judge whether it is of
suitable design and construction. I could pay my money and take a
chance, I suppose. Thanks again, Al D |
Al
Jun 2
|
| mmmm..that's almost do-able for me. I could get down there in less than
12 hours plus pop into L.L. Bean for some shopping. |
Don
Jun 2
|
| So they do exist within my price range; that's good to know; thanks..
But then, asuming I could find one locally, I'd then need a motor for
it... I'm not sure how tiring it would be to row one of those for 1/2
a mile, especialy if the wind was against me... What do you think? Al D |
Al
Jun 2
|
| LL Bean at Freeport, ME? I used to travel up to Waterville, ME 2/year to
visit the Chinet Company, starting out in Providence, RI to visit their cup
factory. I would always make it a point to stop into LL Bean on the way up
to Waterville from Providence. Great store! |
Jun 2
|
| It may be a bit more of a chore than rowing a canoe but you have the added
features of better stability, extra passenger space and more room for cargo. 6 of one, half dozen of the other. Tough decision. ;-) |
Jun 2
|
| Also add ease of handling and storage to the plus side of the porta-bote. |
Jun 2
|
