We are considering purchasing an inflatable boat to fold and carry along with us on our RV trips. We have a 35" motorhome, so weight and size matters a lot. Due to that, we are trying to stay under or around 100lbs for the boat weight excluding the motor and 10 - 12" in size. The inflatable or dropstitch floor would be ideal to save on the weight. For motor, we are thinking around 9 - 10hp for just casual cruising. There is 4 of us (2 adults 2 kids) plus a pooch.This would be our first boat so no prior experience with boating so the research is becoming nerve wrecking and it's hard to find unbiased feedback.
We have narrowed down our search to a SeaEagle 10.6 or 12.6 runabout (10.6 preferred), or a Zodiac Cadet Fastroller 325, but I know there is a cheaper Saturn and other brands too (Mercury, Bombard, etc.) that we just didn't yet get to researching. Many of these share some similarities, like the PVC construction, but there are differences too which is why I'm writing. I'm not knowledgeable enough to evaluate these differences. For example Zodiac and Saturn have an inside inflatable keel, and SeaEagle has an external inflatable keel. The SE rep says the external keel will help with turns and is more responsive, but who knows if to trust him, since he just wants to sell his boats. As far as PVC goes, we know it will not last forever, but anything other that (Hypalon) would be just too heavy, so unless you show me any alternatives, we would probably have to stay with PVC. Another difference is the tube size. SE10.6sr has 16,75" tube diameter and the same size Zodiac Cadet 325 RF has 18". I would need to go up to the SE 12.6sr model to get a 18" tube. Should this matter to a casual boater? If so how? Another difference is the shape. The SE10.6sr has a very wide boxy nose and the Zodiac Cadet 325 has a more pointed nose. Again, I would need to go a size up in the SE models (12.6) to get the similar more pointed nose in the SE.Is this a big deal in terms of performance? On the other hand SE is roughly $500 cheaper, which is really not a big deal for us, but if all of the above differences are irrelevant, then why not to save some money on the SE.
I would really appreciate if you'd help with this evaluation especially if you have good overall experience with many of these boats. I hoping to stay objective with my comparison and not to give into the Zodiac brand name unless there is a true reason for it.
Thank you so much!
We have narrowed down our search to a SeaEagle 10.6 or 12.6 runabout (10.6 preferred), or a Zodiac Cadet Fastroller 325, but I know there is a cheaper Saturn and other brands too (Mercury, Bombard, etc.) that we just didn't yet get to researching. Many of these share some similarities, like the PVC construction, but there are differences too which is why I'm writing. I'm not knowledgeable enough to evaluate these differences. For example Zodiac and Saturn have an inside inflatable keel, and SeaEagle has an external inflatable keel. The SE rep says the external keel will help with turns and is more responsive, but who knows if to trust him, since he just wants to sell his boats. As far as PVC goes, we know it will not last forever, but anything other that (Hypalon) would be just too heavy, so unless you show me any alternatives, we would probably have to stay with PVC. Another difference is the tube size. SE10.6sr has 16,75" tube diameter and the same size Zodiac Cadet 325 RF has 18". I would need to go up to the SE 12.6sr model to get a 18" tube. Should this matter to a casual boater? If so how? Another difference is the shape. The SE10.6sr has a very wide boxy nose and the Zodiac Cadet 325 has a more pointed nose. Again, I would need to go a size up in the SE models (12.6) to get the similar more pointed nose in the SE.Is this a big deal in terms of performance? On the other hand SE is roughly $500 cheaper, which is really not a big deal for us, but if all of the above differences are irrelevant, then why not to save some money on the SE.
I would really appreciate if you'd help with this evaluation especially if you have good overall experience with many of these boats. I hoping to stay objective with my comparison and not to give into the Zodiac brand name unless there is a true reason for it.
Thank you so much!
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. I was going to get the inflatable sport boat bench as front seat for the kids that sits on the bottom and has a back. It looks safe and comfy. The Zodiac 325FR and Achilles 330e both have a capacity for 5 passengers. Based on the reps both of these could carry the 4 of us comfortably. My problem with the RIBs is not money, don't take this the wrong way, it's space and weight. The boat would need to stay under 100lbs, so that the total weight with the motor is less than 200lbs. Thanks!