Hello,
Our family of three is not a fan of our tippy canoe, and would like to upgrade to a used row boat of some sort. This will be used mostly just for goofing around on small to large lakes and occasionally fishing and/or boating to camping sites. May be used rarely on relatively calm saltwater bays/coves/etc, maybe rarely on a river, if possible. I do NOT want to have to use a trailer, and my budget is VERY limited ($400-ish).
Here is my want list:
Most Important:
* Easy to handle/load
* Stable
* Can comfortably hold two adults and 1-2 children, plus occasional camping gear
Slightly less important:
* Relatively easy to row
* Could mount motor in future
* Durable and/or easy to repair
After checking Craiglist, I see my options being either a small, car-topper aluminum or fiberglass boat (like a 10-12 footer), or an inflatable boat with a removable wood floor (probably a 9-10 footer.) Lots of options in my price range between the two.
The thought of lifting the boat on and off my small SUV roof REALLY doesn't thrill me, so I lean toward the inflatable; just throw it in a bag and toss it in the back. Plus they're supposed to be quite stable, which is important. I see a couple nice, garage-stored Avon Redcrests and some West Marines in middle of my price range. But, I'm worried these might be too cramped for two adults and two small kids.
Plus, an aluminum boat would be more spacious, would have better seating, would be easier to mount a motor to in the future, would be easier to row (right?) and more durable... that's a lot of advantages. BUT, I'd have to load it on and off of my car, which is a bummer.
Any thoughts are appreciated!
Thanks!
Our family of three is not a fan of our tippy canoe, and would like to upgrade to a used row boat of some sort. This will be used mostly just for goofing around on small to large lakes and occasionally fishing and/or boating to camping sites. May be used rarely on relatively calm saltwater bays/coves/etc, maybe rarely on a river, if possible. I do NOT want to have to use a trailer, and my budget is VERY limited ($400-ish).
Here is my want list:
Most Important:
* Easy to handle/load
* Stable
* Can comfortably hold two adults and 1-2 children, plus occasional camping gear
Slightly less important:
* Relatively easy to row
* Could mount motor in future
* Durable and/or easy to repair
After checking Craiglist, I see my options being either a small, car-topper aluminum or fiberglass boat (like a 10-12 footer), or an inflatable boat with a removable wood floor (probably a 9-10 footer.) Lots of options in my price range between the two.
The thought of lifting the boat on and off my small SUV roof REALLY doesn't thrill me, so I lean toward the inflatable; just throw it in a bag and toss it in the back. Plus they're supposed to be quite stable, which is important. I see a couple nice, garage-stored Avon Redcrests and some West Marines in middle of my price range. But, I'm worried these might be too cramped for two adults and two small kids.
Plus, an aluminum boat would be more spacious, would have better seating, would be easier to mount a motor to in the future, would be easier to row (right?) and more durable... that's a lot of advantages. BUT, I'd have to load it on and off of my car, which is a bummer.
Any thoughts are appreciated!
Thanks!