Hi all, I am a new member that has been lurking and reading the forums for years. I have been romancing the idea of some kind of boat and have decided my best option is the best quality largest inflatable with an aluminum base that I can get for under 1500, not including motor.
I have narrowed it down to:
Saturn/SD 470 most expensive of the 3 around 1600
OVERALL LENGTH: 15'
INSIDE LENGTH: 10.6'
OVERALL WIDTH: 6.6'
INSIDE WIDTH: 3.3'
TUBE DIAMETER: 20"
CHAMBERS: 3+1
PERSON CAPACITY: 8
LOADING CAPACITY: 2000 lbs
MAX MOTOR POWER: 40 HP (15" shaft / 175 lbs)
TUBE SHIPPING SIZE: 59 x 29 x 14"
TUBE WEIGHT: 145 lbs
TUBE SHIPPING WEIGHT: 150 lbs
FLOOR TYPE: Anodized Aluminum
FLOOR SHIPPING SIZE: 48 x 28 x 6"
MATERIAL: 1100 Denier Reinforced PVC
Saturn/SD 460 much cheaper around 1000
OVERALL LENGTH: 15'
INSIDE LENGTH: 10.7'
OVERALL WIDTH: 5.6"
INSIDE WIDTH: 2.7'
TUBE DIAMETER: 18"
CHAMBERS: 3+1+1
PERSON CAPACITY: 8
LOADING CAPACITY: 2000 lbs
MAX MOTOR POWER: 30 HP (15" shaft / 140 lbs)s
TUBE WEIGHT: 120 lbs
FLOOR WEIGHT: 60 lbs
SHIPPING SIZE: 52 x 28 x 13"
SHIPPING WEIGHT: 150 lbs
FLOOR TYPE: Sectional aluminum floor
MATERIAL: 1100 Denier Reinforced PVC
Zodiac/Bombard Typhoon 470 ALU middle priced 1300
Length 15'5"
Beam 6?3??
Long Shaft Transom
Maximum HP 40Hp 158lbs
Length overall 4.7 ? 15?5?
Inside length 3.35 ? 10?12?
Width overall 1.9 ? 6?3?
Inside width 0.92 ? 3?0?
Tube diametre 0.49 ? 1?7?
Max payload allowed (Kg ? Lbs) 900 ? 1984
Total weight (kg ? Lbs) 110 ? 243
Number of waterproof compartments 5 + 1
aluminum engine support plate
I have seen lots of recommendations pushing folks away from entry level boats like the intex mariner and to boats like the ones I have listed. In my extensive research, these three seem to be the best available to me within the price/size range that I find minimally acceptable.
Can anyone offer advice or perspective on major differences in quality/longevity or the usability of these three?
I could not find any information on the material used for the Zodiac/Bombard.
Are there other brands in this range that I missed? I have bolded the main differences that I found, in the hopes it may help others looking for the same type of information.
Are there trusted US based online recommended vendors who ensure warranty support?
I understand that Zodiac used to have 5 year warranty but since the purchase of Bombard I was not sure how warranty support would/might apply to this line.
I think Saturn offers 2 years but I was not sure how that worked either.
I am planning on using the boat mainly on fresh water lakes close to me. The closest lake and therefore the one I will use most has an average depth of 32' and is over 13000 acres. Max load will end up around 850lbs.
Thanks very much for any advice, support and perspective you can provide. I hope this will help others who may be in the same situation.
Best to all!
I have narrowed it down to:
Saturn/SD 470 most expensive of the 3 around 1600
OVERALL LENGTH: 15'
INSIDE LENGTH: 10.6'
OVERALL WIDTH: 6.6'
INSIDE WIDTH: 3.3'
TUBE DIAMETER: 20"
CHAMBERS: 3+1
PERSON CAPACITY: 8
LOADING CAPACITY: 2000 lbs
MAX MOTOR POWER: 40 HP (15" shaft / 175 lbs)
TUBE SHIPPING SIZE: 59 x 29 x 14"
TUBE WEIGHT: 145 lbs
TUBE SHIPPING WEIGHT: 150 lbs
FLOOR TYPE: Anodized Aluminum
FLOOR SHIPPING SIZE: 48 x 28 x 6"
MATERIAL: 1100 Denier Reinforced PVC
Saturn/SD 460 much cheaper around 1000
OVERALL LENGTH: 15'
INSIDE LENGTH: 10.7'
OVERALL WIDTH: 5.6"
INSIDE WIDTH: 2.7'
TUBE DIAMETER: 18"
CHAMBERS: 3+1+1
PERSON CAPACITY: 8
LOADING CAPACITY: 2000 lbs
MAX MOTOR POWER: 30 HP (15" shaft / 140 lbs)s
TUBE WEIGHT: 120 lbs
FLOOR WEIGHT: 60 lbs
SHIPPING SIZE: 52 x 28 x 13"
SHIPPING WEIGHT: 150 lbs
FLOOR TYPE: Sectional aluminum floor
MATERIAL: 1100 Denier Reinforced PVC
Zodiac/Bombard Typhoon 470 ALU middle priced 1300
Length 15'5"
Beam 6?3??
Long Shaft Transom
Maximum HP 40Hp 158lbs
Length overall 4.7 ? 15?5?
Inside length 3.35 ? 10?12?
Width overall 1.9 ? 6?3?
Inside width 0.92 ? 3?0?
Tube diametre 0.49 ? 1?7?
Max payload allowed (Kg ? Lbs) 900 ? 1984
Total weight (kg ? Lbs) 110 ? 243
Number of waterproof compartments 5 + 1
aluminum engine support plate
I have seen lots of recommendations pushing folks away from entry level boats like the intex mariner and to boats like the ones I have listed. In my extensive research, these three seem to be the best available to me within the price/size range that I find minimally acceptable.
Can anyone offer advice or perspective on major differences in quality/longevity or the usability of these three?
I could not find any information on the material used for the Zodiac/Bombard.
Are there other brands in this range that I missed? I have bolded the main differences that I found, in the hopes it may help others looking for the same type of information.
Are there trusted US based online recommended vendors who ensure warranty support?
I understand that Zodiac used to have 5 year warranty but since the purchase of Bombard I was not sure how warranty support would/might apply to this line.
I think Saturn offers 2 years but I was not sure how that worked either.
I am planning on using the boat mainly on fresh water lakes close to me. The closest lake and therefore the one I will use most has an average depth of 32' and is over 13000 acres. Max load will end up around 850lbs.
Thanks very much for any advice, support and perspective you can provide. I hope this will help others who may be in the same situation.
Best to all!
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