Aluminum/fiberglass car-topper vs. inflatable for family boat - help!

[steelespike]

Many years ago see loaded a beefy 15ft Lone Star onto racks on our van. I don't recall but think it was myself and another guy and my wife .
With it on its side we lifted it to the racks. Once hooked on then racks we raised it to level and slid it on.This was a onetime deal but it should give you and idea
what you could do with a slightly smaller lighter boat on a lower setup.
I don't like jon boats but they are stable at rest.Just be sure it has some real size so you feel and are secure.
Nothing less than 36" wide bottom.

 

[Dekker500]

Haha. Funny. I was just about to post my experience, but MTBoatGuy beat me to it

I cartop a 12' aluminum. With an appropriate roof rack, all you need to do is lean the boat against the rack, then lift-tilt onto the roof, then shimmy. I'm probably only lifting 50-60 lbs total. I load the boat single-handedly, and it's probably 150+ (but under 200). The rack is designed to prevent the boat from shifting sideways while lifting or unloading (strategically placed blocks), and although ugly it does serve its summer purpose. My only caveat here is check your vehicle specs... My factory racks (under my wooden extension) are rated for 200 lbs load, which I have been careful to distribute over the length and width of the bars and roof. Many after-market racks are only rated to 150 lbs.

I went through the exact same options as you, and concluded that inflatables, while being convenient, sacrifice too much of their space. A 12' inflatable is measured from the outside, which means I'd need a 14-16' boat, which is much more expensive (plus the maintenance). I even wanted to build a wooden boat (much lighter!) but just don't have time... maybe when I retire Fibreglass is heavier, and not as forgiving for the inevitable loading-and-unloading accident.

The aluminum boat is virtually indestructible, and a dent or scratch won't upset me at all. And in 10 years time, I can still sell it for virtually the same as what I paid for it (just a few hundred). My wife was not a fan of canoes due to the stability, like yours. This boat is much more stable for her, unless of course my daughter jumps from one gunwale to the other, as she sometimes does... I can now load two adults, and two children, and we all can fish simultaneously. Well, I'm hooking worms and unhooking fish, but it's still called a fishing trip

Dekker

 

[mofo83]

THANKS Dekker. Perfect response. Sounds like we are in the exact same boat (pun intended.) I just need something more stable than a canoe, which doesn't seem like too lofty a goal.

So... I've pretty much decided to find a used 10 or 12 foot aluminum boat on Craigslist for a few hundred bucks and make it work! I'm sure I'll be able to get it up on the roof.

I already have roof-rack crossbars, so I'm hoping I can just build some sort of "add-on" that will slip over the crossbars to give some added width, as well as a "lip" to stop side-to-side movement. Shouldn't be too hard...

PS - That motor box is particularly impressive!

 

[mofo83]

And thanks steelspike for the heads-up on looking for a 36"+ bottom, IF I end up getting a flat-bottom Jon boat.

 

[mofo83]

So, am I right in thinking that the chines on this boat probably look too round for it to be very stable?

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/boa/5156747608.html

 

[MTboatguy]

So, am I right in thinking that the chines on this boat probably look too round for it to be very stable?

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/boa/5156747608.html

Actually, that is not that bad of looking for the price, I would probably offer him a $100 bucks for it and meet in the middle some where, make sure it does not have any salt water rot, but it would probably work for what you have been describing.

To bad you didn't post a couple of months ago, I had a 12 footer that I gave away to a guy in Seattle on my way to Vancouver, WA to see my Dad, didn't want it in the yard any longer, it was a good sturdy boat.

 

[mofo83]

Gave away? That would have been great! Oh well. I didn't realize how much my wife and kid hated the canoe until this weekend anyways, haha.

Yeah, the price seems right on that last one. There are actually a LOT to choose from in the sub-$400 range right now. I'm sure something will work out soon. And I have plenty of buyers for the canoe.

Thanks again for all the input!

 

[southkogs]

So, am I right in thinking that the chines on this boat probably look too round for it to be very stable?

Just for clarity ...

... you're not going to find ANYTHING in the 10' - 14' row boat / jon boat category that won't roll hard if you stand too far off center in it. They're small light boats. They won't flip over like a canoe, and some will rock more than others ... but they're all gonna' roll to some degree. Chines are really for when the boat is running under power. They're not gonna' help the roll due to weight and balance.

 

[mofo83]

Ah, thanks Southkogs. That helps. I'll still try to aim for something that's more angular/less round, but won't treat it as a make or break criteria.

I'm not expecting miracles of stability from anything I can afford and roof-load... just something better and more comfortable than the canoe!

 

[southkogs]

Another couple ideas to look into: A friend of mine used to have a canoe that was a little wider with foam along the gunwales (outside). It was actually pretty stable compared to the rental type canoes. You could also look at some DIY outriggers for your canoe ... that might stabilize the boat enough to help, but also be easy to transport.

Folbot makes some nice foldable/collapsing kayaks. My family has one that was probably a tender on Noah's Ark, but I've actually tried to roll that boat over and it'll dump me before it goes completely over. The new ones (Yukon would hold 3) are a bit pricey though.

 

[smokeonthewater]

There's also portabote

 

[Dekker500]

Mofo, you'll find your wife will be pretty comfortable with a 12' or larger, regardless the roundness of the bottom. Though your wife didn't like the canoe, she did use it with you. With the 12', it'll be much more stable, with less rocking. The rolling motion isn't as instantaneous as on a canoe. You still need to steer the bow into waves or the wake of other boats though, and if you end up with an outboard, you'll need to be as smooth as you can (acceleration/deceleration, steering) in order to keep your rider comfortable.

I usually ask my wife to sit up front (facing back) with my daughter in the middle seat. This balances the weight, and since my wife's seat is narrower, it keeps her centered on the boat and none of her motions can rock the boat, so things seem to be smoother that way.

That's my experience anyway...

 

[smokeonthewater]

As a reference, my first boat, nearly 30 years ago was a 12' aluminum with a rounded bottom .... Me and a buddy could stand up at the same time and switch seats with each other and it was a bit tippy feeling but if one switched the the middle seat and then the other moved past him after he sat down it was no problem...

 

[mofo83]

Thanks for the tips, everybody!

Just sifting through Craigslist now... reasonably priced boats in the 12-foot range sell FAST around here. Yesterday a guy said his boat was bought and picked up within an hour of posting!

Luckily a few new ones pop up every day.

 

[mofo83]

While searching for the boat, I noticed this motor. Any thoughts? So cheap...

Only reason it jumped out at me is that my father-in-law always raves about Suzukis. Though, he usually isn't talking about motors that are older than me!

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/boa/5156501681.html

Thanks

 

[mofo83]

Also, in case you're interested in following my continued search, another couple boats I'm looking into:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/boa/5154298961.html
- They'd accept $400. Nice that it comes with oars...

http://skagit.craigslist.org/boa/5155473616.html
- Would also accept $400. I like that this one seems "deeper."

 

[MTboatguy]

While searching for the boat, I noticed this motor. Any thoughts? So cheap...

Only reason it jumped out at me is that my father-in-law always raves about Suzukis. Though, he usually isn't talking about motors that are older than me!

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/boa/5156501681.html

Thanks

Be very careful, some of the older Suzuki, Yamaha, Nissan, Tohatsu motors are very difficult to find parts for, I had to purchase the entire inventory from a closed store to get the parts I needed for an older Tohatsu motor. When looking at less expensive motors in this range, stick to the Mercury or Johnson/Evinrude lines that way you will be able to get parts for them.

Either one of those boats would be good, both Starcraft and Smokercraft make good boats, for what you are describing either one of those would do the job.

 

[mofo83]

Got it, thanks!

So, something like this would be preferable (and even cheaper!)

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/bpo/5147019557.html

Not that I'm buying a motor asap...

 

[Dekker500]

Just keep in mind that the last motor there is a short-shaft. Suggest you nail down your boat choice first, measure transom height, and ensure motor length is appropriate for that.

Before visiting any of the motors, ask for them to give you the serial number, or photo of the plaque. I did that when looking for my motor, and I am glad I did. Visit parts websites, and look for carb kits, gasket sets, water pumps and impellers - some models of engine are impossible to find parts for!

 

[mofo83]

Yes, I'll first check transom height once I find a boat. Also just remembered (ha) that my brother in law in Minnesota is a boat mechanic... specifically outboards! I'll shoot him an email for some more advice.