Inflatable Advice

[jrdamien]

Hey all. I've got a 16' tin boat that's big enough and heavy enough to make it often difficult to move to trailer by myself. It can be done but it sometimes deters me from getting on the water. So I am thinking about getting an inflatable for more convenience.

This will primarily be for fishing and often just for trolling around city lakes in the eve for the sake of being on the water, so needs to accommodate 2 people while remaining more portable than not.

I thought since you all have extensive experience with these boats you could recommend a size and a floor. I'm torn between a 10'8" all the way up to 14'.

I would love an air deck for ease. I will occasionally be using the boat on bigger water.

Any advice is much appreciated!

 

[Scott Danforth]

why not leave the 16' boat on the trailer and simply use it.

cant get much easier than that.

 

[Sea Rider]

Any 360-380 sib would be ideal for that task, an air deck is much faster to fully inflate than a alum one to assemble. Needs to be inflated with an electric pump to its recommended working pressure and top it with a foot pump every now and then to maintain a good rigid deck. Check Saturn inflatables in that size. Which motor HP and brand will be powering it ?

Happy Boating

 

[jrdamien]

Any 360-380 sib would be ideal for that task, an air deck is much faster to fully inflate than a alum one to assemble. Needs to be inflated with an electric pump to its recommended working pressure and top it with a foot pump every now and then to maintain a good rigid deck. Check Saturn inflatables in that size. Which motor HP and brand will be powering it ?

Happy Boating

Thanks for that. I don't have a motor in mind. Will likely try and find a 2S 9.9 or like motor. Something as light as possible. For much of it it'll be a 55lb trolling motor.

 

[Sea Rider]

Thanks for that. I don't have a motor in mind. Will likely try and find a 2S 9.9 or like motor. Something as light as possible.

Be advised that a 9.9 HP motor whether it's a 2 stroke one is quite heavier compared to a 2 strokes 9.8 HP motor. Both are different CC animals...

Happy Boating

 

[jrdamien]

why not leave the 16' boat on the trailer and simply use it.

cant get much easier than that.

Because it can be a bummer to move. Because I don't have an ideal space to store it. Because it'll eventually get stolen or vandalized in the neighborhood I keep it. Because I primarily use it on electric motor only lakes for which it is over sized. Because I can't get it onto/into some back water/smaller lakes I'd like to fish from a boat.

 

[jrdamien]

Be advised that a 9.9 HP motor whether it's a 2 stroke one is quite heavier compared to a 2 strokes 9.8 HP motor. Both are different CC animals...

Happy Boating

I don't understand what you mean.

 

[Scott Danforth]

The 9.8 hp 2-strokes share the blocks with the 7.5. They are a physically much smaller block (and much lighter weight) than the 9.9, which shares the blocks with the 15hp.

 

[jrdamien]

The 9.8 hp 2-strokes share the blocks with the 7.5. They are a physically much smaller block (and much lighter weight) than the 9.9, which shares the blocks with the 15hp.

Oh! I had no idea that was the case. Is this more or less the case across the board with Johnson, Merc., etc?

 

[Sea Rider]

The 2 strokes Tohatsu, Merc 6-8-9.8 HP motors shares same CC block and all 3 weigh the same.. Money wise go for the 9.8 HP if portability is a must have and product is still available.

Happy Boating