Thinking about buying a 12' inflatable with 5.5 Johnson

[BigB9000]

Well, my boats not running right, nor will it be by the time me and friends head out to the river, so im thinking about buying this inflatable for $400 to calm my boating cravings for the time being.

here are the (I think cell-phone) pics:

inflatable has no leaks but it does need some type of inflatable paint to cover some spots. U FIX & SAVE!!!
The outboard is older engine but was just serviced & mechanic said it runs really strong.

Well, sound good or bad? and could me a 2 friends be able to go up-river in it with decent speed?

 

[bayman]

Re: Thinking about buying a 12' inflatable with 5.5 Johnson

How fast is the river? Personally, I'd like more power but that little engine is quite portable. I've also heard rumors that certain outboards are restricted in some places in California. That might be a concern too.

 

[BigB9000]

Re: Thinking about buying a 12' inflatable with 5.5 Johnson

How fast is the river? Personally, I'd like more power but that little engine is quite portable. I've also heard rumors that certain outboards are restricted in some places in California. That might be a concern too.

I have heard that too, from lots and lots of people. Never been to a lake thatsaid otherwise though.

river moves at 5mph (ish)

 

[jimyoung]

Re: Thinking about buying a 12' inflatable with 5.5 Johnson

Not sure if that 5 hp will be enough to push the boat.....if you decide you need a bigger motor, I would be interested in that motor, I have a small alum boat it would work great on.....

 

[bayman]

Re: Thinking about buying a 12' inflatable with 5.5 Johnson

Interesting, I thought that CA had very strict emissions rules. For example, you can't even buy the entire line of brand new Honda outboards (all 4 stroke engines) in California due to the strictness of the rules on emissions. That sure surprised me! An upgrade is required - at least for certain outboards anyway, as far as I know.

 

[bayman]

Re: Thinking about buying a 12' inflatable with 5.5 Johnson

If you were just going to use the 5.5 Johnson to put around the lake that might be fine but on the river you will likely want more HP. You can do a Youtube search of "5hp inflatable" or "9.9 hp inflatable" and see some video of similar boats in action. That should help you decide.