Keel or Flat Bottom?

[Vapor_Trails]

We have a Sea Eagle Raft but are looking to upgrade to a permanent transom boat. We have a Travel Trailer so any boat we get must be transportable in a 6.5 foot bed pickup truck. Will probably get an 8.5 or 9.5 foot inflatable; wood floor and 6hp motor. Here are my questions.

1. What is the difference (if any) between the cylindrical and cone shaped tubes behind the transom?

2. For lake use is a flat bottom or inflatable keel better? Or does it really matter?

Any other thoughts and opinions are welcome.

Thanks.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Keel or Flat Bottom?

We have a Sea Eagle Raft but are looking to upgrade to a permanent transom boat. We have a Travel Trailer so any boat we get must be transportable in a 6.5 foot bed pickup truck. Will probably get an 8.5 or 9.5 foot inflatable; wood floor and 6hp motor. Here are my questions.

1. What is the difference (if any) between the cylindrical and cone shaped tubes behind the transom?

2. For lake use is a flat bottom or inflatable keel better? Or does it really matter?

Any other thoughts and opinions are welcome.

Thanks.

Answering your issues:

1-It's a aesthetic like issue, modern small sibs are being delivered with round or 90? deg traditional cones. I like 90? deg cones. Same size round or 90? deg cones will perform exactly the same.

2- Flat bottom sibs are usually dinghies with air mat floor, no inflatable keel with removable transom, other choices are sibs with air mat, wooden or alum floors with inflatable keel and fixed transom.

Happy Boating

 

[Vapor_Trails]

Re: Keel or Flat Bottom?

Thanks for the reply. I am looking at a Sea Eagle Yacht Tender. It doesn't have an inflatable keel like most other sibs I've looked at. But, I don't know if that really makes any difference.

Also I guess if I bought that boat and a green golf shirt I'd get two hot girls in bikinis to drink wine on the beach with me.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Keel or Flat Bottom?

Thanks for the reply. I am looking at a Sea Eagle Yacht Tender. It doesn't have an inflatable keel like most other sibs I've looked at. But, I don't know if that really makes any difference.

Also I guess if I bought that boat and a green golf shirt I'd get two hot girls in bikinis to drink wine on the beach with me.

Any sib with inflatable keel will handle rough waters better, this is a new version sib, no keel with transom for small portable engines. In your particular case, a proper transport means from pier, beach to yacht or hanging around unexplored beaches. Just inflate sib tubes and air mat floor to recommended pressures to perform as expected.

Happy Boating

PD : If the package includes 2 nice se?oritas. will order one too

 

[Vapor_Trails]

Re: Keel or Flat Bottom?

Any sib with inflatable kel will handle rough waters better,

That's the information I was looking for.

Our family camps often in our travel trailer. So I need a boat that fits in the bed of the pickup. Ideally I would have a big truck camper and 1-ton pickup and then pull a decent fishing boat. But, the wife loves the trailer, and we're still paying on our F150 so for now I am limited to boats that will fit in the bed (78"). I thought about a 10' jon boat, but the weight limits are very low. We would be over the limit with us and our gear. And they are limited to 3hp motors. A 12 or 14 footer would work, but way too long to fit in the 6.5 foot bed. And a rack wouldn't work because I need to load/unload it by myself.

So, like I said earlier, we currently have a Sea Eagle 8 w/30# trolling motor; not much of a boat but, it is kinda fun. And it gets me and my little one off the shore. However, I really want something that we can explore the whole lake with and not just hug the shoreline avoiding other boats' wakes. I've been leaning toward a Saturn 8.5 or 9.5 footer and it looks like that's the way I'll go.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Keel or Flat Bottom?

I've been leaning toward a Saturn 8.5 or 9.5 footer and it looks like that's the way I'll go.

Leaning for a Saturn 8.5 / 9.5 footer would be better, wether air mat or wooden floors, both models have inflatable keel, much better performer than flat air mats.

Happy Boating

 

[ill13]

Re: Keel or Flat Bottom?

I've got a 10'4" Achilles, with a wood floor and inflatable keel. I can carry this boat, inflated, floors installed, by myself and I car top it on my Subaru Outback. It's somewhat unwieldy, but more than doable. I keep my safety equipment/tools/PFDs in 2 bags in the cargo area of the car for easy access.

When I want to take it out, I just throw the boat on the roof rack, put my 1959 10hp QD-20 and a fuel tank in the back seat and off I go. I can launch in less than 10 minutes -and not much longer to re-pack.

With the 10hp, I can get up to 30mph, however this boat is really only good for 2 people to cruise/explore with -even though it's rated for 5 adults.

If you deflate the boat, you can store it in the back seat or trunk of a Toyota Corolla, with room for an outboard and some suitcases. Inflating this one with a foot pump takes maybe 15 minutes, at a relaxed pace.

I live in an apartment in downtown New Haven, CT. I am less than 1/2 mile from the Long Island Sound. I have no driveway, so I have to use inflatable boats. With the Achilles, I can launch anywhere, anytime. I get my car as close to water as I can and throw the boat in the water, tie it off, load the gear, park the car, and then go. So I don't always use state boat launches

I recently purchased a 14" Aquamarine [generic chinese PVC boat] and a separate Evinrude electric start 18hp, but have yet to take either it out as I would need 2-3 people to transport it when it is inflated -and 18hp on my 10'4" is more than I need. However I am working on ways to car top and launch the 14' boat by myself. Setting this larger boat up takes about 25 minutes -with a blower/vacuum -it's also twice as heavy [200 lb. for the 14 vs 70 lb..for the 10'4"].

So in short, with a pickup, you could definitely pack a 11 footer or even a 14'-16', just expect about an 1/2 hour to load/unload the smaller one and 1 hour to load/unload the larger one. I cruise the Long Island Sound, so the air keel helps stability, but if you are lake cruising, that's not so much of an issue unless you are out in some medium wind/chop.

All of these boats and motors were picked up on Criagslist. You should definitely look there for some used inflatables. You'll probably pay 50%-75% of the new price -and get instant gratification.


ill13

 

[Vapor_Trails]

Re: Keel or Flat Bottom?

Thanks for the info ill13. Like you I will need to launch/land it by myself. I ordered some transom wheels from Saturn and bought a piece of wood to make a larger transom for my Sea Eagle. They should be here this week and I'll fab up the transom this weekend.

I've always gotten help from other boaters at the lake putting the raft in the water and back into my truck, but I don't really like relying on others for that. And my little girl is only 6; too young to help. So I figure the wheels will allow me to launch/land the raft by myself and I can move them to a sib whenever I end up buying one.

I think I've settled on a 9.5 foot as I will be inflating at the campsite, or maybe even at home, and transporting in the bed of the truck to the lake. An 11 footer would stick out almost FIVE feet from the rear of the truck. A bit excessive. A 9.5 footer only about three feet out the back. Not too bad.

As for Craigslist, I've always had good luck there and will try to find a slightly or never used pre-owned boat when the time comes. I'll be looking there for a motor, too. I'm looking to do this around the beginning of Summer.

 

[ill13]

Re: Keel or Flat Bottom?

Before you make the purchase, try to find out how much interior space you have on the 9.5. On my 10'4", 2 small [I'm 5'7"] people+just safety equipment is "cozy" 3 people+equip or 2 and a dog+equip is really only good for transport [as a dinghy] not really good for exploration. It will be very cramped.

If you can spring for the 11', I'd say go for it. You'll be thankful for the space. And, again the setup time is minimal. If you have an AC inverter and a blower/vac [or a high CFM compressor], you can set up the boat in less than 10 minutes.

If you must inflate at home, you can put the boat upside down, in the bed, with the bow [nose] resting on the top of the cab. Secure the bow ring to the tow hooks underneath the front of your truck with ratchet straps and secure the transom eyes to the cargo rings in your bed.

Alternatively, you may be able to set the whole boat up at home, then just deflate the bow chamber, so that the boat fits in the truck. Re-inflating the bow chamber shouldn't take more than 2-3 minutes with a foot pump.

In short, go larger!