Maybe it would be good to start a thread comparing portable inflatables vs inflatables which really require a trailer. The motors are a large factor, and they are now quite heavy since the move to 4 stroke motors. They may be great on the water but you must address how you will handle them on land.
An outboard over 15 HP is probably too heavy to handle without help. Our 15 HP 2 stroke Evinrudes and Yamaha which we have owned were about all one man wanted to try to mount on a transom at about 80 lbs, and once you break about 100 lbs, you enter non portable territory. It is one thing to be able to lift the weight, but maneuvering it to the mounted position gets darn near impossible for one man. The 18 HP Tohatsu is still in the same weight category as the 15's, but finding one is problematic. So in a nutshell, you reach the point of problems with anything over 10 HP with a 4 stroke which is what is available new.
We love our inflatables, but please understand that the tubes take a huge bite out of inside room compared to a hard hull boat. The inside dimensions are more like those of a canoe in an inflatable, but you can sit on the pontoons which effectively adds more room. They are more sea worthy than a hard hull of the same size, so the safety is a big plus. You trade room for safety when choosing the inflatable.
You can handle a larger inflatable with an air floor than a hard floor if an air floor is acceptable for your purposes. That also allows less horsepower for decent performance.
We are fortunate that we have a hard hull boat for fishing here at home and inflatables for camping trips. We planned a trip several years ago with two of our grandchildren, so we purchased a 9 1/2 ft inflatable to go with our 10 ft. We had a 9.8 and a 15 Hp available which worked out well and they caught plenty of fish. A single, larger inflatable with the 15 HP would have done the job, but it would have been too large for just my wife and I to use by ourselves on subsequent trips. It would have been too compact for four fishermen also unless we got one which would require a trailer.
When you throw in life jackets, a throwable device and other necessities plus fishing gear, you soon run out of room in an inflatable. If it is to be portable, you also have weight and horsepower factors to consider. Don't lose sight of the fact that it all has to be transported and handled on land when using it.
They use a lot of inflatables in Europe, so it would be good to check out
RIBnet Forums - Powered by vBulletin on the web to get an understanding of what is used over there.
Whatever you end up with, we sure hope you enjoy it. Boating and fishing are two of our favorite things and we highly recommend those activities.
