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Old 02-07-2018, 08:51   #46
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

Honestly, the more I think about you out in that area on that little boat, the more nervous I get for you. That's not a lot of boat and you're not very visible, especially if the waves kick up. The ferries fly through there and there are tons of drunk powerboaters on the weekends. Just be very, very careful.

You mentioned that the bay has been really calm. Don't underestimate how nasty that bay can be when the wind picks up. A VHF, life jacket, extra cell phone batteries, and a good engine are vital.
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Old 02-07-2018, 09:18   #47
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

Without a solid floor, that dinghy will not get up on a plane and thus your speed will be much less than that online calculator is predicting. I have no idea what assumptions are built into the calculator, but I bet you are using it in a situation it is not designed for.

Too bad you didn't go with a dinghy with a plywood transom as they work much better with an engine. If you are not happy with the current boat's performance with that engine, sell it and get something more suited for it.
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Old 02-07-2018, 15:30   #48
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

Yes i realize this inflatable does not meet my original specs of moving at least 25 to 30 mph. I originally wanted to buy this smaller inflatable as a test and then upgrade it to a bigger inflatable but honestly i am fairly impressed so far by this boat. we will see how it performs with the engine. Stay tuned.

To add to this many of the inflatable boat manufacturers gave me speed #s that were all over the map, perhaps between 12 to 30 mph for similar boats.

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Without a solid floor, that dinghy will not get up on a plane and thus your speed will be much less than that online calculator is predicting. I have no idea what assumptions are built into the calculator, but I bet you are using it in a situation it is not designed for.

Too bad you didn't go with a dinghy with a plywood transom as they work much better with an engine. If you are not happy with the current boat's performance with that engine, sell it and get something more suited for it.
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Old 02-07-2018, 16:12   #49
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

Just to recap i considered these in order of quality:

intex inflatable with an electric trolling motor, could be had for $50 each (too small for my needs). this seems the low end of the inflatable boat type

chinese manufacturers mid-level:
Newport Vessels - claims 25 mph with a 10 hp motor weight around 80 lbs if 9 foot long, these get so so reviews but videos look believable
inflatable sports boats shark or dolphin weighs around 60 lbs claims 30 mph top speed with a 10 hp 2 stroke motor
BRIS boats - this type of boat has good reviews online and there is a video showing a BRIS boat handling an overpowered size motor just fine
bestway hydro force marine pro - one i bought for cheap, total weight about 60 lbs with a 3.5 hp 2 stroke motor, cost $400 total with motor
bestway hydro force also produces some larger boats that get good reviews weight between 80 lbs and 130 lbs, although the speeds bestway claims are slow
Aleko - looks solid, claims 20 mph top speed with a motor of 10 hp
E-max - looks solid, also claims a top speed of 20 mph and planing with a 10 hp
nuwave - similar story

higher end/other manufacturers:
west marine 8' with 2 hp a lil too small and manufacturer claims a speed that is too slow
takacat - probably a bit too expensive
Zodiac - a bit too pricy but perhaps could find something used, i realize a calphalon boat is good quality
mars/mercury - same story on this one
sea eagle - didnt really investigate this brand as it seemed a bit too expensive

heres a recap in terms of the range of size, the engine must be 2 stroke:
1. 6 foot inflatable weighing 10 lbs with a 10 lb 20 thrust trolling motor
2. 7 foot inflatable weighing 40 lbs with a 20 lb 3 hp gas 2 stroke motor
3. 8 foot inflatable weighing 60 lbs with a 30 lbs 5 hp gas two stroke motor
4. 9 foot inflatable weighing 80 lbs with a 40 lbs 6 hp gas two stroke motor
5. 10 foot infatable weighing 90 lbs with a 50 lb 10 hp 2 stroke gas motor
6. 12 foot inflatable weighing 110 lbs with a 65 lb 12 hp 2 stroke gas motor
7. 14 foot inflatable weighing 130 lbs with a 85 lb 15 hp 2 stroke gas motor

approximate costs of each these are assuming used 2 stroke engines:
1. boat $50 engine $50
2. boat $300 engine $300
3. boat $600 engine $400
4. boat $800 engine $550
5. boat $900 engine $650
6. boat $1000 engine $750
7. boat $1200 engine $850

A few notes, many of the chinese manufacturers get negative marks for having suspect build qualities you will generally notice that someone posts a negative review claiming that the seems are falling apart, pump broke etc, so those are risks to take into account.
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Old 04-07-2018, 14:05   #50
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

Going well with the ladies, engine not so much, the engine died several times, i am not sure of the cause. The rig is pictured below:



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Old 04-07-2018, 15:21   #51
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

Try opening the vent on the fuel cap.
Or sometimes the low idle speed needs to be adjusted (easy/quick fix).
Or maybe you left the choke on?

These are just some of the stupid mistakes I have learned the hard way.
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Old 04-07-2018, 15:25   #52
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

Were you able to measure your speed...we are all waiting to find out....????
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Old 04-07-2018, 16:20   #53
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

Quote:
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Were you able to measure your speed...we are all waiting to find out....????
wasnt able to measure because it was honestly kind of choppy seas, id estimate at 6 to 8 mph
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Old 04-07-2018, 16:29   #54
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

Congratulations on the boat.

You're soon going to be afflicted with a common boater's disease called threefoot'itis. Once infected you'll constantly be thinking about larger boats but you'll think that just 3ft more will be the perfect size for you. I'm afraid to say that this will continue till you've reached the maximum size that your budget will allow. Then and only then will the symptoms become manageable unless it turns into project boat variety and if that's good luck lol
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Old 17-07-2018, 14:09   #55
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

Hey guys a few updates... i am looking to upgrade my means of transporting my inflatable to the launch site, i am afraid my current grocery cart will break on the next trip or the next one after that, so what im looking to do is purchase a heavy duty cart like this.... then attach a motor stand inside the cart, that way ill be able to fit both the boat and bag inside the cart along with the engine mounted on the back, because i dont want to flip the engine upside down inside it just to keep it from falling out...

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Old 17-07-2018, 17:54   #56
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

What you really want is an amphibious car. No need for a cart. No need for an outboard. And you can drive it to work. Just the same problem as parking anything in the city.
https://goo.gl/images/VTzXyV
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Old 17-07-2018, 18:10   #57
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

A valuable side benefit of an inflatable dinghy is that it can double as a life raft in most situations.
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Old 17-07-2018, 18:20   #58
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

This is the best thread Ive seen in a long time!
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Old 27-07-2018, 15:45   #59
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

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This is the best thread Ive seen in a long time!
Thanks a lot! i purchased a jumbo sized XL beach cart this week, blue, its rated to hold 200 lbs and i bet it could hold 250. It easily holds my outboard and inflatable in deflated mode plus all the accessories! im sure it would hold something larger as well.

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Old 27-07-2018, 16:20   #60
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Re: Inflatable Boat Advice Needed

Sounds like your having fun and that is what is important.
Just be careful and don't get in over your head with your little ship, be sure to carry a cell phone just in case the little Chinese engine quits
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