Intex Seahawk II

[sneuman]

I am seeing these (new) going very cheaply on Ebay. Did a quick Internet search and found nothing bad. Does anyone have any experience with them?

[sneuman]

Btw, just to report that I did order the boat and am pleasantly surprised by it. It's no Zodiac or Avalon, to be sure, but at $150 including shipping, it's as good or better than inflatables that cost 5x as much.

It's not the greatest at tracking, and four people is a big stretch, but two people is just fine for getting to and from a not-too-distant anchorage.

No complaints.

[RhythmDoctor]

I bought the Seahawk II on short notice the day before heading out for a Chesapeake charter last summer. I wanted to have something with me "just in case," and it was less expensive than renting a dinghy for the week.

I, too, was pleasantly surprised by the design and build quality. It's no Hypalon Zodiac, but the multi-ply PVC is nicely reinforced by sandwiched fabric, so it get quite rigid when pressurized. It's definitely several steps up from most of the "pool toys" that Intex makes. The Seahawk II seems to be far superior to the Seahawk 2 (and a darn shame they named them so similarly, as it's bound to create a lot of confusion and disappointed customers).

Aside from taking it out to do a dry leak test, I have kept it in the bag ever since getting it. But I'd like to consider towing it behind my boat sometime on a cruise.

Any comments from people who have this boat? Does it tow stably, or doe it tend to flip over? How satisfied are you with it?

[sneuman]

Actually I discovered soon after the OP that it is fairly vulnerable to getting punctured with barnacles. But keep it away from that and it ought to be fine.

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by sneuman

Actually I discovered soon after the OP that it is fairly vulnerable to getting punctured with barnacles. But keep it away from that and it ought to be fine.

Do you tow it behind your boat, or inflate it after you reach your destination?

If the former, are there any suggestions, such as how best to attach it to the painter (since there's no D-ring welded into it)?

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by RhythmDoctor

Do you tow it behind your boat, or inflate it after you reach your destination?

If the former, are there any suggestions, such as how best to attach it to the painter (since there's no D-ring welded into it)?

My mistake was in letting the kids play around with it in the marina - they rubbed up against a barnacle-infested piling and that started a slow leak that was always a problem after that. I finally got rid of it. But like I say, if you're careful, it should be fine.