Water Expeditions

[Neuner]

As I've mentioned in other threads like Hedgehog's 'What do you do with your CJ', I like to explore overland style however we are very Limited in our public land resources in our area. so with those constraints, our family decided to purchase a small boat to venture out on the variety of bodies of water that surround us and explore.

We've started off with just a Zodiac rescue style boat that allows us to haul it inside our vehicle efficiently to many different areas and most importantly beach launch. Not having to use a boat ramp has given us many more access points in a variety of conditions and bodies of water like from the ocean with 4' swells to rivers with less than a foot of depth.

Most of our excursions have been day trips but they've been growing longer as we gain experience and long to see and explore more. In line with Pete's 'Summer Entertainment', I hope one day to take overnight trips to some of the uninhabited public islands we have along the coast.

Having grown up near a lake, where we took our family boat out quite often, I see the fond memories growing in our kids. They reminisce about the wildlife they encounter and their favorite locations anxious to head out again.

I've attached some photos but some of our better pics were lost when my phone decided to fry.

 

[Petescj]

This is right up my alley. I'd love to add something like this into our Summers here. I'd love to here more about the boat since I don't know much about them to begin with. We were thinking about a canoe a little while back ourselves.

 

[Neuner]

The boat is fun but a lot of work to assemble and disassemble. I've half thought about canoes or sea kayaks as well after talking to a friend of mine who does the same.

Boat is 15' long and 6.5' wide. Although it's small, passengers typically ride on the tubes with plenty of space. We are a family of 5 and ride comfortably. Our engine is small at 20 hp but it's the largest size I felt we could move around safely since we install/remove it each trip. It gets us up to plane easily with a max speed of 20mph when fully loaded but most of our excursions are slow placed.

Although it's inflated, it is a very thick material and one of the safest boats out there. I'd have to jam it with knife hard before I think I could even start to puncture it. I could set my CJ on it with it full of water and it still wouldn't sink. It has five chambers so if you happen to get a leak somehow, the boat still holds it's shape to get you back safely.

It sips fuel with the 4-stroke engine. Longest we've gone out so far is 40 miles and it used less than 3 gallons.

Assembling the aluminum floor sections and rails is the most difficult and tiring part but other than that, it's waiting around for the tubes to be inflated by the pump. We get our act down more and more and the kids are learning enough to be able to help.

Folded up, it fits in the back of our mini-van at about 2.5'w x 2't x 5'l. Floor boards are about the same dimension as well. So far it's at least a two person job. I can get the boat in and out of the van alright but it's too heavy and bulky to move around by oneself after that. We put the engine on a cargo carrier on the back with the gas can. I put transom wheels on the back so I'm able to lift the front and move it around. Having others assist with this helps. Currently making larger inflatable transom wheels so it's easier to roll over the rocks.

Attached is a photo of the boat from their website with the owner standing next to it in comparison. Had a pic of the boat and cargo carrier but they were on my old phone.

 

[Petescj]

Wow that boat is pretty cool. Link to the site?

 

[Neuner]

Seabright Marine

It's harder finding quality boats in the U.S. because they are not as common as elsewhere like in the mediterranean or Austrailia. This company is out of Nova Scotia and the owner is great to work with. He made customs a lot easier by doing most of the work. You have to convert the pricing from CA to US. I did a lot of comparisons and these were the best bang for the buck for this type. There are cheaper ones out there but the reviews weren't as good and the material wasn't as durable. Several of the components are constructed like the very high-end military models out there which is rare.

These types of small craft have their own characteristics, pros and cons that you have to be ready for. I don't want to sell anyone on it because it's not for everyone and much like owning, driving and working on a CJ. I only talk positive because we're loving it but others would see it as way too much trouble and work, again like owning an older Jeep. Although it can take on large waves, the ride is not like a rigid hull and is more like a flat bottom boat so it can be rough and you typically cruise along slower unless the water is calm. If you don't use a trailer, assembly and moving it around can wear you out and cut into your enjoyment time. Like CJs, you won't get back the money you put into it if you decide to sell. Benefits are that it is low maintenance and you don't have to have a licensed trailer or wait in line or hurry at busy boat ramps. Storage is easy and we stick it in the back of our garage out of the way. If you don't use it frequently, you're not wasting away storage fees at a remote, inconvenient location or creating an eye soar for your neighbors to complain about. We're able to travel with it in the back of our vehicle so we can drive at usual speeds with better gas mileage for longer distances like the coast.

It was suppose to be a temporary test to see if my family even enjoyed getting out on the water before putting a lot of money into a much bigger normal boat. I anticipated getting it out 3-4 times year at most. We all love it and have taken it out many more times than that and it's funny the family not wanting anything different because they enjoy it so much. Being that it is smaller with you riding on the edge of the craft very close to water, you feel exposed like riding in the CJ topless without doors. I think it's why we love it so much. Also, it's like having an offroad capable vehicle. This thing has allowed us access to so many different areas that we wouldn't have been able to with a normal boat.

 

[Petescj]

Thank you very much for a very well written explanation and critique. I'm going to work at 3am so I don't have a bunch of time to look now but I will. Thanks again for your time.

 

[Neuner]

No problem.

We get more attention with the boat than we do the CJ. We get approached often with lots of questions and interest.

Not a good picture but it makes me smile. You can tell that my boy sees the oncoming wave before my daughters or the 'photographer'. Thankfully everyone was laughing.