New to boating (and forum), I have a few questions.

[Ggnub]

Hello.

Im new to boating, although ive been fishing most of my life. I recently decided it to purchase and inflatable boat due to my inability to haul a full size with my car. After a bit of research, i bought an intex seahawk ii. I know its not the greatest, but it was in my budget and should be arriving in a few days. I have a few questions about the boat that im hoping someone can answer.

I want to run some sort of electric outboard on the boat, because of area regulations, but i know absolutely nothing about them. Does anyone reccomend a certain brand or model? What is the maximum thrust or power that i would want to safely run? I believe the max weight for the boat is 30lbs. I will be using the boat for fishing primarily, so id be looking to do some trolling.

The other thing i have been looking into is a floorboord for the boat (if necessary). Im unsure if i will be able to stand in the boat. Has anyone heard of or made a custom floorboard? If so what materials did you use? I have access to hdpe (thick plastic) sheets that i think may work. If someone could pass on some dimentions it would be greatly appriciated. Or even some helpful recommendations about the process. I read something about purchasing floorboards for a different model of boat that may fit. Anyone else heard anything like that?

Thanks for your time

 

[fbpooler]

Re: New to boating (and forum), I have a few questions.

I have no knowledge of that boat, but it would seem plywood would be less weight than hdpe and less prone to cracking.

 

[Ggnub]

Re: New to boating (and forum), I have a few questions.

Yes, i looked around the forums a little more and found a few ideas on making a plywood insert for small inflatables. Probably going to attempt some sort of 3 piece. Thanks for the reply

 

[likalar]

Re: New to boating (and forum), I have a few questions.

Ggnub, hello!
I've never seen that model, so did a bit of searching and found: http://www.intexcorp.com/boats_marine_seahawk_II.html Is this the boat you have on order? To be honest, I think you should give carefull consideration to any modifications. The boat is made of vinyl, and lacks any accommodation for mounting an electric motor or storing a battery. You could build some sort of fixture for a motor if you are handy, but safe attachment to the boat may be very tricky. As far as adding a floor....be very careful of chafing. The edges of the plywood or plastic will have a tendency to wear thru the vinyl as the 2 surfaces rub together. I can understand your excitement, but caution you to be realistic: This is an entry level close-to-shore vinyl inflatable that could provide hours of fun in the right setting. Amazon has them for $56.00. Don't expect a heavy-duty inflatable with thick fabric. Please wear lifejackets and use common sense. I'm sorry to be a party-pooper, but safety needs to be your #1 priority. Have fun with your new toy, with caution. There's another current thread with some good responses that you may find helpful:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=506227

Larry

 

[dilan_414]

Re: New to boating (and forum), I have a few questions.

If your planing on hooking up a trolling motor I recommend a minn kota 30 or 35lb. Reliable and comes with a good guarantee. But with the kind of boat ur planning on using u should stay close to the shore... those boats aren't made for tough waters and losing the boat is something but losing it with the engine and battey is obviously not something you would like.

 

[Ggnub]

Re: New to boating (and forum), I have a few questions.

Larry, thank you very much for the reply. The boat i ordered, or at least meant to order was this seahawk ii (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqlM9ImrWp4&feature=youtube_gdata_player). It is a little different from the one on the intex website. I believe the one on the website is an older model. If you watch the video you can see that it is not vinyl. There is no doubt that the material is not as top quality as the more expensive inflatables. But im mainly hoping this "toy" will be able to take me around small local lakes fishing. I believe there is confusion among people between the seahawk2 and the seahawk ii. Which is completely understandable, seems like a stupid move on intex's part lol. Anyways, i am hoping i receive the right (newer) model and want to get the motor mount for the boat so i can fish the rest of the season. Over the winter i may upgrade to a better inflatable. Any suggestions on models around 12' would be appriciated. Again thank you for the reply and info.

 

[Ggnub]

Re: New to boating (and forum), I have a few questions.

The minn kota endura 30 is the one i am considering, mostly because off price. Im just unsure of the "transom" to waterline length so im not sure how long the shaft will need to be. How deep does the prop need to be on little boats like this?

 

[likalar]

Re: New to boating (and forum), I have a few questions.

Ggnub, My apologies if I was looking at the picture and specs of the wrong boat. Yes, thae names are confusing. The Minn Kota has a totally adjustable shaft length built-in. You release the keeper, and slide the entire motor assembly up and down on the transom bracket. I imagine you would start out with the propeller completely submerged, at least 4-6 inches below the surface. Very easy to adjust after you get underway. Stop the motor, adjust the height in 5 seconds, start the motor. Best of luck with your new boat. Be safe!

Larry