Re: opinions please!
Where are you at in NC?
there is a listing in Jacksonville, NC for
an 11' 9" Newport
NEW 11 FT 9 IN INFLATABLE - CLOSE-OUT PRICE
I kind of smell scam though as the photo is not clear.
still for $680, if the boat is actually a Newport,
Newport Vessels - Best Inflatable Boats & SUP Stand Up Paddle Boards
and close to you, it may be worth it to check it out
(... but just look around on craigs, you will find a great deal very soon )
I suspect it is a JiLong, similar to the Red Star Marine
iBoats was liquidating last year. I have the aluminum floor
365 class of that SIB that I run an obsolete 1963 Evinrude 18 HP Fastwin on
where I was able to put the basic package together for under $1100.
( boat / tax / reg fees, motor, fuel line, fuel tank, transom launch wheels )
iBoats had them for $700 and I since one of my hobbies lately is futzing with
the smaller obsolete OMC twins, I can get a perfectly reliable motor together
for a couple - three hundred bucks ( including fuel line and tank ).
It will make 20 mph with 750 or 900 lbs total, including hull / motor / fuel
+ everything onboard ( passengers and gear ).
but the transom is not really suitable for an 18 HP outboard
so I my top priority project for the boat this season is to reinforce
the transom to the last floor panel, when that happens, I'll create
a thread for the topic.
The Jilong would be fine with anything 10 HP and under.
However,
I do not think that 2 HP is gonna cut it for you, unless you are trolling around on a
5 or 10 acre pond or something like that. Though it does not take much HP to make
displacement speed, any wind or currents could put you in a compromised situation
very quickly, very expectantly.
When I run a 1970 Johnson 4 HP SeaHorse with the weedless drive on the SIB,
honestly, it does not much more than give me a headache by the time I get anywhere
with that said, that 4 HP motor / 365 SIB combo will make 6.5 mph, just getting up on
plane if I move up by the front bench. ( I modified a piece of PVC pipe to make the tiller
extension ). If I am going down wind I may pick up 1/2 to 1 mph. If I am headed into the
wind, it may not be possible to get much beyond the "displacement mode hull speed" of the
SIB, much less on plane.
a
Square Stern Canoe may be something for you to consider with that 2 HP motor.
for added stability, and you can always come up with an arrangement to outrigger a canoe
with a large diameter PVC pipe
( i.e. another thread topic coming over the horizon, but somewhere other than the inflatables section on iBoats forums )
( ...I would like to get a
Square Stern Canoe to run with that little 4 HP Johnson on,
though 2 HP is probably more than needed )
