Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

[ermaclob]

so i recently had a the chance to get my hands on a new 2013 14 foot soft bottom inflatable by Sea Eagle, for a really great price. i just had to take it. Ive read good thing about the quality of the older version of this boats, but have found very little on the new design.

Has anyone ever had any experience with the 14ft Sea eagles? one of my main concern with this boat is the external keel. does that really do anything at all in rough water or large waves. most all inflatables ive seen have a V ish internal keel.
in my head this boat probably rides like a small tri hull in rough water.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

The only tech issue that I could imagine by placing the keel under hull, is that you'll end up with a flat hull with a keel in comparisson to a more pronounced fabirc tent with deeper keel formed under same hull as in the standard version. Which one rides better, don't know, have not tessted the new model to compare. Is that a inflatable or fixed hard keel ?

Assume SE placed it there due to a horrible tech flaw those sibs have : Have seen some larger models down here with plastic panels floarboards that assemblies between them being broken by internal keel, seems puts too much floor pressure & stress when top inflated and sib riding on choppy waters. Other big flaw is that excessive UV and time seems to badly dry panel floorbords and with constant use breaking easily specially in middle front panel were deeper keel part is located. Sun turns plastic panels into crispy like if sib lives at or moored at a marina for long time periods.-

Seems that on flat glassy waters don't have an issue, but's that's my wild guessing, personally wouldn't buy one, no matter how price friendly is to my wallet or credit card.

Those standard plastic floorboards are no good quality nor top performer no matter what their propaganda or web page states. BTW, what's the floor material on this new model ? If same plastic floorboards, it's same girl with different skirt...

Happy Boating

 

[laulin]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

A friend of mine has an older Sea Eagle but as far as I know, he only uses it on a lake so I'm not sure how it fares in bad weather. Still, it looks like a nice boat and my buddy is very pleased with it so far.

 

[ermaclob]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

Pretty much is the same boat as the older model just different hull design. The only other thing I can see thats different is that the keel is 1 inch thicker than then before. The floor boards are plastice tho idk if its the same as the older model. I will be attempting to us the boat for near shore diving 2-3 miles from shore. On nice days of course, as 3-4 ft seas dont seam like fun to navigate through. Also going to be breaking it appart every time I go out so the plastic boards seemed appealing. Though I do have a consern with the quality

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

A friend of mine has a large one, it's the older model, floorboards are completely cracked along middle floorboards just above keel, the floor rocks too much at choppy seas no matter how well you've got infalted all tubes with gauge. Would say it's appropriate for calm rivers, lakes, ponds as a fishing, diving platform, but not seaworthy at choppy open seas, ride worsens when giving throttle.

So it's an inflatable keel model, right ? What is the issue you deslike about SE concernig the quality, Is it related to the tubes or plastic floorboards quality ?

Happy Boating

 

[ermaclob]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

A friend of mine has a large one, it's the older model, floorboards are completely cracked along middle floorboards just above keel, the floor rocks too much at choppy seas no matter how well you've got infalted all tubes with gauge. Would say it's appropriate for calm rivers, lakes, ponds as a fishing, diving platform, but not seaworthy at choppy open seas, ride worsens when giving throttle.

So it's an inflatable keel model, right ? What is the issue you deslike about SE concernig the quality, Is it related to the tubes or plastic floorboards quality ?

Happy Boating

i question the floor board's quality as i have not seen any other company, not even the s*%t chines boat company puts plastic floor boards in there boats. So i question why Sea Eagle would put plastic as the floor material. As far as everything else goes. i think the boat it self is constructed pretty well as all the the reviews Ive read about them say that they last pretty long as long as long you take care or them. Its interesting that you brought up the middle board cracking. There assembly video shows that there is an aluminum support that is supposed to be attached under the large middle board underneath it . i dont know if that is a new add on to the boats to try and prevent cracking or if it was always there. the boat i got is brand new so for now the floor should not be a problem, but if it does eventually start to crack. im sure i can construct a newer stronger floor for the boat.

im going to try any limit my use of the boat to calm days where the weather wont beat me up. Though i cant be naive and think that the weather will never change on us when we are out in the ocean. There's been plenty of times when the days been great on the way out and then turns for the worst in an hour or two. My only real requirement for the boat is that it wont give up on us while we are out there in large sea as its pretty common to get larger waves out in open water. Also getting in and out of the inlets here in South Florida is something i would like the boat to be able to handle.

 

[alanfox55]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

Here's the scoop on the cracking plastic floorboards. They use to use two supports on the top of the front two floor sections which would cause the floors to crack. Now they use one flat support under the floor and according to them they don't have an issue with cracking floors anymore.

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

Interesting, I'm still going back and forth between this boat and a Saturn 14ft....I hear bad things about the transom on the Saturn, bad things about the floors on this one.....decisions decisions

 

[alanfox55]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

Yep. I can tell you that Sea Eagle has very good customer service. I have a new SR14 I'm still working on getting it in the water so I can't tell you my experience with the floor boards. Before I had this one I had an 8 ft Sea Eagle. After about three years of service things started to come unglued on it. I think the warranty is for one year yet they gave me all the money I had into the boat towards any boat I wanted...I took the 14SR. They've come out with a new model SR14 but you can still get the older model for a good discount. One nice improvement they've bad to both the new and old model is it's now a 20 in transom rather than a 15 inch. That way you can use a much more available 20in shaft motor.

 

[CapeAnn]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

I'm just wondering why a company would place a inflatable keel in such a exposed area? I would hope that it's reinforced more than average? I also don't see the hydrodynamic advantage of putting the keel front forward, unless it's for stability when you aren't moving?

With my inflatable - rocks, sand and being pulled out onto various substrates is a norm. Just can't see how a exposed appendage like that makes it easier, or a long term boat.

 

[alanfox55]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

It is very much reinforced and heavy duty. They told me it doesn't need to be inflated much. Maybe heavily reinforced yet still giving from low air is what protects it. Don't know...haven't used mine yet...we will see.

 

[alanfox55]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

Update on the warranty of Sea Eagle boats...it's for three years not one as previously stated. No matter mine was past warranty yet they still gave me all the money I had in my first boat for a new one of my choice. That's standing behind they're products in my opinion. By the way the boat that I had a problem with was their smallest... an 8ft yacht tender.

 

[CapeAnn]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

It is very much reinforced and heavy duty. They told me it doesn't need to be inflated much. Maybe heavily reinforced yet still giving from low air is what protects it. Don't know...haven't used mine yet...we will see.

Cheers. Would be curious to know how speed, stability are affected. Plus, long-term durability. We used a lot of inflatables near the Arctic - and dragging these things on rocks, near pilings, etc. made for some interesting times. Near freezing water was always interesting.

 

[alanfox55]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

It will be a couple of months before I get mine in the water but I will be sure to check in with a full report when I do. Maybe I'll start a new thread with regular updates on my experiences with the boat.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

Alanfox,

If the new model uses same standard plastic floorboards found on previous model on the short, long run, depending on the type of sibbing and your local UV radiation could have a Short or Long Live the Floorboards, worst scenario is a sib living moored most of the time at extreme UV radiation as found in the tropics.

The older model floorboard deck which cracked if sib was heavily abused including extreme UV sun punishment was mainly due to having hollow floorboards panels. Does the new model uses same hollow panel floorboards ? Which type of sibbing will you be doing, river, lake, open coastal waters ?

Happy Boating

 

[alanfox55]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

The floor boards are solid and weigh 80lb. I live in south Texas where the summers are very hot and the sun just destroys things. I though will be living in northern Michigan during the summer where the summers are mild and the sun is not so destructive. I will be putting the boat in and out of the water every time and it will be stored in the shade with a cover on it so there should not be an issue with the sun. My boating in Texas and Michigan is mostly on inland lakes with some Great Lakes now and then so wear and tear on the boat should not be an issue ether. If the floors crack with and easy going boater like me there is diffidently a problem with the design...I will keep you posted.

 

[ermaclob]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

So ive had the boat for a few months and have finally coming close to putting it to use. so far i ive set it up on a trailer and am getting the motor and miscellaneous things together. The newer hull seems nice the nose has a nicer shape then the older one. The keel doesnt give it much of a V shape more of a UvU shape with the side tubes. i have a feeling that it will ride alot like a tri hull of the same size size. transom seems very sturdy with a mounting plate no complaints there. the floor boards seem sturdy tho still i feel they might get flimsy after getting stomped on in choppy water and suns. i will defiantly post a review of the boat once i take it out and put it through abuse.

i wonder if you can just get the aluminum floor boards in the Saturn and put them in the Seaeagle :/

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

You may be able to use anybody's floorboards.
I would wait to see how the originals work out first.
Since your boat will be trailered you have more options.
You could even make a wooden floor

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

You can put any alum floor brand of your likeness,, but necessarily will need to match same floorboard width and lenght of the fllorboard you want to replace. If wider and longer will need to trim floor down, if smaller, forget all about as will rock inside against floor fabric.

Happy Boating

 

[WildNCrazyDinghy]

Re: Sea Eagle 14sr SIB ??

Interesting, I'm still going back and forth between this boat and a Saturn 14ft....I hear bad things about the transom on the Saturn, bad things about the floors on this one.....decisions decisions

Howdy - been here doing some reading up on the Saturn Brand of inflatable boats. Can you tell me what you've heard about the transom? I am in the market for one of their kaboats I think, looks like the best bang for the buck. My concern would be the material, but you bring up a good point. Sorry to bring up an old thread just trying to get some pointers before I break the bank, and the wife breaks me head :cold: