Seaworthy inflatable boat

[Stickpig]

Hi,

I am looking at doing a road trip to Baja California and taking a boat that can be carried in the back of my truck, and is seaworthy. A inflatable seems to meet these requirements.
My question for this forum is:
What is the best quality manufacture/ make/ size that can still be carried by two able bodied people?
I would like to be able to plane with 2 full grown men plus camping gear, and be seaworthy in the ocean (near shore)
I have a 8 hp longshaft outboard, I would like to use if I can, but isnt a necessity.

Thanks in advance

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Seaworthy inflatable boat

There isn't a boat that will meet that requirement with an 8hp motor.

For that application, minimum I would want a 12 to 14' boat with a 20hp motor. The 14 footer may even need 25hp if you really load it down with gear.

Avon, Achilles, DIB are excellent boat choices,

Zodiac is good,

I like Saturn in the economy class.

Good luck.

 

[nobrainsd]

Re: Seaworthy inflatable boat

Two full grown men and their camping gear is going to be quite a load! Certainly you can slide by in a small craft if you pick your weather moments. Timing is big. Both the gulf and the pacific coast get some really strong winds. Offshore winds and any kind of outboard break down can be a serious issue, even if you are just a little offshore. 40 mph winds can exceed the ability of even a working low powered outboard to get you back in. That's why I carry 200ft of anchor line, an eight foot chain section and a plow. Might be uncomfortable at anchor until the winds die down, but sure beats ending up adrift in remote locations. Tides and wind on the Pacific side can change the conditions really fast and a bar that was calm and flat may be ripping with current and waves when you choose to return. If your situation is borderline at the start it will not leave you much of a margin for safety. October along the pacific coast is usually much more sedate as far as wind goes. The gulf side won't get the waves and generally not the same type of currents. However, plenty of local fisherman end up adrift there. The winds can really howl and my kayaking buddies have found themselves temporarily stranded on one island or another until the weather changed. Sure, with a handheld VHF you can often raise boaters or local fishermen, but it sure isn't like the states where the Coast Guard is readily available. I have friends that fish off the Pacific coast in small aluminum boats and really small dinghy's, but they stick really close to shore. Since you wish to go camping it sounds like you want to range farther a field. A 14 ft boat would be a minimum for me. The hassle of packing a larger boat may put you off, but out on the water it will pay off. A 25 hp outboard would sure be nice. I run a zodiac mk2 futura with a 40hp outboard and while it may be overkill a lot of the time I have found myself thankful for every inch of boat and hp. Don't forget to bring more water than you might expect to need. Self sufficent is the goal. If you end up going small consider hitting some of the Estrero's. Relatively sheltered waters with great fishing and some camping possibilites that are a lot less demanding than beach launching or running the bar.