Stansport Kenai 11' Inflatable - Sea Eagle knock off?

j2k

Recruit
Joined
Jul 26, 2012
Messages
5
Hi there!

First post on the forums :) Looking for some info - I recently got a Stansport Kenai "river boat", which is an 11' inflatable raft looking very much like a Sea Eagle. Here's the link to the product web page: http://www.stansport.com/v2/product.php?product_id=923.

The boat specs list exactly the same materials as used on Sea Eagle 9 and the layout of the molded attachment points looks very similar as well. In fact when I called the manufacturer to ask about the motor mount (boat is rated up to 4hp gas or 75lbs electric), I was told to buy a Sea Eagle mount. The air chambers are different thou, because Sea Eagle motormount boats have the third main air chamber in the back, where as Stansport has only two main chambers (+2 in the floor).

Took it out on the water last week with my wife and 2 kids, and it was very stable. The tubes felt solid, far better than on my cheap Intex Seahawk 200 that we used for the last 4-5 years($14.95 @Winners!). Definitely enough space for the 4 of us and I can sit on the side tube without the boat feeling tippy at all. Without the motor mount / floor boards I was able to relatively easily carry it from my camp site to the water - about 1/3 of a mile which was a big plus, because there was no space to set up by the lake.

I have the sea eagle motor mount on order and I'm planning to build a wooden floor and maybe a couple of benches.

I'm curious if anyone has used one of these and if you have any opinions about them. Not much info about this brand on the net. I got it on sale for about $120. I think sears used to sell them at some point. I'm hoping it will serve us well for fishing and putting around some lakes.

Here are some pics of the Stansport: 923.jpg and the Sea Eagle: SE9K_ST.jpg
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
Re: Stansport Kenai 11' Inflatable - Sea Eagle knock off?

Welcome to the forums,

Nothing against cheappy sibs, but those models are very basic, still more fun than to be stranded at a beach in plain summer. The issues with them is that due to it's thin fabric gauge, motor mount being placed at back, won't have the necessary rigidity like a more pro sib with wooden transom built at back, that's why won't be able to go full power with a 4 HP engine. If so, sib will slide arcing stern's back and forth. A 3.5 HP short shaft Tohatsu, Mercury, Nissan type which are lighter than a 4 would be much better.

In any case won't be able to plane that sib with family, it's just for putting around and forgetting all about rowing. If you plan to inflate a bit more to compensate sib rigidity, watch out as you could blow side tubes, those are side welded fabric tubes, not overlapped which holds more pressure. Anyway a basic fun starter sib.

Happy Boating
 

Loop_Dad

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 29, 2012
Messages
103
Re: Stansport Kenai 11' Inflatable - Sea Eagle knock off?

Hi there!

First post on the forums :) Looking for some info - I recently got a Stansport Kenai "river boat", which is an 11' inflatable raft looking very much like a Sea Eagle. Here's the link to the product web page: http://www.stansport.com/v2/product.php?product_id=923.

The boat specs list exactly the same materials as used on Sea Eagle 9 and the layout of the molded attachment points looks very similar as well. In fact when I called the manufacturer to ask about the motor mount (boat is rated up to 4hp gas or 75lbs electric), I was told to buy a Sea Eagle mount. The air chambers are different thou, because Sea Eagle motormount boats have the third main air chamber in the back, where as Stansport has only two main chambers (+2 in the floor).

Took it out on the water last week with my wife and 2 kids, and it was very stable. The tubes felt solid, far better than on my cheap Intex Seahawk 200 that we used for the last 4-5 years($14.95 @Winners!). Definitely enough space for the 4 of us and I can sit on the side tube without the boat feeling tippy at all. Without the motor mount / floor boards I was able to relatively easily carry it from my camp site to the water - about 1/3 of a mile which was a big plus, because there was no space to set up by the lake.

I have the sea eagle motor mount on order and I'm planning to build a wooden floor and maybe a couple of benches.

I'm curious if anyone has used one of these and if you have any opinions about them. Not much info about this brand on the net. I got it on sale for about $120. I think sears used to sell them at some point. I'm hoping it will serve us well for fishing and putting around some lakes.

Here are some pics of the Stansport: View attachment 160702 and the Sea Eagle: View attachment 160703

Wow, this is very interesting. They look identical! And such a big difference in price. Where did you buy it from?

And I think nothing wrong with buying 'cheappy' boat. I am a proud owner of one. I say people do not expect to get the best boat in this price range. As long as that meet their needs, who cares?
 

j2k

Recruit
Joined
Jul 26, 2012
Messages
5
Re: Stansport Kenai 11' Inflatable - Sea Eagle knock off?

Hi and thanks for the reply!

At this point I'm looking for something that will be ok for some light fishing and fun on the lake. Hopefully this boat will do for a while, however the more I read about boats, the more scared my wallet gets :D

I'm going to put an electric trolling motor on, which should be sufficient for fishing and some shorter and slower fun rides. The 2-4hp gas outboards seem to be ridiculously expensive considering their size, and there isn't much to choose from in the used motors. It is significantly easier to find a used 20hp motor than a 2hp one. Maybe after the summer the prices will go down.

I figured that the electric trolling motor will come in handy even if I upgrade to a different boat later. At least I hope so, because a motor and the battery and the mount will cost me about 3 times more than the boat itself ;)

I'll try to keep the thread updated with my observations about this boat.
 

j2k

Recruit
Joined
Jul 26, 2012
Messages
5
Re: Stansport Kenai 11' Inflatable - Sea Eagle knock off?

Wow, this is very interesting. They look identical! And such a big difference in price. Where did you buy it from?

And I think nothing wrong with buying 'cheappy' boat. I am a proud owner of one. I say people do not expect to get the best boat in this price range. As long as that meet their needs, who cares?

They look very similar indeed. Upon closer observation, especially of the inflated boats, one can easily spot the difference thou, the air chambers have different layout. The decals, and accessory mounts seem to be the same thou.

I got mine at homesense actually. They were selling them off. I believe sears was selling these boats for about $250 which is significantly closer to a basic sea eagle package.
 

Loop_Dad

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 29, 2012
Messages
103
Re: Stansport Kenai 11' Inflatable - Sea Eagle knock off?

Hi j2k,

Yes, please do post the follow up. I think this will help others who's on budget.

Do you fish in lakes? I have Intex Mariner 4, similar size as yours. One thing I thought about a lot before buying was the current and wind where I fish. I opted for 55 lbs with digital maximizer to get the extra power while conserving the juice. It was pretty windy last weekend, but we had no problem.
 

j2k

Recruit
Joined
Jul 26, 2012
Messages
5
Re: Stansport Kenai 11' Inflatable - Sea Eagle knock off?

Hi Loop Dad,

Yes I'm usually on the lakes. There are two rivers I could boat on nearby. I canoed on them and the current wasn't a problem. I'm curious how much of a difference will the big inflatable make.

The Mariner looks very nice. I believe its significantly more durable? I'm thinking about 50 or 55 lbs thrust minn kota. I've noticed on their web site that new "endura max" line with the digital maximizer will be available in the fall, and I'm im a bit torn - traxis with 55lbs thrust is pretty expensive and the new enduras should be noticeably less.
 

j2k

Recruit
Joined
Jul 26, 2012
Messages
5
Re: Stansport Kenai 11' Inflatable - Sea Eagle knock off?

Just wanted to post a quick update - I received the motor mount from SeaEagle and it indeed fits very nicely. Now off to work on the floorboards :)

mount1.jpgmount2.jpg
 

nguyenk323

Recruit
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
1
Re: Stansport Kenai 11' Inflatable - Sea Eagle knock off?

hey guys! new member here... ran across this forum by a quick search about the Sea Eagle 9 and the Stansport.. i too had the same thought! lol... anywhoo Http://sport.woot.com has the stansport. i was thinkin bout purchasing it for lake fishing. i figure for two guys it would be great and then we can throw it in the trunk and call it a day. I already purchased after a lot of thought and upgrades lol. this thread really made me feel a lot better about my purchase!
 
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