Want Some Advice About Boats Please. (1 Viewer)

[turbocruiser]

http://www.carolinaskiff.com/index2.htm Bigger but worth it...

13'

Thanks, very much worth considering. I did not see weight specs but remember the MAIN point to the thing is the ability for me by myself to be able to get it to the roof rack without too much trouble. I'm not sure what the old Coleman Crawdads weighed but anything more than my current craft is gonna be too heavy for me to lift up there without seriously scratching paint, shattering windows etc. Not a pretty sight! Also I would not want anything over twelve feet. I know its a pretty specific problem but like I wrote most of my favorite fishing spots (at least where I would use a boat) are mountain reservoirs where trailers are not allowed ... none of this applies to river fishing. Again, thanks for all the advice fellas, keep it coming if you please!

 

[turbocruiser]

Riley you should post up a shot of your roof set up with the rollers. i suspect your set up would suit him pretty well.

Ohh ohh ohh (raising hand from back of classroom) I wanna see that! Actually I was wanting to fab something up that would incorporate those woodworking rollers you can get for outfeed tables on table saws. The roof rack I'm getting is the African Outback full flat rack (without the upper perimeter rail) so I can use those eyelet channels to mount up some rollers. But, yes I would loveto see that.

 

[Riley]

my Jon boat

Here's a pic of my 80 with my Jon boat on top. As Simon mentioned above, the rear rail has a roller on it to help roll it up there. It's pretty light at about 80lbs. Pretty easy for one guy to drag around and toss into the lake. I've had it since 1987. I only row it and don't have a motor. I think it takes up to a 5 hp engine (maybe 10 hp).

I've got an outback rack under the boat to stow my camping gear.

Turbo - I can post some closer pics of how I have the racks and rails setup along with the roller, but that's gotta wait until tomorrow... need to do my taxes tonight fun, fun on a saturday night.....

 

[turbocruiser]

Dude this is what you need http://www.porta-bote.com/

I have the 12' , they are great !!! Real strong, go fast with a nissan 6hp and very stable..

Hi Gold Boy, just following up with another question, have you put the 12' portabote up on the roof of your 80? If so have you had to support the overhang with a long board or something? Also, is there any way you can tell me how much space there is between the seats in inches? Are they all evenly spaced or is there a larger space between specific seat rows??? The reason I'm asking is that I'm trying to figure out whether the 10' boat (which is actually 10'8") would be better than the 12' boat (which is actually 12'6") with my large rotty sitting somewhere inbetween the seats? Thanks.

 

[Gold Boy]

Hi Gold Boy, just following up with another question, have you put the 12' portabote up on the roof of your 80? If so have you had to support the overhang with a long board or something? Also, is there any way you can tell me how much space there is between the seats in inches? Are they all evenly spaced or is there a larger space between specific seat rows??? The reason I'm asking is that I'm trying to figure out whether the 10' boat (which is actually 10'8") would be better than the 12' boat (which is actually 12'6") with my large rotty sitting somewhere inbetween the seats? Thanks.

Hi turbocruiser

No I never put 12' portabote on an 80.... As I have a 74 .

I do not use a long board, just use two ratchet straps, the straps grip the boat very, very well and make it impossible for slippage.

Don't have the bote set up right now, but I would go with 12' bote, there should be plenty of space for rotty and your self and the wife . Yer the 12' bote is the way to go.

I will say porta bote is very very helpful give em a call....

When I can I will take some pics for you...

 

[turbocruiser]

Hi turbocruiser

No I never put 12' portabote on an 80.... As I have a 74 .

I do not use a long board, just use two ratchet straps, the straps grip the boat very, very well and make it impossible for slippage.

Don't have the bote set up right now, but I would go with 12' bote, there should be plenty of space for rotty and your self and the wife . Yer the 12' bote is the way to go.

I will say porta bote is very very helpful give em a call....

When I can I will take some pics for you...

Thanks! I was thinking that the twelve footer would hang so far forward that I would have to fab up some sorta system to support the front of the boat up above the front of the ARB. Isn't a 74 series a little shorter than the 80? I guess that the thing is strong and stiff enough to hang that far forward of the roof and roofrack and not fold down to the hood or fold up above the vehicle even at speeds? Thanks again, I appreciate the advice, BTW I apparently have a porta-bote rep who has the ten and twelve footers so I'm gonna drive over there and see what looks like it will work the best but now, per yer advice, I guess I'm leaning towards the twelve. Thanks again.

 

[Gold Boy]

Isn't a 74 series a little shorter than the 80? I guess that the thing is strong and stiff enough to hang that far forward of the roof and roofrack and not fold down to the hood or fold up above the vehicle even at speeds?

The 74 is shorter. And the portabote does not flex when on your roof rack, even at speeds.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PortaBote/

You should also join this group.

 

[turbocruiser]

The 74 is shorter. And the portabote does not flex when on your roof rack, even at speeds.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PortaBote/

You should also join this group.

Thanks GB, that helps alot. So I guess I can get the 12 footer, strap it tight to the roof rack, and not even support the front. That's too cool! Also, after more research it appears that the twelve and the ten footer boats both have three seats so the difference is the room between the seats, I'd like my rotty to have enough room to move around alittle; if he is not too cramped he'll enjoy it more, and so will we!

 

[turbocruiser]

Another question...on color options...does it matter much for fishing purposes only what color the hull is? I've gotta choice between white, aluminum and off olive green for boat hull colors. I'm leaning towards the white but then this question popped through the head and I wanted to ask about it. Thanks.

 

[Gold Boy]

Another question...on color options...does it matter much for fishing purposes only what color the hull is? I've gotta choice between white, aluminum and off olive green for boat hull colors. I'm leaning towards the white but then this question popped through the head and I wanted to ask about it. Thanks.

Does not matter, I have the aluminum color hull and often out fish the locals .... The bote is quiet in the water.

I also made my own bow cap, I will post some pics later to show you what I mean.

I also reccomend the nissan/mercury 4 stroke 6HP OB, they are both the same made by tohatsu. And a electric motor with about 30lb's of thrust.

I clocked the bote at 24 kph with my gps its fast with the 6HP OB.



GB

 

[turbocruiser]

Update...

Last night we ordered our 12' Pacific Pearl (To Match The Moonglow Pearl On My Rig And My Wife's RAV!!!) Porta-Bote!!!

Got a good deal...the rep threw in the oars and oarlocks, the shipping, and the porta-dolly all for free and took another hundred dollars off of the boat.

Just wanted to thank everyone, especially Gold Boy, for all their advice!!!

Now, anyone wanna buy a used 12' Coleman Crawdad???

Thanks fellas.

 

[lunyou]

where are you located??


Another thing.....if you don't mind me asking......what was the price for the porta-boat??

lunyou

 

[srplus]

Gheenoe or an aluminum 14 – 16 foot are about the only things that really meet your requirements… Look at some of the welded aluminum units as possibilities. The 16’ will be a little too big to wrestle around by yourself in an aluminum boat. You might be able to use a 16’ Gheenoe if you can somehow take some mechanical advantage. Porta-Bote's® or old brand name FolBoat might work for you but I never cared for them. I never liked a Jon boat but some of the newer pointed bow ones are not too bad.


What you need is some help getting the boat on and off the car - my wife dropped her end of a smaller canoe on my 62’s power antenna and mirror - OOPS… there are different sets of wheels that will clamp on to transom for you to roll it to the water once you get it on the ground. Following are a few sites with things to make boat loading easier.

http://www.kingkongmovie.com/

no seriously:

http://www.dngoodchild.com/7898.htm

http://motorcare.com.au/boatloader.htm

http://www.eideboatloader.com/car_a_boat.html

one available on Craig list $ 50 => http://columbus.craigslist.org/boa/172705326.html [NO brainer to build]


and something like these boat dolly wheels would be easy to fabricate out of larger conduit or smaller tube.

http://inflatableboatworks.stores.yahoo.net/boatdolwheel.html