Can anybody tell me of a dealer in Fairbanks that sells inflatable boats? If I have to go to Anchorage, is there a dealer there?
Thanks from dry dock!
Fred

AK Raft and Kayak in Anchorage is one of quite a few here... The owner is a friend and good guy.

I can't help, but just wonder about the inflatable boat.
Why do you want one?
Sorry about the cheechako question.

Wabigon, Very versatile up here, storage, fly ins, and new drop stitch floors makes them a different boat than older boats. My 95#
15 ft Kaboat does 21 MPH with a 9.8 HP with 500 # load.

http://www.boatstogo.com/

Royce my Saturn is holding up well still impressed with it for the money and performance.

A friend has fished the Great Slave in the NW Territories in a Zodiac.
That was a fly-in.

Safe, dry, successful fishing to you.

wabigon
Fair question-
For the last three summers, we have gone touring around British Columbia/Alaska in a 2011 Toyota Tundra pulling a 30" trailer. I hate carying a canoe on a rack on the truck because it usually ends up beating the truck and the canoe up and it limits what I can see out of the truck.
There are a lot of lakes we'd like to explore but without a boat of some sort we are sol. Thinking very seriously of trying an inflatable that I can throw in the back of the truck, along with a small motor.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Fred

And thanks for all the responses, Art, wabigoon,kk alaska

I'd check with 'Moose, he rents 'em and I believe sells em as well up there:

http://www.bluemooseraft.com/

Another good option would be Larry Bartlett, he has an extensive line of inflateables:

http://www.pristineventures.com/products/rafts-canoes.html

Royce, I have a couple of Innova Helios II kayaks. Top shelf two person inflatable canoe/kayaks that fit in a custom innova backpack.
They are meant to be paddled however, ie no motor option.
Looks like you are in Helena, you could swing by my place here in north Idaho and pick one up for your journey...just take care of the thing.
I have everything needed for use.


Google Innova Helios...
Frank

I think Larry sells his boats through Test the Waters in Fairbanks. He build some very good boats designed mainly for floating the shallow stuff.

My neighbors in Ontario have used a folding boat to explore some of the remote lakes in the area. They seem very happy with it.

Click Here

One thing to consider in comparing a folding boat to an inflatable is it's rather time consuming to inflate and deflate an inflatable every time you break camp. They're great if you're going to inflate it at the beginning of the season and deflate it to store it for winter, but not so much every few days.

How do those inflatable boats handle rough water?

In the 70s and 80s I had a Z MK 2GR. I took it out of Valdez, Homer, Seward, Homer and Deep Ck. It worked very well. It was stable and safe. In rough water you will get wet, just a fact of life. Riding waves into the wind created the most problem as a strong wind would get under the bow and try to flip the boat. Also, there is not alot of room on these boats. I had a lot of fun with this boat then I got the airplane bug and the boat went away.

I'd look into a 12' Zodiac or Avon inflatable that could handle an 8 to 15hp motor, preferably a Honda or Yamaha.

One of my buds has a 14ft Achilles with a 20hp Honda that we use to run up and down the Tanana in. I never found the inflating and deflating to be much of an issue.

Alaska series rafts

Jim king

5 year warranty, they have all kinds of models.

I've got the old school stuff....welllll because I'm old


I've got a Grabner inflatable canoe, and I love the dang thang.

but technology marches onward.

it weighs 47 lbs. will haul most of a moose or 2 guys and their backpacks.

easy to inflate and deflate, made in Germany

bought it many moons ago for $1300.00 worth every penny

but there's offerings now that are cheaper and just as good if not better.

Test the Waters as reco'ed already is a good place to start.

but there's also Beaver Sports in town, Frontier outfitters and now REI and of course Sportsman's.

I bet one of those places will have what you need right here in da Banks. (Fairbanks, kids lingo)

lots of good choices out there, these are the good old days where gear is concerned.

enjoy, gonna shoot you a pm with my phone. If you have enough time in town and would like to meet FTF, be happy to buy you a beer or beverage of your choice.

There's an REI in bearflanks now?

That coming from a guy that hunts with a pump rifle!

Yep, we've hit the big time I reckon

it's certainly smaller than the one in Anchorage though.

it's in the part of the old Fred Meyers building where Granger was.

The old Freddys across from bentley small?

If you see that guy that sold it to me, give him a smack for me, woodja?

yep you nailed it.


come up sometime, I'll be happy to show you the sights here in the "big" city! lol

Ironbender
I am sure that scoundrel that sold you that rifle has been hung as a thief by this time.

By the way, The search for an inflatable is over, I bought a used Mercury inflable today-

What motor you going to run Royce?

Jason

Pretty much decided on a Yamaha 9.9- Reaons being I amtold they are not as fussy about fuel as the Honda. I'd go with more HP but want to keep the weight down. What are your thoughts?

Fred

Were they formerly sold as US Marine?

I had a 10'6". It seemed to run best with the max reco'd HP motor. Mine was rated for 15 hp.

Too bad. Seemed like a pretty good guy.

Probably be up towards the end of Aug to move my girl kid.

This boat is rated for 25 HP and I think that would be best but because it's going to be in and out of the truck a lot, I'd like a light motor. (Read "I am a wimp"). As long as it goes faster than a grizzly can swim, I'll be happy. Hopefully will try it out on the Chilkoot Lake in Haines in the next two or three weeks, and maybe on Chilko Lake in BC on the way home.
It's been driving me crazy to drive by all these lakes and ponds and not be able to get on them.

Fred

Different criteria I suppose for a lake vs running upstream. Good point on the lifting and toting.

In the 2 stroke world (the only one I would consider if lifting and toting by a wimp is involved) the 9.9 and 15 hp are usually the same engine and almost 85 pounds.

Going 4 adds 40#...

A two-stroke 15 is the best use of weight/power.

Plus a 2 stroke can be laid on it side, not critical like a 4 stroke whose powerhead has to be elevated. The 9.8 HP Tohatsu is light for a 4 stroke and it weighs 81.5# but a lot of waters require the use of 4 stroke motors.

I made a bracket that goes on a cargo carrier hitch mount for my outboard. Pull the inflatable off the pick up rack turn boat around in water and lift motor and put it on transom. To much work to haul it out of truck and keep powerhead elevated. My 8 HP 2 stroke is around 58#.

Good pick on the Yamaha motor, they are very good motors and you should get years of use from it.

Good choice on the Yamaha. But the Mercury inflatable is one of the crappiest on the market, if it is PVC. Should have done your due diligence.

What makes the Mercury the crappiest? Where is it apt to fail?
thanks.

Fred

Another vote for a two stroke 15 hp, used aren't too crazy expensive and hard to go wrong with E-rude, Johnson, Yamaha or Suzuki.

If I were getting a 4-stroke kicker I'd go with the Tohatsu 9.8 horse as it's far and away the lightest 4-stroke at ~80#'s. Most 9.9-15 4-strokes are 100-120#.

As far as power, a 9.9 is going to be marginal to get a ~10' inflatable and two people on step, you'll want a 15 for that. On the flip side, there are lakes that are limited to under 10 hp, so the 9.9 has an advantage.

While PVC rafts aren't the best, with care you should be able to get quite a few seasons out of it. A less than ideal boat you can afford beats the heck out of the perfect boat you don't have. We've gotten a lot of use out of our little PVC inflatable.

add 12/14 pounds ... Suzuki > EFI DF15AES = Fuel-Injected AND 50% more ponies.....
....tie them Carbureted Yamaha-Hondas to the anchor chain imo

If I have to upgrade some of what I am buying when I get home, I can tolerate that- I had just made up my mind that I was going to have SOME way of getting on SOME water for the time being.
Also, as much as I like Fairbanks, I do have to concede that the shopping opportunities here are not as great in other places. Also, I didn't want to spend the rest of the summer shopping while I could be doing more fun things. Those dam salmon get addictive when they are on the end of a line and/or on a plate.
Lots of constraints and considerations and compromises to be taken into consideration, but the info I have gotten here has been a big help. Buying the motor is giving me the screaming meemies trying to find one big enough light enough that I can carry in the truck etc.
Thanks again everybody!

Fred

At every seam. It is well known for its early failures.

What is the weight of those boats?

Fred,

I'm with the other dudes regarding the 15-hp 2-smoker, if its legal where you plan to go. Good power-to-weight. I ran one on a 13' alu for many years. The weight is tolerable if you need to lug it around.

If going 4-stroke, I'd avoid any single-cylinder outboards. They tend to vibrate and are loud, with no hole-shot even with little/light craft. The 9.9 Yammie sounds good though but I have no experience with it.

Jason

I ended just coming back from purchasing the 9.9 Yamaha- It's a compromise in a lot of ways, but will work in a lot of ways, also. This is a learning process and whatever doesn't work can be fixed before we come back out next summer.
I have a hunch I will catch a couple of salmon out of this set up.
Fred

Fred,

If I'm not mistaken, that 9.9 Yammie is based off the same design as the old T8. Different tuning and prop but a rock solid outboard. The T8 is a legend to many guys who need a kicker for trolling.

Enjoy your trip and fishing. Sounds like a good time.

Jason