I carry mountain bikes in the airplane often, and it makes for great ground transportation if there are trails and or roads close by, though you generally can't carry much on the bike without a trailer.

I bought an Inflatable kayak for lakes and rivers, that is really nice. It is high quality and durable/dependable and could carry practically anything that the plane would, but it was generally limited to a one way trip on a river under paddle power. It got chewed up beyond repair by rodents in the shed last winter, so I started casually shopping for a replacement.

I found this: http://www.saturninflatables.net/inflatable-kaboats.asp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_462woPV ... ded#at=220

This vessel, with a 6 or 8 horse motor might be the most mobile carry on transportation that I can imagine.

The 16 footer weighs 64lb, and a 3.5 horse motor weighs about 50lb. It will easily carry two people and a weeks worth of gear.

You could land riverside, motor up a number of miles (22mph on 8 hp), then drift back down.

The price seems very reasonable.

Does anyone have any experience with Saturn Inflatables?

I like my Sea Eagle

I used a series of inflatables as dinghies when I lived on a sailboat, and they were all ok. When I really got interested in paddling, no inflatable can beat a rigid boat. I now have a folding kayak. They come from several manufacturers and are a lot more durable than any inflatable I've used. Here's a link to the folboat site for a 1 person recreational folding kayak. Only 24 pounds and easy to assemble/disassemble. Watch the video...

http://www.folbot.com/Citibot_p/citibot.htm

Folboats are nice. I have paddled them in the sea of Cortez. Inflatable kayaks are great for getting out on the water too.

The ability to put a small outboard motor on this craft expands the range exponentially though. I could go 20-30 miles on a few gallons of gas in an inflatable with a 6 horse. 20-30 miles is two days of paddling on a lake, and paddling is a one way endeavor on a river.

What else can you bring along that will offer this sort of range, flexibility and payload after you have landed?

How about a steam powered folding kayak?

http://floatery.com/?p=158

Flyhound wrote:How about a steam powered folding kayak?

http://floatery.com/?p=158

Very cool!

But heavy, im sure.

The steam powered folding kayak probably belongs in the humor section, but it does have the advantage that you can scrounge the fuel wherever you are.

This is a pretty cool idea.

We thought of kayaks for fishing lakes and sea, but power opens up upriver options.

Else you are dropping boaters and have to fly down and collect them at the end of the day, which limits your fishing options.

Many rivers around here have forest close in around them, which prevents any landing for large stretches. Typically deep, slow-running rivers - they would be prime targets for upstream / downstream boating after arrival in a remote area by plane - provided you had a small inflatable craft which fits inside the plane. If the boat engine burns Avgas, so much the better...

Pakboats are GREAT backcountry boats. I have a 14.5 foot folding canoe and a 2 hp outboard works fine on it with a canoe motor mount from LL Bean.

This boat is for sale by the way.

MTV

I have done a lot of research on this and I think a soar boat is hard to beat for my mission. Its a bombproof inflatable canoe built with the same rubber that commercial rafts use. It takes 15 minutes to have it ready to go, can hold lots of gear and is easy to paddle.It packs in my 185 easily, I have loaded it up with a weeks worth of gear and paddled around on rivers in Arctic Quebec, I've taken it in class IV rapids, and use it for outings with the wife and dogs on our local river here in Durango. You can buy them from their website soarboat.com

mtv wrote:Pakboats are GREAT backcountry boats. I have a 14.5 foot folding canoe and a 2 hp outboard works fine on it with a canoe motor mount from LL Bean.

This boat is for sale by the way.

MTV

I saw your plane on Barnstormers and now your Pakboat. It appears that you are liquidating. Hope that you moving back in to an H model C180?

Nope, downsizing. Looking for a PA 11. Boat sold today.

MTV

mtv wrote:Nope, downsizing. Looking for a PA 11. Boat sold today.

MTV

I was recently thinking about downsizing to a J-3. It is tempting to free up some cash, but think that I will enjoy the 180 for a few more years. It is a pretty special machine. Plus I can carry an inflatable with a small outboard.

Durango Skywagon wrote:I have done a lot of research on this and I think a soar boat is hard to beat for my mission. Its a bombproof inflatable canoe built with the same rubber that commercial rafts use. It takes 15 minutes to have it ready to go, can hold lots of gear and is easy to paddle.It packs in my 185 easily, I have loaded it up with a weeks worth of gear and paddled around on rivers in Arctic Quebec, I've taken it in class IV rapids, and use it for outings with the wife and dogs on our local river here in Durango. You can buy them from their website soarboat.com

The Soar boats do look nice. There is a motor mount accessory and a rowing frame add on that looks handy. The cat seems cool at 28 lbs. I am partial to multi chamber inflatables over folding or frame and skin type of packables for usability in the event of damage during an excursion.

I wonder if a 4-6 hp outboard would be able to push one of these boats up swift water. The Saturn kaboat in the video is running a 10 horse motor and moving up some pretty swift rapids. A 6 horse motor is around 60 lbs. A 10 horse motor is more like 85-90. The ability to carry two people and a hundred and fifty lbs of gear several miles up a river is very appealing.

Scolopax wrote: I am partial to multi chamber inflatables over folding or frame and skin type of packables for usability in the event of damage during an excursion.

I agree, I used to guide long canoe trips in Northern Canada, we used pakboats for some of them and they are great boats but... They take a while to put together and we wrapped one in white water and I was unable to come up with a field repair for the multiple broken poles.

Inflatables are quick to inflate there are plenty of battery powered inflators out there. They are durable if they are built to commercial quality, some raft companies have 10+ year old boats on the water every day on rocky rivers. Valves and rubber are easily field repairable with a simple kit and patches are typically as strong as the original.

I have the motor mount and a honda 2.5 horse, but have not used it with the soar boat yet. I have the 16 foot model that I got a screaming deal on, but it is too big for my needs on my trips and am probably going to pick up a 14 foot model.

Brad

Durango Skywagon wrote:

Scolopax wrote: I am partial to multi chamber inflatables over folding or frame and skin type of packables for usability in the event of damage during an excursion.

I agree, I used to guide long canoe trips in Northern Canada, we used pakboats for some of them and they are great boats but... They take a while to put together and we wrapped one in white water and I was unable to come up with a field repair for the multiple broken poles.

Inflatables are quick to inflate there are plenty of battery powered inflators out there. They are durable if they are built to commercial quality, some raft companies have 10+ year old boats on the water every day on rocky rivers. Valves and rubber are easily field repairable with a simple kit and patches are typically as strong as the original.

I have the motor mount and a honda 2.5 horse, but have not used it with the soar boat yet. I have the 16 foot model that I got a screaming deal on, but it is too big for my needs on my trips and am probably going to pick up a 14 foot model.

Brad

How does the SOAR boat track paddling on flat water? Does it have a removable skeg system? Is it self bailing?

My previous boat: http://www.zoikinflatables.com/alteregotandem.html that was chewed by rodents had a skeg system, that worked very well. It was very maneuverable in whitewater with the skeg removed. The boat was 25oz 1000 denier PVC, which seemed very durable. It was versatile, lightweight (37lb), well designed, inexpensive and high quality.

I would buy the same boat again, but I am looking for something that can be fitted with a motor to increase my mobility after landing.