The Sea Eagle 6 Inflatable Boat: The Inexpensive Way to Get Out on the Water to Fish
The advantages of owning an inflatable boat are many. An inflatable boat is easy to store, can be taken to a body of water in the trunk of your car or bed of your truck, blown up, and then put out onto the water and finally rolled back up and taken home. Inflatable boats are easy to handle, can easily support two people or more depending on their size, and also come with electric motors and motor mounts if you do not want to row. The cost of a boat, a trailer, and an outboard motor, along with their maintenance and registration fees, is eliminated by the purchasing of an inflatable boat.
My friend and I bought our inflatable boat from the Sea Eagle Company, which we found over the internet at www.seaeagle.com. This outfit has been selling inflatable boats in various sizes for over 35 years, and allows payments in installments. There are plenty of other inflatable boat outfitters to be found on the internet, each offering a variety of inflatable boats, kayaks, sailboats, paddle boats, and more.
Our Sea Eagle inflatable boat came with a pair of oars that were easily put together, a foot pump to inflate the boat, and a pair of blow-up seats. The Sea Eagle 6, which is the model we purchased, also came with a nylon rope that is threaded around the inflatable boat to be used as a grab line. This particular inflatable boat weighs 25 pounds; it is easily handled by one person. It fits in the trunk of my Chevy Cavalier with no trouble. The other equipment that comes with this inflatable boat, along with my fishing gear, also travels with us in the car with no problems.
If you are thinking of using an inflatable boat to fish, which is why we obtained ours, then you need to realize that one of its drawbacks is there is not a lot of room in the smaller models. This has not been a problem for us, as we have quickly learned what is needed in our inflatable boat and what is not. Obviously, I wear a lifejacket each and every time I go out in our inflatable boat. There is room for our fishing poles and our tackle box as well. When we arrive at the lake, we take the inflatable boat out of the trunk, along with the rest of the gear, and spread it out on the ground. Our inflatable boat comes with a storage bag, but I use it only to store the boat for the winter. Otherwise, I keep the inflatable boat rolled up in my garage until it is used, as it is rather difficult to get it into the bag by myself.
Once we have unrolled our inflatable boat on the ground, in a flat area devoid of anything sharp that could possibly puncture it, we begin to blow it up. Our Sea Eagle 6 inflatable boat has five separate compartments that need to be inflated. The first three are numbered 1, 2, and 3; they are pumped up in that order. These compartments have a valve with a screw-on top that is very easy to close once the pumping is finished. The bottom of the inflatable boat has a pair of somewhat harder to handle valves, similar to the ones on pool toys but more rugged. After a while, you will know how to quickly shut these so as not to lose air. The entire inflatable boat takes about eight minutes to pump up and be ready to go.
When your inflatable boat is blown up to its capacity, carry it to the water. Do not drag your inflatable boat since it could catch on a branch or jagged rock; the boats are made up of very durable material but there is no need to be careless. Once the inflatable boat is in the water, it is just a matter of getting in it and rowing away from shore. Inflatable boats come with optional floorboards, which are removable and easily cleaned. When we are away from shore, we have the option of using the oars as paddles or placing them in the oarlocks, like a rowboat. Although you can purchase an anchor from the manufacturer, I fashioned one out of a cement block and rope that does the trick. Obviously, if you are going to be fishing, you will need something to keep you from being blown all over the water. Our inflatable boat has proven to us in a short period of time to be an excellent way to be able to access our local lakes and rivers in a safe and inexpensive manner. I have been out in it on numerous occasions now, and I always feel relaxed and safe in my inflatable boat.
When the day on the water is finished, bring the inflatable boat to shore, climb out, pick it up and bring it once again to a clear area and open all the valves. My inflatable boat loses most of its air in less than five minutes, allowing me to roll it up in such a manner that it fits in my trunk. When I get it home, I unroll my inflatable boat, hose it down, let it dry out, and then roll it up and put it in the garage until next time. Inflatable boats come with patch kits, just in case you puncture the hull. The Sea Eagle 6 cost my friend and I less than $300, and we have found the investment worth it. It is just what we needed for fishing, saving us the hassle and expense of a regular boat.
