Recreational boat options

Considering, remarkably with the blessing of the wife, a small ‘boat’ of some sort. For use on close in coastal water or sea lochs on fair days, to carry me and two boys – currently 7 and 4. We’ve used rowboats and canoes before, but haven’t tried sit on kayaks yet, and I see you can get some that would carry the 3 of us. I like rowing, but suitable boats seem much dearer than kayaks. Would need to go on car roof. Options or suggestions welcome. Budget – dunno, not loads, few hundred maybe? Won’t be immediate, just wondering what to look at.

Sailing canoe?

How are your “skills” you can buy plans and build your own.

Your suggestion of sit on top mayaks is best. More stable than canoes or rowing boats, faster and cheeap too.

Think you’ll struggle to get something you can lift onto a roof that is safe enough to head out to sea in with 2 nippers. Maybe some sort of RIB? I’ve got a 12ft portabote that is great – folds up flat and I can lift it onto my roof myself. Ok on a loch if calm and zips along with a 2-3hp outboard and can be rowed. I’d head out to sea in mine but I’m a reasonable swimmer but I wouldn’t risk it unless dead calm with my kids.

You’ll struggle to get one second hand for much less than a grand, but they hold there value so I know I won’t lose anything if/when I sell mine on.

Terhi Saiman

Get one of these. Outstanding in inshore waters.

Start off with a sit on top, Hire bigger things for camping. See how it goes?

I learnt to sail in something like a Skipper? dinghy. (No one actually knew what it was but it seems there is a family resemblance.) Could take two adults and kids camping and cost £400 for boat and trailer. Bet you’d find something on ebay similar.

Hobie Tandem island would be my ideal family adventure boat but is obviously way over budget. Can be rented south of england tho.

Building skills – no chance!

I wouldn’t be heading ‘out’ to sea, we’re talking Loch Etive and the like, and I’m close enough to be able to pick and choose fair weather days.

Not keen on sailing myself, could never get it, and the kids can do it with school locally.

Sit on top kayak sounds like the thing so far.

Look for a second hand zodiac type inflatable tender/dinghy with an old 2 stroke outboard. You might get lucky at end of season but might take a while with only a few hundred as a budget. These can be rolled up and put in the boot of a car and great fun scooting about the sea lochs on a good day.

Search boatsandoutboards http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/RIBs/Rib-Tenders-for-sale

We bought a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 130 Kayak. It’s a 2+1,(our three year old can just about go in the +1, but you couldn’t go much bigger.) It’s great in the sea, very stable and seems to go quickly.

It’s not massively easy to get on the roof of a car, even with two people, and I don’t think a single person could do it without risking damage. Once on there, you can’t fully open the boot. It weighs c.30kg, so needs two adults to portage.

Storage is not trivial either (I believe you can deform the hull if you don’t store it correctly).

If I’m honest, I wish I’d bought a single seater, and hired two seaters when needed. It’s great when in the water though 🙂

I really like the look of that skink2020 – how much in the UK?

Sit on Kayaks will always be very wet, even on nice days as it all runs into your lap of the paddle blades. Worth considering as something like the rowing boat linked would be dryer and therefore require less clothing/gear to enjoy it.

You use transport wheels on a sit on top kayak to get it to the water, and a roller bar on the roof rack for easier 1-man handling.

But an inflatable with engine that goes in the boot sounds like a superb idea!

Canoe.

You can paddle it, they can help. Car toppable, carry gear in it simply. Seaworthy enough, ‘dry’ paddle compared to sit on top. Not too expensive, and like a bank of plastic, hold value well.

8)
R0011548 by matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr

Loch Dochart Canoe by matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr

IMGP3280 by matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr

Loch Voil canoe pootle by matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr

/end thread

Matt’s recommendation is a good one, great to use on the rivers up where you are too, but no whistling theme from Deliverance.

On reflection, the water fearing littlest un might be happier in one of those, with the higher sides. He’s been in one of them before.

Any particular ones?

im going to follow these plans to make a row boat from a sheet and a half of ply.

http://koti.kapsi.fi/hvartial/dinghy1/simboii.htm#XX3

but i like building things and im not sure they would be suitable for little ones.

Head over to song of the paddle.
Second hand is so good – they don’t really wear out.
Big price difference is in Royalex boats (lighter).
If you are happy with some ‘grunt’ to lift a heavier boat, then they are a lot cheaper.
Any ‘prospector’ design is fine, and the differences are small unless you are a really good paddler.
I have a Discovery 158 – cheap, lump of a boat that works, works and works. Mine was £400. Also look out for Venture Prospector 16, likely £100-200 more or Old Town Camper 15 or 16 and Nova Craft SP3 Prospector 16.
Any Royalex boat will be twice those prices and more, but 30% lighter.
I am saving for a second boat – a Nova Craft Prospector 17 or similar BIG tripping boat.

Learn to paddle better