Need New Powered 'Toon

[atvaholic]

Im planning to do some fishing in an area which I will need a small motored toon. I have a 2hp gas engine and want to find an appropriate 'boat'. I want something lightweight and frameless. The boat would be used mostly in lakes, but a few slow moving rivers as well, no rapids or anything.

1. I've looked at a few from Scadden. I generally like these but im unsure of the durability, etc. From the reviews i've read people love them or have nothing but problems with them...The lifetime warranty is a bit reassuring but I don't know much else.

2. Sea Eagle 285. I like that it will fit in my truck inflated. I know nothing about this company.

Just looking for observations or anything else I should consider.

2. Ive looked at a sea eagle
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[flygoddess]

JMy choice would be NFO. Because My hubby ran a 5 hp gas motor on his.
His is the framed model. To do so with a frameless would require a little modification. Sea Eagle are too narrow for my liking.
There are several Scadden owners on this site with zero complaints. Myself included with having owned one for the past 18 years and before that Scaddens design Super Fat Cat.
Good luck and have a chat with Cpierce. She has a Renegade and I believe a 2 hp. Pros and cons to which direction you runthe motor.


That Sea Eagle is more a raft to me. Pontoons rou can use fin power. That could work. Says it support a 3 hp and 5 year warranty. 9' long and 48" wide. If you go that way, let us know more about it.
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[atvaholic]

Hi FG.

What mods would be needed to the NFO? I called and they said I only need to purchase the motor mount. I do like his boats. Especially the renegade. I like the fusion too, but he told me it's great for standing up but a little awkward to paddle due to the short oars. Will these fit inflated into a full size truck? Would like to hear more about running the motor differently.

Is there any other boat to consider.
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[flygoddess]

I guess with a small 2 hp you could use the motor mount on the Assaut too. The only issue will be while going forward, the seat area filling with water. There are drain holes in the back, but I would make the bottom holes a little larger. The other option would be to buy an aluminum deck. Then maybe sit on a box and run it like a Zodiac. You could still turn around and use fins while facing the motor.
My Renegade fit in our Silverado standard bed. Slightly tippet to the side and sticking out the back. We also have a shell.
I didn't notice if the Assault is still made, but it might be worth looking at.
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[atvaholic]

Sorry for all the questions. What do you mean you have a shell? Is it suitable to carry only short distances like this?
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[flygoddess]

Actually it is a deck for motor and battery. I have it on the back of my Renegade in this picture, but you could put it at the open end so it would be more like a Zodiac. Elevate the seat so you are facing towards the closed end.

Like I said Cpierce runs hers both ways.
With the Assault you could run a motor at either end.
If you are looking for more a boat style and no fins, the Sea Eagle might be more a choice. I just like to use fins to hold a spot, specially on a slow moving river, but then a lot of rivers you would want your feet out of the water.
Something to think about with a motor.

I will admit, I run Electric motors on all my boats, but never a gas. But like I said, a 2 hp is small enough I don't see it being that different.
Does the motor have an idle or will you have to stop and start it?
I have a Fuzion on the way, but could be awhile before I can try it out.
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[atvaholic]

hi flygodess.

The motor has no gearbox, so i will be starting and stopping often. its lightweight(20lbs) and reliable which is why I like it. guess I need to keep on thinking..not sure which is best.
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[atvaholic]

Hi, it looks like I needed to come up with some of my requirements, so I can get some feedback on which boat is best.

Minimum Requirements:
1. Has oars so I can row
2. Minimum 400 lb capacity
3. Is durable! Replacement parts easily found?
4. Needs motor mount for small gas motor
5. Stable and comfortable.
6. Will fit inflated in the back of a full size pickup
7. Easy setup (Prefer frameless)


Major Bonus
1. Able to stand if needed. Not so much to fish upright all day but to look for structure, etc.
2. Able to use kick fins to position in slow moving water.
3. Able to pack for back lakes, say up to 5 miles

Boats Im considering and why:

1. Outlaw Renegade (currently $999 + $129 for motor mount)
- 800 lb capacity (wow)
- able to kick or row
- lifetime warranty (anyone know how good the warranty actually is?)
- Motor Mount, manufactuer claims he has used up to a 6HP motor.
- its 56" Wide so will not easily fit into the back of a pickup. Perhaps partially deflated.
- At 28 lbs its packable for short distances
- Looks like you are able to stand up, but would need to be well balanced. I am not.

2. Sea Eagle ($899 all inc.)
- 450 lb capacity
- Comes with motor mount (up to 3hp)
- Comes with padded swivel seat
- Comes with a solid floor for standing
- 1000 Deneir hull material looks pretty thick and durable.
- At 48 inches wide will fit into back of a truck nicely
- looks very comfortable
- Unsure what bladders are made of
- Have heard very little of this boat and/or company. But they seem to have been around a long time
- Not able to pack into lakes. Perhaps with minor mods (remove seat, etc) it might work.
- Not able to kick

3. Outlaw assault X (1199 + 129 motor mount)
- 800 lb capacity
- able to kick or row
- at 23 lbs will likely be portable
- Can row or Kick
- motor mounts on front or back
- fits perfect in the truck
- Comes with pockets, etc
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[flygoddess]

One more option. Con, it has a frame. Outlaw Mike Andreason Special. I believe it has the same lime frame as the X5 so you could get one with the standing decl.
The boat is 8'6" long and 52" wide so will fit in back of truck.
Payload is double what you want. Bladderless so no chance of shifting or debris getting inside.
Plus by turning frame around, you could run Gas motor, slide deck out and stand, slide deck back and kick and even add an electric up front.
Class IV rating and 34 lbs. Did I mention Mile is an Awesome guy.[cool]
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[pontoonman]

Here's another company that has been in business for a very long time:
http://www.jpwinc.com/pages/photo-culebra.html
They can custom build anything, build motorized emergency craft and frameless pack boats.
Somewhat disorganized website, so you have to look around for awhile to find what you might like.

FWIW, one of the NFO's will probably work for what you want and cost less.

Pon


[quote atvaholic]Hi, it looks like I needed to come up with some of my requirements, so I can get some feedback on which boat is best.

Minimum Requirements:
1. Has oars so I can row
2. Minimum 400 lb capacity
3. Is durable! Replacement parts easily found?
4. Needs motor mount for small gas motor
5. Stable and comfortable.
6. Will fit inflated in the back of a full size pickup
7. Easy setup (Prefer frameless)


Major Bonus
1. Able to stand if needed. Not so much to fish upright all day but to look for structure, etc.
2. Able to use kick fins to position in slow moving water.
3. Able to pack for back lakes, say up to 5 miles

Boats Im considering and why:

1. Outlaw Renegade (currently $999 + $129 for motor mount)
- 800 lb capacity (wow)
- able to kick or row
- lifetime warranty (anyone know how good the warranty actually is?)
- Motor Mount, manufactuer claims he has used up to a 6HP motor.
- its 56" Wide so will not easily fit into the back of a pickup. Perhaps partially deflated.
- At 28 lbs its packable for short distances
- Looks like you are able to stand up, but would need to be well balanced. I am not.

2. Sea Eagle ($899 all inc.)
- 450 lb capacity
- Comes with motor mount (up to 3hp)
- Comes with padded swivel seat
- Comes with a solid floor for standing
- 1000 Deneir hull material looks pretty thick and durable.
- At 48 inches wide will fit into back of a truck nicely
- looks very comfortable
- Unsure what bladders are made of
- Have heard very little of this boat and/or company. But they seem to have been around a long time
- Not able to pack into lakes. Perhaps with minor mods (remove seat, etc) it might work.
- Not able to kick

3. Outlaw assault X (1199 + 129 motor mount)
- 800 lb capacity
- able to kick or row
- at 23 lbs will likely be portable
- Can row or Kick
- motor mounts on front or back
- fits perfect in the truck
- Comes with pockets, etc[/quote]
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[atvaholic]

Oh Boy. I called them and he started talking about the Rampage. Dont know if I can afford it but im giving it a look....any opinions? Is it worth the extra $?
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[flygoddess]

My husband thinks so. He wants one bad. He prefers the inflatable seat over the molded plastc seats. It is the same size as the X5. That extra foot and a half can make a big difference on rivers. Tons of seat room. And long enough you could run the motor off the back easy.
I feel your pain. A child in a candy store!
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[idahoron]

[quote flygoddess]Actually it is a deck for motor and battery. I have it on the back of my Renegade in this picture, but you could put it at the open end so it would be more like a Zodiac. Elevate the seat so you are facing towards the closed end.
[.IMG]http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/FlyGoddess/Renegade/IMG_3255.jpg[/IMG]
Like I said Cpierce runs hers both ways.
With the Assault you could run a motor at either end.
If you are looking for more a boat style and no fins, the Sea Eagle might be more a choice. I just like to use fins to hold a spot, specially on a slow moving river, but then a lot of rivers you would want your feet out of the water.
Something to think about with a motor.

I will admit, I run Electric motors on all my boats, but never a gas. But like I said, a 2 hp is small enough I don't see it being that different.
Does the motor have an idle or will you have to stop and start it?
I have a Fusion on the way, but could be awhile before I can try it out.[/quote]

One question that he hasn't asked is how is the motor mount held down in this picture? The reason I am asking is the small motors like mine turn 360 deg. So he could mount the motor just like you have and turn it to pull him. The only thing is the motor lifts up pretty hard but if the mount holds down it should work. Ron
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[flygoddess]

The motor mount is held down with Three nylon straps but more around the tube and the motor mount can be added.

I can pick the boat up with this motor mount when strapped down tight. Trick is to strap it down soft, then inflate hard.
To mount it to a Deck you do need to brace and add wood to the deck.



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[idahoron]

I am going to show you mine but I want to say first that I believe that the boat that FG posted the picture and the mount of is probably going to serve your purpose better than mine would.
That being said I tried to put a 2.5 HP Coleman gas motor on a Outcast boat. Let me save you some time and money don't do it! The small gas motor is not good on a small boat that is not set up for a gas motor. The gas motor puts TON's of power to the back of the toons. That forces the frame down. When the frame forces down the pontoons push out to the sides. When that happens it bends the frame like you would a wire. After so many bends they break.I know I broke a frame.



After breaking my frame I decided that safety was first. Second I needed to be able to put on a gas motor. Third I needed the front to be open so I can land sturgeon on my lap. SO I got a Skookum Steelheader 10 foot.









When I need to use fins I sit on the floor of mine.








But no boat is perfect. As much as I like this boat, I should say LOVE this boat it is not perfect. This is a very heavy boat, and it is too wide to fit in the back of a truck. If a guy had a flat bed truck it would be fine. But I have to use a trailer with this boat. So I got a second boat to load in my truck. This one is light and easy to load but I am not going to carry it anywhere. I use a electric motor on it because for a few places I go that is all I need, and the electric motor is very helpful in fighting big sturgeon.









There is so much I like about both boats that I just have to keep a couple around.
Now back to your wishes.

Like I said before on the post to FG, If you used a boat like her's with the gas motor on the back you might be able to turn the motor 180 degrees and have it pull you. I do this with both of my motors when I am trolling with my son and I am pulling his boat. I think your on the right track with a frameless boat. But the other one FG was talking about her husband uses has a good gas motor mount in my opinion. It is the deck design that straps to the back of the toon. The reason I like that design is because it does not put the frame in any kind of bind. It is a good mount. Ron
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[idahoron]

[quote flygoddess]The motor mount is held down with Three nylon straps but more around the tube and the motor mount can be added.
[.IMG]http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/FlyGoddess/Renegade/IMG_3598.jpg[/IMG]
I can pick the boat up with this motor mount when strapped down tight. Trick is to strap it down soft, then inflate hard.
[/quote]


With my coleman I could mount my motor on yours in the picture and then turn it backwards and it would pull like we do a electric motor. I would probably add a couple straps but I bet that would work real well. Ron
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[flygoddess]

That would be cool! Perfect for rivers. Wouldn't it still Troll a little too fast on stillwater ?
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[idahoron]

It might. If he wanted to troll he might have to drag a bucket. The motor will lift as it pulls so it would put a big strain on that front tie down. Is there a way to add a couple more ties to spread the load?
Ron
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[jmach]

There are a lot of great posts here. Regarding the NFO watercraft. I have the Renegade and love it, but use it with oars and fins (no motor). I have an aluminum boat if I fish a larger body of water where I want a motor. For backpacking...it would be very difficult to carry a Rampage for 5 miles. I think that it weighs 38 pounds + waders + fins, etc. NFO makes an Assault Ultra-Lite that weighs 14 pounds. I haven't seen one, but this weight makes it enticing.

Brookies
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[flygoddess]

Great point. The ultra light assault is the same as the regular assault but made out of the same heart valve/kevlar the predator is made from. The predator is also 8 feet long. Bit the Predator comes with D rings, and side bags, the Ultra Light Assault does not. And if I remeber right, the Predator was weighed with bags and seat on, but not oars.
They are sweet and light, but they do not fold up all that small and they are not as tuff as the other pontoons.
In all honesty, I think the Renagade is one of the most versatile boats made, and the Rampage just add too that.
Iff I did not own an X5 it would definitely be a Rampage (which you can put the X5 frame on.)
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