Anyone have any knowledge/experience with this boat?

[A9]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... tid=103922
Intex Mariner? Cabela's has em for sale for $299. From their reviews it looks like they are sturdy little boats. My last experience with inflatables wasn't much better then average. Those Sevylor Fish Hunters crapped out on me after about 2 years...

I've been throwing around the idea of picking up a new boat/float tube/pontoon boat cause I do not have my 12' aluminum at my permanent home so I do not get to have the luxury of having that setup with me when I go to nearby lakes (Pine, Beaver, etc.) and would like a setup to get me off the bank in these locations and keep me from having to find open seats. It's mainly just restricted the fishing I do, and with a boat, I could get out a lot more and offer up a seat on it for a member looking to spend a few hours on the water...I've been thinking about a float tube, but realized if I could get a nice inflatable boat, that would fit the bill just right cause I have a Minn Kota to strap on and would like to have some more room and a way to bring a passenger aboard and some extra gear...

Anyone have any experience/knowledge about these boats? I know EastsideRedneck has one, and I've pm'd him but have yet to recieve a reply from him.
This thing looks pretty sweet.

[fishingmachine]

Well i have seen eastsides and it is an awesome boat it fits your needs exactly

[A9]

My worries are all about durability and storage. I am hesitant to purchase an inflatable that will last for only a short time and I need something to fit in the trunk of a sedan (big trunk)
Does it fit well in a trunk deflated and how durable does it looks? I have to imagine that the PVC on it is much better then the cheap Sevylor boats...

[fishingmachine]

well yeah it is sturdy and i believe it would be just fine deflated and such and yeah it is quite durable

[kantill]

I don't have that one but I do have inflatable boat that is great, great for fishing in the weeds for bass.

[A9]

kantill,
Which boat do you have? By no means is my mind set one one particular boat, heck I dunno if I will even get one, I still like the idea of a float tube...

[EastsideRedneck]

Sorry, I just saw it today. PM sent.

"Portable" should be used loosely when describing the Mariner. Deflated, it will take up more space than box it came in. Takedown can range from 5 to 20 minutes depending on what you are going to do with it afterwards. I haven't folded it up nicely since I bought it, but I'll give it a shot to let you know. I don't think I have done anything to this boat that wouldn't be considered outright abuse. It is like the timex of inflatables; relatively cheap and tough. With this toughness does come the added weight, which can make moving it around on shore (uninflated) by yourself a chore. Depending on how far you have to go, I would just toss it up on the roof inflated.

[racfish]

I had a 10' Metzler.It was similar but the Metzler had some wood pieces to mount a motor.(the transom).My problem with portable boats was the flooring.I couldnt stand in it or even kneel down well.I found that without a hard floor that I was like a turtle on my back.I had really no agility in a blow up boat.I traded it for some gear instead.

[wingnut1981]

Not meaning to hijack your thread, but I actually logged onto the site to start a very similar thread to this one. Does anybody have any experience with the Sea Eagle Inflatables? Link to Cabela's HERE

I was considering one of these and was curious if anybody had any positive or negative experiences with it.

[A9]

Not meaning to hijack your thread, but I actually logged onto the site to start a very similar thread to this one. Does anybody have any experience with the Sea Eagle Inflatables? Link to Cabela's HERE

I was considering one of these and was curious if anybody had any positive or negative experiences with it.

I'd start a new thread for it with "Sea Eagle" in the title so you get more views for it cause I know a lot of people have those... I believe JT26 has one...

[kantill]

I have an older version of this one

http://www.sevylor.com/dyn_prod.php?p=STRU221&k=78930

I picked it up at white elephant here in Spokane, the nice thing is you can mount a small trolling motor on it.

[Dave]

I think inflatable boats are great if you need a boat that you can to store in a small area. I used to have one when I was in my 20's because I couldn't afford an aluminum at the time. I found it uncomfortable. I am sure there are inflatable boats that are comfortable and not inexpensive, but at the time the one I used served its purpose but wasn’t that great.