# What boat do I want?



## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

I'm looking for some kind of little boat/kayak/canoe/inflatable raft to take my nephews and cousins out on some smaller lakes like Tibble Fork, Silver Lake, Fairview, and Payson lakes. If I could find one with oar locks that would be ideal seeing how I will be the only one rowing. They age from 5-10 years old and I would love to get them out. I do have a 18' ski boat but for the smaller lakes it could be fun. They make a lot of inflatable rafts for cheap but I would prefer buying something that would last. A drift boat type of thing would be fun or a short wider boat with oar locks. To be honest, not sure what I'm looking for. What do you guys suggest?


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

It depends on how many you are planning on taking out at a time..for this I'll say your trips will be you and three others.

With you being the only one rowing, I'd stay way far away from any sort of inflatable raft. Any wind at all and you will work your butt off trying to get anywhere except where the wind wants to take you.

Because of the amount of gear, food, beverages etc. that the youngsters "need", I'd go with at least a 14 footer, preferably aluminum and make sure it has a v bow and a wide flat aft for stability. Kids like to stand and stretch, they also like to see what the other one has on his line as it gets closer to the boat. They also like to handle the net and stability is what you will need for all of that. You also need a pretty high side board, at least 12 inches above the water level when everyone and the gear is in the boat.

Floatation stuff under each of the seats in case you do flip it or take on a full boat of water.

You say you will only be taking it out on small lakes, but trust me, there will be times when you wish you had a bit larger boat to go to places like Mantua and be safe.

So, you might as well plan on getting a small outboard to power it too...just sayin!


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

Look at a Coleman Crawdad or Scanoe.


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## T-Bone (Oct 24, 2013)

I'm a proud owner of a 16' Coleman Scanoe. It's a very stable boat. The older models are Coleman, but Coleman has since sold the Scanoe (and possibly more) to Pelican.


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## rdiddy801 (Aug 13, 2013)

I bought an Intex Mariner 4 a few weeks ago and really like it. You can get one on Amazon for just over $300, or Cabella's was selling them for $379. The vinyl material is very strong, and should last a long time. Plus it has a sturdy roll-up floor that you can stand up in. Some of the boat accessories are a little cheap (like the bag it comes with, and the oars have some plastic parts that may break over time), but the material of the boat itself should last. My brother and I have fished Strawberry and Deer Creek in it. It holds 2 adult males and gear comfortably, but 3 would be tight. 

However, the note someone else made about rowing in the wind is something to consider. In Strawberry we were rowing back to the boat ramp in a headwind and it took forever to reach it.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

T-Bone said:


> I'm a proud owner of a 16' Coleman Scanoe. It's a very stable boat. The older models are Coleman, but Coleman has since sold the Scanoe (and possibly more) to Pelican.


I have a Crawdad but was looking for a Scanoe when I bought it, does great with a 55lb thrust electric pushing it along.


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## T-Bone (Oct 24, 2013)

I have a Minnekota 44 lb thrust electric trolling motor for mine, and whie I havn't used it yet, I have used smaller motors on the Scanoe and it can really get the Scanoe moving. OTOH any wind will throw it off course. So it's a trade off no matter if it's a trolling motor or paddles/oars- if you want speed, keep it light and high out of the water n but the wind will be a problem. If you want something that the wind doesn't toss around like a toy while on the lake, add weight, but it's also gonna be slower because of the drag from the water.

ETA- A few years back there was a fella that had a boat he set up for shallow water. He had a couple of high capacity bilge pumps and a car battery. Had a few holes in the bottom of the boat to suck the water through and a few holes in the back to shoot the water out. It wasn't fast, but very quiet and could handle water as shallow as 2" deeper than the water his boat was drawing.
Better than using paddles!


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