Am I being silly?

[Broni]

I grew up in a boating family. Most of my childhood memories involve one or other of my dad's boats from sailing to power boats. I recently moved to the UK after my dad passed away and i live very near the Thames. I have been thinking about getting a small inflatable (Seahawk 4) with a trolling motor (this is all I can afford right now) to explore the non tidal section of the river. The truth is I really miss my dad right now and I need to get on the water. Would this be a feasable option?

 

[sarabande]

I think a Seahawk is not going to give you much long-term fun. Something with a wooden transom, and with a bit more solid build quality will be much safer and give an extended range.

Lots of secondhand one on ebay, Gumtree, etc. Prices are not silly and could be similar to a Seahawk plus an electric motor.

 

[boatone]

Certainly not being silly although you do need to think your plans through carefully. An inflatable with an electric trolling motor will probably cost you less than £75 a year for an annual registration for the non tidal Thames (25% discount for electric motor!) and you will not need a Boat Safety Certificate.
All the information regarding using a boat on the Thames is available on the EA Boating website:
https://www.gov.uk/browse/environment-countryside/boats-waterways
The TMBA website will also guide you to other useful information - www.tmba.org.uk

 

[TrueBlue]

I like my comforts - we never enjoyed our 'flubbers', but found a fibreglass dinghy much more practical with its higher freeboard (some other users create a bit of wash).
However, then you have the challenge of getting it to the river.