exploring river by small boat

P

pij27

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 May 2016
Messages
125
Location
Ryde Isle of Wight
Visit site
I am looking at buying a small boat and outboard to explore the rivers and creeks around england. Would you recommend a small inflatable and outboard or a rigid dinghy and outboard. Not too concerned with top speed, as long as can beat the current, but want to carry two and maybe a picnic. Looking for something easy to operate, either carry in car, on roof or on trailer behind.

Budget around £1500.

Thoughts?
 
I have a 3 man dinghy and 6hp outboard on my boat, i use to get up the smaller streams /e.tc.
could add a picnic and tent to it no problem.
some of the smaller open fishing boats would suit you also.
 
Sounds like a fun thing to do if you are young and fit. With £1500 you should be able to get yourself a nice inflatable (preferable a rib) which will do you a treat. Personally I'd discard the idea of a rigid boat as they tend to be 'tippy' and something like an 11' Dory whilst admirable would be too heavy to lug around. A 4 - 6 hp outboard should prove more than adequate for the size of boat you will be running.
 
Make sure you buy one with a reverse, or you'll be forever raising the outboard to pull weeds off the propellor. We went up the Thame in ours. Good fun, but seriously overgrown in and above the water compared to the main channel.
 
If you can, look around for a Porta-bote or similar. They are 'solid', fold flat, fit on the car roof and not as vulnerable as inflatables in shopping cart laden waterways - tree stumps can be as bad.

Flies along with a 3.5 Tohatsu on the back., but can be easily rowed for the peace and quiet.

We have had great fun with ours, known as Hissing Sid - we bought him off ebay
 
You probably know more about boating than me, but this is my experience which might be of use to you, though it's not exactly what you're asking.

I've enjoyed using a small Zodiac and a 2hp outboard up the non-tidal Thames and that was easily enough for me, at least, against the stream. I was intending to use that dinghy, the tender to a boat, on the Thames over the winter season, but I found that there were strong navigation advisory notices almost all winter, (when powered boats are advised to moor, not navigate), or, at least, whenever I was available, so the licence fee would seem like a waste. I found this on other rivers, too, (Norfolk Broads).

I got a buzz out of the fact that, with the outboard locked "up", I could just glide up to the shore and practically step onto shore because of the draft. This is at the public slipways which happen to be at some of the most beautiful places. It's a lot of fun to drive down a little track to an old jetty in the middle of the countryside, use the pump, stow your picnic and off you go (kind of).

I was cautious about the strength of the current on the non-tidal Thames, but, when the outboard cut out, I could row in that small Zodiac from one lock to another (about two miles), against the current, after several consecutive days of rain - the next day the red navigation advisory signs went up, so the stream was quite strong.

Maybe you're very familiar with the Thames. The longest free stretch between locks that I came across was Benson to Cleeve - I think about 6km? So, a nice long round trip for smaller engines. I found I barely used much throttle. The Thames Path runs along the river, which makes it seem accessible, shared, but I found that bank is quite high if you're in an inflatable and there are "private, no mooring" signs everywhere (fair enough), so sometimes it feels a bit like rafting a canyon. No doubt you get a different view from the big boats. That said, there are some beautiful places to picnic and you are right down with the wildlife.

Being taken downstream to various locks and seeing (and, particularly hearing) the weir often almost spanning the river, and then the tiny lock (and safety) to one side adds a thrill if you've lost power (which happens to me quite often). I was glad to have an anchor for back-up. With one person (and dog) on a tiny (quite loaded) Zodiac I had plenty of power (when it worked) with 2hp to move away from the weirs, back upstream.

There's plenty of breathtaking scenery. If you kill the outboard you'll be amazed at the wildlife who turn up. Who knew there were so many birds of prey around the Thames? A picnic would be perfect. Really Wind in the Willows.

People are friendly, astonishingly helpful. I had no trouble with wash from any boats, some of which are massive. The staff on the locks are founts of information and bend over backwards to help.

On hot summers days there is a bit of a queue for the slip but who cares? You're on the river!

The negative side is obviously punctures etc. I had a sudden catastrophic loss of air from the Zodiac when I was crossing the river at quite a busy point. Not much fun. I suppose I would have lost the outboard. I remember deciding I'd get a rigid dinghy as it happened, but I just got a bigger, newer inflatable because I love the grab-and-go of it.

* re engine size: you're probably (!) limited to the max speed limit set by any authority which may control a river, as i'm sure you're aware.
 
Last edited:
We have a 2.4m Quicksilver dinghy with a 6hp Mariner 4 stroke on the back for exploring creeks, ditches and inlets.

Nice sized stable dinghy with nice fat tubes and the engine is as reliable as they get.

Scoots along nicely at up to 26mph with one person onboard but is just at home pottering around at a few miles per hour with two or three on board.
 
If you want to use your budget to the full, may I recommend an Excel 290 Volante inflatable, and a 3.5hp Mercury.

Excel boats will supply both well within your budget.

The tender is large and very comfy with an inflatable floor, two thwart seats (alloy) and the engine is robust, simple and quite light.

Add a 12V electric pump and you're on the water in 10 minutes. Top speed one-up is 14mph (astonishing considering the engine size and minimal weight/fuel consumption!) but 5mph two up as it won't plane...

A small trolley would be a good idea if you can't park next to the bank. This stuff isn't that light if you're carting it far!!

I have this tender, it's the best by miles within the size and price range.
 
Good advice, seams most think an inflatable is the ideal way to go, supprised about rigid dinghies being a bit 'tippy'. Now just have to navigate the world of inflatable floor, inflatabe keel, slatted floor for benefits.
Any one know of any good reviews to read? Also would your recommend a second hand inflatable or new?
 
Personally I would forget the idea of small inflatable, too small, too uncomfortable, no where to put anything, noisey, tiring to drive holding onto an outboard for hours on end. I would have look a some proper rigid small boats around 16-18ft with a trailer, Shetlands, Microplus, Mayland etc... should all be affordable.
 
i have got a 15 foot open boat but its heavy----around 1/2 a ton with bits and pieces aboard---if i was looking for a boat to explore nooks and crannys i would be looking for a 12 footer ----infaltable or rigid ----light enough enough to launch at some of the smaller poor quality launching sites that i can t use with my boat----ps don t know were you are situated but the river arun from littlehampton to pulborough is a good trip
 
Last edited:
How about a Skipper dinghy? They can be sailed, rowed or can take an outboard. I've got a 12 foot one (for sale btw) and it is easy to tow behind a car, can be lifted by two adults and is big enough to sit 4 comfortably.
 
A different take on this.. Just sold a small 15ft Fletcher to a friend of mine, with a really spot on trailer for less than the OPs amount. It has a 90hp 3cyl merc 2 stroke engine. Insanity you would think for a question posed in this thread. The reality seems rather different.


Perhaps its just what I'm used to but at 1200 rpm the boat is doing about 6 mph and using around 1.5 litres of fuel an hour it seems. It has a 20 litre tank on board and we were out for 4 hours and it took about £7 to fill it up again. That may be a lot compared to some but seemed pretty good to me.

As for stability - no problem at all, its not in the slightest unstable and easily managed by one person, could carry 4 and a picnic no problem at all. An inflatable or similar (open rib?!!) seems madness in comparison I'd say.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top