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| BOAT REVIEWS |
01 / 12 / 05 |
A 4m inflatable for less than £300 |  | |
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The Sevylor HF360 Fish Hunter. Length overall - 12 feet, beam - 5 feet, maximum capacity 1,200 pounds.
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Ever wished you had a bit more carrying space in your dinghy? Here is a product from the USA that could be the answer.
Don't hit us with those negative waves yet, we're talking about a good, practical multi-purpose dinghy that could serve as a tender - with space for the whole family in reasonable comfort. And the craft we suggest is the HF360 Fish Hunter made by Sevylor, a French-American company based in California who has been working with PVC inflatable products since 1948. The "lor part of the name stands for "l'or" in French - because, as the company puts it, their products are "as good as gold".
Although it looks strange to our eyes, being used to more conventional colours, this is a real boat, not a Mickey Mouse playboat - She weighs 48 pounds all packed up in her box, a lot easier than humping a rigid wood or aluminium job. There is a drawback - once you've inflated her for the first time, it's well nigh impossible to get her back in the box - a bit of a niggle because no carrying bag is supplied to transport her from place to place in packed-up form. Strange, because her portability has got to be one of her key advantages - which we got, round with one of those El Cheapo soft plastic suitcases from an open air market for just a couple of quid.
Blowing her up is also a challenge if you're only going to use the 5 litre foot-pump that comes with the kit. The leg power required is probably superior to hefting weights in the gym! You need to be quick on the draw too, in plugging the valves closed. They're one-way only, but that still takes a bit of time - and a bit of anxious teeth work - before you figure it out right.
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The Fish Hunter HF360 afloat. Room for four adults with ease, plus two children. The outboard mounting is optional and the engine itself is not included.
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That said, she's a nifty little boat when you're finished. And now you'll see why all the effort is necessary, because she's double hull constructed to make her rugged and rigid, with a removable inner hull. Designed by a fisherman you see - with the wisdom of practical experience. Under your feet there are roll-up slats to protect the air panels that make up the floor (I think I would add a sheet of ply or foamex to give some stiffness under your feet), There are inflatable removable rowing seats, a gear pouch, swivel rowlocks, oar holders, mooring ring, fishing rod holder, water drain plugs, grab line and a nylon carry bag for odds and sods. There's also a large "battery pouch" for a Sevylor electric motor as an extra - not available in UK as the supplier Nauticalia advocate a 2.5 horsepower petrol engine instead, though easy enough to accommodate on the optional stern-mounted outboard motor bracket.
Get her afloat and she's more like it, drawing almost nothing which makes her easy to handle. You get one set of oars with the standard kit, though with Sevylor's savvy - they make a whole range of inflatable canoes - you can join them together to make a two-bladed paddle.
As there are two sets of rowlocks, Nauticalia do a luxury pack that includes two sets of oars, plus the motor bracket. All up cost for the boat and luxury pack is a reasonable £344.00. If you want to buy the boat and standard accessories, it's £299.00 - with an extra set of oars at £20.00 and the outboard motor bracket at £45.00.
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