Baltik inflatable
 

Anybody have any experience with the inflatables being sold on eBay under
the name Baltik Boats?

They are being sold out of California by a company called Affordable
Inflatable. Based on the information in the eBay ad, and the positive
feedback, they seem to be of decent quality, plus they offer a 5 year
warranty.

I would appreciate any feedback from people that are familiar with these
inflatables.

Thanks in advance...Kevin

On Mon, 4 Jul 2005 07:59:46 -0400, "Kevin Despot"
wrote:

Anybody have any experience with the inflatables being sold on eBay under
the name Baltik Boats?

Can you provide a link?

Here's the link: http://stores.ebay.com/Affordable-Inflatable

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 4 Jul 2005 07:59:46 -0400, "Kevin Despot"
wrote:

Anybody have any experience with the inflatables being sold on eBay under
the name Baltik Boats?

Can you provide a link?

On Mon, 4 Jul 2005 08:56:28 -0400, "Kevin Despot"
wrote:

Here's the link: http://stores.ebay.com/Affordable-Inflatable

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 4 Jul 2005 07:59:46 -0400, "Kevin Despot"
wrote:

Anybody have any experience with the inflatables being sold on eBay under
the name Baltik Boats?

Can you provide a link?

Hmmmm - well, they look good. I can't Google anything on Baltik or
Affordable either for that matter - probably an import.

The fabric isn't anything super duper - the technology is ok - I
suppose for the price, it will last a few years.

They look like the ones at:
boatstogo.com




"Kevin Despot" wrote in message
...
Anybody have any experience with the inflatables being sold on eBay under
the name Baltik Boats?

They are being sold out of California by a company called Affordable
Inflatable. Based on the information in the eBay ad, and the positive
feedback, they seem to be of decent quality, plus they offer a 5 year
warranty.

I would appreciate any feedback from people that are familiar with these
inflatables.

Thanks in advance...Kevin

You get what you pay for in any inflateable, and very few of us
actually need a high quality one. All of them go downhill in time when
they are left out in the sun & weather, some faster than others.

Instead, first consider whether you really want an inflatable at all (I
love mine). A hard dinghy does everything better - especially rowing,
which all inflatables suck at, like pulling yourself through molasses
with little sticks while dragging a dead body. A dinghy can be rowed
though all the conditions an inflatable needs a motor for, without the
extra cost, fuel, hassle, noise, vibration & stink, and may also be
sailed in most cases, which is impossible with an inflatable.

The idea of being able to unpack/assemble/inflate it aboard your boat,
unless you are far too rich to be looking for a cheap infalable deal &
have a 100+' yatch with a big unobstructed deck, is a bad joke you will
only try once, unless it is a rollup (and the rollups have the lousiest
performance on the water). It is also just as heavy to lift aboard -
inflated or stowed - but more awkward, than a dinghy unless it is a
costly lightweight RIB design made from Hypalon (and these are hard to
find now in small sizes). It is even easier to fit a dinghy into a
pickup truck bed than an inflatable (inflated). You will never have to
fook around with a foot pump and a clutter of hose to stow somewhere,
to pump up your nice hard dinghy every week or so to be sure it is
correctly balanced, will plane well & is safe, or so the thwart won't
fall out of it. You won't have to buy an expensive rubber numbering
kit to register your dinghy (if you even decide to put a motor on it at
all and spend more money to register it like an inflatable). When you
get bored with how your dinghy looks or change the color if its
mothership, you can paint it to your liking in an afternoon and it will
look like new. The dinghy will outlast the inflatable by a factor of 4
or better even if you neglect it.

My friend just bought a used 37' motorsailer I am helping him square
away. The first thing he did even before it was launched, was bring
his Walker plastic dinghy aboard and take the brand new & unused $1,800
Achilles inflateable (and all of its associated, locker-hogging crap)
ashore to give away to a relative. I suppose this is a good way to get
even with a relative. ;-)

My little 7 1/2' inflatable-keel job (Quicksilver), that I originally
bought as a sailboat tender and quickly replaced on the waterfront with
my fbgls rocker-bottom skiff that actually rows, gets used for cute fun
on the lake below me because it will get me up on plane with a
tricked-out 2.5hp (if there is nothing in my pockets & only one can of
soda aboard, and if the brim of my hat is not too wide). It's also
cool for casual shoreline lake fishing with a trolling motor because
you don't have to worry about dinging up against the rocks. Otherwise,
I'd have gotten rid of it a long time ago. It will go like a raped ape
with a 5hp, but to put a 5hp on/off a squishy inflatable regularly you
have to be a masochist or a gorilla who likes risking injury. Even
putting a 22 lb 2.5hp on/off an inflatable's transom at anchor in calm
water with a crew on deck assisting can be "thrilling", let alone when
it gets bouncy or Harry Hotshot leaves you a nice wake to roll around
in while you are bent over the sucker. A dinghy tows better, too, and
with less resistance, though if you are a screwup the inflatable won't
ding itself or the mothership & doesn't need a fender to be brought
alongside for close maneuvering.

There is not as much room inside an inflatable as a dinghy of
comparable length.

You cannot bail & dry all the water out of floorboard-type inflatables
while in the water, so you have to run around at planing speed with the
plug out to try to dry the boat. Mung can build up btw the floors and
the inner hull and cause things, including not only "interesting"
rotted food crumbs or toejam accumulations but abrasion & holing from
sand. You have to disassemble the boat to clean it. Dinghys have none
of these issues.

Finally, inflatables are communist or collectivist - they are all
grayish or reddish. :-)


I highly suggest that if you are going to buy one anyway, that you
completely assemble & disassemble it first, or one exactly like it.
Some are a real bitch to do, and no one talks about it.

Hi Kevin,
I purchased a 14' inflatable from Affordable its a 20" tube construction. I use the boat primarily as a dive boat, and recently was asked if I would make this craft available to a water rescue unit.
The boat handles well with a variety of motors. I have a 25hp Yamaha 2 stroke that I normally use on the craft and for narrow rivers with shallows I use a 3.3 Mercury . I have used as well a 30lb thrust electric motor. As to size and space the craft offers me the ability to carry dive gear for four divers and a Hookah Surface Support unit and its gear. I use a depth finder on the craft as well.Its stable and reliable handles extremely well planes very nicely under water. My normal runs with this craft are about five miles upstream on the Mattaponi River, and she has performed extremely well on the Yecomico River as well which is tidal, she handles wakes and waves well.
To extend the life of the boat I use a UV protection. Runs well in shallow and deep water and to date the boat has served some purpose it was not designed for but not in violation of the manufactures warranty. In Particular I towed a 22' Sailboat from the River in which had became disabled. I used a simple yoke across the boat and towed her at minimum speed as to reduce the strain across the boat.
For diving thei craft presents and excellent profile and you can use a simple rope ladder to gain re-entry into the craft. The hard panel floor is very sturdy and rigid and the inflatable keel works well to insure proper plane underway. As a means of transport to dive sites on my survey I feel that even though rated for a 40 hp motor this craft is excellent when operated at a mid range power rating of say 25 hp. Response is consistent, coherent and complete. I am not diappointed in my investment so far in this craft and have had her for about 6 months she is used atleast twice a week.
Hope that fills in your information void, if you have any further questions please feel free to email me.
Lee Chamberlain