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Post by stevene on May 7, 2008 6:57:56 GMT -6
A partial review on this one for anyone thinking about purchasing a pontoon boat: I just got an outcast Discovery 10-IR (standup) and had it together for the first time last night at the MFFA casting night. First the Basics: Features: 10' Length, aluminum frame, motor mount, anchor pulley system, cargo deck, rod holder, 2 pc 7' oars, and slide away standing platform with flip away lean support.
The good: It moved very easily in the water and I found the seat comfortable, at least for the limited time I was in the boat. The lean bar and casting platform were easy to use, and I found it extremely stable while standing. I tried rocking it hard and it wouldn't flip if you tried.
The bad: I found the position of the rod holder a little awkward if you don't have the oar hangers and want to rest the oars across the rear. The size of just the assembled frame (without pontoons) was larger than I thought at a full 4 feet wide by 6 ft long, meaning that you won't get this inside a normal vehicle without disassembling partially or fully. Unless you are driving a truck around (and who wants to do that with these gas prices!) then plan for 20 minutes setup time.
Other: The initial attempt to put the frame together was a challenge. The instructions were vague and at all easy to follow. Now that I have assembled it and disassembled it a couple of times I think I have it figured out now.
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Robert Burton
Fly Fishing Zombie
Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.
Posts: 4,744
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Post by Robert Burton on May 7, 2008 8:13:26 GMT -6
HAving said that 20 minutes ain't bad. I guess it takes me about that much time to inflate my tubes. Thanks for the review
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Post by Jamesrog on May 7, 2008 8:15:39 GMT -6
And now the big important question for those of use who love to do the "backwoods" thing... how heavy is it? I always find that this is the issue with most pontoons... they tend to be too heavy for hiking with. My float tube is great for small lakes and weighs practically nothing whereas I use my kayak for bigger lakes (and rivers) and it weighs less than 40 lbs. (which still feels really heavy after a few kilometers on the trail).
A light pontoon boat would be awesome... best of both worlds.
James.
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stephenjay
Moderator
"Fish are too valuable to only catch once" - Lee Wulff
Posts: 677
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Post by stephenjay on May 7, 2008 8:21:03 GMT -6
I was watching Steve setting up last night, and it seemed to me that hiking with a pontoon would be problematic, unless you have a wide, clear path. I have portaged canoes many times, and the benefit is you can use the bow as a bit of a wedge to clear the brush growing over your path, but I think the pontoons might hook on some of that brush. No experience with them (yet!) though.
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Robert Burton
Fly Fishing Zombie
Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.
Posts: 4,744
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Post by Robert Burton on May 7, 2008 8:31:29 GMT -6
I don't think there is a 'true' pontoon boat meant for anything but drive-to lakes.
Be nice to have one though ;D
Now how to present the idea to the wife!
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Post by Jamesrog on May 7, 2008 8:34:01 GMT -6
Hahaha... as always, that is the problem. Most of my purchases need to go through a checklist/screening process before they are approved. C'est la vie!!!
James.
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Post by stevene on May 7, 2008 16:56:37 GMT -6
It weighs about 80 pounds.... not very portage friendly.
More of a problem than the weight is how awkward it is. Portaging a canoe is much easier compared to a pontoon because once a canoe is on your shoulders it's fine, but there is no way to do this with a pontoon. I was thinking about trying to rig some kind of a cart like a canoe cart, I think this could be done fairly reasonably by strapping the frame to a platform with wheels, then hooking a rope to the pontoon ends to pull the boat. Of course, that's yet another item to carry along.
The reason I decided to buy a pontoon instead of a float tube (I already own a canoe) is that it is more mobile for fishing on my own, and more versatile for different situations. I hope to eventually drift the Bow in this boat, and possibly do some beach fishing in BC for salmon. I will definitely try drift the Assiniboine at some point this summer to see how that works too. Also I tried to figure out what lakes I might fish that I can't drive to and came up blank.
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Post by zek on May 12, 2008 10:04:18 GMT -6
My experience with my own Outcast Pac800 is that it can be carried short distances by one person, it's light (about 60-70 lbs without gear) but awkward. Two people carrying it is better. You can make or purchase third party wheels that will fit any Outcast frame so you can push or pull it like a wheelbarrow. Here's a picture of one such device. When buying or making a wheel device, make sure it can fold down or is easily removable. I wouldn't want it on when drifting rivers as I would be concerned it could hang up on boulders. Also the tire(s) have to be thick enough so it doesn't sink in sand. Don't know the specks for the Outcast Discovery, it looks like a good lake boat but from the causual look I've had at it the profile doesn't look like it was meant to be a whitewater boat. I'd check the specks before drifting more aggressive rivers with it. Also, check it's specks to see if the pontoon material is thick enough so it doesn't tear if it hits a sharp rock. Lake boat pontoons have a flatter profile so they track good on the water and are less affected by wind. River boat pontoons have more of a rocker profile, great for quick maneuvers but not as good tracking straight on stillwater. Oh, if you are taking it down each time, get an inexpensive low-pressure high volume electric pump that plugs into the cigarette lighter to fill the pontoons. Mine was under $15 at Wallmart or Canadian tire, fits directly into the valve and quickly fills it to about 90%. A few pumps with a hand pump to get the pressure up and you are good to go. Mine looks like this, and I use it without the adapters shown in the picture: The secret of filling a pontoon with a low pressure/high volume pump is to do it with the valves set in the open position. My pump fits directly into the valve, but given the different styles of pumps and valves, you may have to do some adjustments, like using a vinyl tube adapter.
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