Samt

Well hears a question for all you in Alaska.I've been going on self-guide float trips in Alaska for the past 10 years but we've always rented our rafts and got out by air taxi.I was wondering if any of you have ever fished out of 10 ft.single seat pontoons.We've got 10 ft.Outcast pontoons and I am very comfortable with it in class III water.I had this idea that because I can get these on the airline as luggage and since you're in the water 90% of the time anyway why not just do the float with them.Plus they are lighter in weight than the rafts that we rent,we have plenty of weight capacity for gear,the rivers we are floating are no more than class II,And they are great to fish out of.Any suggestions?

Lilhunter

I have a 16ft Aire Cataraft. I dunno but with all the gear plus a moose? Not sure but I would be a little leary about putting that much weight on there, not to mention you plus gear! I have a 'custom' frame job by a guy in anch and I wouldnt hesitate putting 2 moose plus 2 guys and our gear on mine, the question is arrangement, how and where to put it. Something I am still learning on my raft. Also in that small of a raft you are going to draft more deeper in the river, something to be said about not getting hung up in the middle of a river, been there, done that! <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>! My ole hunting partner up here (he's now in afganistan) got hung up in a 12 foot dbl ender with 2 guys 2 moose and all there gear, right smack in the middle of the river (drafting a ton of water without that 4th chamber). They lost one chamber out of 4, ran out of glue repairing the raft before they started floating (2 tubes) and didnt bring any duct tape (wouldnt have worked to well with there style of raft but it will with my Aire!

I will do some research and let ya know what I think based on my rafting experiences and what the folks at the shop talked to me bout before I purchased my own raft.....

dang you have been here 10 years now I should be asking YOU questions! LOL....talk at ya.

Lilhunter

it shows the pac 1000 with having a 500lb load capacity? Heck a moose boned out will be close to that shew! Maybe I got the wrong raft. Check it out http://www.alaskaraftandkayak.com/ca...utcast%20Rafts

Samt

Lilhunter,
I knew you were out there somewhere.You're having a heat wave out there aren't you.I was thinking about if we went on a straight fishing trip,not hunting.I'm going to try to do both.Also each one of us would have a pontoon.Good to hear from you!Let me hear from you.Thanks!

Samt

Lilhunter,
I'm glad I wasn't along with your partner on that trip! LOL! Really though,I'm using a PAC1100HD that Alaska raft dosen't show.It is really 11 ft.and carries about 600 pounds.It's a heavy duty version of the PAC1000 and comes in with everything packed including oars and pump at about 85 pounds.What is your Cat running weight wise, up and running.By the way it drafts about 5&quot; with me and gear.What do you think!??

Lilhunter

still not enuf for a moose (solo)! you are looking at appx 5-600lbs of boned out meat on a mature bull....now if you only plan on shooting one between the two of you then you could possibly pull it off! (and I use that one lightly <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>!) For fishing...np! Not sure of my total weight, each pontoon is 45lbs,(check out AIRE's web page for the desing, its a dbl layered pontoon) the frame breaks down super small! We fit the hole thing in the belly pod of a 206 with a ton of room to spare! The seat was in the inside of the plane as it is one of those akward pieces, trying to save time on the setup, if need be we could have taken it off! The lengths break down in half with 3 top horiz bars (all 3 break down in half) and 2 bottom horiz bars. I also have a deck for it! I wouldnt use the deck on a fly out, it works for fishn albeit it makes the weight distribution a little wacky! I would bet, without the deck, she comes in around 150-160. There is a fella in Anch that makes a dbl thick trampolin mesh floor that 'laces's up to the frame. From what I see its the best of both worlds, light but yet you dont feel like you're going to fall through and you wont loose anything if you drop it! I have ideas for a simple style deck attached to the d rings on the end of the toons. take a couple of those zip style straps and some mesh, the cheap crap that came for the floor is heavy duty enough for gear but its a little awkward to walk on and would be perfect for the deck and its light!!! Add a possible d ring between the end of the frame and the end of the pontoon for support in the middle as opposed to using sticks, simple enough to add as it just glues right on. Strap it do the d rings, strap it to the frame, and viola, off ya go! For support you can find a stick or 2 if need be but most of the heavier items will be in the bottom center of my cat, preferably right underneath my capt chair if it fits! I like to have my seat just in back of center for the way I row, for some reason it just feels comforatable, some of the other folks I know like to have theres centered with the oars in front of center....never grasped that one unless they like fighting the back end? 2 of those rafts, packed light with gear, boned out meat...very possible but still a little iffy. I would load those things to the max (figure out how much hunting garb you are going to have so you know what ya have left over) and see how well they float on some local rivers if ya got them. Last I checked my raft can hold 1600lbs total, the trick is to load it right (ask beej about that one LOL) We had 5 of us and crap load of gear not to mention 3 coolers in there LOL! That was one trip I could have used and extra deck if nothing more to get the little light crap off the floor. Wild ak river comp went out of buiz, not sure where you were renting from if it was anch or fairbanks. In anch there is another comp that rents and the service seems to be much much better! Unfortunatly I bought my raft from wild ak and it looks like I have to change the rear design a little to add a motor mount. Well I really dont have to change it but I risk tweakin the frame if I dont add support in the right places. I was hoping to do some laker fishin this summer or next and to heck if I am gonna row for trolling all stinkin day LOL! If ya got a link or some pics of that raft I would like to check it out, I will see what I can find for this guys 12ft dbl ender seriously overloaded moose hunt, I know he has a web page and I was pretty sure he had them on there..not to mention a gorgeous looking bull! I will also see if I can find pics of my raft, not sure but I thought we took a few. I did use a cedar plank floor in mine however so tack that on as extra weight....

later...