car toppable or inflatable dog-friendly small watercraft advice sought

[Greg Armstrong]

Thanks, just don’t look at it from too close!

It would be easy to slide up onto your Subie with a towel underneath to protect both it and the car.

 

[Matt B]

Deflating and transporting inside the car would clear the craw. It also helps with MPG.

Obviously a lot depends on your dog.

View attachment 170738

Looks fun but where’s your fish pole and tackle box?

 

[Zak]

Looks fun but where’s your fish pole and tackle box?

 

[Fourbtgait]

Have a SOT kayak, 70 lb lab sucks on it, had to put rocks in the bow.
My 65 lb lab fits nicely behind me in the Clearwater raft. I put 2” rigid foam on the fabric floor, cut an old canvas drop cloth on top. I don’t worry she will puncture the tubes, though i keep her nails cut. I can row it without getting wet if careful getting in.

 

[Matt B]

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Lovely. I have never dialed that lake in.
My point is, good luck fitting half that on a SUP along with Rigby, setting up a drift (or anchoring), casting and catching something…consistently.

 

[speyflyfisher]

Wouldn’t hurt to check and see if something this would work with your Subaru and your current boat since the only issue seems to be the add cost of trailering on the ferry

 

[wanderingrichard]

Was going to suggest looking for a Hobie inflatable in 11 foot length or a sea eagle inflatable. Make up a foam pad for Rigby and go for it.

There's also the Meyerscraft aluminum canoe as well as new gen Grumman canoes.

 

[Zak]

Thanks to @Northern , I'm now the proud owner of a red Meyers Sportspal S-14 canoe! Thanks Northern, you're an awesome human being! The Sportspal is pretty neat with a sound deadening dense foam liner inside the aluminum.

I'll contact Meyers to order new sponsons (new word for me- bumpers along the outside of the canoe). It's 58 lbs and easier for me to put on my roof rack than my dory. Also less delicate a boat, which is good when, say, a friend's kid wants to go out on the lake (last time that happened the kid sat on my wicker seat back and broke it).

I'm eager to get out in the water with Rigby in it and will report back!

 

[wanderingrichard]

Those are good durable boats

 

[Trout Trekker]

Let me qualify my idea, I'm in California and I probably couldn't find Whidby on map, let alone what services might be available there, but I am familiar with not wanting to tow our boats further than necessary. So here it is, have you looked into self-storage lots or indoor boat storage in Whidby? That way you tow it there once each season, using the ferry out and back once. If you are like us and use our boat several times a month, then the offset comparing ferrying costs for a month vs. storage rental rates might work for you. For instance, I store my drift boat where I use it most, for the months I want it there for around $125.00 a month and there is a little fuel savings as well along with wear and tear on the tow rig. Also, if there is a marina, boat builder, boat sales company, etc. at Whidby you might be able to get them to store the boat for you.

 

[Zak]

Let me qualify my idea, I'm in California and I probably couldn't find Whidby on map, let alone what services might be available there, but I am familiar with not wanting to tow our boats further than necessary. So here it is, have you looked into self-storage lots or indoor boat storage in Whidby? That way you tow it there once each season, using the ferry out and back once. If you are like us and use our boat several times a month, then the offset comparing ferrying costs for a month vs. storage rental rates might work for you. For instance, I store my drift boat where I use it most, for the months I want it there for around $125.00 a month and there is a little fuel savings as well along with wear and tear on the tow rig. Also, if there is a marina, boat builder, boat sales company, etc. at Whidby you might be able to get them to store the boat for you.

Good thinking, but that won't work for me. I have a friend with a barn on Whidbey Island who offered to let me keep my dory there and I did that one summer. But then I didn't have my dory when I wanted to fish a lake on the mainland.

 

[jaredoconnor]

Late to the thread. Jake graciously let me borrow his canoe for a few weeks, to figure out if my oldest kid is canoe compatible (she is not).

Two things that really helped with loading/unloading are a “4 wheel canoe cart” and a “hitch mount truck extender”. I figure these items might be of interest. When and if I get my own canoe, I’ll use the same system.

 

[DKL]

I saw a dog poke a nice sized hole in a whitewater raft one time. Thankfully, it was at the launch, before they got on the river.

I can't get this statement out of my head. Having a hard time envisioning a dog poking a hole in a raft unless that raft was more like a pool toy. I have a few rafts and I don't think it possible for a dog to poke a hole in one of them. Was it from the dog's claws or did it bite the raft?

 

[Chucker]

I can't get this statement out of my head. Having a hard time envisioning a dog poking a hole in a raft unless that raft was more like a pool toy. I have a few rafts and I don't think it possible for a dog to poke a hole in one of them. Was it from the dog's claws or did it bite the raft?

Dog fell off the raft into the water, clawed a hole as it was trying to get back on.