Inflatable Boats: An Overview

Inflatable boats are made from flexible material,well-equipped, seaworthy fully inflated boat.
usually rubber, canvas, or neoprene, and hold airHowever, if there isn't enough air inside, inflatable
at high volume but low pressure. They need to beboats are apt to fold in the middle. Thus, they
fitted with a frame to which an oarlock mount isneed to be pumped up to the proper pressure
firmly attached. Such frames are either made ofusing bellows.
metal or wood, or a combination of the two.Most Inflatable Boats are portable rafts. An
Inflatable boats with motors are high speed,inflatable yacht that is 8 feet (2.4 m) long is rated
maneuverable, stable and can be easily launchedto carry three people when used with a motor. It
from a ship. For this reason, US Navy SEAL's useweighs 35 pounds (15 kgs.) when dry, which
the inflatable boat small (IBS) for their operations.makes it a reasonable load for one person to
Twenty-three foot long Rigid Hull inflatable boatscarry for a long distance if necessary. The next
are best suited for retrieving people stranded onsize is 9 feet long, which does not sound much
rocky pinnacles among the waves, and are usedmore, but the difference is great, in fact. The 9
by the US Coast Guard during Search &feet boat is heavier and has much larger air tubes.
Rescue operations.People use inflatable boats for exploring, and
There has been a lot of development in Inflatablemanually haul them to remote places. There are
boats. The large inflatable boats have rigid boardsmany brands of high quality inflatable boats
in them, and are called Rigid Inflatable Boatsavailable in the market, but whatever brand is
(RIB's). They can be driven by oars or outboardchosen should be roughly 8 feet long, rated for 3
engines. The large ones are considered goodpeople, have a motor, be a reasonable load for
enough to be used by the Lifeboat men.one person to carry, and does not have a
The modern life raft is a well thought out,wooden floor, or other heavy parts.