Purchased SeaEagle 385FT FastTrack last year & love it. Very stable, tracks well, have had it in 15 MPH winds, class II water with no problems. Takes me 15 minutes to inflate & set up. And easily stores in a closet in my condo.
What I don’t like - and I am interested in other folks experience with inflatables - is the cleanup process after a day on the water. Cause I’m tired & just want to go home.
My deflate & cleanup process:
I always get water in the boat while paddling. Which is okay except that the 385FT has a removable floor. And water gets under the floor. Once onshore, I do the following:
- Deflate the floor (one valve), deflate boat (3 valves), remove seat, not a big deal, 5 mins.
- Remove the floor, 15 secs
- Dry thoroughly the floor, interior & exterior of boat to ensure that when stored, mildew does not form, 10-15 mins. Maybe I am being picky but I never like this part of the process. Do I really need to thoroughly dry everything after EVERY boat trip?
- Fold boat & place in SUV, 5 mins
Folks - what is your experience with the deflation / cleanup process? Am I doing too much and don’t need to be so diligent with drying the boat after EVERY trip?
Thanks!!