What is the Absolute Lightest Propulsion Available?

[fgd3]

Last year I saw a video of a boat that inflated through a big air scoop at the bow. Closing the end of the scoop and rolling it up pressurized the rest of the boat. It was paddled with hand paddles--they looked like swim fins made to fit your hands instead of your feet. I can't find the video anymore but I found the Zofa which inflates with a similar technique.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoNq_zJKKYs

The boat in the video was light, easily and quickly inflated and deflated.

[Jammer]

Solo canoes are available starting at 30 pounds (https://wenonah.com/Canoes.aspx?id=115). They are lighter than kayaks because there is no decking. Once ashore, they can be carried considerable distances (miles), and often are by people portaging between lakes in the BWCA and similar areas. Canoes are best understood as flatwater boats.


I believe that ultralight production kevlar canoes from Wenonah and similar are a far more practical solution than the various folding and skin-on-frame type designs that are out there. I've paddled ultralights though my "favorite" canoe is a Wenonah 17 in a hybrid layup that weighs about 60 pounds.



Rowboats are available starting at 80 pounds. They will carry more and handle waves better. Many of the best and lightest are sold as kits or plans. With a center cart it is reasonable to move these considerable distances on flat, hard-surfaced terrain. With a custom trailer it would be possible to pull them with a bicycle. I have an 8' that is too small. I am building a 10'4" Chameleon that should be about 80 pounds when finished that will carry more and be more practical.



Folding bicycles, and folding e-bikes, are available. The smaller ones will fit in a canoe. The larger ones will fit in a rowboat. I have a larger one (Montague). I like it.


I have owned 5 motorcycles and ridden many others. I recently sold my 70s era Yamaha 250 enduro bike, which had a 2 cycle motor and weighed 220 pounds. It did not like being on its side, fluids would leak out. I would not want to try to wrestle it in and out of a dinghy on shore. I would not want to try to tow a trailer with it or go on a trip of more than about 20 miles.



I think if you're going to find a shore access solution involving a motorcycle, you're going to have to deploy the motorcycle from the mother ship not a dinghy. At a seawall, ramp, or slip. You would then have the benefit of davits and could keep the bike upright. Then you can anchor and dinghy in and tow the dinghy behind the bike.

[Rumpi]

Shovel (folding, army surplus), big sturdy plastic bags, zipties. Burry the outboard and inflatable, take a gps mark on your phone, ride away with the shovel. Lightest option, the shovel only weighs 2lbs and packs nicely for motorcycle transport, you can use whatever size engine and inflatable you want. Work carefully and it's the ultimate "leave no trace" solution, commando style.

I really look forward for you to come back and report how you successfully landed your motorcycle on the beach, what methods you employed and how much effort and money it took.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by glenn.225

I haven't read the entire thread but has anyone mentioned a foldable trailer for your M/C. With this and a inflatable dinghy with outboard, you could go anywhere.

Do you have a link to the type of trailer you are talking about?

One of the several iterations of this idea had me using the rib as a trailer. However, I felt that it might just be too much impact on the motorcycle riding. Some of the motorcycle riding is for fun and not only for transportation.

[OldManMirage]

Originally Posted by Chotu

OK. I really don’t have much band with at all to use on stuff like that, can you direct me to the exact video and time that I need to look at? Thank you!

Here is the video about building a mount for the trolling motor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDGPoOmeiHA&t=24s

Here is the one about actually using it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhjeZGnk0ec&t=3s

There are tons of portable kayaks and SUP's. We bought the Tahe SUP-Yak because it can do both fairly well and can be configured for one or two people. We've had a blast with it.

[johnn33]

This forum which includes sailing kayaks may be worth investigation?
https://www.foldingkayaks.org/phpBB/...pic.php?t=3741
John

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Jammer

I have owned 5 motorcycles and ridden many others. I recently sold my 70s era Yamaha 250 enduro bike, which had a 2 cycle motor and weighed 220 pounds. It did not like being on its side, fluids would leak out.

That's a good point. Has it been confirmed that the subject bike can be intentionally laid down for a period of time without any issues?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

That's a good point. Has it been confirmed that the subject bike can be intentionally laid down for a period of time without any issues?

Yes. That was one of the first things I checked. It’s advisable to keep it standing up a few minutes before you try to start it though. Just so some of the fluid can settle back down. Of course, it would be way better to keep it upright, but, the logistics are pretty tough with that. And the expense.

The bike has actually spent a fair amount of time on its side already. Ha ha. I was practicing riding in a type of surface we don’t really have much of in the north. The sugar sand that’s on the beaches here in Florida. A foot deep. It took a lot of falling down in that to get proficient.

Here, I decided to stop a second because I was exhausted. Didn’t even need to use the kickstand.

And several times when I dumped it in the sand, it would tip over and I would be standing next to it and it would just be happily running nice and smoothly with the rear wheel spinning.

[rslifkin]

Looking at that bike, it definitely shouldn't be much (if any) more top heavy than an equivalent weight of sitting human in a dinghy. So given a sufficiently stable carrying platform, as long as you've got some margin to the rated weight capacity (I'd stay below the rated people weight, rather than the max rated weight) it should be plenty stable to transport it upright (as long as it can't move).



If you're using a transport raft that can't readily have support arms attached to it, you could probably build a collapsible cradle that clamps onto the bike to keep it upright before lowering it into the raft (and can be released from the bike when you get to shore). Might be a pain if you have to fold the thing up and take it with you though (wouldn't be an issue for the 2 trip delivery method though, as you'd be returning that to the boat).

[glenn.225]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Do you have a link to the type of trailer you are talking about?



One of the several iterations of this idea had me using the rib as a trailer. However, I felt that it might just be too much impact on the motorcycle riding. Some of the motorcycle riding is for fun and not only for transportation.

Here one
https://cdn10.bigcommerce.com/s-437u...0.1200.jpg?c=2

I was envisioning something lighter, maybe a bicycle type would work if you not going long distances.

[Lazydoh]

Portabote with Honda 2hp. Less than 60lbs

[Don C L]

Hmmm, sometimes I do paddle 2 miles (but not from an anchorage!) and sometimes I may walk 2 miles to go for groceries, (but I haven't brought the kayak with me.) This kayak weighs 40 lbs and the folding cart: 20lbs. The kayak can hold 750 lbs and the cart (they say) will hold 2225 lbs. It is pretty sturdy so far so I am inclined to think they are correct. So take a backpack frame for the kayak, on the way back from the store, (if that is what this exercise is about) carry 200 lbs of groceries in cart. It would be easy to paddle that weight in that kayak with very low threat of capsize, or even getting wet, at all, if it is calm.
I am puzzled by the interest in outboards and motorcycles.
just my $.03
(inflation)

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Hmmm, sometimes I do paddle 2 miles (but not from an anchorage!) and sometimes I may walk 2 miles to go for groceries, (but I haven't brought the kayak with me.) This kayak weighs 40 lbs and the folding cart: 20lbs. The kayak can hold 750 lbs and the cart (they say) will hold 2225 lbs. It is pretty sturdy so far so I am inclined to think they are correct. So take a backpack frame for the kayak, on the way back from the store, (if that is what this exercise is about) carry 200 lbs of groceries in cart. It would be easy to paddle that weight in that kayak with very low threat of capsize, or even getting wet, at all, if it is calm.
I am puzzled by the interest in outboards and motorcycles.
just my $.03
(inflation)

Don, you missed the big reveal.

I asked the question in the first post in order to not cloud the discussion of the lightest weight transportation to/from shore. A post later, after people began discussing the lightest weight, I revealed the true intentions. I did that so the thread wouldn’t start out a mess and where many people ended up. It worked.

The true intention of the lightest weight “leave no trace” transportation is to roll it up and pack it on the motorcycle after floating the motorcycle ashore. The less weight the better for that.

The cart isn’t necessary, but I wanted people to imagine they could put the lightweight transportation into a cart to carry around town since putting it on the motorcycle is equivalent.


My reason for needing this, which I mentioned earlier in the thread also, but I’d beneficial to repeat, is that I won’t be going cruising at all if I can’t figure out some actual, real transportation to get away from the coastline.

I’ve been doing this for decades and I’m tired of the waterfront. It’s all the same. I need a change of scenery. I don’t like being trapped at the shoreline. I have a certain way I’d like to live and boats fit a lot of it, but they miss a big enough one to cause me to actually quit them. The one they miss is freedom of movement and ability to visit with people and go get things far away.

I must solve this problem to continue this lifestyle.

[malbert73]

Stepping back- I don’t think you need a raft. And, I think your motorcycle would get drenched.

Build a plywood platform that sits across the top of your tubes in the RIB. Carpet the bottom to protect the tubes. Lower the motorcycle on its side on this platform. A cargo ratchet strap to secure all. Drive the rib to beach etc - slide the motorcycle off and park it. Drive back to your boat and paddle the inflatable kayak/SUP back. Done

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by malbert73

Stepping back- I don’t think you need a raft. And, I think your motorcycle would get drenched.

Build a plywood platform that sits across the top of your tubes in the RIB. Carpet the bottom to protect the tubes. Lower the motorcycle on its side on this platform. A cargo ratchet strap to secure all. Drive the rib to beach etc - slide the motorcycle off and park it. Drive back to your boat and paddle the inflatable kayak/SUP back. Done

That’s not too bad.

I’m really trying to avoid doubling the trip, but there is a certain simplicity in this approach.