Dear RC,

I know this isn't the answer you want, but have you consider purchasing a used jon boat?

For $ 500.00 you should be able to find a 10 or 12 foot john boat and a trailer in good condition, especially in your neck of the woods. A boat of this size won't weigh more than 400 pounds including the trailer and it can be easily pulled by even the smallest of vehicles.

Spend $ 100.00 on a trolling motor, and $ 75.00 on a battery and you have $ 75.00 left over for two boat cushions and a pair of life vests.

I realize that you can't store this in an apartment, but I recall from my Air Force days that the base had secure outdoor storage available for a very modest monthly rental fee.

I began my boating career with an inflatable. It was fine for a first boat, but after about 2 trips I saw that it was not the best craft for fishing.

Another plus of a jon boat is that if you change duty stations and can't take the boat with you it will be easy to sell the boat for close to what you paid for it. A used inflatable, unless it is a high quality model has absolutely zero resale value. You'll be lucky to give it away!

Lastly, and I don't say this to scare you, you will be much more secure and safe in a jon boat. You will also have the ability to stand up and move around which is important with a youngster on board, and you will have some dry storage under the bow.

I'm not a fan of inflatables, can you tell?

Sorry for the contrary opinion, but I'd like to see you get something that you can enjoy.

Regards,
Tim Murphy