Timothy and Karen Emmons love camping and fishing Floridas lakes in their Sea Eagle 8. Timothy recently caught this handsome tilapia on Webb Lake.

“To say we LOVE our new Sea Eagle 8 is an understatement! Since we do a lot of camping at fresh water lakes and rivers, we decided Sea Eagle would be the right boat so we ordered the SE 8 with the Fisherman’s Dream Package. It came complete with Minn Kota electric motor, oars, pump, seats and motor mount.”

Fishing’s their thing

Karen shows off the crappie (pronounced “croppy”) she caught on Lake Manatee in their Sea Eagle. Timothy told us it was 10 inches then revised his report to 12 inches when Karen learned shed been shortchanged. “She always out-fishes me,” says Timothy.

“Now we get to do some trolling and have fished in areas that were too far to paddle. We’ve caught more fish and cruised more areas than we ever thought possible. People we meet comment on how much they like our little boat and we’re seeing more and more of them at the parks we camp in around Florida. Thanks Sea Eagle, you’ve made our fishing life a lot easier and with more fish for dinner!”

Timothy and Karen Emmons moved from Hawaii to Cape Coral, Florida, about five years ago. “We’re right across the river from Fort Meyers,” Timothy told us, “120 miles south of Tampa.” Timothy’s retired after a career in property management and though Karen’s still working, “We go camping, boating, and fishing on long weekends every couple of weeks,” said Timothy. “We fish all the time. That’s our thing.”

Great camping & fishing in Florida

The couple previously owned a hard hull kayak, and liked it, but found it didn’t suit their fishing needs very well. “We couldn’t cross a large lake with it,” Timothy said. “We’d fish just the shoreline. Paddling half a mile was just too much.” The Sea Eagle 8’s Minn Kota electric motor takes them far afield effortlessly. They sold the kayak with an online ad on craigslist.

The Emmonss are ready to go for a weekend of camping and fishing — RV and pickup truck with their Sea Eagle 8 tucked securely in the bed.

“We like the outdoors a lot,” said Timothy, and camping and fishing suit them just fine. You’ll frequently find the Emmons’s camped at one of Florida’s many private campsites or state and federal parks. Standard equipment is their RV behind their pickup truck with their Sea Eagle in the back. No boat trailers for Timothy and Karen.

“We like Lake Manatee State Park.” Another of their favorite hideaways is W.P. Franklin Locks; a federally operated site where locks separate bodies of salt and fresh water.

Webb Lake gets a big thumbs up, too. “It’s 25 miles north of us,” says Timothy. “It’s a manmade lake created in the 1970’s when they built I-75. Now a private lake stocked with tilapia, bass, bluegill, and crappie (pronounced “croppy”). It’s one of the greatest fishing lakes around here.”

“I’ve been a fisherman all my life,” Timothy tells us. “We like bluegills, bass, crappie, and Mayan cichlid” that look like a fat perch. Timothy says tilapia hard to catch but put up an impressive fight. And from the smile on his face in the photo, you can see who won the battle. But Timothy confesses, “Karen out-fishes me all the time.”

“…and it was on sale!”

The Emmons’s report, “The Sea Eagle has opened so many doors for us. We wanted to get something easy to handle in and out of the water.” They chose the SE 8, one of Sea Eagle’s Motormount Boats  — a substantial fishing craft — and added the Fisherman’s Dream Package. “We priced everything a la carte,” said Timothy, “and by the time we added it all up, the package was cheaper. And it was on sale.”

Timothys handy – he built this clever rope-and-pulley wall storage system for about $10 worth of hardware.

Between camping and boating trips, the Emmons’s inflatable boat hangs out – quite literally – on the wall of their garage. Timothy’s own clever rope-and-pulley arrangement cost him about $10 and frees up floor space.

“Sea Eagle, keep up the great work,” Timothy advised us. “This is one of the best products we’ve ever owned. Don’t change a thing. The material it’s made of is almost like leather — virtually indestructible.”

Any advice for other boaters? “Don’t hesitate. Sea Eagle is the best thing for someone looking for a little boat. Construction quality is great. I can’t believe it’s made so well. It’s very safe and I like it’s got three chambers. It’s improved our life. We sure like it!”

Tell YOUR Sea Eagle Story!

Do YOU have a Sea Eagle boating story? Our blog visitors want to know! Please email your photo and/or story today.

Phyllis and friends get ready for an adventure. Her inflatable Sea Eagle (center) is surrounded by her friends hard hull kayaks. She feels she’s made the better decision and is happy to tell us why.

Phyllis Williams shared her Manatee adventure on our blog recently. Now she’s back again comparing her experiences with hard hull kayaks and her inflatable Sea Eagle FastTrack. 

Phyllis compares hard hull boats & inflatable Sea Eagles…

She’s owned hard hulls and inflatables and, in the end, prefers the inflatable Sea Eagle FastTrack 385ft

“I had a 16’ kayak and a 9’ rec boat. The kayak was heavy, and the rec boat filled up with water too easily.  People with hard hull kayaks are curious about my FastTrack. They say they prefer the speed of a hard hull but I stay a right with them. And I don’t worry about tipping and rolling. They watch me and see the inflatable Sea Eagle’s advantages — mobility, packability, easy handling.

There’s a lot of water in this area and I do a lot of boating on the Tennessee River and the creeks in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. Some trips have been with the Tennessee Valley Canoe

The Tennessee Valley Canoe (and Kayak) Club http://www.tvccpaddler.com/  has frequent paddling events on the rivers and creeks in the Chatanooga, Tennessee; northern Georgia; and northern Alabama areas.

(and Kayak) Club, but most by myself. One thing I like about my Sea Eagle FastTrack 385ft is that I can handle it completely by myself: I load it un-inflated into the back of my camper-top pickup, carry it to the water, inflate it and be on my way. I have also hauled my boat inflated on top of my camper.

“I can handle it myself.”

I don’t need help getting in and out of it, and I’m very comfortable in waves (most caused by power boats on the river), in shallow areas and beaching just about anywhere there’s room to step.

My friends with hard-shell 16-footers always have to have someone steady the boat while they get in and out, and on the water, they can’t move around. I can move around in my boat on the water, and it’s very stable.

Safe & secure

I use all safety precautions when paddling by myself and don’t do anything unsafe, but when there’s no one to paddle with, I’m very comfortable paddling alone. I wasn’t when I had a hard shell.

Another thing the 385ft is very suited for is piloting open water swimmers. We have an active group of open water swimmers in Chattanooga, and I pilot for them on occasion on the Tennessee River. It’s a great way to make the swimmers’ supplies accessible to them, and if I had to take a swimmer into my boat, I believe I could with just a little assistance from another boater.  That’s much easier than pulling a swimmer in the water!

Peace, quiet, and a Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron catches dinner. Photo: Terry Foote at en.wikipedia

I paddled yesterday at Chester Frost Park, a popular camping, fishing and boating area in Hamilton County, just north of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It ties into the Tennessee River.  I found a placid area and followed the shoreline for a couple of miles, where I saw flowers, bald cypress trees, a Great Blue Heron and other birds, fish, turtles, frogs and such.  In my Sea Eagle FastTrack 385ft, I pulled up in several shallow places and took photos and just enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Other boaters are always curious about her Sea Eagle

My 385ft sparked a lot of curiosity from people at my put-in. A couple in a canoe (who took my photo on the water) were hugging the shore because of the waves. With wet PFD’s (personal flotation devices), they had obviously departed the canoe at some point. I could tell by the look on his face and the way he talked that the man was petrified. The lady wasn’t as afraid, and said she didn’t know when she’d get him back out there. They had just gotten their canoe.

The lady said, “Can you get back in that boat while you’re still in the water if you capsize?  I told her you surely could and said, “Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to run and jump into your boat?” I guess that was mean.

“Is that a blow-up boat?”

Another curious guy was fishing on the shoreline with his family, and he said as I pulled up, “Is that a blow-up boat?”  I said, yes, it was an inflatable Sea Eagle.  He said, “I saw you coming across the water real nice and straight, and I thought it was a kayak.  When you pulled up, I said to myself, ‘That’s a blow-up!'”  He was amazed that it tracked so well and was swift, being a “blow-up” and all.  I explained all the good details about my 385ft, and he said that’s what he and his family needed.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple in a canoe and a shoreline fisherman ordered some Sea Eagles in the near future!”

Do YOU have Sea Eagle stories and photos to share? Please email us today. Our many, many blog visitors want to know about your adventures and experiences!

During a good day’s fishing in his Sea Eagle 12.6 SR, Alan bagged this 3 lb, 22″ largemouth bass in the backwaters of the Colorado River

The Hodges strap their 12.6 SR onto their pickup truck and head for their favorite fishing spot. No boat ramp or trailer needed

Ever think about retirement and wonder what in the world you’ll do with  yourself? We talked recently with a Sea Eagle inflatable boat owner who’s 20 years into an active retirement and enjoying every minute.

Alan and Joanne Hodges, of Kiowa, Colorado, retired two decades ago from teaching professions. Alan had a varied career as a guidance counselor, phys ed teacher, and sports coach. Joanne taught phys ed, too, as well as social studies.

Easy to get up and go

“We have a 25-foot travel trailer,” Alan told us. “We pack up all our boating and fishing gear in the back of the pickup and go. The nice thing about an inflatable Sea Eagle is you just throw it in and go wherever you want to.”

They belong to an RV club that gives them reduced RV camping rates and camp several weeks at a time all through Colorado, Missouri, New Mexico, and Arizona. “One of our favorites spots is Blue Mesa Reservoir in southwestern Colorado,” says Alan, “between Gunnison and Montrose.” 20 miles long with almost 100 miles of shoreline, the reservoir is Colorado’s largest body of water and the biggest lake trout and Kokanee salmon fishing spot in the United States. Alan’s enjoyed flatwater fishing at Alamo Lake State Park near Ehrenberg, Arizona, and float fishing in the Taylor River near Gunnison, Colorado.

Enviro-friendly electric motor

Joanne loves to fish and she does it well as evidenced by this beautiful striped bass she hooked in an Arizona lake

“We camp at private campsites,” says Alan, “but they have to have fishing. Joanne loves fishing and loves to catch fish.” And there’s a bigger attraction, too. “It’s always beautiful, serene, and relaxing out on the water.” An electric motor makes it even more peaceful. “We don’t like the sound of a gas motor or the smell of gas.” And going electric gave the Hodges access to the many lakes that ban gas outboards these days.

A bigger Sea Eagle boat

The Hodges are long-time Sea Eagle boaters, having owned a Sea Eagle SE9 for many years. “The SE9 looked like a good deal,” says Alan. “It had a solid floor and was well built. I thought it would be pretty nice and it was. We used it for 10 years and hauled it a lot of places.”

They recently replaced their SE9 and upped the ante with a Sea Eagle 12.6SRRIK – a Sport Runabout. They wanted something a little bigger and felt, “a 10-foot boat isn’t quite big enough.” How big could they go without having to trailer a boat? Alan took out his tape measure and figured out how much the 12.6 SR would hang over the back when strapped down. It all worked.

With 70 lb. thrust, their electric outboard is surprisingly powerful. “We fish the Colorado River,” says Alan. “The current can be quite strong depending on when they open the irrigation canals up north. We felt we needed more thrust.”

Sea Eagle to the Rescue

“More thrust” came in plenty handy when the Hodges helped rescue a fellow boater recently. Alan tells the story…

 “While preparing our Sea Eagle 12.6 SR for fishing in Paradise Lake located to the North of Phoenix, we saw a boater at the launching ramp who could not get his boat motor started, and could not get the boat on the trailer since the wind was blowing  him away from the ramp, and precariously close to the rocks lining the ramp.  

We were able to tow him out of danger and into the proper position for him to load his boat.  He was impressed, as were we, that  our Sea Eagle inflatable with a 70 lb thrust Minn Kota trolling motor could tow his very heavy 20-foot pleasure/fishing boat out of danger.”

Gas-saving fun

Because of gas prices, the Hodges are planning a trip to nearby Pagosa Springs south of Gunnison, Colorado. “We’re taking our boat and truck, not our RV. They have a lake there we’ve fished in before. Then we’ll stop in Gunnison where we have a 1-week stay scheduled at a cabin.”

Alan and Joanne’s tale is proof: RV’ing, Sea Eagle boating, and fishing really are the ideal retirement combination!

Every once in awhile, even Sea Eagle fishermen hook an ugly one…like this big bottom-feeding carp Alan snagged

Do YOU have Sea Eagle boating photos or stories to share? Hundreds and hundreds of our blog visitors eagerly await them!

Submitting photos and stories is easy –just  email our blog editor.

Rich is ready for an afternoon of Sea Eagle boating fun

Kathy Crago and her boyfriend, Rich Elack, are hooked on Sea Eagle kayaking. Kathy, a Sea Eagle 370 owner, sent such a nice note (below) that we just couldn’t help ourselves — we had to call her to hear more about her Sea Eagle boating experiences. And Kathy had plenty to tell.

Dear Sea Eagle,

I never imagined our Sea Eagle 370 could provide us with so many great experiences we’d have otherwise missed! It’s the best investment in FUN that I have ever made. What a great avenue for some incredible on-the- water entertainment!

When a Florida vacation opportunity came up, the first thing we packed was our Sea Eagle 370!  I had never swum in an ocean, let alone kayaked in one. We kayaked along the white sand shores of Sanibel Island, just south of Fort Myers, Florida, and in San Carlos Bay and its canals that lead to the Gulf of Mexico.

Our Sea Eagle 370 enabled us to experience the best self-guided tour we could’ve ever imagined. A pair of curious dolphins popped up just 10 feet from our Sea Eagle. What a treat, as this Wisconsin girl had never seen dolphins in the wild before!  We paddled hard and fast trying to follow their lead through the beautiful blue-green waters.  Once we entered San Carlos Bay, flying fish started shooting out of the water into the air, almost landing directly in the Sea Eagle!

Social worker by day, Kathy enjoys kayaking with family and friends

I was truly amazed at the number of nesting pairs of sea hawks, pelicans, and other ocean birds we were able to see up-close and personal, all because our Sea Eagle kayak moves so quietly and easily through the water. I am so hooked on Sea Eagle kayaking!

Kathy Crago, West Bend, WI

Kathy’s note describes their recent Florida boating adventures, but summers find them boating in their local Wisconsin waters. Among their favorite spots are lakes in is Kettle Moraine State Forest.

They have a number of nearby lakes to choose from including Little Cedar Lake and Big Cedar Lake.  Cedar Creek connects them and flows through historic downtown Cedarburg, Wisconsin. These northern waters teem with smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegills, rock bass, sunfish, carp, and more.

Summer evenings & weekends on the water

Kathy’s a medical social worker in her local hospital; Rich works in sales

Grandson Vincent’s busy inflating the Sea Eagle 370 while Rich checks his work

and building materials. “After work or on the weekends in the summer,” said Kathy, “we just load up our Sea Eagle 370 and go.” Kathy’s nine-year old grandson, Vincent, is a frequent companion on their boating adventures.

“We explore every channel, outlet, and everything in between,” Kathy told us. “We found a beautiful sandy beach on Little Cedar Lake.” Kathy and Rich tie up the Sea Eagle and just float in the sun for hours on end. “It’s not unusual to have eight or 10 boats parked there,” says Rich. “We’re the only Sea Eagle and we always get a lot of questions.”

“We always had boats”

Why do Rich and Kathy love boating? “We both love the outdoors,” Rich explained. “We do hiking and biking, cross-country skiing, and some downhill.” Kathy grew up boating. Her family had a summer cottage on a northern Wisconsin lake. “We always had boats,” she told us.

And why Sea Eagle? “In just 10 minuts max we’re on the water,” says Rich. “It’s easy to transport and easy to use.” Kathy explained further. “We see people loading up hard hull kayaks on roof racks or trailers. Rich and I can load and unload so much easier.” Rich takes the Sea Eagle to the launch spot and pumps it up with their battery-operated pump. “While I’m doing that,” Rich says, “Kathy blows up the premium seats with the foot pump and gathers gear including the soft cooler we have for drinks and food.”

Then there’s the toughness factor — darned important in rocky Wisconsin waters. “The number of rocks we went over, that bottom should be ripped up,” says Rich, “but we never got a hole in it. It looks brand new. Anything else would have gotten torn up like crazy.”

Quiet nature moments

Just 40 miles from Milwaukee, the West Bend area is well populated. But there’s plenty of nature around, and kayaking gives boaters a unique opportunity to enjoy it.  “We were kayaking down the Milwaukee River and we looked up and saw a family of owls – a mother and three fuzzy babies,” says Kathy. “We’d never have seen that if we weren’t on the water.”

On that same trip, “A great blue heron flew ahead of us, leading us on an adventure. She’d land and we’d catch up, then she’d take off again. Hours later, she was still flying ahead of us. She was like our scout!”

Fun way to socialize

You read a lot about online social networking these days, but Sea Eagle boating can be a “social network” of the old fashioned kind. Six or eight of Kathy’s friends own Sea Eagles, and all of them have gone boating and picnicking together. “It’s a fun thing to do with other couples,” says Kathy. “You can go as a group and explore, it’s a fun way to socialize.”

“Next summer, we’d like to get together with friends to do the Wisconsin River,” Rich told us. “It’s probably 125 miles from Sauk Prairie, 45 miles west of Madison, Wisconsin to the Mississippi River.” Rich estimates it’s probably a two or three day trek with tent camping along the way.

She took her friends’ advice. Now she passes it on

Kathy’s friends bought their Sea Eagles first. They did a lot of research on boats so Kathy didn’t have to. When she got interested they advised, “Don’t bother looking any farther than Sea Eagle.’”

Today, Kathy and Rich pass along the same message. When they get curious looks and questions, which they often do, “We tell people if you’re serious about kayaking, Sea Eagle is the way to go. We send them to the Sea Eagle website where they’ll see how easy they are to transport and use, easy to inflate and deflate in just a few minutes. “We’ve probably sold a dozen Sea Eagles!”

“We steer friends toward the Sea Eagle 370 instead of the two-person 330,” says Rich. “You can get three people and a lot of gear in the 370. If you’re going to buy one, you might as well get a big one, one that you can use for a variety of things.” Rich also advises, “Get the premium seats. They’re comfortable, and they’re good as flotation devices when you’re just lounging around in the water.”

Sweet summer afternoons on the water, in the sun, enjoying nature and good friends. Does it get any better than that?

— Do YOU have Sea Eagle photos & stories to share? E-mail us!

Gena Camerlengo and her friend, Bryan, plane nicely in her dad’s 10.6 SR with an 8hp gas motor

We have enjoyed our Sea Eagle 10.6sr inflatable boat on the ocean off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.  Running our boat along the coastline to uninhabited islands including a bird sanctuary has given all of us good times to reminisce for years to come.  It’s adventures like these, with the help of our Sea Eagle boat, that keep our adventurous trips anticipated by our family and friends for years to come.  Thank you, Sea Eagle!   

— Leon Camerlengo

When we spoke with Leon Camerlengo recently, he told us his story of enjoying solo time and social time among South Carolina’s Barrier Islands with his Sea Eagle 10.6sr

Leon is a medical professional in Columbus, Ohio and owns a second home near Charleston, South Carolina, within easy reach of the Atlantic Ocean and South Carolina’s famous Barrier Islands.

Having gone to medical school there, Charleston is familiar turf for Leon.He and his wife, Kathy, spend weeks at a time there in spring and summer. “I love the summers in Charleston,” Leon told us.

Easy access to water makes boating a natural for the Camerlengos. The Edisto River, the longest undammed and unleveed blackwater river in North America, is right around the corner, as are endless miles of Atlantic Ocean, pristine beaches, and uninhabited islands.

“I never grew up around boating,” Leon told us, “but with a home within a mile of the ocean,” he wanted to give boating a try. “Our Sea Eagle is so much fun, comfortable, and safe, it’s just a blast.”

Just the two of us

The Camerlengos love the peace and quiet they find on South Carolina’s lesser-known, secluded beaches. “When it’s just Kathy and me,” Leon says, “we go to one of the islands, pull up, and go picnicking; just the two of us.” Or they’ll go dolphin-watching. “Dolphins are everywhere down here,” he tells us. “When you see one, you’ll soon see many more.”

Leon explains the appeal of their private time. “We just enjoy being together in a private atmosphere. Our Sea Eagle can always bring us to a private place where other people aren’t. It’s like having own private island right around the corner.”

The “SR” in the 10.6sr stands for Sport Runabout. While Kathy sunbathes on their private excursions, Leon is “catching air” with his Sea Eagle. “The performance is really good,” says Leon. “Steering is accurate and it planes easily with two passengers with our Mercury 8HP motor.” With the 8, “it’s kind of like flying. When I hit the waves right, I get airborne. To me, that’s exhilarating.” Leon will be flying higher this season with his new, 15HP motor.

Boating with family & friends

Besides boating with family, Kathy and Leon take outings with friends to nearby Deveaux Bank Seabird Sanctuary. Off limits above the high tide line, this is a predator-free nesting site for thousands and thousands of sea birds. “With no predators,” says Leon, “the pelicans just stand there looking at you.”

Gena, Leon and Kathy’s daughter, and her friend Bryan take the helm for a spin in Dad’s Sea Eagle along the South Carolina coast.

“Everyone who comes down to visit us loves the Sea Eagle,” says Leon. “It brings people together.” He’ll ferry a few friends at a time to outings on nearby islands. Asked why he doesn’t get a bigger boat that’ll hold more passengers he replies, “I love the adventure of a smaller boat – the waves breaking over the bow make it fun like a day in the sun.”

Run all day on a couple gallons

 “I wanted a boat that was light enough to carry,” he says. “Bigger boats are more trouble. If I bottom out on a sandbar, I can pick up the Sea Eagle and move it.” And the inflatable Sea Eagle provides an added benefit: affordability. “With gas prices as they are,” says Leon, “we go all day on a couple gallons. After initial purchase it’s affordable way to have fun.” Leon compares the cost of his boating fun with that of a friend who goes offshore fishing. “He’s spending $800 in gas on a single trip!”

Sea, sand, sun & fun off the South Carolina coast. (OK, visitors, who can ID the bird?)

All fun, no upkeep

“What else could you want?” asks Leon. “It’s a small investment with a big bang for your buck. Where else could you get that much fun for that little money? There’s no upkeep, it’s very inexpensive to operate, reliable, and a lot of fun.”

South Carolina sun, sand, surf, and a Sea Eagle…it all sounds perfect to us!

Do YOU have Sea Eagle photos & stories to share? Our blog visitors want to see…and YOU could be featured on our Blog.

Email us your photos & stories today!