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Small & lightweight catarafts

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3K views 31 replies 12 participants last post by  Justadd Water 
#1 ·
I spent the last couple of weeks on the Deschutes and saw some guys with little cats just above Macs last weekend. I didn't think much about it until I saw one of the guys walking up the opposite bank carrying his little cat with minimal difficulty. He then loaded it on his SUV again without any apparent difficultly and drove off to different waters, a cold beer or whatever.

It looked like they had aluminum frames with maybe 12" by 6' tubes. Any idea what brand and model these catarafts are?
 
#23 ·
Thanks everyone for your input. Rob I think you hit the nail on the head with the Southfork. Frame is Stainless not aluminum as I had thought. Mystery solved. :)
I've had a Southfork for 13 years, and it's been a great boat for both rivers and lakes. I carried it on top of my truck topper for 6-7 years, and that was easy enough to do. Then I put a slide-in camper on the truck, so now I have a little trailer for the boat. Guys overlook the weight factor when choosing a pontoon boat, but it sure makes a difference when it comes to moving the thing around
 
#25 ·
I live in Maupin (the little town on the lower Deschutes). When I'm gonna float the river, I use one of my larger pontoon boats. But on days when I just plan to drive the river road and fish, I throw a small pontoon craft in the back of my pickup & use it to cross the river. Lot of the locals here do that. I always wear a PFD in it, btw.
 
#28 · (Edited)
Maybe watching you inspired me to buy the little bucks bags boat last week. Just curious, do you need a float permit for these?
Depends on which section (1, 2, 3, or 4) and which days of the week. For some sections, you always need a float permit during the high-use season, anyway, which is May 15 - Sept. 15/Oct. 15th.. Other sections, a float permit is required only on Fri-Sun. The up-to-date regulations are online, and change each year. Float permits are required on these sections of the river even for an innertube. I buy a season-long Mon-Thurs float permit from BLM, and then buy a day permit for the other days.
 
#31 ·
I'm not sure what float permit you are talking about. If you are talking about a Deschutes River boaters pass, then float tubes are not exempt. From the boater pass website: "Any individual using a watercraft or any other floating device as a means of transport is required to have in his/her possession a Boater Pass."

Anyway float tubes are usually defined as having single air chambers so small pontoon boats don't qualify.
 
#32 ·
Permit, pass basically the same thing right? Your paying to use the river and your access is restricted. If you keep reading they are not required for float tubes on the D. Good point on the dual air chambers and I suppose the oars are a dead giveaway too.

I'm done here, getting a bit too Nit Picky for me. PM me if you have no idea what nit picky is and need my definition.
 
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