One of the safest Inflatable Boats on the water.

I wanted to share some research I did on the Saturn SD470 inflatable boat, after we had a close shave on the bay. We had kept the boat for about a year when my sons wanted to take it out for an afternoon fishing trip. They are twins, fourteen years old and wouldn’t be far out into the bay, so I thought it over and said as long as you take your two way radio, no problem. So we got the gear into the inflatable boat, got them into their personal flotation devices and they set off.

It was a nice sunny day at 2pm, but by 4pm fog rolled in and I started to get worried. Where the fog came from is anyone’s guess, but the bay can lose visibility at the drop of a hat, within minutes. I immediately haled my son’s on the radio – no answer. I started to feel panic in my throat. I kept haling them for about a half an hour, when low and behold, here they are at our dock looking scared, waterlogged and thoroughly relieved. To say I was relieved would be the understatement of the ages. Right behind them, coming out of the now dense fog was the coast guard, also in an inflatable raft. They had towed the boys to the canal, then let them steer to our dock.

I had always known my inflatable was one of the best on the market. I just didn’t realize how safe it was. There is a long list of features that make the Saturn inflatable boat safer than the average boat. The tubes are wider and thicker than the average inflatable raft. Even though it is an affordable inflatable boat it has a rubber strike around the whole boat. The separate internal air chambers kept it safe in the deeper water. The one way drain plug with plug keeps water out of the boat and doesn’t let it back in. Heavy duty marine grade aluminum floor took the weight when my son had to stand with the flashlight they had in their pack was the only beacon they had in the dense fog. The big water had begun to get rough, so they called the coast guard and signaled a mayday, and the coast guard found the inflatable with the two boys clinging to the safety rope. The bottom has a deep inflatable V Keel and it kept that boat from bottoming out, or tearing on sharp rocks. But when the boys finally started to move, that keel help with their maneuverability. They hard rocked and rolled for about fifteen minutes before rescue came and towed the two boys safely back to us.

TheSaturn inflatable boat had held fast in a tough situation, and remained stable and versatile through the whole ordeal. I am so proud on my boys for staying calm, but I have to say, the Saturn SD470 was a winner too. The best $1600.00 I have ever spent