Innova Alfonso Fishing Raft with Transom
Overview
New! Alfonso Fishing Raft from Innova
Well, we haven’t seen one of these yet and it’s kind of hard to know if we should place this boat with the fishing models, or on the raft page. Gumotex, the manufacturer of the Innova line, has had what we would call non-U.S. market boats over the years that Innova had declined to bring in. Some were whitewater boats that were frankly pretty inferior to most of the popular brands found here in the States. Others simply had unusual designs that did well in Europe but not necessarily here. The new Alfonso, and the kayak style Halibut from Innova (see our solo touring page or the fishing page), may do very well with the large fly fishing market here. Time will tell.
The Alfonso, at four feet wide, is more of a cross between an inflatable canoe and a narrow raft, and it has the basic configuration of a marine style Zodiac craft, with a small rigid transom on the back. One big advantage of the Alfonso is it’s small folded size – a little more than a foot thick by two feet by 28”. So transport certainly does not require a trailer, as is often the case with the most traditional marine inflatables that are as long as this one. There is also an oversize Innova drybag – carry bag included for storage and hauling. When the boat is unpacked, you have an expedition size drybag for overnight trips.
This angler’s inflatable is 14’ in length and weighs 75 pounds, which includes four skidguard boards; one between the seats, one under each seat, and a larger floor board for standing. The seats are inflatable, and the rear sides of the backrest each have rod holders. There is an additional Cannon rod holder to mount on the center board between the seats. There are also a pair of rubber molded oarlock holders near the stern, intended for the rear occupant to use. The oars are not included but any basic one piece or take-apart set in the 7’ to 8’ range will work.
It is mandatory to use a pump – not your mouth – to fully inflate the seats if you expect proper back support. There are a number of pump options, but given the size of this craft we would advise something larger than a Bravo foot pump – which is what we usually suggest with the smaller Innova kayaks. With this big boy, you need to move a bit more air. One of our Salamander tall 4” barrel pumps might work well.
One detail that is very important for you to understand is that in most states marine style transom boats require registration, so please be clear on that before you order an Alfonso.
Free ground UPS to the lower 48 States
Might be the perfect small boat if not the perfect fishing boat
When Plato was thinking of "perfect forms" he must have had this boat in mind for the fishing kayak
I had been trying to reach Tim Rosenhan formerly of Innova and learned from Lee that Tim had tragically left both this life and paddle sports behind him. By the time I reached out to Lee of theboatpeople.com I had already long since fallen in love with the boat from the spec sheet, pictures, and videos of the Alfonso. Rarely though do dreams of a boat match with it's first use. The Alfonso not only met my expectations for an inflatable fishing boat it far exceeded them. Not only is it a BEAUTIFUL BOAT it is also a dream to set up and use. It can be powered by a motor up to 3hp or by rowing.
I own multiple Innova boats and still retain all of my original fleet from 15 plus years ago. If it is possible, this boat looks better built than all of my other Innova boats combined. This is not just a great fishing boat, it is a great small boat in terms of the thoughtfulness of its engineering and the quality of its materials and construction. If there is a decent small boat feature it is missing I cannot think of it. From its mammoth payload of more than 900 lbs to its ability to configure multiple seating arrangements for up to 3 persons to the brilliant transom mount and rear "skirt" that can nearly if not totally empty a boat should you somehow manage to swamp it in sea or surf. This boat also comes with permanent padding affixed to the seats as well as a floor. I'm a big guy and shaped much like a barrel. I had no trouble whatsoever standing comfortably in this boat. In fact, this boat was so easy to use that I never even drove it home. I bought, unboxed it, and rowed it around Lake Elsinore in Souther California, roughly 8 miles. Never before in my adult life had I rowed a boat. With in 30 minutes on the water I had managed to figure out how to set the oars the proper distance from the boat and began my row of roughly four hours including a few breaks.
Learning to row this boat was far easier than learning how to use my kayak paddle for the first time. After four hours or so of rowing, I FELT GREAT. More importantly, I felt great the next day. Nothing hurt. For a guy who had never rowed in his adult life, this boat (as a boat) took phenomenal care of me its passenger and rower trainee.
Regarding setup, its a dream. Had I read the setup manual first, or payed closer attention to the excellent Gumotex (parent co.) setup videos I could have saved myself the only real mistake I made assembling the boat and seats. Even at that, The boat was so forgiving that I was able to catch my mistake and correct it in under 10 minutes. All totaled the "second" and subsequent times you assemble this boat should take approximately 20 minutes or less from unbagging the boat to rowing or motoring along. It is capable of accepting a 3hp motor.
On the water, I have never moved a water craft of this size with less effort. At 14 feet length and 48 inches breadth, I had somewhat expected this boat to be on the slower side and not all that responsive. I fell in love with the boat design for its intended use, fishing. I've been fishing since I was a boy and I am in my 50's now. I have wanted a boat like this all my life. You could put it in the truck of a compact car and visit any waterway that will permit you to launch. While it might seem to be a bit on the heavy side at 75 lbs, this is practically an ultralight for the boat, capacity, and stability you get on the water. This became especially obvious to me when I chatted with a kayak fisherman at La Jolla Shores in southern California. I was admiring his boat. He said, yeah, it is a great boat but heavy. I was thinking 75 - 80 lbs. His kayak fishing boat was one of the best on the market but it weighed in at 114 lbs DRY, sans ice, food, water, gear. At that point, my decision was made.
As for fishing features, wow, where to start? There are no less than 6 mounting points for fishing pole holders. The boat even comes with a pole holder. There are also two built-in pole holders pre-attached to the TRANSOM and six more on the backs of the included inflatable seats. At the nose of the boat are these AMAZING inflation valves. Push once valve open. Push again valve closed. There are also bungies, a short throw rope, a perimeter line, oar holders and more. I have fished on and off all my life, I can tell you that beyond this just being great little boat, it is now the most important piece of fishing gear that I own. I LOVE THIS BOAT.