I guess I’ve been messing about in boats most of my life so starting
a little boat business looked like a good excuse to continue to mess around
in boats. . . a lot more.
Hi...! I’m Tim Ryerson the founder and co-owner of InflatableBoats4Less.
Don’t tell my wife Crystal (co-owner and chief financial officer and the pretty lady to the right) why I'm really doing this because she thinks were doing this for the money. “Why else would
Tim come out of retirement?” she reasons. "It’s not about money.Crystal. It's really all about the
boats Crystal." Messing about in boats."
Using Inflatable Boats while Traveling
In early 1998 we bought our first inflatable boat as way to scratch our boating itch
while traveling in our motorhome. After a lot of research we bought a Sea
Eagle 395 PaddleSki. I was skeptical that an inflatable would give me the
performance I was accustomed to, but after the first weekend on the Colorado
River, we became believers. The Sea Eagle boat was easy and fast to inflate
and fast across the water with remarkable stability. Then just three minutes
to deflate, roll up and store in our motorhome and. . . well. . . we were
really sold!
The Beginning of our Fleet
This Sea Eagle Paddle-Ski was to be the first Sea Eagle in the InflatableBoats4Less "fleet".
We continued to travel but now sought out locations where we could haul
out the Sea Eagle kayak. We continued to be amazed how much interest and
how many questions our Sea Eagle kayak aroused. Our set-up time became longer
and longer as we responded to these questions.
As we shared our newfound love and knowledge of Sea Eagle inflatable boats
a glimmer of an idea began. We could become Sea Eagle Dealers and travel
to RV Shows, Boat Shows, and Outdoor Sports Shows exhibiting Sea Eagle boats combining our hobbies of kayaking and RV'ing.
In time this idea became a reality and InflatableBoats4Less was
formed. Now just ten years later InflatableBoats4Less is Sea Eagle’s
largest dealer.
So....where are you today..?
Today we travel full-time living and doing business from our 41' Monaco Diplomat motothome. We have home bases in the Black Hills of South Dakota and when the weather turns cold it time to head to Arizona Desert.
You can always find us by visiting here and then scrolling down and clicking on #3061.A map will appear, locate #3061, THAT'S US!!!
Now, scroll down under the map look for 3061 (InflatableBoats4Less). You will see there are some pluses and minuses to the right of our name. Each time you click on a plus it will bring the map in closer. Conversely, each time you click on a minus it take the map out further.
A few clicks and you can see what lake we're sitting next to. And hey...if you're close...maybe we can pull out a boat for you...give us a call.
By now you'll begin to notice this section of the IB4L website is more bloggish...a blog more about about Tim and Crystal..then a Sea Eagle commercial website. Or..maybe...just maybe...this whole website is a blog because the way I see it..InflatableBoats4Less has always been more about Tim and Crystal...than about business.
While you ponder this, here are some pretty good pics:
Black Hills of South Dakota-2008
Art Alley draws a crowd during Hot Summer Nights in Rapid City while the band plays on.
Crystal and I make new friends while paddling (and reading) from our PaddleSki 435 on Center Lake Custer State Park.
Custer State Park...camping...fishing...wildlife...campfires...relaxing..and boating! It's hard work but somebody has to do it!
Our friends gather together to wish us goodbye as we depart the State Game Park Campground Custer State Park.
....and then there's Bike Week 2008 in the Black Hills.
I'm watching you Tim...!
t
Bye Bye...more later.
Alaska - Summer 2006
Mommy Griz' and cub fishing for salmon on weir across lower Chilkoot River. Mom swims off and the young cub hears her call. Haines, Alaska 8/17/08
Along comes a young male Grizzly and chases Mom and Cub
and nearby fishermen from his turf while a Bald Eagle waits
his turn at the salmon from a nearby spruce.
Chilkoot River Haines, Alaska 08/18/06
Denali taken from the air...!
Talkeetna, Alaska 08/06/06
Denali (Mount McKinley) is 20,430' high. Full views of the magnificent mountain
are rare. Alaskan tourists are fortunate if they can say they viewed Denali.
Our solution...fly up...up above the clouds that obscure views from the ground...and
...take a look. The pictures above show a old 1960's radial engined Beaver just below
our plane flying, in formation, between the spires that make up the summit of Denali.
Two glaciers merge to form Ruth Glacier, a 35 mile long river of ice.
At the head of the right arm...up there in the shadows... is the head of Ruth Glacier...pilots call it
Mountain House. We will be attempting to land our ski-equipted 1969 Otter on Mountain House. Just after I took this picture I remembered the Alaska Bush pilot's definition of a successful landing.
"A successful landing is any landing that you walk away from...!"
Denali National Park, Alaska 08/06/06
After a successful landing at Mountain House on Mt. McKinley(Denali).
L.to R. Tim, Paul(our pilot), and Crystal.
20,430' Mt McKinley (Denali) looms above our 1969 10-place Otter. Paul owns Talkeetna Air Taxi. The fleet includes a few Beavers and a few Cessna 165's and just one Otter. This Otter was just rebuilt. Today's value..just over 1 Million. They don't make these..or anything like them...anymore.
We left Mountain House and shortly later stood the otter on one wing and then down, down , down to yet another landing on Eldridge Glacier. Glacier approaches and landings are made uphill
at a 30 degree angle to slow you up...fast! Takeoffs are downhill and you leap of the face of the mountain within 50 feet. We are still looking for words big enough, spiritual enough, to describe our day on Denali...!
Denali National Park, Alaska 08/06/06
Kenai River RW Fishcamp Soldotna, Alaska 07/28/06
Crystal..again...and a nice 54 pound King Salmon. Maybe nice is
an understatement...
this was a huge fish
...but I'm gettting tired of
Crystal catching all the big ones...!
Crystal and a nice silver salmon
caught on Resurrection Bay
Seward, Alaska 07/24/06
A Sea Eagle 395 PaddleSki on Prince William Sound.
This handy kayak travels down the road inflated and loaded
on out truck and is ready to go when we are.
Valdez, Alaska 07/13/06
Now we take a break for this commercial message:
We Can Help Select the right Sea Eagle for YOUR Boating Needs!
Not sure which boat will work best for you? Just ask. We've tried them
all and we can help you find the perfect boat to fit your needs.
We are available 24/7 to answer your questions and each boat comes with
Tips and Hints to start you off right! We also do daily Internet searches
to find the lowest prices available and then BEAT THEM!
We guarantee the lowest price on Sea Eagle...period!
Tim Ryerson
Inflatable Boats 4 Less
Toll Free 877-253-3947
t
