The Sea Eagle 12.6sr Sport Runabout is an ideal choice for anyone looking for an affordable medium-sized inflatable runabout or tender. Manufactured to the highest international standards of quality and safety, the 12.6sr offers a spacious cockpit, high carry capacity, and a range of features and options that make it suitable for both work and fun.
And because it’s a Sea Eagle, the 12’6″ Sport Runabout is both rugged and convenient, meaning you can use it every day or pack it safely away and pull it out when you need it. With a host of innovative design features that make it safer and more efficient on the water, this is one inflatable boat that will serve your family just as well as it serves your business.
Sea Eagle 12.6sr Rating
- Construction
- Stability
- Features
- Versatility
- Speed
- Warranty
Sea Eagle 12.6sr Review – Boat Overview
Sea Eagle has been manufacturing inflatable boats since 1968, and the 12.6sr proves just how much they have learned in that time. With an eye for detail and a work ethic of providing the best available product to their family of customers, the 12.6sr Sport Runabout demonstrates outstanding toughness, convenience, and versatility, making it a proud addition to the Sea Eagle series of inflatables.
To begin with, there’s the safety aspect – an important consideration, whether the 12.6sr is to be used for recreational or commercial applications.
The hull is crafted from an 1100 Decitex reinforced material, a tried and trusted fabric that Sea Eagle uses with confidence across their entire range of sport runabouts. Most of the double overlap seams on the hull of the 12.6sr are high-frequency welded to provide a superior join, and the material itself if strong enough to resist the most stringent of Sea Eagle’s quality tests – repeated blows from a claw hammer! As an added precaution, the 12.6sr features tough 3″ rubber strakes that provide the more vulnerable lower hull and keel with extra protection. Because the Decitex is salt and sun resistant, you don’t have to worry about it fading or wearing out after just a few months.
The hull itself is inflated in four chambers (five, if you choose the optional inflatable floor), which guarantees that not even a puncture or tear will lead to a catastrophic loss of buoyancy. Recessed valves ensure snag-free and effective inflation, while the 5/8″ grab-lines running down the side chambers provide that extra bit of security for both kids and adults.
The high quality and durable construction of the 12.6sr ensure that it has both NMMA and EC certification, an important feature for anyone who wants a reliable product.
Convenience with Speed and Performance
Performance is another important aspect of an inflatable runabout’s utility, and the 12.6sr does not disappoint in this respect, either in the water or out of it.
When deflated, the 12.6sr’s hull weighs just 99 lbs., and packs away to a manageable 46″ x 26″ x 12″ package making it ideal for RV’s, camping, yachting, and just about any application where storage space is limited. It inflates and assembles in about 20 minutes, making the Sea Eagle 12.6 sr a quick and trouble-free way of ensuring you always have an inflatable near at hand – no more trailers needed!
But it’s when you get it out on the water that the brilliance of the 12.6sr’s design becomes apparent. With an efficient weight-to-size ratio, this inflatable boasts a high top speed and excellent handling characteristics.
The hull (exterior 12’6″ x 5’4″) features large, rounded rear tubes that let the 12.6sr reach a plane faster and maintain it. Lightly loaded and with a 25 hp engine, it is estimated that it can reach a speed of up to 18 mph (or just over 12 mph with a 20 hp engine).
The 12.6sr is not only a fast inflatable, it also exhibits superior handling characteristics. The hull is intrinsically stable and offers a useful platform for many kinds of activities — it sacrifices nothing when it comes to control or performance.
Thanks to the patented inflatable keel, the 12.6sr is nippy in turns and stable even in rough water. This high-pressure drop stitch (DS) 4″ keel not only lets the 12.6sr turn quickly and easily (helpful for docking or if you’re motoring in a crowded harbour), it also increases the buoyancy at the bow, allowing the 12.6sr to run over waves instead of through them, reducing drag and improving the top speed even further.
The 12.6sr is also no slouch when it comes to carrying capacity. The interior of the cockpit (8’6″ x 2’6″) is more than roomy enough to hold the 6 adults which it is rated to carry, while the certified capacity of 1600 lbs. means you can transport just about anything with total confidence. If you’re love the overall design and features of the 12.6sr but need something a bit larger or smaller, we recommend checking out the smaller Sea Eagle 10.6sr or the larger 14sr Sport Runabout.
12.6sr Configurations
Sea Eagle is well-known for providing versatile and customizable inflatables, and in the case of the 12.6sr, this convenience literally starts from the floor up. You now have the choice between Sea Eagle’s high-pressure inflatable drop stitch floor and the extra-strong molded plastic floor. Although the drop stitch floor is lightweight and convenient for transportation and storage, the plastic floor is virtually indestructible, being resistant to sun, salt, and most forms or chemical damage. The plastic floor also offers greater structural rigidity, allowing the 12.6sr to attain maximum speeds.
As with most Sea Eagle products, the 12.6sr is available directly from the manufacturer in a convenient range of packages that allow you to get out onto the water with the least amount of difficulty – everything that you need will be supplied with the package of your choice. All the packages available from Sea Eagle can be configured with either the drop stitch or plastic floor.
- The Sea Eagle 12.6sr Deluxe/DS Package is all you will ever need in an inflatable sport runabout. Together with a 12.6sr hull (with carrybag) and the floor of your choice, you’ll receive a collapsible set of oars (5’5″), an aluminum bench seat (it moves forward or aft for either rowing or motoring), a quality storage bag that fits neatly into the prow, a repair kit, and an A41 foot pump (a high-pressure hand pump is also provided with the DS floor version). The oars fix neatly onto the hull when not in use, with innovative retracting oarlocks that slide into the hull and pop out easily when they are needed.
- For a dedicated powerboating option, the Sea Eagle 12.6sr Swivel Seat/DS Package includes a bench-mounted swivel seat kit that makes transom motoring much more convenient. The swivel chair is mounted on a stout aluminum bench and can be fixed in position for boating or fishing. Because the swivel seat is placed astern, the aluminum bench seat can now be used for passengers.
- If you’re planning to spend longer amounts of time on the water, the Sea Eagle 12.6sr Swivel Seat & Canopy/DS Package includes a convenient canopy that erects quickly to provide protection from sun and rain.
- Sea Eagle offers one powered option for the 12.6sr, the Sea Eagle 12.6sr Swivel Seat Honda Motor/DS Package which is supplied with a Honda BF9.9S four-stroke. This outboard is covered by Honda’s True 5 Warranty, and is a perfect complement to the 12.6sr inflatable hull.
Final Thoughts
For a very long time, Sea Eagle has been dedicated to producing the best inflatable boats. You can be confident that Sea Eagle’s 180-day return policy and 3-year warranty are not just words on paper, but part of the philosophy that has made this family-owned company one of the most successful suppliers of inflatable boats in America – and throughout the world.
This unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction is part of what makes the 12.6sr such an appealing package. With great quality, high performance, and innovative safety features all available in a series of convenient packages, the versatile 12.6sr Sport Runabout is perfect for fishing, yachting, working… or just having fun. If you’re looking for an inflatable runabout that offers affordable boating coupled with a guarantee of serious quality and performance, the 12.6sr from Sea Eagle is a great choice.
Very interesting review! I’m also attracted to the new Sea Eagle 12.6 FastCat catamaran with a 6 hp Honda outboard engine. I’d be interested in your read comparing and contrasting the two. I’m looking to travel to Yellowstone N. P. this summer and would like to do some fishing. I expect that either boat would probably be more than adequate. Unfortunately there are no dealers or distributors for Sea Eagle here in N. California where I can view these boats. Thanks.
Tim – the FastCat12 is Sea Eagle’s newest design. We’ve not had a chance to test it in person yet, but based on what we know it’s a fascinating design that’s going to give a great smooth ride.
As you say, they’ll both work great for your needs. The Fastcat will be the smoother ride, be more fuel efficient, and have more internal volume. The se12.6 on the other hand has a higher maximum passenger and load capacity and can handle the higher max speed. So it’s a quick, general duty runabout whereas the Fastcat is the ideal 2 person boat.