Want to build a boat for rescue services...

[deputydawg]

Looking for ideas and or plans on building a powered boat for search and rescue mainly on the river. The river runs from 6 inches to 6 feet, mainly shallow with sandy bottom. Need something that will run upstream against a mild current, but will also be powerful enough to navigate upstream in a flood. Roomy enough to haul 2 adults and possibly 1 to 3 "victims". <br /><br />Thinking of fan boat but am open to any suggestions. Very limited budget so can't spend much.

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

John boat with a jet outboard.

 

[bossee]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

Hi,<br /><br />As CalicoKid suggest is probable best alternative considering a limited budget.<br /><br />But If You want some ideas about how a small rescue "boat" is used in active duty here in Sweden by The Swedish Sea Rescue Society have a look at this movie (copy and paste the URL into the browser address row and press Enter, the Windows Media Player will play the movie):<br /><br />High quality:<br /><br />mms://x.playout.se/xcust/ssrs/rescr1350kbps.wmv<br /><br />Normal quality:<br /><br />mms://x.playout.se/xcust/ssrs/rescr438kbps.wmv<br /><br />The history behind the "Rescuerunner" was that it was a fatal military helicopter (Super Puma) crash at sea here in Sweden some years ago and all exept one in crew died. The other members in the helicopter division descided that they would like to honour their dead colleagues with something that would remember their names for the future and also be a life saving device. So they invented the Rescuerunner and named the first Rescuerunners with name of the dead crew members in the helicopter crash. The Rescuerunner is now used by The Swedish Sea Rescue Society. <br /><br />There is a page in English at The Swedish Sea Rescue Society website about what they do:<br /><br /> Link <br /><br />They have also a page about their Rescuerunners but the page is in Swedish (some pictures may be of interest despite the page is in Swedish):<br /><br /> Link <br /><br />Also more info in English about the Rescuerunner by the person that actually designed the Rescuerunner (a lot of action pictures and movies!):<br /><br /> Link <br /><br />I'm myself member in The Swedish Sea Rescue Society, but not active member - just a paying member for ther rescue services.<br /><br />/Bo

 

[ziggy]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

dd. i would think yer only option would be an air(fan) boat if yer gonna try to operate it in 6" of water. even a jet drive needs a couple of feet of water to operate in. i don't know that for a fact on the outboard jets but would think it would hold true too. ya can't be sucking sand and rocks off the bottom. are you operating on the platte? on a side note if ya are. the fella down the street tried some jetskiin on the platte. all it got him was a bent up rev. bucket. if ya have the depth the jetski is the way to go. i've seen many articals for useing them as rescue boats. i'd think a perfect rescue boat. fast, manuverable, no prop. but i don't think ya have the depth with only 6"..other thing about the jet is ya can't be suckin up debris with them. it renders them less than usefull. i boat on the missouri with my ski and have sucked up a few sticks. all have gone thru the drive. but while the sticks are being cut to size to fit thru the pump the ski is pretty much dead in the water. CK. how shallow do you think a jon boat with a jet could operate in? i don't know. jetskis is about 2' min. oh, another thought just came to me. read here on iboats about a guy that had what he called a mudboat or something like that. basicly had an arnison (sp) drive on it. ya know surface periceing prop. sounded like he'd drive that thing on darn near land. of corse there would be the danger of the prop for rescue. but it's the only thing i can think of that would operate in 6". it seems to me that there is no perfect rescue boat. your needs are specific so i think ya should base yer boat around those. air boat in my opinion.

 

[Wimperdink]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

A jon boat is about the best way to go as far as less draft. I was on a volunteer fire dept and they used that with a jet outboard as ck suggested. It did the job nicely. I have to believe a mud type outboard would work just as good though (guessing here) it would probably be less maneuverable in tight areas. Search for go devil engines.

 

[trackersocha]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

go devil is for mud only, dosent work well in rock, a john boat with a OJ is the way to go

 

[AMD Rules]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

A RIB might be a good one too but at greater expense than an aluminum john. A hovercraft like that would be useful year round but would be very expensive and nearly impossible to homebuild. The police around here have some hovercraft, some RIBs, and a bunch of bigger boats. They use the hovers on the ice a lot.

 

[deputydawg]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

I would use it mostly on the Republican below the Harlan County Dam, between the dam and Red Cloud, and probably once in a great while on the platte. <br /><br />The past few years we have been able to use ATV's the few times we have needed to go out. During normal years we have counted as many as 1500 innertubers a day on weekends floating the river. About once a week one of them loses the current, stops to wander around, or gets hung up and is late arriving at the pickup point. Then in the fall we usually get called to the river at least once for lost hunters. The latest was a few years ago some idiots jumped off the face of the dam killing one and injuring the other. That one was a body search. Would be nice to have something ready to go when we are needed. That is assuming we get some rain one of these years and get a good flow going again. <br /><br />I will check into the suggestions here. When I say limited budget I am talking very very limited. I have checked into building an air boat, but just can't quite get my mind around the details like weight, height and the center of gravity to get on place safely.

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

Airboat in 6" unexpected mud, weeds, plastic 6 pack rings, old pieces of 40# fishline and anything else. High water has more crap in the water to clog ANY type of in the water drive. You will need a rescuing.----------Airboat is simple construction, out of any material. All car engines are fair game. Air or watercooled. Carry a ton with no problem. Checkout Florida Fish and Game departments. They could probably give plans and motors used. Ask those who do it everyday.-------------Edit--------Put a sheet of thin metal on the finished bottom for the rocks that the people are sitting on.

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

If you really want to do your good deed. Get plans and info from the florida guys including costs. Make up a folder with all their info in it a go to the businesses that do not want their dead and injured on national TV. A good cause can always find money and parts.

 

[JasonB]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

Have a look at this plan: <br /><br /> http://www.bateau.com/proddetail.php?prod=XF20&cat=17 <br /><br />I love this pic from the picture section of the above boat plan:<br /><br />

 

[deputydawg]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

Thanks for the tips everyone. I have the general idea of dimensions and how to put it together, just was not sure how high to mount the engine for stability, how much to curve the bow to get on plane without flipping etc. I have the engine located, not sure where to find a prop yet for the fan. I have an uncle that does prop work but his props run several thousands. Unless he can find one scrapped somewhere. <br /><br />Thanks for the resources I will check them out.

 

[TimMattson]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

Deputy,<br /> I worked for ten years at Wooldridge Boats in Seattle....They have a tunnel for their OB jets that allows very shallow passage on rivers.A corrugated bottom will give lift,strength, and will act like rails for turning.You HAVE TO save some throttle for turning when coming DOWN a river or nothing happens when you try to turn.Many new jet boat owners brought their hulls in for repair after their very first trip on the river....Coming down almost always was were they got hammered.<br /> A boat that can turn in its own length will save you if you run out of water and need to change directions....Stop and your stuck!<br /> V-4 Obs seemed to be the minimum for rescue use as you lose 33% of your HP in a jet.150 becomes 105 , 90 becomes 60hp and this is before you wear your impellor edges or suck up rocks or debris.<br /> You want a wide ,stable hull with good flare that will resist being pushed under.Avoid square sides if you can.<br /> I run a SAFE boat which is like the RED fast response vessels that our Homeland security forces use in our ports.Mine is the original hull and the 15 hull will support 3000 lbs. on paper as it has foam collars on both sides that act like "training wheels" for the deep vee Alum hull.<br /> Ive had it 26 miles off the Wash. coast ,fishing for Halibut!<br /> Goodluck!<br /> Tim M

 

[deeep water]

Re: Want to build a boat for rescue services...

take a tip from the whaler ppl foam and more foam,,several shipping companys use an expanding foam that comes in 50gal drums they use it to ship parts ,,they may fill your bildge and sides for free or for an endorsment on your hull,,or just to get you out of their building lol,,pre plan pre assemble ,,work slow and be very polite