boarding a jon boat from the water

[acdc96]

is their a way to get in a 1991 Sea Nymph 14K 14ft Jon Boat from the water without capsizing it or sinking it?

Last year when fishing i hooked up to a monstrous 33 inch striped bass i was pulled in surprising while moving from the stern to the bow luckily my friend was on the boat and helped me back in, still got the monster. but it was a pain to get back in cause of such a low free board. i had to climb in the bow while my friend was in the stern. my transom is 15.5 inches and the bow is about 20 inches high.

anyone have a idea on re boarding on my kind of boat?

i always fish close to shore a half mile at most. but primarily 1/4 mile i fish in a marsh and the inlet to my river.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

"you need a bigger boat" from the movie Jaws, all kidding aside, a shallow water entry is about the only way I know of. It's a physics thing right? How much do you weigh?

 

[acdc96]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

yeah in the process of rebuilding my larger boat... hoping to get it in the water this year. i weigh about 200 lbs. just wondering if anyone had any ideas.

 

[Gyrene]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

I think you chose wisely. Only other option was friend in bow, you hop in stern.
If beam allows, friend on port, you come in starboard.
Without friend, bow would seem only option.

 

[acdc96]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

"you need a bigger boat" from the movie Jaws, all kidding aside, a shallow water entry is about the only way I know of. It's a physics thing right? How much do you weigh?

i like the boat with the dual engines. what kind of boat and motors are they?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

It's a serious issue for winter-time boaters, especially duck hunters and striper fishers. It's easy to go over and you have a short time to get back in before you can't. 1/4 mile from shore may as well be 4 miles.

A frequent mishap, often fatal, in a boat like that is when two guys all go to one side, or worse, the stern corner, and the boat either tips or swamps. That, and peeing over the side.

Using the other passenger to counterbalance is safer than him helping you in.
You can also try climbing up the motor and over the stern, which has its risks.
Solo, lay along side the boat, put a leg overm, and try to roll in horizontally; that can take away some risk of swamping/tipping.
Carry a hook-over ladder and keep it in the boat where you can grab it from outside and install it--but know in advance if it will work on your boat.
you're going to end up with water in the boat regardless so be careful once in that you don't roll.

Practice re-entry in warm weather and safe conditions. But practice with long pants and a heavy coat on.

 

[airshot]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

Years back I had a big 12' jon boat and that thought had crossed my mind so in the summer I experimented, mine hade a small OB motor on the back so I used the cav plate as a step to get in. Wasn't easy and yes the gunwale was close to the water line with me hanging on the back but I found I did have a way in just in case.

Airshot

 

[fishrdan]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

I fish solo in a 14' jon boat most of the time and have a rope-ladder rigged up across the bow, in case I fall overboard. SOP for pre-launch is to tie the dock line to the stern-bow cleats. The 1 rung rope ladder is an extended part of the dock line,,, that attaches to the other bow cleat. The step is a 18" chunk of 1 1/2" EMT with the ends cut at 45* to keep it from spinning. Leave the EMT tube up on the front deck so it's easily reached if overboard. I haven't tested it out as the water is too cold where I fish, for chunky dunk testing, but the rung hangs down low enough to get a foot onto it and flop up into the boat. Even if I flood the boat getting in, I'll be in the boat and can pump it out. (You have a bilge pump, right?)

How wide is the hull of your jon boat (bottom, not beam/top) 36", 48"?

Personally, I think battling a 30# striper standing up in a 14' jon boat is a recipe for going overboard, especially since there are probably bigger ones roaming around... Once you hook-up and get the hook driven home, sit down. I always sit down fighting big stripers in my 14' jon boat and have had them come unbuttoned many times. If you're standing up and pulling hard when one comes unbuttoned, you'll be swimming with the fishes, literally! With another guy onboard, landing the striper would have been easy as he could have helped position the boat, trolling motor or paddle. I have to kick on the trolling motor every once in a while if the boat is spinning the wrong way, or the striper going in the wrong direction, but it's do-able. Though, I'm fishing pretty heavy tackle and can horse them around a bit when needed, use the fish pull to position the boat...

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

you COULD fashion an outrigger for reboarding

 

[acdc96]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

It's a serious issue for winter-time boaters, especially duck hunters and striper fishers. It's easy to go over and you have a short time to get back in before you can't. 1/4 mile from shore may as well be 4 miles.

A frequent mishap, often fatal, in a boat like that is when two guys all go to one side, or worse, the stern corner, and the boat either tips or swamps. That, and peeing over the side.

Using the other passenger to counterbalance is safer than him helping you in.
You can also try climbing up the motor and over the stern, which has its risks.
Solo, lay along side the boat, put a leg overm, and try to roll in horizontally; that can take away some risk of swamping/tipping.
Carry a hook-over ladder and keep it in the boat where you can grab it from outside and install it--but know in advance if it will work on your boat.
you're going to end up with water in the boat regardless so be careful once in that you don't roll.

Practice re-entry in warm weather and safe conditions. But practice with long pants and a heavy coat on.

Boat is not in the water currently waiting till mid April or when the water hits 50 degrees. In the middle of 2 boat projects so no time to boat at the moment.
Plus, today it was sleeting and snowing in the morning, got two inches, them by 2:00 it was 60 degrees and sunny. The rest of the week is supposed to be in the high 50's so time to untarp my big boat and clean it and do upholstery work. Fun

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

From the front or back.

Edit , bow or stern

 

[acdc96]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

From the front or back.

What do you mean "From the front or back"?

 

[southkogs]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

^^^ I like Home Cookin's plan, but what Hawker means is boarding over the bow or the transom not the sides. Keeps the boat from rolling on ya'.

One of the over-the-gunwale ladders is a great idea. Just gotta' stow it where you can reach it. I've always come back on board over the stern using the outboard as a ladder.

 

[cjjjdeck]

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

This is an interesting product and it looks like the developer had the same thing happen to him except without someone else on board.

Rescue

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: boarding a jon boat from the water

This is an interesting product and it looks like the developer had the same thing happen to him except without someone else on board.

Rescue

good idea. I put a swim step on my boat primarily for rescue purposes; that one is sized for smaller boats.