Fat guys in a little boat

[mxcarne]

You guys are pretty awesome about answering my questions in the various other topic forums. So I have another one for ya. I am getting a boat in the next few weeks. I'm still in the shopping around phase but I am finding I have limits both monetary and space wise. My budge is under $1k and I'm on a be parking it in a small 1 car garage. The wife says its fine as long as we can will get around it in the garage.

Now the fun part. I grew up with a 12ft seaking on a trailer with a 9.9 long shaft motor. My dad was about 250lbs and I was around 175lbs. We would occasionally add my uncle who was around 250lbs.

Now I'm all growed up and want to take my daughter fishing. I am leaning towards another 12ft. Now I am a solid 300lbs and my kid is maybe 80lbs. Occasionally it will be me and one of my friends. One of which is 225lbs the other is a whopping 425lbs. I'm thinking of forgoing the gas motor and just getting a 55lbs thrust motor. So worst case senario would be me in the back driving, my large buddy, a deep cycle battery, trolling motor and misc tackle and gear.

We would be staying on small wakeless lakes 99% of the time here in Colorado. Are we destined for the stupid human tricks section?

 

[dockwrecker]

At least your picture will be...

 

[ziggy]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

guess i'd add up the weight ya might possibly be having on board. then see what the max. weight cap. is in the new boat in question. ya don't wanna go over whatever the max. cap. is.

also, imho, the smaller the boat is, the more weight affects how the boat performs. as for the small engine. again, imho, the larger the engine and closer to max hp ya can get the better ya are. starting with the possible capabilities of out running an incoming storm. ya sure wouldn't want to be out in large waves, in a small boat, filled with max weight capacity and not be able to get back to shore. might be the difference of capsizing or getting back in before real trouble begins...

just my opinion..

 

[oops!]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

guess i'd add up the weight ya might possibly be having on board. then see what the max. weight cap. is in the new boat in question. ya don't wanna go over whatever the max. cap. is.

ziggy really nails it here......great post zig.

the capabilities of out running an incoming storm. ya sure wouldn't want to be out in large waves, in a small boat, filled with max weight capacity and not be able to get back to shore. might be the difference of capsizing or getting back in before real trouble begins...

just my opinion..

if the above happens........you WILL easily make the SHT forum.....and the obits at the same time !

small lakes .....can really blow up fast.....large waves with short troughs means davy jones locker.
I have been in some doozies that come up so fast.....it takes a 150 hp at full bore to make the dock in time......(and we wern't that far away !)

minimum with at weight is a 14 tinny with deep v.

the best would be a whaler style......

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

I read about fishing trips in boats like that with guys like that all the time. Usually the focus is on recovery and not rescue.

If I saw you and your child headed out in a 12' boat I would call child protective services as well as marine patrol.

One way that lots of the drownings occur from what you plan is that they start off level and kinda OK, then one guy stands up to pee or net a fish or change positions and over they go. Once one goes it, they roll the boat trying to get him back in. Or one guy stands at the stern corner and goes over. Point is, it's not enough that it's "OK" sitting still; it has to be safe under normal use.

Start with a 14' wide body square bow and go from there. You can get one, BMT, for <$1000.

 

[A/C Guy]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

... Now I am a solid 300lbs and my kid is maybe 80lbs. Occasionally it will be me and one of my friends. One of which is 225lbs the other is a whopping 425lbs.


Are we destined for the stupid human tricks section?

PLEASE post the video when you guys attempt your first launch!!! 700lbs plus gear for you and a friend in a 12' boat would be hilarious.



No offense intended


More seriously though, a 12' boat will have a max capacity of under 500lbs most likely. That includes you, friend, gear, motor, fuel (or battery), vests, beer (I know you like beer )

 

[dlngr]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

I 'd say a minimum would be a 14'er. at least then maybe you'd have room to take a cooler along!

 

[JB]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

I have rescued/recovered bigger boats than that that foundered with less weight, Mxcarne.

If you take the advice you get here seriously there is no chance of ending up in SHT, because you will not overload whatever boat you get and any boat you get will be capable of loads like you propose. Big passengers require big boats.

Good luck.

 

[mxcarne]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

Wow some good replies and a few over the top replies.

I don't know why anyone would call CPS for taking a kid on a boat. Seems a little overboar. Maybe if it was a huge lake in 5-6 foot waves. In the 12 years I spent with my dad in our 12 footer we had 1 scary incident and it was a micro burst on a fairly large lake. We had a 4hp motor and made it ok. Now that experience does lead me to understand a 14ft would be better. Most of the boats I have looked at had a max capacity around 800-850 pounds. I take that to be before engines and what not. So that is what I'm going off of. I am not interested in a gas motor as most of the lakes I want to fish are electric only.

As for me and my larger friend. It would be a situation that makes me nervous. Thats why I ask for people's opinion. I feel bad telling him no but I know he understands.

 

[silveraire]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

I had a 12' tinny as a kid (@16) and I weighed bout 160 lbs... I weight closer to 250 now and while I'd be fine to take out an 80 lb kid in one now on small electric only (or 10 hp) water I wouldn't take it around big boats that throw big wakes... IMHO Two guys my size would be pushing it but maybe ok as long as the water was warm enough to swim back and we had our pfd's but no kid with us... If I weighed 450 lbs I wouldn't get in a 12' boat EVER.... no way could a person that size climb back in a boat that size if they fell overboard and the chances of them moving around without capsizing a 12'er would be very slim...

as for power... I have a 1.5 hp cruise n carry outboard that weighs 12 lbs and will run all day on 1-2 gal.... you're looking at @75lbs or more with a trolling motor and a battery.
I know that doesn't work on your electric only lake but if you and your "skinny" buddy wanted to hit a 10 hp lake or a big creek it might be an option.

 

[cribber]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

small lakes .....can really blow up fast.....large waves with short troughs means davy jones locker.
I have been in some doozies that come up so fast.....it takes a 150 hp at full bore to make the dock in time......(and we weren't that far away !)

minimum with at weight is a 14 tinny with deep v.
the best would be a whaler style......

What Oops posted needs to be your biggest concern. Inland shallow lakes can turn nasty in a matter of minutes with the outflow from an approaching storm. You need to know the total max weight of passengers and gear you'll board with and buy the appropriate sized boat that fits your budget. Also a tinny doesn;t need to be stored in a garage just pick up a half decent boat cover if total tength is an issue. It's winter so take your time and shop around for the best deal you can get.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

I feel bad telling him no but I know he understands

that's good. and imho, your wise for being careful.
i've had the bad feeling too.
after i found out my cousin's wife didn't swim. i had to tell her no when she wanted to use my pwc. it was for her safety. on a pwc, it's not if your gonna go for a swim. it's when, and likely you will. it was for her saftey that i said no. didn't make me feel any better about doing so though. her feelings were hurt.
safety concerns shouldn't be taken lightly when on the water. there's no where to run to...

Also a tinny doesn;t need to be stored in a garage just pick up a half decent boat cover if total tength is an issue.

or pick it up and turn it upside down, chain it to a tree... that was winter storage for my dad's 16' aluminum boat for winter layup in MN. still doing it today too... it's sitting that way now.

 

[mxcarne]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

Yes, hes about that size... LOL

I have a 1.5 hp cruise n carry outboard that weighs 12 lbs and will run all day on 1-2 gal.... you're looking at @75lbs or more with a trolling motor and a battery.
I know that doesn't work on your electric only lake but if you and your "skinny" buddy wanted to hit a 10 hp lake or a big creek it might be an option.

I did some googling, they are not made new anymore? There is a 5hp Briggs & Stratton I've seen at basspro and online.

What Oops posted needs to be your biggest concern. Inland shallow lakes can turn nasty in a matter of minutes with the outflow from an approaching storm. You need to know the total max weight of passengers and gear you'll board with and buy the appropriate sized boat that fits your budget. Also a tinny doesn;t need to be stored in a garage just pick up a half decent boat cover if total tength is an issue. It's winter so take your time and shop around for the best deal you can get.

If I could put it in the back yard I would. I have to trailer it, and my property is on a culdesac, so my front is big enough for my truck and my wifes car in the 1 car driveway. The fences on the side have about a 3ft gate on one side and a 6ft gate on the other side. Essentially my property is like a piece of pie with backyard being huge but the front is tiny and the house is pushed all the way to the front.

But lots of good info and set things into perspective.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

no they aren't but look at other manufacturers in the 2hp range or look on ebay..... the cruise n carry is essentially a weed whacker motor

If you have a 6' gate tho you CAN fit a 14 or maybe even a 16' tinny in..... with a light trailer and motor you can likely walk it in to the back yard or tow it in with a lawn mower

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

I just happened to be about 200 yards away bass fishing when a cabin cruzer about hafe on plain came up the lake. As I looked up at him I noticed a john boat with 2 men in a cove as I watched as the wake moved along and saw them disappear I jerked up the trolling motor and cranked up and headed to where I last saw them and I was sure glad I did the wake tossed me pretty hard and I was in a 18 ft bow rider When it settled down and I could see where they were. I saw nothing but floating gear and two heads and was able to get both of them out ok.


Now my question to you is you want to do what ?
and can I take out a life insurance policy on you.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

My dad and his 400 lb friend went out one time in our 12 foot boat. Watching him get in that boat would have made a great SHT video. Getting him back out was more of an engineering process and wasn't funny at all.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

I started with a 14' that my dad left me. I had a 18hp Nissan on it and it would run at about 25mph on a good day with me and my brother (about 500lbs). It wasn't stable at all and every time we moved around it would get your attention. Still, with a little common sense, it was a very fishable boat. Then there came the day when a south wind came up on the lake and set off 2-3 ft waves that were comming over the transom. I had the engine at WOT and max speed was about 5mph which was barely enough to keep the oncomming waves on the bow. And then it happended, I got thrown sideways and broadsided. The boat came over and water was even with the top of the rail. There was nothing I could do but pray. the water was 38 degrees and the only other boats in the area were fighting the same battle I was. By the grace of god we got back and I immediately thanked the lord, kissed the ground and sold the boat.

I bought a 22' North River vowing to never go through that again but it ended up being too big and took a lot of the fun out of just fishing. Next I bought an 18' Starcraft which I restored and really liked but it wasn't really designed for fishing. I finally settled on my current boat, a 16' Jetcraft Falcon. There is a big difference when it comes to size if the boat is designed well and designed to do what you expect it to. Last October the winds came up almost identical to what they were before and because the boat was designed to handle it, there wasn't one second of fear as I easily navigated my way back.

O.K. Lot's of words so what's my point. The 12/14 boats are typically utility boats and designed with a lot of portabiltiy in mind. That's fine but it's not what makes a stable and safe platform for large people. You need a boat with a broad beam and a reasonable amount of dead rise before you'll get that warm fuzzy feeling when your kids riding along.

Does that make sense??? I dunno, it works for me.

 

[Silly Seville]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

I don't know why anyone would call CPS for taking a kid on a boat. Seems a little overboard.

I think most of us understand him to be saying that if a person of integrity witnessed a parent putting a minor in peril, a call to the authorities is in order. You presented a number of loading scenarios that would clearly be illegal, or minimally, just plain stupid. The folks on this site take boating safety very seriously, because we don't want the catastrophic injuries or deaths of anyone (much less children) to cast a dark cloud over our hobby. The more time you spend on this forum, the more evidence of that fact you will see. Just look at all of the "overboard" responses one gets when asking questions like; "Can my Ford Ranger pull my 6,000 lb cabin cruiser?" You must understand, that every time dead bodies are pulled from the water, there is a legislator waiting to draft another law to prevent you from hurting yourself (or your kids). This is why most of the members here harp on others who present a worst case scenario, like yours. The bottom line is, if you can't or won't afford a boat that is up to the task of performing safely under the worst of conditions, find another hobby. This advice is given with sincerity; I'm not trying to bust your bouys. I want you and your family to have fun AND be safe.

 

[mxcarne]

Re: Fat guys in a little boat

I think most of us understand him to be saying that if a person of integrity witnessed a parent putting a minor in peril, a call to the authorities is in order. You presented a number of loading scenarios that would clearly be illegal, or minimally, just plain stupid. The folks on this site take boating safety very seriously, because we don't want the catastrophic injuries or deaths of anyone (much less children) to cast a dark cloud over our hobby. The more time you spend on this forum, the more evidence of that fact you will see. Just look at all of the "overboard" responses one gets when asking questions like; "Can my Ford Ranger pull my 6,000 lb cabin cruiser?" You must understand, that every time dead bodies are pulled from the water, there is a legislator waiting to draft another law to prevent you from hurting yourself (or your kids). This is why most of the members here harp on others who present a worst case scenario, like yours. The bottom line is, if you can't or won't afford a boat that is up to the task of performing safely under the worst of conditions, find another hobby. This advice is given with sincerity; I'm not trying to bust your bouys. I want you and your family to have fun AND be safe.

I think its a little over the top to think 1 kid and an adult in small fishing boat would evoke that kind of response. I know my dad and I were more than capable in our little 12ft. I would never put my child in a boat I didn't think would support her and I. I'm mostly concerned about the larger passengers I might take along, I don't think I would ever take more than me +1 in any boat.