Honker's first season

not that makes any difference from a liability standpoint. Swamp that boat and someone gets hurt, or worse, drowns, and an investigation shows you as responsible you'll be just as liable as any Professional with the only difference being thatt the Pro will have probably done a better job of protecting themselves...

I think we all tend to underestimate the wt we have in our boats. Here's an example...Earlier you stated you had 12 dozen decoys in youur boat yet in your last post you only attribute 100 lbs to those decoys. I'm not familiar with any decoy that weighs under a lb and would bet that you have closer to 300 lbs of decoys in the boat when you have 12 dozen in it than you are to 100...

All that adds up and all of that becomes a potential contibutor to turning a problem into a catastrophe when the shit hits the fan.

All of this is moot of course because you feel safe with that load in that boat. Since your still here and haven't had any issues then the facts, to date, would indicate that you are correct and I'm FOS. In the end we all do what we think is safe. Whats safe for you isn't gor someone else.

Steve
 
Actually it was 14 doz dec and I am not saying you are FOS. I thought you had had a guide service... I apologize.

Either way. I Do feel safe in my vessel on big water with the loads that I have taken... If I am wrong.. I guess I will pay the ultimate price as will the foolish soul that venture out with me.
 
I know this may seem overly simple, but why not load the boat up with all your gear and get it weighed. Any landscaping company that sells stone can weigh the rig. then deduct the trailer weight. I would also dis-connect it from your vehicle for weighing.

My .02 just trying to help.

Frank
 
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I must say... the boat handled no different with that load, than it does with one other guy... other than speed..

Again, please, help me with the math, I am not seeing an error in judgement...


What size Alaskan BTW
Click to expand...


Hi Phil,

I have the smaller 18' alaskan.

For my part, I have no judgement on your decision to carry whatever. You built the boat and know it better than any of us. Based on the pictures you posted on the old DBHP it looks like a BIG boat.

Just my boat with, I don't know, 4 dozen foam decoys (maybe?) and the associated longlines and anchors gets heavy pretty fast. They didn't seem so heavy alone, but add them all together and they really weigh the bow down.

Charlie
 
Frank- great idea--- 2 problems... I don't know what the boat or the trailer weighs. I planned to weigh the pair, then weigh the trailer while the boat was in the water... but I don't have local access to either.
 
The trailer should have a tag on it..or on the registration..or title..or the manufacturer could give you the weight. A feed company will have drive on scales too if you have one of those locally. Isn't there a formula for displacement for boats? I have had what I figured was close to 2000 lbs in my BB2 before..it squatted and I could only go about 5 mph(the prop kept popping out of the water) but it was on a small 100 acre protected lake and it WOULD have held a LOT more before sinking.
 
The trailer is ANCIENT... like from the 60's or maybe 70's... might even have been homemade... that is how it is licensed. There might be a formula... I got confused in the backyard boatbuilders manual... and then they started talking about the sink test to develop the capacity... and there was NO way that I was filling my boat with water... I will look again...
 
Phil,

How does the boat float fully loaded? Does Sam Devlin have a designed water line, perhaps within an inch of the chine? I was a USCG licensed charter boat operator for close to 20 years, but the boats I operated were up to 205' and were closely regulated by the Coast Guard as to capacity. The CG was particularly interested in stability against rolling and required complicated stability test. Devlin would probably be able to give you some measurable parameters to test the maximum safe load for your boat as per a line on the hull which should always be visible at or above the water.

My gut feeling is that your modified Honker is safe but crowded at the load you mentioned, you seem to be experienced and able to recognize when your boat sluggish in the water, tippy during turns or in danger of swamping in high waves or chop.

I saw some guys on the river the other day that were way beyond unsafe. There were two guys, a dog and all their gear in a 12' bath tub with about 6" of freeboard. They were going slow because the bow wave would swamp the boat otherwise, we had to slow down or our wake would swamp them. i don't know if they had a pucker factor or werer oblivious to their danger. This is in water that is just above freezing, makes you shake your head.
 
Everyone-
dont forget the weight of the water you are bound to get from wet dogs, pulling deeks and other incidentals. I know my lab brings in close to a half to 3/4 gallon per retrieve and at 5lbs a gallon it adds up - quick, especially if you were to hunt 5 guys. Be safe
 
I thought water weighed 8lbs a gallon? He probably has a bilge pump in it..if not ..he needs one. Also, I think Steve's estimate of clothing was light..when I used to wrestle...a third of a century ago...I remember cutting weight and clothes, shoes socks Levis and a shirt averaged 10lbs..I imagine all decked out for cold weather hunting with waders,longjohns,sweatshirts, coat with pockets full of crap...it would average close to 30 lbs. Even if they were all "little" guys at 200 lbs ea. I bet that load is over a ton. A stock Honker is a big boat and his is even bigger.
 
opps i think you are right, so i was being generous. All i know water adds up and quick. I have to haul my smaller boats across spits of ,land and the water sure adds the pounds quick.
 
I actually have 2 bilge pumps. One is an automatic and the other is a manual. I have not seen a waterline from Devlin. Empty with no motor or anything, The water line was about 1" above the chine. I don't recall how deep it sat when fully loaded. What I will say when we had 5 + 2 layouts... is was a beautifully sunny day with 2-3' ground swells for water. I was in extemely rough seas (for hunting with 4 guys (including myself) my 11 doz decoys and 1 MLB. and the boat was responsive to the motor, it turned as on a quarter (Unless you gun it, it always turns on a quarter...tiller you know...) Even with 2 guys pulling in the MLB on one side...which also was the side I was standing/steer from (starboard) in rough water, no one in the boat thought it felt tippy. If fact it was mentioned at the time.

When we were being tender boat, (2 guys...no decoys...no layout) we had a wave fill the splash well... but NOTHING came in the cockpit... My only fear was that the motor would not start.,... since the wave 1/2 covered the couling... But it fired up and off we went. That day was the first time the boat was in real seas... It was rough water but neve a sense of danger... And we put it to the test.. I actually was wanting to drop the guys and layouts off and go play.. .but thought a beer back at camp was a better idea.

I would never choose 5 +2 in there... but given that it is transport only....and the 2 layouts could be released over the side in about 2 seconds... I would do 5 +2 again...

For the sake of winter boredom, which will begin after this weekend... I will do some more investigating on this topic.

205'...Now that is one heck of a tender!!!! :)
 
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I just re read the Backyard Boatbuilders guidlines...etc Everything I am seeing, is based on the sink test and stability test...
 
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