Mississippi ‘RiverBoat’ MINIMUMS

ok, time to rig the sylvan for myself. and i don’t take this stuff too lightly as i drown on big lake in ’84, but that’s another post.

so what is the minimum that needs to be on a small river boat to be safe…

Here’s my repair/install list currently:

1) Transom, new & New Carpeted Floor

2) Lowrance transducer

3) VHF

a. Power

b. Antenna

4) Downriggers

5) Planar Mast

6) Trolling Motor

7) Rod Holders

8) Interior Courtesy Lights

9) Seat Bases

10) Battery Base

11) Rear Running Light

12) Anchor

13) 2 MCP Front Lite

Of course there is stuffer space for lifejackets and throws.

What else needs to be on this list??

Extra ropes and a knife to cut anchor rope if need be

Fire extinguisher. Battery boxes or terminal covers. Horn or loud whistle.

-J.

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Of course there is stuffer space for lifejackets and throws.

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Wrong answer!

Seriously consider a inflatable PFD that isn’t on the back of a chair or other place then being worn.

Although I do have a type III below deck for someone under 16 years or as a spare.

No one ever wakes up in the morning saying “I’m going to fall overboard today”.

1. Fire extinguisher
2. Notification device – horn, whistle, something loud
3. Jumper cables in case of battery problems
4. I like to keep spare rain gear for the odd storm
5. Radio or weather band
6. Ship to shore radio

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What else needs to be on this list??

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A good pair of Eyes to watch for stuff in the water and a lot of common sense is very important IMO.

I’ve been planning on using cell and VHF for communications. Is that not enuf on the ole Miss?

Thanks for the notice on the fire extinguisher. Didn’t have it in the plan…

BrianK
are you absalutly, possitivly, 100 percent sure your life jacket will inflate if you fall over board ?

An emergency rope that fits your outboard flywheel groove and that’s cut to the right length.

Possibly an oar to push yourself off uncharted sandbars.

oh… and the GPS coordinates to your walleye honey hole. (Just in case you don’t return as expected).

Working gas guage.

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BrianK

are you absalutly, possitivly, 100 percent sure your life jacket will inflate if you fall over board ?

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I bet my and my customers life on it 3 days per week.

Not that it’s ever happened in four years, but I’m more concerned that they might go off when not needed then not go off when needed.

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BrianK
are you absalutly, possitivly, 100 percent sure your life jacket will inflate if you fall over board ?

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I bet my and my customers life on it 3 days per week.

Not that it’s ever happened in four years, but I’m more concerned that they might go off when not needed then not go off when needed.

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By the way BrianK – nice article in the current issue of In-Fisherman. Good stuff.

Thanks Boogs!

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i don’t take this stuff too lightly as i drown on big lake in ’84, but that’s another post.

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Welcome back fromthe dead.

Plenty of people go down the entire length of the Mississippi in a canoe every year. The best thing you can have is knowledge of the river.

you didn’t have a fire extinguisher in the plan?? do you even know the laws and regulations??? do you even know that there ARE laws and regulations????

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you didn’t have a fire extinguisher in the plan?? do you even know the laws and regulations??? do you even know that there ARE laws and regulations????

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Not having the extinguisher is a $140 ticket, even if dial shows low. It’s been awhile since I went to the boating safty class but I think that is for boats 16′ and larger and PWC)

How much is it for not having the throw cushion? I see he forgot that too.

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you didn’t have a fire extinguisher in the plan?? do you even know the laws and regulations??? do you even know that there ARE laws and regulations????

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Not having the extinguisher is a $140 ticket, even if dial shows low. It’s been awhile since I went to the boating safty class but I think that is for boats 16′ and larger and PWC)

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and so people don’t think I’m a total dick for flaming this guy, check out this thread where I postulate about the need for a licensing requirement for boaters.

Shorter link

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and so people don’t think I’m a total dick for flaming this guy

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Yea, you could tone that down a bit…

BTW, he DID have the throwable on his list….

-J.

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you didn’t have a fire extinguisher in the plan?? do you even know the laws and regulations??? do you even know that there ARE laws and regulations????

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I believe he was asking so that he did not forget items such as this. IMHO a fire extinguisher would be a very easy thing to forget, and I am a fireman.

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and I am a fireman

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Did you change your smoke detector batteries in Oct FB?

Wait, that’s not a law yet.

This is a great post for this time of year…and THANK YOU!

I forgot to put my anchor cutting knife in the boat!

I did NOT forget the throwable, so there!!
And I did not forget the fire extinguisher; i even have a box with a dozen extras (i burnt down 25A of CRP last year, so it’s a cheap investment, rather than making a $2500 donation to the volunteer fire department…)
What I forgot, was finding a place to INSTALL it in the floor plan… Going out to fix that right now.

The transom is installed and it’s hot. Well worth the effort.

Now, if I can find an electro start for my 15h 4stroke…

How about a 1st aid kit. Might get cut by one of them green fish with all the teeth Bleeding doesn’t stop that fast. Helps to have fresh bandaids in there. The old one don’t stick to good

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you didn’t have a fire extinguisher in the plan?? do you even know the laws and regulations??? do you even know that there ARE laws and regulations????

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I’m pretty sure he asked for our help NOT an chewin’. I’m sure his wife will take care of that for him

Great post for all of us to review what we have and may have missed.

14′ boat with a 15hp? i would keep it as light as possible. pfd’s, anchor, lights, battery, some rod holders, a graph, seats, and that is it.

throw a handheld vhf, knife and first aid kit in your tackle bag.

fire extinguisher? i suppose…

you start putting too much stuff in it, and it won’t even get up on plane.

for small, light boats, empty is the key…

tool kit! electric stuff is nice to have

I agree with you regarding keeping it lite. I’m using the 15hp as a kicker on my 18IO. I’ve got a choice between a 25 and a 60 and I think I’ve decided on the 25. 60 is just a little much for a 14’er…

Got the transom installed last nite, so probably mounting the 25. Then the electricity and mounting the X-15/VHF and the planning board mast base. Still have to figure out how to get downriggers into this one.

Putting in a front fuse block and a hail speaker also.

Am also thinking of putting a 6″ railing along the sides. What’s the feeling about that??

If anyone’s got photos of how they set up their tiller boats, I’d love to see them for ideas.

Check bilge pump and switch, blown or loose fuses, 5 million power floodlight…

there is only 3″ under the floor and fully filled with foam. Would the bilge be for taking water over the gunwales??