Are there any suggestions for an emergency, rarely used, BOB (bug-out BOAT) for use in a flood zone?

I have the cheap Coleman inflatable boats for 2 people but doubt it would stand up to any use. I am looking for a boat such as an inflatable liferaft, or aluminum bottom boat, and preferably one that could be well-used with a small motor.

Any ideas? Costs?

Thanks

My votes for a canoe. Lightweight (relative to an aluminum flat bottom), low maintenance, and can carry a fair amount of gear.

The town where I went to school had a flood in the 80's and afetrward every other house had one of those aluminum fishing boats in the back yard, it was pretty funny to see.

My suggestions would either be a canoe or a flat bottom john boat, neither sit low in the water. So if you have to go through shallow as well as deep water either because of the dept of the water or because of obstructions you'll be able to. They make some hard bottom inflatables but they are expenxive and you still run the risk of puncturing the inflatable sides. You can pick up canoes and john boats pretty cheap, if you can't find either a V or Semi V will be better than nothing.

You can pick up a used canoe or john boat around here fairly reasonable, I have seen them under 200.00 all depends on bells and whistles, thats probably the exception to the rule, expect to pay anywhere up to 1,000.00 which might also get you a small motor either gas or electric.

If you do decide on a canoe I would suggest attaching pontoons to make it more stable, any dealer would have the kit.

Could you tell us a little more about how you foresee using the boat in a flood, some more about the type of conditions found in the flood area, and the budget you had in mind?

Jeff

I think my biggest question would be to ask your options for storing the boat. An inflatable seems like a good idea if your do not have the room to store a canoe. As I live in a NYC apartment, there is no room for a canoe unless it becomes the coffee table. When I finish my house in a suburb, I should have room, but that won't happen before the end of summer. Budget, intended use and the durability you want would be next on my list of things. Your intended use should also consider how much you want to bring with you in this boat.

john boat..flat botton and very stable..you could carry
alot in it..canoes would be tricky for people who have
no experence around them..think about a mom with a baby
and bags trying to get in and out of a canoe--john boats
go as fast as you would want--with no tricky bends to the
hull they are easy to repair with sheet metal and pop
rivets--you can run the bow of a john boat up on a bank
and it will be stable--a canoe with its just it's bow up
on something tips very easy..you could carry a john boat
in the back of a pick-up if you needed too..
the guides in canoe country use them as "tow" boats--they get
a lot of wear and tear but keep going..

In general I'm a fan of the freighter-style canoes. However, for the home in the 'burbs the john (or is it jon?) boat is probably best for the reasons stated above. For an apartment maybe you could look into a Sevylor or something similar. I am not sure if you can use compressed CO2 to inflate them. Just my two cents.

A canoe make the most sense but I think these would be more practical (until you ran out of gas)

http://www.argoatv.com/recreational/recdetailvehicles.aspx?x=Eyd6xjM6%2fFP8uuK%2bZYevYg%3d%3d

A few years ago parts of Edmonton flooded pretty badly. I was working at a dealership that sold these and the new models were parked outside in a coral waiting for PDI. They were so boyant we had to hop in one and ride out into the yard to lasso and anchor them before they floated out into traffic!

If you only have yourself to worry about and have little stuff to deal with, I suggest a kayak

I think you will see that most flood evacuation boats used by Fire/Rescue Services tend to be of the Jon/flat bottom style. They are stable, can operate with a low HP outboard engine (or even be paddled) can be used to load and transport family members/friends (think kids, older folks and pets) and limited supplies/home valuables with fewer issues then an inflatable, canoe or kayak. Since many flooding conditions result in contaminated water (sewage, petroleum, pesticides, etc.) using a stable flat bottom boat decreases your chances of having to enter the water, whether due to capsizing or simply loading the boat.

Keep in mind, we are talking flooding conditions not swiftwater and unless you have the training and proper equipment, never attempt to enter (swimming, fording or in a boat) water that is moving.

Pete

You really don't know who or what you'll end up having to carry/rescue. I'd go for a John Boat just for the stability and capacity.

Hi guys,

Thanks for the suggestions. The Jon boat sounds interesting. We live in a detached house on a small lot in an urban city, but we are in a city that even David Suzuki thinks is a high risk flood zone (predicted to flood over the next 50-100 years; we just barely evaded flooding last Spring with the snow pack melt coming down the Fraser River). Our house is less than 1 minute from the dyke, and we are in BC Canada right along the earthquake zone as well. Tsunami's are less of a concern (more Vancouver Island), river waters rising over the dyke from the snow pack melt (especially during high tide & concurrent with a storm surge).

The jon boat sounds like a great idea because of capacity (carrying bug-out bag, extra water and supplies etc, along with my wife and myself. We also would evacuate our two cats (who are more well behaved than Blast's cats). We would have to also evacuate our family members (same subdivision, but right on the dyke)(3 adults, 1 cat, 1 dog).


Thanks!

If space is not a problem, a jon boat. Even old, worn out, bad back, two repaired shoulders, I can carry a 12 or 14 footer a ways by myself.

If space is a problem, I would look into a Fold-a-boat . I have never used one myself, but I have seen more than one 70 year old RVer running around a lake in one with no problem...

I would go for a sturdy John boat. Granted they are less efficient for paddling or poling and can't get into very tight spots like a canoe can but you do get something in return.

A john boat is much more stable. A consideration if you need to pull someone out of the water and working with or rescuing people who are unfamiliar with boats and how to get in and out of them. If the boat overturns your not going to be much use to yourself or others.

A john boat can more easily mount an outboard but this is a minor advantage. In a flood the water is likely to be choked with trash and materials that don't cooperate with outboards. I would plan on sculling, paddling or poling the boat. A john boat has a slight advantage in poling and they are hard to scull. You can pole a canoe but you risk falling in if you hit something or the current shifts.

The one real advantage a canoe has is that paddling it you have a better chance of fighting a current. Something to keep in mind if your location features raging torrents when it floods.

In selecting a john boat I would look for something light so it can be loaded or unloaded or portaged over obstacles by one person. One with at least enough capacity for four people or two people and a lot of gear. Also a design that resists abrasion and puncture if you go over a steel fence post and can take being beached on sharp rocks repeatedly. A design with a good amount of reserve flotation so it can still safely carry people if it is swamped.

If you are limited in storage space you might want to think about a folding kayak. Here are a couple of build your own sites and designs.
Pak Yak
and
[url=
http://www.vhcbsa.org/camping/kayak.pdf]A scout design[/url]

If you decide on adding an outboard to the johnboat, look for a short shaft.