Best way to retrieve Jetcraft stranded in shallow river?

[palasz]

Hi-

My wife and I have been jetboating for a few years now on the Delaware River and are new owners of a 2125 Jetcraft...Our old 14' Outbard Jet was easy...we could just pick it up and move it to deeper water.. BUT, the new boat is heavy and while I do not anticipate a beaching I woulld like to hear any of your ideas on how to self rescue....I was thinking sand anchor and portable winch but I know there has got to be another way..

Thanks for any advice,

Mike and Keri

[MToutdoorsman]

From what I've learned on this forum, as TJM would put it, "friends." Some other preferred methods I've seen and heard of include: hi-lift jack, come-along, rope-along and a couple hundred feet of rope, Pull-pal, and a large parachute. Personally, I carry a shovel, a come-along, rope, and a 2x4 for leverage. A couple forum members at our spring gathering also had electric winches they could mount to a 2" receiver in either the front or rear of their boats. Another option is wheels that can be attached to brackets on the transom.

[Dupont Spinner]

Hi-

My wife and I have been jetboating for a few years now on the Delaware River and are new owners of a 2125 Jetcraft...Our old 14' Outbard Jet was easy...we could just pick it up and move it to deeper water.. BUT, the new boat is heavy and while I do not anticipate a beaching I woulld like to hear any of your ideas on how to self rescue....I was thinking sand anchor and portable winch but I know there has got to be another way..

Thanks for any advice,

Mike and Keri

For the Delaware River I would look at using a parachute, a rope winch and a good anchor, hi lift jack and get a couple of basketballs with air pump.

I use to run the the Delaware up around Hancock....loved running the jet up thru Balls Eddy rapid. There was (I hope there still is) some great trout fishing up there. Before I turned 16, I use to wade across the river and fish both states. Caught 28" Rainbows pretty regular back then.

[Dupont Spinner]

Needed to add...will most likely need a combination of all the above, sometimes, to get moving. I pulled my inboard jet over 50 feet using a rope winch/anchor and hi lift jack. It took 3 of us to get it back floating and 3 hours. Did not have my soccer balls with me.

I do not endorse an electric winch as you need to have a winch rated at double what you are trying to move (unless you can double line it) and enough battery power to get restarted after winching. Remember that a winch is only rated for the 1st wrap of the winch cable and then is reduced a percentage every wrap there after.

[pilebuck]

These things work like a charm: http://www.portablewinch.com/en/

[F33shFr33k]

I bought a Lewis Winch which I haven't had to use yet. Check them out they work off of chainsaw power.

[Dupont Spinner]

These things work like a charm: http://www.portablewinch.com/en/

That is one sweet machine there. Now if can figure out where to hide it.

[palasz]

thanks everyone for these ideas.. I guess the idea with the hi lift jack is to raise boat and place basketballs under then roll the boat forward? I like the parachute idea...that would be easy to store and could give that a test run.

Are the bow and transom eyelets strong enough for pulling the boat or should I have something else welded on the boat and reinforced?

I'd have to see how wheels are attached to transom to understand that concept...Lift boat insert wheels and pull forward?

Thanks,

Mike

[rhorn]

In addition to basketballs, pieces of PVC pipe or round branches/logs can be placed under the boat to push it across. May not be an easy push but at least gets the boat up and breaks the bottom suction.

[Dupont Spinner]

thanks everyone for these ideas.. I guess the idea with the hi lift jack is to raise boat and place basketballs under then roll the boat forward? I like the parachute idea...that would be easy to store and could give that a test run.

Are the bow and transom eyelets strong enough for pulling the boat or should I have something else welded on the boat and reinforced?

I'd have to see how wheels are attached to transom to understand that concept...Lift boat insert wheels and pull forward?

Thanks,

Mike

The jack can be used to lift and push/pull (especially a big inboard jet would need extra pull), stock eyelets will take it the pull, a straight pull is better. Depending on the bottom I put the balls under flat and inflate them once in place. You woiuld be shocked at how much a single ball helps versus a bottom drag.

Some of the wheels I have seen bolt to the transom and you flip them down and then lock in place. Need a good bottom for support and still need something to pick the rear off the bottom to get the wheels down if hard bottom.

[fishnngrinn]

Parchute can be obtained at Second Chance on Spenard in Anchorage

[MischiefManaged]

Legalities aside, a trash pumpmand firehose nozzle would be very effective for a heavy boat.

[Grayling Slayer]

+1 for the Lewis winch. I carry 200' of Amsteel rope and the Lewis has 150' of aircraft cable. Coupled with a good anchor getting stuck is not a big deal.

[F33shFr33k]

+1 for the Lewis winch. I carry 200' of Amsteel rope and the Lewis has 150' of aircraft cable. Coupled with a good anchor getting stuck is not a big deal.

Hey Grayling Slayer, what type of anchor do you use lika a sturdy river anchor? I was going to fab something out of rebar to pound into the ground and pull off of that if no trees/stumps are available. Tia FF

[Grayling Slayer]

I have a wedge type anchor that digs in more the harder you pull. I have also heard that the screw anchors that are used for utility pole guy wires are also excellent and would not mind having one. You can find the amsteel on ebay for a decent price. You can not tie the amsteel without greatly reducing it's strength, but it is hollow core and splicing eyes in the end is really simple. I just made a splice tool out of 14g. electical wire with a loop soldered onto one end that I keep with the rope in case I need to resplice it.