# 14 footer safe?



## tm1669 (Apr 27, 2007)

Im looking at getting a boat for perchin and walleye if their not to far out .I saw a 14 foot deep v for sale. Is this a safe boat Lake Erie if I dont wander to far out adn use my head as far as conditions. A longer boat in the same hull design would be more stable I would think but is 14 feet not safe?
I'm kinda new to boats with motors (kayaker) so any help/advice is much appreaciated.


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## guido469 (Mar 31, 2008)

When i was a kid my grandfather used to take my uncle and i out on erie in a rented 12' boat with a 9.9 moter. Guess what im sayin is if you use your head you shouldn't have a problem. just my .02


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## Angler ss (May 15, 2008)

You can catch alot of perch and walleye in a 14 foot boat, I have with my 14 foot starcraft and 15 hp Johnson.I will tell you there are not many days wear Erie is calm enough to safely fish with a 14 footer. You have to think about other boaters like 30-40 ft boats that will drive past and throw you a 4ft wake:C. I bought a 16.5 ft lund with 50 hp motor and it has higher sides and the beam is wider for these two reasons it handles the waves a whole lot better than my 14 ft v bottom.In the OGF market place a 16ft Blue-Fin with 65 mercury outboard was listed for $2000.This is just an example of what I would look for if I were in your shoes looking for a small but safe boat to fish near shore. If you want to take a test ride in a 14 or 16.5 boat before you buy one send me a pm I will be fishing as soon as a ramp opens up.

Angler ss.


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## Seaturd (Apr 14, 2004)

IMO, it's a darn rare day that a 14 footer is safe to take out on Mother Erie. I see them out there but I'd shoot for 16' bare minimum with a reliable 25 hp or bigger engine.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

You will always get answers about fishing Erie in 10 to 14ft boats and in some cases being 5 to 10 miles out! I have seen canoes, small rubber rafts and even pontoon craft out there but that does not say it is a safe thing to do. Erie can blow up in your face in a matter of minutes and place you in extreem danger whether you are close in or even inside the breakwall. Having fished Erie for over 60 years I can honestly say I wouldn't be out in anything under 16ft. The advice offered by Angler SS and Seaturd is as good as it gets.


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## WalleyeGuy (Apr 9, 2004)

I used to fish erie many years in a 14 foot sea nymph Fishing Machine.
No problems other than pumping water out when you take a wave over the side.
I still fish erie with a friend in his Back Troller sea nymph 14 footer.
We have no problems on 3-5 foot waves other than taking one over the side every now and then.
Get a good beilge pump that runs on the battery and you should be fine.
You will learn a lot about eire waves in that 14 foot boat. It will make you a safer and better educated skipper.
Also turn you into a near shore walleye expert.


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

WalleyeGuy said:


> I still fish erie with a friend in his Back Troller sea nymph 14 footer.
> We have no problems on 3-5 foot waves other than taking one over the side every now and then.


What could possibly go wrong there?


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## tm1669 (Apr 27, 2007)

Thanks for all the good advice. I guess seeing whats on the market will have some impact as well. Even getting my thoughts geared into fishing and a boat has done wonders for my spirits. I think I'll casta few off of the rocks today for the hell of it. 
Enjoy the day!


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

I also think a decent 16' V is the minimum size for Lake Erie and it must be deep and at least 7' wide. I had a 16' starcraft aluminum with modestly deep V and only 6' wide and I took on some water with certain 3' waves and swells. Ask anyone, 3'ers are common on the lake.

With regard to bilge pumps, keep in mind that a standard bilge on a small boat is 500 gallon per hour. Divide by 60 and you get 8.3 gallons per minute. If you take on a mere 5 gallons "over the side" on every wave and waves hit your boat every 15 seconds, that's 20 gallons per minute; leaving 11.7 gallons onboard. The key is that it doesn't take long to swamp a small boat, even with a bilge.


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## WalleyeGuy (Apr 9, 2004)

Nothing will go wrong as long as you dont wig out when it happens.
Want to come out and take a couple over the sides and learn what to do?


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## tm1669 (Apr 27, 2007)

Cant believe I missed the Blue Fin in the marketplace. Im trying to contact the owner to get a look at it.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I guess if you had a 14 footer then perhaps it would be worth choosing your days wisely to use it on Erie but as you mentioned you are still looking to buy so my advice would be to go a bit larger. You sound as if it may be a boat that is intended more for Erie than inland lakes and that is why I would personally go larger. A wide beam 16-17 boat will not put you out much more money (assuming options are equal). You may find that there are days that the 14 footer can get out on the lake to fish but anyone who has fished Erie knows that the good days are typically not those flat days. That will leave you kicking yourself many times for not having the boat to get on the lake.


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## Toolman (Jun 8, 2004)

I started fishing Erie from a 16' aluminum boat w/ a 40 HP tiller. Fortunately, I wasn't smart enough back then to be nervous, or I wouldn't have ever had any fun! ;-) I did pick my days to venture out (I still do, to a lesser degree) and typically stayed near the islands as a safe haven.

You could do a search on this topic and read for weeks about people's opinions on what size boat (and motor) is safe or not safe. IMO there are days that you could travel 30 miles out and back safely in a 12' boat w/ a 9.9 and days that seem just like that day when you start out and in a matter of mere minutes a 28' boat suddenly seems overmatched. Learning to read the conditions will help a bunch, but when you get "caught" you better have a sea-worthy craft and the ability to pilot it. 

Tim


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Back in the day before lawyers and lawsuits, my dad and his brother used to rent 12' wood row boats at Euclid Beach and row offshore to catch some perch and blue pike. They always had a coffee can to bail as sometimes the boats they rented there had a few leaks...Eventually in the late 50's my uncle bought a nice wood Lyman with a 25hp. I think it was a 14 footer and he took it out at Neff Road all the time. I think that boat floated over the waves it was so light.


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## tm1669 (Apr 27, 2007)

Thanks for all the advice.


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## waterwalker (Jan 24, 2008)

WalleyeGuy said:


> Nothing will go wrong as long as you dont wig out when it happens.
> Want to come out and take a couple over the sides and learn what to do?


No thanks,but I would like you to post and say what to do as a public service announcement. I have never taken 1 "over the side" in any of my 14's, but I would like to be prepared if I do.


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## Wolfhook120 (Oct 17, 2007)

Just my two cents, but I've been on mother Erie enough to know that she's got a temper. I run a nineteen foot Champion with a 150 Evinrude on her and even with my boat I still occasionally take a carpet scrubber that will kick both bilges on. I cannot imagine taking a roller in a 14 footer. Even if you find the trough you still run the chance of getting hit with the stacked waves when the bottom rolls out from under one. I definetely agree you must learn to watch the conditions, pre-plan the trip, and use your gut instinct when you're out there. Erie can be fickle. Some days you can go out there and get your arm broke yanking in fish all day, other days you can go out there and get your boat broke if she blows up on you. The one thing I guess I can relate to is this, Erie is NOT the place for any mechanical failures! Hope this helps.:B


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## Skish (Nov 4, 2008)

Back in the day, there was Charlie's and Lenny's Rental boats out in Avon Lake, they were all 14 footers with 9.9s. There was another outfit that rented the same at Put-in- Bay, some one drown, and insurance costs put them all out of business.


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Huge difference between the rollers of the central/eastern basin & the nasty white caps of the western. If it's intended mainly for Erie, then get a boat that's safe & big enough to get the job done. Been on the big lake since the 70's, in boats from 15' (< 1 mile out) to 30' Sportscraft & can honestly say bigger is better, at least more comfy. Now have a tourney style 19 footer w/ 150 & you still pick your days.
You also said you were a kayaker, meaning inexperienced at power boats ; smaller boats on Erie are best left to extremely seasoned vets who know what to do.
Some who said they were on the lake in 3-5 footers in a very small boat weren't on the west end or have a guardian angel.
Go a little bigger both in boat & motor if you can afford it .......... no need for news stories about people missing due to their boat capsizing.
T


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