Taking A Boat Into The Ocean Requirements

We want to take a big john boat into the ocean this fall. Its a fiberglass with a 75hp motor and a good size not to small but not to big.

What do we need to do to get it put in? Permits like fresh water? Atlantic ocean permit? ha ha

We kinda know you can drop in at a dock for a fee I guess unless you can just push it in on shore at a deserted beach.

Check with the local Coast Guard. There may be rules about life-jackets, certainly running lights, and other safety devices.
Cheers,
John

Try this site USCG Boating Safety Home Page

Check with the Coast Guard before taking that boat out on the ocean. If this Jon boat is of the type I'm thinking it has a nearly flat bottom with a squared off bow, these boats were not designed for rough waters.

Does you boat look anything like this?

I call it a john boat but its not. Nope thats not it. Its not flat bottomed its fiberglass with a center ridge seperating the two pieces of the bottom.

It looks sorta like this 22 footer.
http://www.fishfiddleresort.com/bt-deckboat1.jpg

Our has a ridge all the way around instead of a front deck. We dont have a shade tarp either.

I know it'll need to be registerd, operators license, and a Coast Guard approved preserver for every one on board.

CGM3 - that is not an open sea worthy boat for the "ocean".

Check it out with the USCG!!

I will not be dropping it in the water until I know it can be legally.

Not sea worthy you say? My dads pops used to take them in a boat of similar size just out to the Jeddies(spelling) and not to far in the ocean. Just near shore fishing. They did it and were fine.

I used to canoe by myself in Lake Superior also. It's a "Forest Gump" game?

(Please don't risk others lives in your ignorance in this gambit. I don't want any Coast Guard or such to risk themselves for your riske` behavior.")

Nuf' said.

It looks like a Bass Boat to me. I believe there are a different set of rules for jetties and close to land boating. You may wish to check the area in which you'll be fishing for their local laws.

CGM3 I'm an experienced boatie for the past 25yrs, have been in all kinds of seas and all kinds of weather, and in all kinds of boats. Seeing as i'm in Australia I can't help you with the regulations side of things, but I strongly urge you to consider your own abilities as the FIRST factor in taking any vessel into open water. A 75hp motor is useless in a 10 foot swell with a small to mid-size boat, all it will do is get you into trouble when you try to throttle over undulating waves, conversley it's more than enough in calm conditions.

Check your talents for handling such craft in any conditions, check your craft for the same thing, check that you have every conceivable safety device suited to your venture, and check that those aboard are just as well equipped to cope with the unlikely as you are. If you feel satisfied that you have minimised all the risk factors then let common sense dictate where you take it and enjoy a safe boating experience under controlled conditions.

I live on the waters edge to the largest salt water lake in the southern hemisphere, every holidays I invariably assist with craft and crews who just were NOT well prepared for the unlikely because "The weather seemed fine when we left" or "the boat was running fine till now" or "one of our passengers told us of their phobia just as we hit 1 mile offshore" yadda yadda yadda. Don't be a statistic

Hay there CGM3
There are two phrases I want you to think about , one is from Jaws "We need a bigger boat" . The second is from the Bible "Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God" . I have been in a much bigger "Jon boat" , we called them "landing craft" and they bobbed around like corks in almost any waves over 2 feet . the boat type you showed would be fine for medium lakes and slow rivers . Sorry, but what you need is a boat built for salt water.

Famous last words: "It always worked before" , " The odds of that happening have to be a million to one !"