Boats and watercraft

When roads flood, bridge approaches become impassable, or a community sits on a river delta or island, water becomes the route. During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, an estimated 10,000 civilian boat owners joined the "Cajun Navy" to rescue more than 10,000 people from flooded Houston neighborhoods — operating in conditions where every wheeled vehicle was useless. Watercraft are not a universal mobility tool, but in specific scenarios — floods, coastal areas, river corridors — they are the only tool.

When water mobility becomes the route

Water travel is relevant in four scenarios:

  1. Flood evacuation: Roads are submerged and water depth is sufficient to paddle or motor through
  2. Coastal and island access: Your community is separated from the mainland by water under normal conditions
  3. River corridor movement: A river provides a faster or safer route than degraded roads
  4. Resupply across water: A crossing separates your location from needed supplies

Water routes fail in their own ways: high current, debris, submerged obstacles, and limited visibility make flood water more dangerous than it looks. Watercraft are not backup roads — they require different skills, different navigation, and specific safety equipment.

Watercraft types by scenario

Kayak

A solo or tandem kayak is the most portable and storable paddled option. A standard recreational kayak weighs 35–65 pounds (16–30 kg) and can be transported on a roof rack. Weight capacity is typically 250–350 pounds (113–159 kg) for recreational kayaks — enough for a single paddler with a full bag.

Kayaks are maneuverable in narrow channels and resistant to swamping in calm water. In moving flood water with debris, a kayak's low profile and stability make it manageable for a skilled paddler. Limitation: minimal cargo space and no practical option for carrying a second adult as a passenger.

Canoe

An open canoe weighs 45–80 pounds (20–36 kg) for aluminum or composite versions and carries 600–900 pounds (272–408 kg) — enough for two adults, two children, and meaningful gear. Canoes are the most versatile family evacuation watercraft because of this load margin.

The downside is wind sensitivity: an open canoe broadside to a headwind loses significant maneuverability. In heavy chop or fast current, canoe stability demands experienced paddlers.

Inflatable boats

Inflatable kayaks and rafts compress to storage sizes that fit a car trunk or large pack. Quality inflatable kayaks weigh 20–40 pounds (9–18 kg) deflated and carry 300–500 pounds (136–227 kg). An inflatable canoe rated for family use can carry 600–800 pounds (272–363 kg).

Storage advantages are significant — an inflatable boat can live in a garage corner and deploy in 10 minutes. Durability tradeoffs are real: PVC inflatables puncture on sharp debris, and most are not suited for fast-moving water. For calm flood water or lakes, they are effective.

Jon boat (small aluminum motorized)

A 12–16 foot (3.7–4.9 m) aluminum jon boat powered by a small outboard motor is the workhorse of flood rescue. Stable, simple, easy to repair, and capable of carrying 4–6 people or equivalent gear. The motor adds fuel dependency — in a prolonged emergency, fuel availability becomes the constraint.

Field note

A jon boat with a motor and paddles is the most capable combination: you move quickly when fuel is available, and you can paddle when it isn't. A 3–4 horsepower (2.2–3 kW) motor is sufficient for shallow flood water and burns far less fuel than a larger engine. Buy the smallest motor that meets your mission requirements.

All recreational vessels must carry one US Coast Guard-approved wearable PFD (personal flotation device) for each person aboard. Boats 16 feet (4.9 m) and longer must also carry one throwable Type IV device. A visual distress signal (flare) is required on coastal and open-water vessels.

Registration requirements vary by state. Most powered vessels, and unpowered vessels over a certain length, require state registration. Paperwork matters: during an emergency, law enforcement still operates on the water. Keep registration documentation waterproof and accessible.

Flood water hazards: what you can't see

Moving flood water is categorically more dangerous than its appearance suggests. FEMA guidance notes that 6 inches (15 cm) of moving water can knock an adult off their feet, and 1 foot (30 cm) of moving water can sweep a vehicle away. These figures apply to current over roads — and flood water moves faster in channels.

Specific hazards in flood water you cannot see from a boat:

  • Submerged infrastructure: stop signs, fence lines, utility poles, and jersey barriers create invisible snags. A propeller or hull that catches a submerged fence line can flip or immobilize a small boat in seconds.
  • Downed power lines: electrical hazards in water are invisible and lethal. Any wires down near your route are a reason to divert, not proceed. If a wire is across the water, assume the water is energized.
  • Current behind obstacles: water pooled in a neighborhood may look still but is actively moving toward a drainage channel. Current at the far end of an apparently calm flooded street can be much faster than upstream.
  • Cold water immersion shock: water temperature during flood events is often 50–65°F (10–18°C) even in summer months. Sudden immersion triggers cold shock response — involuntary gasping and hyperventilation — that can cause inhalation of water before the victim has any conscious control. This is why a PFD is mandatory, not optional: most cold water drowning victims inhale water before they can act.

Flood water is not calm water

In any boat on flood water, keep speed low, assign one person to watch forward for hazards, and wear your PFD. A propeller strike on submerged debris can disable your motor immediately. Know your paddle backup before you need it.

Outboard motor selection

For flat-bottomed jon boats used in flood scenarios, motor selection affects both utility and fuel economy:

  • 2–4 horsepower (1.5–3 kW): Sufficient for flood-depth water with 2–3 people and gear. Burns less than 0.5 gallons (1.9 L) per hour at moderate throttle. Lightweight (30–50 lbs (14–23 kg)) and easily portable.
  • 5–10 horsepower (3.7–7.5 kW): Better for river current and heavier loads. Burn rate increases to 0.5–1 gallon (1.9–3.8 L) per hour at working throttle.
  • 15+ horsepower (11+ kW): Overkill for flood rescue; high fuel consumption and more difficult to manage in debris-filled water.

For a 12-foot (3.7 m) jon boat with 4 people — a common Cajun Navy configuration during Hurricane Harvey — a 5-horsepower motor was the practical standard. It provides enough push to handle light current without consuming fuel at a rate that makes a one-day reserve insufficient.

Paddle vs. motor: the fuel dependency trade-off

A motorized boat covers more ground faster but introduces fuel dependency. In a prolonged emergency, fuel supply chains fail. A paddled boat is self-sufficient indefinitely as long as you have the physical capacity and the conditions are manageable.

Plan by scenario:

  • If the movement is a single evacuation event, a motor makes sense
  • If the watercraft is part of a longer resupply or patrol role, ensure enough fuel for the full round-trip plus a reserve margin
  • If fuel availability is uncertain, prioritize a paddled option or carry a paddle backup for a motorized boat

Paddle sizing for emergency use: a canoe paddle length should reach from the ground to chin height when standing; a kayak paddle sizing depends on boat width and paddler height — roughly 210–230 cm (83–91 inches) for a recreational kayak. A paddle that is the wrong length forces inefficient technique and accelerates fatigue.

See fuel storage for how to pre-position adequate reserves for motorized watercraft.

Storage, maintenance, and readiness

A kayak or canoe stored in a garage requires almost no maintenance: rinse after salt water use, inspect hull and hull seams annually, check paddle shaft and blade for cracks. UV exposure degrades plastic hulls over years — store under cover or use a UV-protective cover for outdoor storage.

An inflatable boat requires more attention: inspect seams and valves before every use. A missed slow leak becomes critical on the water. Carry a repair kit (PVC patches and appropriate cement) and know how to use it. Practice a repair before you need one — cold hands and stress make simple tasks harder. A 10-minute patch job you've never done before takes 30 minutes the first time.

A motorized boat requires the full outboard engine maintenance regimen: - Fresh fuel, or treated stored fuel with stabilizer (see fuel storage) - Oil check (2-stroke engines require pre-mixed fuel; 4-stroke engines have separate oil) - Impeller (water pump) inspection annually — a failed impeller causes the engine to overheat without visible warning - Spark plug inspection and replacement per schedule — a fouled plug is the most common non-start cause - Annual flushing: run the engine on clean fresh water after any salt or brackish water use

An engine that sat all winter with old, untreated E10 gasoline may varnish the carburetor and refuse to start. Run it under load at least twice a year and treat fuel on storage.

Emergency readiness standard: For a boat intended as emergency equipment, it should be start-tested under load within the last 6 months, launched in its intended environment at least once annually, and fueled with treated storage fuel at the required level before any monitoring period. A boat you haven't started in two years is not emergency equipment — it is a project.

Pre-planned launch and landing points

Identify launch points before you need them. During a flood, your normal boat ramp may be submerged, buried in debris, or inaccessible. Pre-identify:

  • Primary launch point with vehicle access
  • Alternate launch point if the primary is blocked
  • Mid-route landing points for rest or gear transfer
  • Destination landing point and approach

For navigation on water, the same principles apply as on land — navigation covers map reading and dead reckoning that applies to water routes without relying on digital charts.

Practical checklist

  • Select a craft type matched to your scenario: kayak for solo, canoe or inflatable for family, jon boat for high-load or motorized needs
  • Verify USCG-approved PFDs are present and properly sized for every person who will use the boat
  • Register the vessel per your state's requirements and keep documentation waterproofed
  • Identify primary and alternate launch points for your most likely scenario
  • Test your boat fully loaded under realistic conditions before you depend on it
  • For motorized boats: carry full fuel plus 25% reserve; run the engine at least twice yearly
  • Keep a paddle as a backup on any motorized vessel
  • Carry a repair kit appropriate for your hull material
  • Pre-plan water routes and mark launch and extraction points on a printed map

For the full evacuation decision framework, including when to leave and how to coordinate departure, see evacuation planning. For route-finding when landmarks are submerged, see navigation.