Argo cat question

Mr Wolverine

Mr Wolverine

CGN Regular
Location
Manitoba. Canada
Well yesterday was the first day of duck hunting and as I now have been adopted by a gun dog it was time to go duck hunting. I love water, boats and hunting ducks but always felt you needed a good gun dog if you were chasing ducks. Well off we went at first light with the new Argo cat (not new, but new to me) no problem going down the muddy bank into the river. Kobe dived in for a swim, so as soon as he was aboard I was soaking wet. Turned the engine off, switched on the trolling motor just enought throttle to get steerage, going with the current. Dead calm, The mist was gently rising, spotted the first ducks, cut the motor, loaded the 870 drifted in and as the ducks lifted off I opened fire, missed with my first rd and then dropped one. Life was good, this was the pattern for the morning.

First problem was after 1 1/2 hours I realized that my batteries were fading, the two new large tractor batters were fading fast, I had best save what power was left for retrieving ducks if need be. Question: Would deep cycle marine batteries do better? I have no experance with them. No problem I had all day, the sun was coming up, I wish I had packed a flask of coffee. Kobe was all smiles as he snuggled his wet shoulder against my knee, I pulled out the paddle and just made the occasional stroke to keep us in the main channel. Now it was getting hot, I wish I was wearing shorts but I had never gone duck hunting in shorts.

Second problem: this was serious and I am looking for imput please. My Argo cat couldn't climb out of the river, with no outboard motor she just wouldn,t get a grip on the bank. I passed the best spot and my failing batteries would not keep me going against the current. Oh, I also forgot the mention by this time I was bailing every 20 mins, good job I threw in a pail.

The irony of all of this is that I was never more than 1000 m from my house but completely out of sight. Nearly capsized retrieving a duck as we got tangled in a dead fall, the trolling motor was just about dead and the wheels really didn't cut it against the current.

Found another landing spot, time to try plan B, I jumped ashore with a rope. I disappearing in the mud up to my knees, so much for trying out the winch, Kobe was struggling in the mud! I lost my boots, eventually I dug them out, lept on board, bailed like crazy, got Kobe on board and we drifted away.

The situation was not looking good, Kobe was enjoying himself but now at 1.30 pm I knew Pat would be getting concerned.

My last chance was on the outside of a bend, dam it the current would be strong but I had to get ashore here witha line. I put on my life jacket, not a good sign I thought. Jumped ashore, the Argo got caught in a submerged tree, I couldn't get up the steep bank, Kobe decided to help and got caught in the line, hell, could nothing go right. Eventually I got the line round a large tree, got Kobe untangled and got the nose of the Argo on the bank. I now sank into the mud up to my knees and lost my rubber boots again, to bad. I got the winch cable out round a tree and sucked her out of the river, only just in time, as I winched her up the bank the water inside her was almost ready to run out the back. Some where in there was a fleece, a coffee mug, some shells, some wrenches, a dog leash and my 870. I got to the top of the bank, I was exhausted, what a "fun day" now I would have to walk 2 miles home to get the chain saw so I could reach the road.

Question for any Argo Cat owners what are the best tyres for getting out of deep water up a muddy river bank? And yes I think Iwill purchase a bilge pump.

As I write this we are looking at the bones of two duck, one of the best suppers ever!

I hope you all had as much fun this week end?



 
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J-wheels mite do the trick thay add quite a bit of flowtashion to Argos or quod good in mud water but not so good in deep snow
 
Ive had five Argos over the years, and currently have an 8x8, they are great machines, but they still have their limitations. Also gaining some experience using them over time helps a lot.
The best tires Ive found for maneuvering in water are the Argo tires. I also use a 9.9 on the back and it helps but is still pretty slow, about 4.5 mph on my machine. Getting out of the water is tricky as you found out, unless you have a very gradual bank, thats the norm. Try to stay away from water with any current to it, especially without an outboard on it.
And do get a bilge pump, I have two on mine. If your taking on a lot of water you may have some bad wheel seals and bearings, keep them greased, as this helps keeping out water.
Also check that the body isn't cracked underneath. Sometimes water can get in through the vents in the front of the machine, I tape them up with duct tape when I'm hunting in the fall to keep the water out. Mine will take on about a gallon an hour usually, with a bad wheel seal that jumps to a gallon every few minutes.
Also when your winching, make sure you leave your motor running, those winches will suck all the juice out of your battery quickly.
If you have any more questions, just ask.
 
Couple of thoughts:

Yes, deep cycle batteries are more suitable for the long slow drain of a trolling motor, But Argos have the hull design of a HiPoint slide, and as such use a lot of energy just to maintain steerage. A small 2 stroke outboard would probably serve better.

Argos are really nose-heavy, which makes them steer better, but screws with you when you're trying to climb out of the water. I've found lots and lots of banks I couldn't climb with mine, but very few I couldn't *back* up. At least you get the right Angle to get a purchase with the rear wheels, like a wedge, as oppsed to the front wheels just scrabbling at the edge, and not really doing anything but digging a hole.

And yeah, bilge-pumps are your friend. They do leak, no ways about it, but that sounds extreme.

But they are a ton of fun, and amazing what they will do. Tracks are amazing on gross ground and snow, but provide Zero drive in the water... Found out the hard way.... :D
 
Magellann said:
Ive had five Argos over the years, and currently have an 8x8, they are great machines, but they still have their limitations. Also gaining some experience using them over time helps a lot.
The best tires Ive found for maneuvering in water are the Argo tires. I also use a 9.9 on the back and it helps but is still pretty slow, about 4.5 mph on my machine. Getting out of the water is tricky as you found out, unless you have a very gradual bank, thats the norm. Try to stay away from water with any current to it, especially without an outboard on it.
And do get a bilge pump, I have two on mine. If your taking on a lot of water you may have some bad wheel seals and bearings, keep them greased, as this helps keeping out water.
Also check that the body isn't cracked underneath. Sometimes water can get in through the vents in the front of the machine, I tape them up with duct tape when I'm hunting in the fall to keep the water out. Mine will take on about a gallon an hour usually, with a bad wheel seal that jumps to a gallon every few minutes.
Also when your winching, make sure you leave your motor running, those winches will suck all the juice out of your battery quickly.
If you have any more questions, just ask.
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Thanks, what you say makes perfect sense, I would never use the winch with out the engine running. Next will be to try a larger outboard motor but I loved the silence of the electric trolling motor. My current tyres are very poor, I have seen some really good ones on line but can,t find them now. I don,t want the weight of a trolling motor and batteries as well as an outboard, next I will need a life boat incase I sink! As for current, I have no choice, my river will always have some current, from very minor to very strong, depending on time of year. I am used to boats that will always float even if full of water, this Argo is a little different but a lot of fun. Thanks for your tips, I will check the hull for leaks. Cheers John
 
Carlisle is making the current Argo tires, they have a good paddle on them for water use, and they are available ONLY through Argo dealers, If you have a long shaft outboard, that is the best, it gets the prop a little deeper beneath the hull, and gives better control.
 
They used to make a 30gpm mountable, hand powered bilge pump called the "Gusher". I had one in my 27' sailboat. This would not be overkill if you decide to get one. You could clear several gallons from your bilge with just a few strokes of the pump handle then get back to your navigating, or whatever. A bucket is better than nothing,, almost ;).
 
Backing out is fine except I would have to lift up the outboard motor before i back up and then I have to rely on the wheels only, that will not work in the current in my river. Also my winch is on the front only. Hunting by myself does not give me the luxury of having some one else on the bank to secure my winch cable, I need to be able to at least drive on to the bank and "stick" there while I secure a winch line, then at least I can relax.
Cheers John
 
HKMark23 said:
They used to make a 30gpm mountable, hand powered bilge pump called the "Gusher". I had one in my 27' sailboat. This would not be overkill if you decide to get one. You could clear several gallons from your bilge with just a few strokes of the pump handle then get back to your navigating, or whatever. A bucket is better than nothing,, almost ;).
Click to expand...

I like the sound of her, please tell me more, I would hate to rely on a electric one and then find I can,t start the engine as I have flattened the the battery!
 
Had a few argos over the years. Ran them in just about every condition. If your going to run a good motor you wont need to rely on the tires for forward momentum in the water, so you could choose a more aggressive tire. Keep in mind, they need to be the same diameter as the stock tires. They are a non standard size tire, so youll have to find the size and look for something based on size, not style (as in, dont just look for ATV tires).

You COULD also try as set of more aggressive tires only on the front (as long as the size was identical to the other 4 tires it will be fine) but like the others have said, argos are not known to "climb" out of low traction surfaces like water very well at all. With that said, if youve got a decent winch, you should be able to get yourself out of just about anything.

Our argos have always been new so taking on water has never been a problem but I have read and heard many stories just like the ones above in regards to the wheel bearings. One of the weak points of the argo in general.
 
Heres a pic of my Argo on the Spanish River in early November, taken a couple years ago, it was a cold choppy day on the water.

MooseHunt2009007.jpg
 
Mr Wolverine said:
I like the sound of her, please tell me more, I would hate to rely on a electric one and then find I can,t start the engine as I have flattened the the battery!
Click to expand...

I'd go with the model BP4402 at the bottom of this page. For the small difference in price over the lesser models you'd be much happier with the performance. These are self priming,, within reason,, so test it at the level you plan on mounting it before putting the screws to her. I doubt you'll have mounting level issues in an ARGO but you never know.

http://www.discountmarinesupplies.c...lterby=bilge pump&action1=search&using=AnyAll
 
Might I suggest, if the tires are really worm out, and you're trying to limp them along for the rest of the season, a Set of cheap Canadian-tire or Princess Auto Tire chains help a lot with getting out of stuff forwards. Just on the tires you want to climb out with, i.e. in this case, front.

Even if it can't drag itself out, it will dig enough of a hole to stick it in place long enough to get a cable out and secured. Doesn't affect the ride quality too terribly badly, either.
 
Woops, Sorry , make that the 4410, the one on sale at $115. Its 28 gmp and should do the trick nicely. They're probably available at lots of boating supply places, this site is just one I googled to find the pump. My recreational boating days were some time ago.
 
I'm using a 9.9 hp Mercury motor, I modified the transom mount so the motor would sit about four inches deeper than the standard Argo transom. I found that it would cavitate a lot on me before. Thats why a long shaft motor is much better. Mine is a standard length but It work s ok with the new transom mount.
 
CousinTony said:
Takes a bold man to put a Argo out on the Assiniboine alone... I wouldnt
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I wasn't alone I had my dog, Kobe! Had a great day, learnt a lot, and looking at learning a lot more. I do remember putting an 18 ft freighter canoe with a 9 HP mercury, crew of 5 plus 2 dogs on the Assiniboine river when she was in flood, now that wasn't bold that was stupid, I learnt a lot that day, I was also very lucky. Now I don,t tempt the gods but I do "occasional" push the envelop when I am alone, yes, maybe bold but no longer stupid.
 
I won't presume to understand your best powering solutions for LT water use. Other ARGO owners will steer you right I'm sure. Do be aware, however, that gas can storage inside a watertight hull, not designed to provide ventilation, can be very dangerous. The ARGO design may indeed make provision for this, I don't know. If not you'll need to consider gas storage carefully.
 
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