Layout boat racks for Jonboats?

Took some pictures tonight I'll post them this weekend.
I really liked joe behrmans system standing the boats on edge. Frees up a lot of floor space. Just couldnt. Make it work with the built in seats in my boat.
 
This was meant to be a prototype, I always intended to have it reproduced in aluminum but it worked perfectly and the years went by...
It looks even more ungainly in the pictures, this camara seems to give a fisheye affect but you can get the idea.
I started out just trying to get the mlb to ride farther forward to give me a little room for passengers but it quickly evolved into a ramp to make launching and retrieval easier. The ramp pivots on barn door hinges.

To launch, remove the ropes securing the mlb, VERY important, as someone mentioned earlier the mlb can turn into a UFO quickly if the wind gets under it bouncing over the waves.

Throw the MLB stern anchor out, back the tender up until the anchor sets and pulls the mlb forward and down the ramp.
hold onto the MLB bow anchor feeding it out until you have it stretched and facing the direction you want the mlb to set.
If you have the anchor ropes attached and coiled up the boat deploys as fast as your willing to back the tender.

To pick up, hook the MLB stern anchor rope with a boat hook and disconect,(we have a bridle with a float attached to the stern anchor). let the MLB drift and pull in the stern anchor.
Go back and hook the mlb bow anchor and pull the anchor in.
Put the tender in reverse and when everything lines up pull the mlb up the ramp and into the cradle. I can usually steady the tiller arm with my knee and pull the MLB
II up the ramp by myself without too much effort.
Secure it in the cradle and your done.

I did have to put an eyehook under the front deck of the MLB II so the rope was pulling the bow up from underneath, to help start it up the ramp, but if I remember correctly the supermag has an eyebolt underneath already.

If your hunting in cold weather you might want to reconsider carpeting the boat cradle, when the boat freezes to the carpet it can be pretty hard to get loose.

My boat is a little stern heavy so the extra weight in the bow doesn't hurt the handling at all. It looks strange but the kevlar mbl II or fiberglass supermag don't really weigh much more than an overfed labrador standing in the bow.

Let us know what you end up with, I'm always looking for better ideas.

Mike

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Mike... that's an interesting idea, thanks for sharing. I never considered deploying the layout over the bow, I figured it would go on the jonboat bow sideways and deploy to port or starboard. I like your idea a lot and will definitely have to consider it...
 
One word of warning, when I tried to put this rig in the water the first time the ramp sticking over the bow of the tender wouldnt clear my winch post on the trailer. Had to move my winch post forward and make a folding bow support..
 
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