I picked this up recently for $350 with the trailer



this is after I cleaned it up a bit
it's a unknown make and has no plate anywhere with information but it is a 12 footer
it's registered as a 1970 and prior to 72 they didn't require any kind of plate to be mounted on them
first of all, I've put it in the water and it doesn't appear to have any leaks (it was hard to tell with the morning dew and the water coming in on the paddle since I don't have a motor yet)
so my #1 issue is I can't for the life of me figure out how to secure the battery box and a fuel tank down since I can't exactly drill through the hull
any advise on that? as far as I can telll iowa wants me to sucure at least the battery, I've seen no mention of the fuel tank, but it would be nice

I plan to mount a bilge pump directly to the center bracket at the bottom of the transom.

the wood under the seats could use replacement but it's not a top priority, the transom appears to have a 2X4 running through it at the top which it probably wouldn't hurt to replace, but I almost wonder if a 2X6 would fit. how hard is a 10HP or less going to stress the transom anyway? oh, and what is the bracket on the transom for?

back to the batt and tank mounting, I'd prefer to put them further forward after having the boat in the water because the back sits kind of low in the water with me alone in it.
any advice on how to accomplish this?

also, I took the seats off the benches because they put a lot of stress on the bench. if I replace the wood under the benches I may make an attempt at remounting them.

 You need some 5/8" marine grade plywood. Cut it to fit as floorboards,(Your patterns) and bolt the battery box, fuel tanks, sump pumps, etc. to the plywood.  It will give you a FLAT floor, a attachment point for many, many needed accessories, and some added weight. The low placed weight provides stability.

First of all it is a utility boat, not a jon.  Jons are flat bottomed.  Mags vs clips and all that.  


You can epoxy a 2x10 to the bottom of the hull and run 1" screws from inside the battery box down.  If it is going to be just you in the boat then up front is preffered, but remember when you beach it, you will have to lift the front to put it back in the water, so not too far forward.

The weight and footprint of the fuel container should hold it, besides, it will float even with fuel in it.

Like mentioned, a small triangular "floor board" that fits from the middle seat forward to the bow would be great. Screw it to the ribs with stainless steel screws. Be sure screws don't penetrate the hull!

One word on the screws, I use pilot holes through both the board, and the rib with the one in the board big enough for the screw to pass through. Once the pilot holes are there you can grind off the pointy end of the screw for the most part giving you some added clearance between the screw tip and the hull.

The bracket looks like it was for winding excess fuel line onto. 10 HP will be fine, probably rated for 9.9 but 10's close enough. Back in the day, I had a 12ft Sears semi-vee like yours with a hopped up 1958 30hp Johnson.
Was very fun an fast but the transom had to be "enhanced" for that beast.