Posted: 8/17/2009 5:57:22 PM EDT
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Hello all. I have spent countless hours looking over this DIY section and it is great. Full of good information. As a matter of fact, I just spent 20 minutes or so looking at How to multi cam your rifle...but that will be another day.
My goal for this project was to rebuild my 14ft jonboat into a better boat for duck hunting. I wanted more floor space and better storage options. Also, the motor is too heavy and the boat sits low in the back end. This is not good for shallow water. I realize that the added weight will make the whole boat sit lower, but I'm hoping that it won't be to much of a problem. My boat was a traditional jonboat with two bench seats and a small front deck. My plan is to remove the front bench, enlarge the deck with some dry storage, and build some gun boxes for the side. I hoping not to exceed 50lbs of added weight and to better distribute the weight. Enough words, time for some pictures. 
Interior with all seats 
Seats Gone 
New Seat 
Any ideas on taking the bends out of the top rail? Its not abig problem...would just be cool to have straight edges. Building the deck tomorrow afternoon. Paint this weekend. Need suggestions on the deck and gun boxes. Trying to make it lite, strong, and cheap. Also need some ideas for inside paint. I want to use bedliner for the strength and durability, but it may get to hot in the summer sun??? Any more thoughts, good or bad, are welcome too. Just please no ideas that are good enough make me tear up my floor and start over! 
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| Although the last several pics are too dark to see where you have taken the seats out, I can tell you that the seats add stiffness to the hull. Without them there will be alot of stress in the hull that will eventually twist the rivets and then the hull will leak. Those seats are there for more than sitting on. You must have a way to brace the hull, even a 2X4 will do it. |
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Gunnel bends ; I'd try putting the boat snugged right up to a wall and place two short pieces of 4x4 spacer between the boat and the wall.
Then "influence" the bend with a towel-wrapped 5-lb sledge. Go slowly and watch what is happening with every couple of hits. Tack the blocks to a piece of plywood or a longer 2x4 and someone else can hold them in place and be out of the way. Draft issue ; can you mover the battery forward ? Is a tiller extension available for your outboard ? Is all your crapola stored as far forward as possible ? And, can you raise the mounting point of the engine higher on the transom without the top edge of the prop being above the level of the bottom of the hull ? Stay safe |
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I know the seats add strength. That was a concern and it took several weeks to decide to try it. Its an old beat up boat so we figured we wouldnt loose much if ti didnt work. I test drove it right after we took the seats out and there was no difference in the ride. I hit some pretty big wakes from passing boats and I couldnt feel any reason to reinforce the sides. The only thing I am worried about is stress cracks later down the road, but I hope to have a bigger boat in a few years anyways...
Thanks for the tip for straightening the side. I'll have to try it before paint. And yes everything that goes in the boat, dont have a battery though, is at the front of the boat. The motor is just a little too big for the boat.... More to come when time allows.... |
