help with my Jon boat please

[SFC Hall]

I don’t post here to often, because I really do have a lot to contribute, but I have been following the TX18 threads.

I am stationed in Iraq right now and we have a lot of down time…. So I was thinking…I know what boat I am going to build (the TX18)…. But that might be for a couple years down the road… meanwhile I have a ratty old 17’ riveted aluminum Jon boat. It has a console, and a half raised deck in front and a full raised in back with two swivel seats, one for and one aft. The carpet is rough and there are some week spots in the floor and the console is loose. It has a 60hp evenrude on it that runs great, and she doesn’t leak…

Ok, so when I get back, next winter I am going to do a complete re-haul…

I river fish a lot (almost exclusively) and the river is very rocky and shallow in spots. I want to move the console up in the bow and make it a standing/sitting type console so I can see what’s ahead better and give me more room.

I know this will slow me down, but that really isn’t that big of a concern for me…

So what do you guys think? will this work?

I posted this on a fishing/bass boat board and the consensus was that this would be dangerous…

This is a quick sketch up…. I would have to put the console a bit farther back…



Here is what I would like to have when I am done…. Is it a workable plan?

[AdamG]

It could be done, but you would need to have a fairly large boat to do it with if you are going to put that much weight forward. If the boat is light, and you are alone driving from way up front, you will have balance issues with it...

[Robertk]

The boat will handle a little differently, but I have seen hundreds of boats used for net fishing that had the helm located as far forward as possible. I tried to find a picture, but could not. The reason they are seldom seen anymore is net fishing was banned here about 13 years ago.

Robertk

[Cracker Larry]

Same here. They are common for the gill net shad fishermen on the Savannah and Ogeechee rivers, but those boats are a lot heavier duty than the average riveted jon boat. Still legal here for shad.

[SFC Hall]

I think I've got it worked out... now, should I used treated wood?

[Cracker Larry]

No treated wood. It and epoxy do not play well together

[Boomer]

I river fish a lot (almost exclusively) and the river is very rocky and shallow in spots.

Kick around the idea of using truck bed liner on the bottom (outside). This will have the double benefit of protecting from dents and sealing the rivets.

You can have an applicator( Rhino, Line-X) apply it which is rather pricey, or DYI with Herculiner which is available at any auto parts store. You can do an internet search and see where a lot of river runners in the midwest and west are doing this. It adds a fair amount of weight, but with your configuration that probably won't be a big additional factor. Personally, if I ever get another riveted boat (unlikely), I'd do it just to seal the rivets.

Also, I had a similarly configured boat, but sat down up front and used stick steering. Still had good visibility. Eliminates the console. In your configuration the stick steering would go where you show the anchor winch.

In the decks, there is no reason for PT. IMO it's an option for the floor, but you will get long life from common ply if you epoxy treat or even just paint both sides. In my boat I got over 15 years of service from a piece of ply that was painted with good heavy duty enamel paint. It was used in both fresh and salt water, and used roughly. Even though it gets wet, it will dry off between uses.

Personally, I'd rethink the whole carpet thing. It's purely cosmetic and in this man's opinion adds unnecessary weight, encourages rot, and it will snag every hook that comes near it. At a maximum, I'd carpet the decks, and leave the floor painted, even if you coat with epoxy.

[Fred in Wisc]

If you are looking for a deal on professinally applied Rhino coat or a similar product, look for an industrial equipment coater. When most of those coating companies sell a franchise, it is either to do industrial equipment (dump trucks, material handling equipment, etc. ) or consumer vehicles, but not both. Usually the industrial guys can squeeze in a little thing like a boat with some giant truck they are doing and will price it in a pretty friendly way if it's a cash deal. Their franchise won't allow them to coat your pickup bed, but they can do your boat. Seems odd, but that's the lay one of our local coating franchise owners explained it to me.

Fred in Wisc