Modifying my 14 foot aluminum row boat into a R&R boat - Steering question

Joined
Aug 20, 2010
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I'm kind of a sucker for "high tech" gadgetry, and this fact is starting to seep into my boat. I just recently got a 14 foot aluminum row boat that I'm turning into a R&R/fishing boat. adding nav. lights, a few cubby areas for dry-er storage, maybe get a small 10 horse for her and building a small mid-cabin for it (nothing elaborate, just something I can ride on Lake Michigan again - - - with out getting completely soaked from bow-splash) Hooking up the electric trailing motor I have, or soon the gas one is easy, what I need is design ideas on the steering of it from the middle of the boat, I have been reading a lot that older style steering was a line of sorts that just moved the motor head left and right etc, any help on this would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

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ziggy

Admiral
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Jun 30, 2004
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Re: Modifying my 14 foot aluminum row boat into a R&R boat - Steering question

stick steering may be applicable in your case. might be worth looking into anyways...
 

wcsellers

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Re: Modifying my 14 foot aluminum row boat into a R&R boat - Steering question

what your doing sounds pimp for a jon boat. I had a 14 footer that I made nice carpeted floors and they really stabilized the boat. With a 7.5 hp motor she would run 26 mph by gps with 1 person and no gear. 2 peps and gear got 20 mph. what your doing sounds very heavy so watch the wieght. Also treated lumber supposedly can have a reaction with aluminum so check that and maybe stay with untreated. Take a look at http://www.akmccallum.com/.
This is a jon boat dealer near me and he has stick steering set ups that you can see online under package boats. Good luck.. I love my ski boat but the jon holds a special place in my heart....
 

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wcsellers

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Re: Modifying my 14 foot aluminum row boat into a R&R boat - Steering question

Oh yeah.... Welcome to the forum
 

wcsellers

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Re: Modifying my 14 foot aluminum row boat into a R&R boat - Steering question

[QUOTE Take a look at http://www.akmccallum.com/.
This is a jon boat dealer near me and he has stick steering set ups that you can see online under package boats. [/QUOTE]

see previous post, pics show how it is done
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
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Oct 30, 2002
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21,657
Re: Modifying my 14 foot aluminum row boat into a R&R boat - Steering question

You don't build stick steering, you buy it.
It will have a steering cable that runs from the motor to the helm.
But instead of a steering wheel, it has a stick (lever) that pivots back and forth.

LNS-668-8701___Detail.jpg
 
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Messages
10
Re: Modifying my 14 foot aluminum row boat into a R&R boat - Steering question

what your doing sounds pimp for a jon boat. I had a 14 footer that I made nice carpeted floors and they really stabilized the boat. With a 7.5 hp motor she would run 26 mph by gps with 1 person and no gear. 2 peps and gear got 20 mph. what your doing sounds very heavy so watch the wieght. Also treated lumber supposedly can have a reaction with aluminum so check that and maybe stay with untreated. Take a look at http://www.akmccallum.com/.
This is a jon boat dealer near me and he has stick steering set ups that you can see online under package boats. Good luck.. I love my ski boat but the jon holds a special place in my heart....

sorry I completely missed this message, good info right there, and yeah I will be using un treated wood and just painting it/sealing it (just a simple thing, nothing to in depth, maybe 20 pounds at the most really) as for the stick steering, I may do that, not quite though though, I could always mount the control sideways and make that left and right haha. Thanks for your guys' comments by the way and thanks for the welcome. I've had this thing with 4 adults in it before (yes we rode low but we went) I also had one just like it I took up last week to Lake Huron and boated from Mackinac to St.Ignace along side my uncle (he was brave and decided to swim across) we had a 15hp on that and we zipped right along (and did even better with a man up front to keep the bow downwards!)
 
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Messages
10
Re: Modifying my 14 foot aluminum row boat into a R&R boat - Steering question

what your doing sounds pimp for a jon boat. I had a 14 footer that I made nice carpeted floors and they really stabilized the boat. With a 7.5 hp motor she would run 26 mph by gps with 1 person and no gear. 2 peps and gear got 20 mph. what your doing sounds very heavy so watch the wieght. Also treated lumber supposedly can have a reaction with aluminum so check that and maybe stay with untreated. Take a look at http://www.akmccallum.com/.
This is a jon boat dealer near me and he has stick steering set ups that you can see online under package boats. Good luck.. I love my ski boat but the jon holds a special place in my heart....

Also, Yeah the weight would normally seem like a big deal but I'm using light weight balsa sealed with epoxy and painted, I don't need strength as much as just needing sometime to function. the "cabin" will just be a small shield with starboard side plexi wind shield. Then dashboard will be on the face of a small dry box that goes from the bow to about the middle (again, light balsa wood, painted with small hinges etc) all of the add ons will be able to be removed via a nut and bolt or a clamp of sorts. Contemplating get a small tarp and roll, and putting it on the top of the cabin so I can have a small roof or somethin
 
Joined
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Messages
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Re: Modifying my 14 foot aluminum row boat into a R&R boat - Steering question

Considering I had a day away from my lovely girlfriend I decided that now was the time to start on the boat, I'm becoming more and more addicted to working on the thing, I got the bow and stern lights installed (not yet wired up though) a power main coming all the way down the hull from the bow of the boat where the battery will be stored (since it seems I always need room in the front), from there it will go to a dry box I have yet to install, inside the box will be the power distribution block, a separate line will go to the motor (yes tiny I know, but it will have to do until I get some more money, just paid a crap load for college, it seems to become a low paid cop you still need to sell your soul for money...) then I will have a separate circuit going to my nav lights and then from that circuit a separate switch to a Dock only light. (yeah, the one on the stern). I will also be wiring in a couple Cigar lighter ports. As you can see I have a small solar panel to be installed ontop of the console, it's small, but it helps trickle charge the battery.

Here is just a small glimpse of it all:


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