Jon Boat Mods

[Dovekie]

Re: Jon Boat Mods

I appreciate the extra effort when people not only do a mod, but go further & post the workings & product.
Thanks

 

[GregE]

Re: Jon Boat Mods

Fishdrdan, very nice description of what you did. Thanks for posting.

Do you have any pictures of progress along the way of this or more of your mod? Any finished product pics?

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Jon Boat Mods

I don't have any pics of the build, didn't even know about Iboats when I customized the boat 1 1/2 years ago.

I'll get some pics of the completed work and post them up on another thread.

 

[DallasJeff]

Re: Jon Boat Mods

Good thread going here. I just bought a 15' V-Hull and I'm building the deck for it now. I gutted the boat and took out all 3 aluminum bench seats and another front wood seat.

Built the deck out of 19/32 plywood coated 2X with polyurethane. The old aluminum benches were supported by aluminum L-brackets riveted to the hull. I'm using these brackets and two wood support beams (2x4's) to make the deck plenty sturdy. The front deck is now finished and it measures about 9 feet long and 4'4" wide at the widest point. I got outdoor carpet at Home Depot for $29 that will be more than enough to cover the deck. Four cabinet door have been cut in the deck to access underneath storage.

So far the weight of everything i took out was 54 lbs. The new deck weighs a total of 68 lbs without carpet. That's only 14 extra pounds, plus the weight of two new seats, which I haven't bought yet.

So far I've worked on this one day (Sunday) and spent $130 on materials. Still need to buy recessed cabinet handles and seats. And a boat-mount charger for the deep cycle battery.

I've been taking picture of each step and I'll post them tonight with more in-depth descriptions.

 

[GregE]

Re: Jon Boat Mods

I don't have any pics of the build, didn't even know about Iboats when I customized the boat 1 1/2 years ago.

I'll get some pics of the completed work and post them up on another thread.

Sounds like a winner. Thanks!

 

[DallasJeff]

Re: Jon Boat Mods

Here's some pics of the deck I'm working on.

Before:

Build:

Now:

I still want to add a front pedestal and swivel seat and handles for the compartment doors. Also the electrical needs some work. There is one 12V cigarette lighter type connection on the front and a connection block for other accessories. You can see the old-timey Lawrence depth finder in the last picture. I had it on the water yesterday and the boat is plenty stable for walking around on the deck.

 

[riverred]

Re: Jon Boat Mods

Regarding Mickjetblue's floor, would PVC work better for the support running through the drain channel? Cut a small PVC pipe in half, mount it to the bottom of your floor so as to create a small arc, allowing unrestricted flow through the channel? Or would the PVC not handle the weight of an expert angler so well? If the PVC did work, it could be mounted in every channel as it doesn't impede drainage and would add a little more support. This is the plan I am thinking of going with for my floor, only difference would be anti skid paint or Rhino liner on the boards and even the tops of the ribs to give it the look of one solid piece, and if there's a 1" slick spot, I'll find it and bust my whatever!

 

[Islandlure]

Re: Jon Boat Mods

Since you all are sharing, here's mine. I skipped the doing the floor after laying in a few pieces of 1/2" ply between the stringers. The added weight was killing my speed which matters to me more. I welded up flotation pods and a center console out of aluminum. I am extremely happy with the fishability of this boat although it is unfortunately now for sale as I have purchase a flats boat. But just felt like sharing since I remember starting my mod and not finding too much online when I was researching ideas for it. Good Luck with yours!