Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

Hey people

OK, I posted an earlier thread needing to know if a problem that I read about online was true. Specifically, if molded plastic jon boats I'm interested in buying really sank to the water level at the back if a 170 pound or larger guy sat in back by the motor

Although I received helpful replies none actually addressed the actual question

So, let me rephrase my question...

Do small (9.5' - 10.5') jon boats have a problem with the back sinking to the water level or below if a larger person sits in the back & runs the motor? Do some & not others? Does metal vs plastic have any bearing? What if another person sits upfront, does this still happen?

I live in Chicago & am not a boat person. My only experience with boats is taking a 10 foot inflatable raft out with our 5 HP motor. That worked fine. I'm simply sick of the hassle of using that raft & want to go with a small solid jon

I want to go as small as possible, but one that will take a 5 HP. Having no storage space to speak of & a 6.5 bed on my truck, I'm hoping to purchase one 10.5' or shorter

Do those with jon boat experience know if the problem I described above is truly a problem?

I'm 6'2" & weigh about 210 lbs. My wife will always be with me & she weighs around 130 (I think) Is her weight enough to keep the back end level?

Also, we only take the boat down the Chicago river. It's usually very calm except for the occasional boat wake. Oh, & maybe wakes from bodies being tossed in & Uzi fire from the gang bangers

I could really use some opinions because I'm ready to buy & ready to get back on the open sewer.... er, I mean river

Thanks for any help with this

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

Haven't read your other thread but for that size, have you looked at the Bass Hunter or similar small plastic pontoons?

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

Actually I have blifsey & they seem to be just what I'm looking for as far as weight & length. But I can't see taking a pontoon type boat out on the Chicago river

We need a boat with sides to keep the "water" away from us. Although the river has been somewhat cleaned up in past years, it still isn't what you'd call pristine. The "water" breaks down like this: 50% actual water, & 50% "feces, sewage, oil, various body parts, dead animals, urine, chemicals, blood, Burger King litter, gas"

While your suggestion was a good one & again, those boats would be perfect if I was using them on any other waterway, I don't feel like having my body chemically washed down each time we take it down the river

Just out of curiosity, I'm guessing pontoons are more stable & less likely to push down on one end while in the water. Is that true?

Surely some on this forum have experience with the type of jons I'm talking about. I really need to know if the specific problem I wrote about is real or if it's just a rare occurrence

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

What do you need the boat for? It sounds like fishing and coving aren't options in your waters. Do you just want something to cruise through he sewage that you described without getting any drops on you? I'm not sure any jon boat could make that guarantee. Maybe I'll have a different opinion in the next thread with the same question, though.

Welcome!

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

Gotta agree w/ Ninja. WHY are you even thinking of going out in that water? What purpose is the boat going to serve? I am not sure I would want a jon boat at all out there...just sayin.

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

Ayuh,... Your other post, as well as this 1 comes down to simple physics...
The function of any boat is to displace water...
Each cubic foot of water displaced will float abit over 60lbs....

If the boat yer in, don't displace enough water, 'n you overload it,...
Yer gonna get Wet....
The shape of the hull determines which end will float more weight...
If ya want a Short boat, it'll have to be a Wide boat...

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

Me and my dad use a plastic jon boat. it's 12' and really nice with folding seats and pole holders and with him be 250-280 and me being 200 lbs we are over the limit but the boat is level and we have a troling motor on it. try getting a 2 hp motor thats what we were thinking of. we have only 3-6 inchs of freeboard but it works for us.

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

smallboatlover said:

Me and my dad use a plastic jon boat. it's 12' and really nice with folding seats and pole holders and with him be 250-280 and me being 200 lbs we are over the limit but the boat is level and we have a troling motor on it. try getting a 2 hp motor thats what we were thinking of. we have only 3-6 inchs of freeboard but it works for us.

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There you go Mozart! That's the solution that you were looking for!
Safe boating!

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

really. ^^^^

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

smallboatlover said:

really. ^^^^

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I defer to your expertise. Three to six inches of freeboard is exactly what Mozart is looking for.

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

DaNinja said:

I defer to your expertise. Three to six inches of freeboard is exactly what Mozart is looking for.

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Man...I would hate to think I could get swamped by a fat kid doing a cannonball from a nearby dock.

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

ya i hate that small of freeboard but were in a fresh water pond that has a no over 10hp rule so were good. i just hate going to the pond that have the huge ski boats that make a 1.5' wake. so we go to those ponds early

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

Hey guys. Again, thanks for the responses

First off, I'm kidding around somewhat about the river. It used to be exactly like I described but has been cleaned up. But it's still not water you want to swim or fall into. It's pretty gross but you can't really tell unless it gets on you

Secondly, we like cruising on rivers. It's fun, it's peaceful in places & it gives you a sense of being out of the concrete jungle we live in. It's worth it even for a few hours. Plus, there "ain't" another river in the city. We're stuck with this one

OK, now, what does freeboard mean? I've heard of Free Bird but I haven't been to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in decades

I think we're getting closer to solving my dilemma. As soon as I know what freeboard is or means I'll possibly have it

Thanks people!

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeboard_(nautical) Dam I miss many of the Lynyrd Skynyrd....... don't look them up...... the ages of who is left will only shock you!!

Okay....you have a pick up..... a short bed at 6 1/2' well with a trailer hitch extender you can safely carry a 12' john boat or v-hull. An aluminum boat of that size will safely carry 2 people with a small motor.

I am not a fan of the injection molded plastic boats (except coleman canoes).

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

Mozart7 said:

Hey guys. Again, thanks for the responses

First off, I'm kidding around somewhat about the river. It used to be exactly like I described but has been cleaned up. But it's still not water you want to swim or fall into. It's pretty gross but you can't really tell unless it gets on you

Secondly, we like cruising on rivers. It's fun, it's peaceful in places & it gives you a sense of being out of the concrete jungle we live in. It's worth it even for a few hours. Plus, there "ain't" another river in the city. We're stuck with this one

OK, now, what does freeboard mean? I've heard of Free Bird but I haven't been to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in decades

I think we're getting closer to solving my dilemma. As soon as I know what freeboard is or means I'll possibly have it

Thanks people!

Click to expand...

FREEBOARD - The minimum vertical distance from the surface of the water to the gunwale.
or..how far you have to reach over the side of the boat before you reach water.

Boating Basics Glossary of Terms

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

OK, I now understand what "freeboard" means. Danke Bob

But, it now seems I won't know how many inches I'll have until I buy the freaking boat, put it in the water & get in. The answer seems to be, I'll find out if the boat will sink, have the front raised high up in the air so I can't see or the boat will stay level when I buy it & start cruising

OK, I guess I'll go for it. I have to use a 5HP because it's the one I own. I don't have a trailer & a 12 foot boat will be too long to haul in the back of my truck in a big city, not too mention my lack of storage space

Anyway, I don't mean to keep pestering people with question after question. Thank you all for your responses

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

14 foot aluminum with that 5 hp would work..A larger HP motor would be advisable to have a little OOOMPH to get outta the way.
A 15hp or 20hp tiller would be perfect.
My other boat..With a 6hp..

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

CheapboatKev said:

14 foot aluminum with that 5 hp would work..A larger HP motor would be advisable to have a little OOOMPH to get outta the way.
A 15hp or 20hp tiller would be perfect.
My other boat..With a 6hp..

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That's along the lines that I was thinking.

And Mozart, I don't care how you ask the question or how many threads you start to ask it. I doubt anyone has an exact formula for how much freeboard you are going to have in your particular plastic boat. I think all calculations would end with you getting wet, though.

From what I can discern from your requirements, I think you would be better served by a boat like Kev showed you.

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

Mozart7 said:

OK, I now understand what "freeboard" means. Danke Bob

But, it now seems I won't know how many inches I'll have until I buy the freaking boat, put it in the water & get in. The answer seems to be, I'll find out if the boat will sink, have the front raised high up in the air so I can't see or the boat will stay level when I buy it & start cruising

OK, I guess I'll go for it. I have to use a 5HP because it's the one I own. I don't have a trailer & a 12 foot boat will be too long to haul in the back of my truck in a big city, not too mention my lack of storage space

Anyway, I don't mean to keep pestering people with question after question. Thank you all for your responses

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I think the trailer hitch extender mentioned wasnt for a trailer, but for a brace that will slide into your reciever hitch on your truck. This will support the end of the boat sitting furthest back, thus keeping it from tilting down and sliding out of your truck bed while driving down the road.

To me it sounds like the plastic boat may be too small for you guys to keep the water off of you. The manufacturers should post weight limits and if you're close to the limit in a "pond boat", I would expect to get some water-ish on ya.

I guess it will have to be a game of priorities. Staying dry vs. hauling ability vs. storage vs. price? vs. what a 5hp will push vs. how fast or far you want to go vs. how much gear you want to bring with you etc.

Dont forget to factor gear in the weight calculation either. Having a cooler with some refreshments and snacks will go a long way toward making the trip more enjoyable...

Just my thoughts on things to look for. Unfortunately I dont have a definitive answer to your question. I only have the though that the higher the priority of keeping dry, the bigger the boat will need to be...

Good luck...

Re: Maybe I Should Rephrase My Question... Expertise Needed

Mozart7 said:

...Just out of curiosity, I'm guessing pontoons are more stable & less likely to push down on one end while in the water. Is that true?

Surely some on this forum have experience with the type of jons I'm talking about. I really need to know if the specific problem I wrote about is real or if it's just a rare occurrence

Click to expand...

Not sure how much more front to back stable a pontoon is but the are much more stable side to side. If you watch the video on the link you will see two grown men standing on one side of the little bass hunter. A 10' or 12' jon would likely flip doing that.