14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

thatsbug · Jun 10, 2013

Just inherited a fixer upper and need some help with a couple of things. I removed all the rotten wood from the sub floor and the bench seats (not the front +deck yet) and want to put everything back together the right way so I feel safe putting my two sons in with me. This is a single walled fiberglass boat with glassed in "tabs". I don't know if the tabs were once structural or just to keep the benches from sliding fore/aft. The previous owner added sheet metal L brackets. I'm hoping that the combination of the subfloor & aluminum float boxes provided the load support to the bench seats. I'm also hoping that someone clicking on this thread knows what kind of boat this is. I'd like to know if I have a project on my hands or a heap. I've painted the trailer and a rusted wheel. I've leak tested her and purchased the wood. I'm ready to put a new sub floor in and bench seats with marine carpet a couple of swivels and folding seats. Can anyone tell me the best way to go about installing the plywood bench seats to support a substantial dude like myself without destroying the hull? I'd also like to paint the hull using exterior 100% acrylic with primer already added. It will be a freshwater lake only boat that will spend every night on a trailer. Thanks in advance.

gm280 · Jun 11, 2013

Re: 14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

thatsbug said:
Just inherited a fixer upper and need some help with a couple of things. I removed all the rotten wood from the sub floor and the bench seats (not the front +deck yet) and want to put everything back together the right way so I feel safe putting my two sons in with me. This is a single walled fiberglass boat with glassed in "tabs". I don't know if the tabs were once structural or just to keep the benches from sliding fore/aft. The previous owner added sheet metal L brackets. I'm hoping that the combination of the subfloor & aluminum float boxes provided the load support to the bench seats. I'm also hoping that someone clicking on this thread knows what kind of boat this is. I'd like to know if I have a project on my hands or a heap. I've painted the trailer and a rusted wheel. I've leak tested her and purchased the wood. I'm ready to put a new sub floor in and bench seats with marine carpet a couple of swivels and folding seats. Can anyone tell me the best way to go about installing the plywood bench seats to support a substantial dude like myself without destroying the hull? I'd also like to paint the hull using exterior 100% acrylic with primer already added. It will be a freshwater lake only boat that will spend every night on a trailer. Thanks in advance.
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First of all, welcome to iboats :welcome: nice to have you aboard.

After looking at the pictures, you have a great opportunity to make your boat into so many different variations from a typical “Jon-Boat” type to a nice fishing setup, to most anything you can imagine. You have a nice clean platform to work with now. Not sure about your abilities or knowledge on such issues, but read a few restore projects on these forums and pick out one to follow. You will certainly get tons of help and suggestions from so many good folks on these forums that have done it all many times before. So you came to the best place for any information concerning your boat. I’m sure somebody will be able to identify your boat. I don’t have as much education on too many models myself… You could take the previous registration numbers and research the boat type that was registered...

GT1000000 · Jun 11, 2013

Re: 14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

Welcome to the Iboats Dry Dock,"thatsbug"...
You got yourself a nice fixer upper there...
Can't help with ID'ing the boat...
And as far as restoration steps to take, I am not sure...
It is hard to tell how the angle brackets are secured to the sides or what the actual construction of the boat looks like...
You might have to start some demolition first, to see what is going on underneath, to be able to build it back better and safer than it ever was...
Irregardless, there are a bunch of really knowledgeable guys on here that will be along shortly to help you out...
Good luck and fun!
GT1M

thatsbug · Jun 15, 2013

Re: 14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

Thanks for the welcome and the kind words. I took a couple of additional picture with the hope that I could find out if these repairs are safe or am I about to learn more than I ever wanted to know about fiberglass repair. I also attached a couple of shots of the "tabs" that located the bench seats.

thatsbug · Jun 15, 2013

Re: 14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

A couple of shots of the "tabs" and "L" brackets that located the bench seats and how it's mounted to the hull. Should I duplicate this as I rebuild?

jbcurt00 · Jun 15, 2013

Re: 14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

If this:

Or this:

Don't leak water, and the repairs are well stuck to the boat, then I suspect you'll be ok.

BUT, neither appears to have been done particularly well, and the area around the damage should have been ground to good glass, before the glass repair was done.

Is this a pedestal seat mount or a sail mast mount?

The same about proper prep appears to be true about interior deck tabbing up on to the hull. Any indication of what's under that newer deck?

thatsbug · Jul 8, 2013

Re: 14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

I've ran into a snag trying to remove the "original" fiberglass tabs from the hull. I have no idea how to do this. Reciprocating saw? Dremel tool? sheet metal shears? The wall of the hull is thin and there isn't much room for error? I could really use your help. I've cut the wood to support new bench seats. I've read on the link below about "kerfing" I don't think I need to do this looking at how the supports line up with hull. Any help with these two issues would be greatly appreciated.
http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...-my-fiberglass-jon-boat-need-help-485040.html

jbcurt00 · Jul 8, 2013

Re: 14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

Multi-tool

But it doesn't look like much has changed since you're last post asking about safe & sound, and I commented that it didn't look like the newer interior deck & the hull repair had been done particularly well. The areas around the repair should have been ground to good glass, not laminated to gelcoat.

thatsbug · Jul 10, 2013

Re: 14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

You're absolutely right, I hadn't done anything. I'm scared to take the darn thing off the trailer. I want to wait until I brace it with the bench seats. I just don't trust the thin fiberglass walls as I twist and drag it around and flip it over with out the support of the seats. I did snag a oscillating multi purpose tool today for $14 and removed the 4 of the 6 tabs. I'll remove the front deck and front bench seat tomorrow. Once I get the new bench seats in I'll flip it over and try and figure out the plan of attack on the patchwork. A message above stated that if it held water I was okay....I take it this is not always true?

jbcurt00 · Jul 10, 2013

Re: 14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

Semantics: I said: I suspect you should be ok if the so-so repairs don't leak.

Not

I know you will be ok

Then I added that none of the repairs appeared to have been properly prepped......

All depends on you, how you boat & where. Then add the weather & other boaters, plus what (weight) & who's(what they're doing & how they're doing it) aboard........

gm280 · Jul 11, 2013

Re: 14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

At this stage, you have the option to leave the bench seats out and design it after a panfish special like Pro Bass sells with pedestal seats and a nice raised casting platform and such. There are so many options to rebuild this into. Just look over the other rebuilt threads on these forums and follow one... You can make the hull solid with bracing on the outside to keep it formed as you work. It doesn't have to be bench seats to secure it... But it is your boat and only you can make the design decisions and go for it...

thatsbug · Sep 9, 2013

Re: 14', 1" Fiberglass Jon Boat- Help needed

So I've been busy since my last post. I removed the front bench seat and deck to get a better look at the bow area. Removed all glassed tabs and reinstalled new bench seat rails. I grabbed 2x12s for new bench seats and used fiberglass resin to help protect them from the elements. I started covering with carpet but ran out of staples. Today I'll complete the carpeting of the seats and start treating the 3/4 plywood flooring and maybe get going on carpeting that. Oh..also through the registration process and some google searching, learned it's a 1960 Crestliner Mohawk.