Jon Boat Steering and Console

[Islandlure]

Hi all, looking for a bit of advise. I am making my 16' jon boat a little more fishable. I have welded up and installed floatation pods and built a transom motor bracket with a 3" set back for my Yamy. The advise I am looking for is on steering. I can't stand the make shift tiller handle and I am going to weld up a center console with a seat on the front and an internal livewell. I want to keep the weight down on console so I would like to build it as small (narrow) as possible but I do not know how much room I would need for mounting a rack or mounting the rotary box. I am thinking that the rotary will be better and take up less room. Anybody that has any experience with this I would appreciate some advise on it. I am very mechanically capable so feel free to be technical if you need to Please let me know if any other information would help. Oh and this is a saltwater boat. I live in Florida on the Gulf and use this boat to get up into the S K I N N Y water so weight and stability are a must although this has nothing to do with steering. But any other advise anyone might have for basically turning a flat bottom jon boat into a flat boat would be cool. Thanks in advance.
Jay

 

[Islandlure]

Re: Jon Boat Steering and Console

Bump

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Jon Boat Steering and Console

Center consoles take up a great deal of room in a small boat, you may want to check out a side console with stick steering less weight and cost with more room to fish.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Jon Boat Steering and Console

Look on the net and google xpress boats. They are a welded up boat and have nice designs..... you might get an idea from there.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Jon Boat Steering and Console

i have 2 suggestions, Todd console, this is the smallest made, i used it in my 18' and removed the huge console. must use rotary steering as rack will not fit, also notice helm is off center. the other is to use the Stick steering, i had this on 2 boats and it works really well, and takes up no room.

 

[Islandlure]

Re: Jon Boat Steering and Console

Thanks to all who replied, I appreciate the ideas and will take a look at it this weekend to figure out the best solution. My main concern is to be able to control the boat while standing, with the changes is depths on the flats here I want to be able to see what I am coming up on easier and I just can't do that sitting in the back of the boat. Thanks again for the help.