Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

[fireflimoon]

Hi,

Newbie boater wanna be fishing and maybe just hanging out on lakes...I'm thinking a 12 foot used jonboat or whatever else is possible would be good to start with but I don't know manufacturer's and which models may be better than others (ok maybe adequate should be the right word since I'd like to stick to a budget).

I would like to avoid getting a trailer for the boat, so if something else besides a jon boat would be better in that way, great!

Does anyone transport their boats on car rooftops? Would a boat of this size be too big or small for a old johnson 9.9?

Thanks a bunch for any suggestions...

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

Porta botes are neat. Practical...IDK.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

see if y9ou can find a 12-14' fiberglass basic hull; they go on top of cars well. You put a pole on the bumper hitch.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

I would start this adventure by looking at the car you plan on using.

Cars today are not what they were 40 years ago.

They have narrow roofs, rounded tops, curved in tops of doors, no rain gutters, no where to tie down, and much much shorter.

Plus it means that you will always need 2 people to load and unload.

We used to cartop a 12' aluminum Meyers, and later a 14' jon, but haven't done so since the '70 Delta 88 was retired.

For what you are going spend for a racking system, and the inconvenience, and possible damage to paint and trim on the car, it hardly seems worth entertaining the thought.


I picked up a nice 14' jon (rated for 20hp) with a nice galvanized trailer for $438, had it on the water the same day.


Porta botes are need, and capable, as long as you aren't swamped by larger boat traffic. But they are expensive.

 

[rbh]

Re: Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

I still see a few in the back of pickups, not to many on the roofs of newer cars.

 

[fireflimoon]

Re: Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

Hi Roscoe,

I don't remember what is and what is not allowed to post but could you identify the jon boat and trailer manufacturer. If that goes against the "rules" I apoogise.

"I picked up a nice 14' jon (rated for 20hp) with a nice galvanized trailer"

I have a sunbird that I beat the hell out of because life is toooooooo short to buy a Mercedes. haha

Thanks

 

[erwinner]

Re: Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

I have a Scion xB and it's not a very big car, (only 1.5L!) but it pulls my 14' boat easily on a trailer. The hitch was only $120 installed with wiring. Sure is a lot easier than emptying the boat, flipping it, and putting it on the roof.
Though I am thinking of how I'm gonna move it without the trailer when I get a bigger truck to pull my much larger Starcraft...

 

[roscoe]

Re: Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

Hi Roscoe,

I don't remember what is and what is not allowed to post but could you identify the jon boat and trailer manufacturer. If that goes against the "rules" I apoogise.

"I picked up a nice 14' jon (rated for 20hp) with a nice galvanized trailer"

I have a sunbird that I beat the hell out of because life is toooooooo short to buy a Mercedes. haha

Thanks

Here you go.
Boat and trailer was $400, plus $38 for the new lights.
Tes, it was a good price, but you can often find similar for 5-$700 around here.

(motor, oars, and gear were already in my garage.)

CLICK the THUMBNAILS below.

 

[fireflimoon]

Re: Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

Thanks Roscoe - I like it, looks right for what I want to do. Thanks for the pictures

 

[5150abf]

Re: Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

I made one years ago that would carry the boat upright on top of the car, it had a swivel attached to the bumper and you would lift the boat on to that and strap it down then load all the stuff into it, pick it up and swing it around onto the car top, this was pre digital camera so I don't have any pics but it was pretty neat, still have it in the garage rafters for some reason and it was on an older Mazda with an actual metal bumper.

It wouldn't work with a Scion though, my daughter has an Xa, I am with most others, a small jon could easily be pulled by any small car and is alot easier so I would go that route.

 

[fireflimoon]

Re: Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

Ok, looks like there are options. I just remembered that the engine I bought is a longshaft 9.9 Johnson (74'). I looked at the Alumacraft web site and only remembered that (I'm a newb) when I saw two different transom heights for different models of the same 14' jonboat or VT-14's (can''t exactly remember model #'s).

So I am thinking, will this change what kind of boat I can get or do I have to be extra careful around shore?

Thanks for the feedback, I love this iboat forum!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Looking or used/popular/car rooftop travelling boat to be used with a Johnson 9.9

Transom height has nothing to do with the depth of the water. It does mean you need to pay attention to the leg length of the motor. A 15 inch transom needs a 15 inch motor leg (short shaft). Putting your long shaft motot on that boat can create handling and./or performance issues unless the engine can be raised up.