Weight Limit? (help)

[Gamonman]

I just got my first boat. It's a 1959 aluminum Jon flat bottom and flat bow. It's 16ft long and 36" on the floor, 48" on the top edges.<br /><br /> I want to put a deck on the front but I'm concerned about weight limits. I will have a trolling motor, battery, two coolers, gas tank, outboard 10hp motor, and the rest of the various accessories. Plus me and my girl.<br /><br /> The deck is made of treated 2X4s and two sheets of 3/4" treated plywood. This wood is heavier than the untreated stuff.<br /><br /> Am I pushing my limits here? I've seen other people do the same thing succesfully but I don't know what kind of wood they used.<br /><br /> I can't find a weight limit on the boat anywhere. Do you guys know what it might be? Thanks for any help.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Weight Limit? (help)

I'd keep the weight off the bow. You would do better moving to a few feet ahead of center. There's nothing in the water on a jon boat at the bow compared to the rest of the boat. You'd get a teeter-totter kind of effect with that rounded bottom profile.<br /><br />Go with thinner plywood to keep the weight down, just support it well and reinforce (double thickness) where the seat goes.

 

[Straightup]

Re: Weight Limit? (help)

22 years ago I put front and rear casting decks on my Alumacraft T14S. A quite shallow 14 foot pointed nose typical boat with 15 horse power. I used 3/4 treated ply all around and cut holes for hatches to store stuff underneath. <br /><br />It worked OK, but on hindsight (the boat is long sold) I would have left it in stock condition. The boat handled the weight OK, but it was a pain getting to gear under the decks, and when I took my cousins out fishing I would have had more room in the stock configuration. I think a 16 foot or bigger boat would have handled the conversion better than the 14 footer, so yours may work out fine. If your main purpose is to be able to use a foot controlled front troll motor than you should possibly go ahead with what you are thinking. Also, if you put some skull-sweat into it, you could possibly make the deck removable if it didn't work like you wanted or you wanted to use the boat in stock configuration sometimes.<br /><br />Jeff

 

[Serentiy]

Re: Weight Limit? (help)

Hello that is what I did with my 14Ft 1956 Larson boat. It rides well but will not get nose too far off the water unless my husband and I sit in the rear of the boat I have a 7 1/2 Horse power engine that putts us around, I don't mind you miss all the wildlife going faster than that.<br />I used 3/4 weather treated wood and painted it with a good primer then used auto spray paint on top of that clear coat on top of that I used Helmsman spar urethane to keep it protected from the sun. Give it plenty of time to dry. It has lasted every weekend last summer and still looks new. How do you post Photos? <br />Serenity

 

[Realgun]

Re: Weight Limit? (help)

Anything for you Serenity! <br /> Searched for and found my post on the subject.<br />Hope this helps. Some of use can't read

 

[Gamonman]

Re: Weight Limit? (help)

Well I have it mostly built. The front deck is 10ft-11ft long. There are two coolers that are flush mounted in the deck. They are both on the left side and the trolling battery is on the right side.<br /><br /> I took it out yesterday only to find out that the lake I went to doesn't allow gas engines. My little 24lb MiniKota trolling motor pushed us around quite well though.<br /><br /> While sitting on the pedastool seat at the front the boat was very stable. But walking around on the deck you needed to be more careful.<br /><br /> It seemed to handle great while just trolling around, but I need to test it with the gas engine. Let me know if there's anything you think I should know or watch for.