samurai361

My dad just bought a bass boat (think it's a Javelin) with a 150 Johnson. When you try to raise the motor or adjust the trim, it blows the fuse. It's been to several dealers, who all seem stumped. It blows them immediately if you raise the motor, but is intermittent lowering it. Also, the tach doesn't work when this happens. The tilt motor housing is clean and does not appear corroded or damaged. Any ideas why this is happening?

I hope what you plan to tow isn't heavy. I had a Ranger with the 2.3, and it was a dog. The 4.0 isn't bad, but the 3.0 isn't much better than the 4cyl. I had a 5x10 landscaping trailer with a 36" walk behind mower, and it would barely pull the rig 55 on the highway. A boat won't have that gate sticking up, but it's likely to weigh a bit more. The unit for the electrical is called a Trailer Mate plug, and you unplug the factory wires and add it in. I would take the recommendation for getting a frame mounted hitch as well.

Travlin Man is right about the sheathing being CDX. He must build stuff for a living. I was in Lowe's today looking at wood to make some cabinets for my garage. The sheathing stuff is usually 3 or 4 ply and is not what I used. It was about $6 more, but I used some 5 ply 5/8 BC for my decks. There are 2 trusses under it made of aluminum angle and they are about 2' apart, with 3 pieces between the trusses. It looks kind of like this [|] with no breaks. and there is a hatch in part of it. I weigh 225 easily, and can jump up and down on it, and I've jumped off of the dock onto it many times. No flex. The problem with wood is most people don't seal it, or drill or cut into it without sealing it, and it rots. This is my second year with my boat, and it's great, and I fish a LOT! And 2 sheets made the front deck, and false floor, with some to spare, but I didn't deck the very front factory seat. It's too narrow to stand up there often, so I didn't bother going that high.

There are lots of places, but most local hardware or building supply places can order it for you. If you can wait until they place their regular orders, some will let you avoid paying the shipping. Also, I talked at some length about this with a boat builder who told me that years ago, there was a big difference between marine and construction woods, mainly having to do with the adhesives used. He told me this is no longer the case, and that the glues are all the same with the differences having to do with voids in the inner layers, and the quality of both sides. Regular sheathing is usually AC, where it is grade A on one side, and C on the other. Marine woods will be AA, but if you are painting, AB will be good, and MUCH cheaper. Do your research before you spend a lot of money. BTW, I've used regular plywood, covered it with polyurethane, and had very good results. And it won't matter what you use, if you don't seal it, it will rot. Remember that after you drill holes, and seal them well.

it really depends on what you want it to do. Coolers work well because they help keep the temp constant. If you want a pump in system, you'll need a pump somewhere through the hull (I put mine on the transom) and some plumbing from the pump to the cooler. and since it's electric, you'll need a power source. You can forego this and use a bucket, but you'll have to have a way to empty the cooler. If you have a recirc pump, you install that inside the cooler, and there are ways to hook these up so that they will pump out water in the cooler also using a diverter valve. I got all the stuff to do this at BPS. My boat has all this stuff and a plug in the bottom of the boat just in case. I got a small switch panel and run all electric stuff from it, except the T/M, which just has a big fuse. You could mount it many places in your boat, but mine is in the side panel I made and covered with carpet. Good luck.

As long as you use a closed-cell foam, it doesn't matter much. It just fills a void with something light that won't allow water to take up the same space if the boat swamps. If you remove the seats, you can use the foam the factory put in. I cuts like butter with a good knife, especially an electric one.

Is there some reason you couldn't store them vertically? I see people with vertical holders with 3 or 4 rods on kayaks, so that's why I ask. Also, how big a canoe? How many rods? Do you fish alone? I've never been in a canoe, but it seems the people I see alone are generally in the back. If that's the case, you could get some 3/4" aluminum square tube and some thin 3/4" aluminum angle. Just cut the square at a width that will span the width from gunnel to gunnel. Attach a small piece of the angle to the tubing with 1/2" self tapping screws and bend the tab that sticks up so it's close to the shape of the canoe, and poke a hole in both. Once you've attached the other side, do another for the front and you can use a commercially available rod holder by attaching it to the square tube. If the angle is too severe, you could use flat aluminum and bend it to suit what you need.

Aluminum is very soft. I have a miter saw, and used a metal cutting blade for a chop saw. It makes your saw a mess, but it can be cleaned. You won't have that many cuts to make, but you can also cut with a metal cutting blade for an angle grinder, or a reciprocating saw, or if you feel frisky, a hack saw. I think if I had it to do over, I'd get a reciprocating saw because I can use it for so many other things. Oh yeah, remember to use gloves no matter how you cut it. The edges on it WILL be sharp. Keep a file handy.

BTW, my boat CAME with a livewell, I just put in the pump in plumbing and recirc pump. I do occasionally do tournaments with some guys, but not often. I put fish in there sometimes until I know if I'll have enough to take home. You should really consider a storage area under the deck. You can put PFDs, and anchor or two, line, a tool box, dry box, spare prop, and tackle under it.

First, I wouldn't use 2x4's to support the deck. You can get a couple of pieces of aluminum angle for less than 100 bucks, and have plenty even to account for mistakes. If you use 5/8" ply (I did) you can span a decent amount. Second, bow mount T/Ms are no mystery and you can mount them with either screws OR bolts, depending on the amount of access you have to the flat area you mount the motor base on. I just prefer a hand control, so I used my old transom mount and had my brother in law weld me a bracket. You can set it up to suit YOU.

Do's 1. Set a realistic budget, and stick to it. decide what you have to have, then work on the rest. 2. Make sure you reinforce the pedestal base mount. You're probably fatter than you'll admit. 3. Use the correct gauge of wires. 4. Use S/S fasteners. 5. If you install carpet use Marine carpet for boats. 6. Use glue AND staples (S/S ones) to secure the carpet to wood. 7. Buy the best materials you can get. 8. Use etching primer if you paint. And a good quality primer and paint. Expensive and worth it. 9. Plan your build and try to think ahead so you do things in the proper order. If you want to paint the boat, get the hull prepped, and paint it before you start installing things. Don't ruin new carpet with new paint. Don't... 1. Not Get help. A fresh set of eyes are great and may spark ideas you didn't think of. 2. Borrow on the experience of others. Save money, time, and stress. 3. Deck to the gunnel on narrow boats. They will tip, you will swim. 4. Forget to make the trailer part of the conversion. The boat spends most of its time on it. Do it right. 5. Forget that you will see every mistake or flaw. If you're a perfectionist, expect to spend a lot of time and money. I enjoyed converting my boat almost as much as I like fishing from it. I'd do another one if it wouldn't cause my wife to divorce me.

I think there is a lot of good and bad information out there. I did a complete conversion on my boat a little over a year ago. It cost me big, but I did a lot that I didn't have to because it was a project. I painted the hull, used aluminum trusses, all stainless fasteners, and added lights, none of which was necessary. You can check out some of what I've done on my rig here: http://www.myjonboat.com/armentrout.htm email me or post here if you want to know more. Also, you don't need 2 batteries. I only use 1 battery, a small group 24, and I fish all day (12 hours or more) and run T/M, livewell pump and recirc, lights, and FF. No issues, EVER. However, use proper size wiring. Incorrect wire size for the application will result in a heavier amp draw, and you may be in a jam.

This is my freshwater boat...

All the suggestions you have gotten are good. Mine fell off by themselves. If you make sure the surface is clean and smooth, you can have lettering made at most any shop that makes signs or truck lettering for about $25 or so. The main thing is once you have the old ones off, you clean where the new ones will go on. I had my set made in a white reflective, since my boat is dark blue and they are required to contrast. In the dark, you can hit my decals with the slightest bit of light and they glow. I'm planning to do this to my saltwater boat later.

I'm anxious, but I fish year round. I also use the winter to make changes to my gear. Since I probably spend less (by $150-200) a month, I can replace lures, damaged/old/broken tackle, upgrade electronics, or move something on one of the boats, and put stuff where it goes, which I NEVER seem to do on the water. When I get out on the water, once every 10-14 days, I can take some minnows and bobbers along with my suspending baits and jigs, and catch perch and crappie. There's hardly ever more than 3 or 4 other boats, usually old guys, and for some reason, my boatless friends don't want to go with me. Oh, I also work on the admiral's list, so I can keep out of drydock when the bass move onto the beds. Right after that is striper season, then the flounder come. I can't be missing that to work on her house.

I tow: '05 17' Carolina Skiff center console, w/ 60 Yamaha '04 14' Lowe jon, w/ 25 Johnson I tow with: '05 Dodge 1500 2WD 4.7 V-8 5spd AT, w/ factory tow package

I think it depends on how you define stable. Of course, the wider the better, but it's all relative. A jon boat generally doesn't have much weight, and sits almost on top of the water. It may not tip much, but it will "slide" from under you getting in and out at the dock. If you're planning to fish out of a bare hull boat with no decking or other significant weight added, keep this in mind.

When I made all the mods to my jon, I got almost everything at BPS. They had 2 adjustable pedestals with the 3/4" pin that had notches, and 2 with some hydraulic doodad. Actually, I guess there were 8, because the pins came with and without threads. Look for the Kingpin brand. BTW, you may only have a 29 max height, but you add the mount and seat to that and it'll get you close to your 31" butt.

Thanks for the nice comments, guys. I've stopped at McDonald's on the way out and had people ask where they can get a boat like mine. If I thought they had the money, I'd make the boats for them as a side gig to go with my day job, but it really is pretty expensive. I really enjoyed doing that. I started in Oct. of 05 and was done sometime in January with it as it is in the pics. A few people made comments when I was getting info to build it about it being a "tugboat" or "barge" because I wanted to use wood. For one thing, wood is much cheaper and easier to work with than aluminum, and I'm glad I went that way. For another, the extra weight has been a blessing. Before, the boat got blown around by the wind a lot, and if you stood up, it would almost slide from under you. It's not my dad's Ranger, but it is very stable.

You should have no problems at all. Way back in the stone ages (actually it was the 80s) I had a Subaru Justy with a 3-banger and towed my 12' Jon/8hp Johnson and all the stuff all over NC. When I bought my Carolina Skiff (17' center console) 2 years ago, I towed it at first with my Suzuki Samurai, then I got 4 cyl S-10 pickup.

I think the question you need to ask is "Is it worth it to YOU to fix the old boat?" IMO, boats are worse than cars about losing their value, so will you make money from it, or would I think it was worth it? Probably not, but you'd be the one fishing from it. Every boat is a trade off. All of them. You already stated that it suits your fishing needs. So is it worth it to get rid of a boat that works for you but is "somewhat ugly" (which you can change) and take a chance on a boat that you like the looks of but you end up finding doesn't suit the way you fish (which you can't change)?

I'm brand new to the board. My ride is posted on this site: http://www.myjonboat.com/armentrout.htm I generally fish salt water, so I didn't want a glitter rocket bass boat that would sit in my driveway most of the time and just cost me money. I bought a 14' Lowe MV 48" bottom jon and didn't enjoy fishing from it. I had an old Mercury 7.5 and a T/M mounted to the gunnel. If it was hot outside, the metal would scald your skin, and I didn't like climbing over the middle seat. I'd done a conversion on an old boat that turned out badly, and decided to do my homework and commit to making something that would be enjoyable. I had 1300 in the new boat and I spent 700 on a new trailer. I ended up going a little overboard and spent about 2000 more on the rest. If I wanted to save some money, I could have cut what I spent by about $700 and still have a boat I'd be very happy with. I got a 15 Ev from my dad and that was pretty good. It pushed me and him both around 20 mph, and me alone around 23. I got his old 25 and that moves us both close to 30 and me alone around 32. No glitter rocket, but it's great to fish from and I like the way it turned out. I have lots of ideas about how I could have done better, but it's too late for some of that now. I have added a few things since I sent the pics: A rod hold down (it actually goes fast enough that small rods try to blow out), and a recirc. pump with timer for the livewell. Take a look and let me know what you think. Bobby