Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
On 21 Oct 2005 23:12:37 -0700, wrote:
A lot of the focus in the responses have been regarding the Briggs and
Stratton motor. I only meant for that to be a part of the post. Just
as important, or maybe more so, is the issue of stability, room and
safety of the jon boat that is 14' long with a 48" bottom width. I
would appreciate opinions of individuals who have actually owned and
used a similar sized jon boat and therefore would have some first-hand
input on the issues of stability, room and safety
That should tell you something right off the bat - the rest of your
decisions are fine - the engine isn't.
Specifically, a 14' boat with a 48" beam is going to be fairly stable
under most conditions. If you load the boat out with everything on
the starboard side, then it will list, but if you keep the balance
fairly level and even, then you will be ok.
The major concern with boats of this size and type is freeboard - how
much freeboard do you have available and are you using the boat in
heavily traffic or just pond jumping for fishing? Three people with
gear and six inches of freeboard isn't super duper, eight inches would
be much better.
You obviously aren't looking for speed, so the ride, which can be
problematic in a jon boat, won't be an issue.
The G3 is a good boat, built in a production facility in Kansas where
a lot of aluminum boats are made for different manufacturers. The
rivets/weld issue nowadays is a mute one as the sealants used when
riveting the boats are practically as sound as a weld.
And stay away from the Briggs and Stratton - it will be the worst
mistake you make in this purchase. Go used two stroke first if you
have to.
*****************************************
Thanks for the input regarding stability and safety. 90% of the time
the boat will only be occupied by two persons with a combined passenger
weight of 395 pounds. The G3 1448LW shows a total capacity of 820
pounds.
Since the Briggs and Stratton 5HP motor at $699 has not received great
reviews and since budgetary considerations keep the motor expenditure
(and we prefer new, not used) to $1000 or less, what do the pros think
about a smaller 2 or 4 stroke outboard for this particular boat since
speed is not a top priority.
In my research, I've seen some prety fair deals on the following.
Would they be sufficient to drive that 14' square front flat botton
barge at any speed from 0 to 15 mph?
1--Mercury 2.5M = $650
2--Mercury 3.5M = $875
3--Yamaha 2.5 = $730
4--Honda 2.0 = $768
5--Yamaha F4 = $999
Anyone out there with a flat-bottom jon that has had experience with
one of these smaller motors?
Also, regarding "freeboard," how would one determine sufficient
freeboard in a boat prior to purchase. In this particular jon, the
side depth is 21", the weight capacity is 820 pound and the total
weight to be carried in the boat, counting people, would be
approximately 475 pounds and one of the above-mentioned small outboards
would be around 50-70 pounds.
-KCB