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A Small Jon Boat: Another major tool in the belt for the homesteader???

 
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This idea would really apply to any small watercraft that one could use for the same thing. For instance, I am about to sell my pedal-drive kayak this morning for $1,200. I bought it new in 2018 and have hundreds of miles of fishing in the salt with it.

For the homesteader (or survivalists/preppers too), the vast majority of the labor and manhours is going to be going into growing food. It is the single most difficult thing to obtain on your own out there. It is essential for permaculture to become permanent.

Anyways, I am now about $600 into a 2018 Alumacraft 1436. With Jon boats that translates into 14'L x 36"W at its base but about 4'W at the top of the sides. That price is the total after buying the bare hull on FB marketplace, registering/titling/paying $10 for taxes on it AND getting my Free outboard that had not been started in about 15 years up and running like new again (myself). You can also simply row the smaller ones like this OR use a cheap trolling motor/or expensive electric outboard powered by batteries that you charge yourself via solar.

I still have to get some $4 aluminum braising rods for a repair on the hull... and spend many hours re-painting the thing since it is covered in thick layers of paint from being used to paint the sides of ships. Probably going to drop the money to get a spanking new Aluminum trailer for a little over $1500 out the door... that will last my lifetime.

This thing is the largest size in the "unstable" category if you ask most boaters. As in, I can still get up and walk around freely all over it and use it heavily for work... and have even seen guys pulling 8' Alligators over the side without problem. However, if someone else is on board, I (a 215 lbs man) will need to either walk down the middle so the boat does not lean, or let them know I am up and about so they can brace themselves/or sit down. Obviously, it is 10x more stable than my fishing kayak was... and I could still stand and fish/paddle with it even. If you were to step up to say a 1448... stability skyrockets and the side gunnels tend to shoot up from 15" to 21".

Anyways, a micro boat this size is perfect for getting skinny AND shallow still. So shallow you can no longer paddle and have to push-pole around. It is tough enough to jump logs on the water. It can carry 1000 lbs of person/cargo(meat)/and gear. With the 15hp engine it is rated for... it would get up to 30mph empty and mid 20s loaded with people and gear. I will be using a 5hp... and should get 20 to 25mpg and only be traveling 10 to 15mph depending on load. So a 3gal tank will last me forever out on the water.

If one lives in an area with loads of water like I do, this is a MAJOR tool to have in the belt. Within a 10min circle of my home I have access to and insane amount of fresh water... that turns into brackish water within a few miles... that turns into pure saltwater a few miles after that. I can set trotlines up to 300' long legally and have them fishing for me while I am back home sleeping for the night. For a $9 application you can even do up to 300' gillnets (I hate those things!). I can drop up to 3 crab pots at a time legally. I can cast-net for green shrimp during the Winter and Summer both... and am allowed to keep up to a 5gal bucket a day (heads-on). I have an incredibly great fishery for catfish, bass, crappie, red drum, speckled seatrout, striped bass, flounder, croaker, sheepshead, flounder, Spanish mackerel, and more... that I can now reach with ease with this boat. Heck, I can even throw down bait traps or crawdad traps.

Then, there is the Hunting and Trapping aspect to boot! (I am not doing that) In my area, I would have access (via water) that most people never travel to as an untapped resource. LOADs of flooded timber forests around here that I will be fishing.

Not to mention that I also have access to the "Intercoastal Waterway" within a few miles as well! That heads from the NE coast... All the way down to Florida... then over to Texas... without stepping foot directly into the ocean. It is a backup-mode to get around when the roads are not safe.

My son REALLY wants to go on fishing/camping trips with me. I will probably see if I can find some spots within the cypress tree river system near me, the dismal swamp/Lake Drummond near me, or one of the other 50 possible locations.

I aim to use 1/8th thick diamondplate aluminum to make flooring, and two large casting decks with storage underneath. Then I will spend a lot of time getting the paint off/prepping/painting. Adding gator glide to the bottom will epoxy/seal all rivets from water entirely. Instead of riveting in the flooring, I will be using rivnuts... so I can remove the decking at the end of each season for inspection, rinse, and adding a new application of fluid film. Since I will be in heavy salt. Fluid Film is made of lanolin from sheep's wool... and is insanely awesome for saltwater protection. All of this should be done for $1000 to $1500 in material. Then I will have a new boat that money literally cannot buy. Of course, I could just repaint it and still use it the same way! Which would probably only cost $200 to $400 in prep materials, primer, paint, and that high-end epoxy coating.

Just planting a few seeds for thought!!!

~ Marty

The picture below is not of my boat. It is a pic of the one on the Tiny Boat Nation website... showcasing one of their kits they sell to modify a 1436 Jon Boat. I will be doing my own thing for 1/3 the price.




 
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This sounds like a good deal and a great opportunity to have some fun.

Having a small boat is really handy for any homesteader with a pond.

Or a homestead with lakes and streams nearby.

My pond is empty.

Dear hubby likes to fish but just hasn't gotten around to getting in the car to find somewhere to fish.

We have had a variety of floating devices over the years.

Our neighbor sold us his blowup pontoon boat which we put in the water and paddled around once.

Then we got an all-out fishing boat custom-made with all the bells and whistles.

We were into fishing for maybe ten years.  Life happens...

Have fun and enjoy your new boat.

 
Marty Mitchell
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@ Anne Miller

True! It is also a great item to have for playing around on and exploring/having fun.

I also have a strong tendency to have ebb and flows of fishing in my life. Mainly when I take on major projects or move. Done moving now here. Just been spending the last few years building that dream garden, planting a billion fruit trees, building fence and electrifying it, building a mega/nice chicken coop, building an apiary and all of the hives in it, and more. lol

Almost time to turn my eye towards fishing again! My 10yo son is REALLY excited about it. I look forward to showing him how to work with metal and how to paint so it both sticks and looks good. Then showing him how to fish and start a fire. I think we may be cooking food while fishing on this thing. lol
 
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I spent many hours bow fishing from a small jon boat years ago. It was a lot of fun, as long as it was calm. Any noticable wind, say 5mph, completely changed that. It did get good fuel economy with a 15hp motor that would go a little over 20mph. I don't know about more modern motors, but I don't think any of the older ones would be able to get on plane at just 5hp, especially with any noticable amount of equipment. Not planing would be a major hit to fuel economy, so sometimes more can actually use less, lol!

When not being used for their intended purpose, a simple jon boat can make a good little roof when flipped upside down for covering things.
 
Marty Mitchell
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Anne Miller wrote:
My pond is empty.




One more thing...

Start throwing out old Christmas trees and such into piles out there. Add in some aquatic vegetation. A large tree or 10. Maybe a catalpa worm tree on one side for dropping in caterpillars at certain times of the year. Make that habitat for the bait/small animals. The big fish will be cruising around in there before you know it.

A little beater jon boat would be great for that task!

You can even jump start it by waiting a year then buying fathead minnows or something in bulk online and stocking it with them.

Then add bluegill or crappie the next season. Or a small catfish species. Catfish are RAPID growers and very efficient on feed.
 
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This is great info and I really appreciate the comprehensiveness of the post.  I have been considering a jon boat for a while.  I have access to five rivers, the largest being the Great Pee Dee, that has all kinds of ever changing ox bows.  They are a real challenge to fish and hunt because there is a lot of submerged brush.  THe main river can be pretty swift in places, especially after a storm.  SO, I'm trying to balance stability int he river with getting into all the pokey shallow areas where the fishing is best.  I've been using an aluminum canoe, but it is no fun trying to paddle that beast up stream!
 
Marty Mitchell
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Jordan Holland wrote:I spent many hours bow fishing from a small jon boat years ago. It was a lot of fun, as long as it was calm. Any noticable wind, say 5mph, completely changed that. It did get good fuel economy with a 15hp motor that would go a little over 20mph. I don't know about more modern motors, but I don't think any of the older ones would be able to get on plane at just 5hp, especially with any noticable amount of equipment. Not planing would be a major hit to fuel economy, so sometimes more can actually use less, lol!

When not being used for their intended purpose, a simple jon boat can make a good little roof when flipped upside down for covering things.




That is some very good information right there! Thank you

I am already on the search for the "High Thrust" prop for my motor... for when they used it on small sailboats and such. I did see a guy getting 17mph completely empty with his 5hp (same exact engine I have) in a 1436. However, I imagine that will change completely after I change the ergonomics of my boat by adding weight.

If I cannot plane... I may end up grabbing a used 9.9 Mercury. I keep seeing them for cheap on FB marketplace. That way I could still get into Lake Smith near me that is on the border of the Botanical Gardens and holds several records for Virginia on fish sizes. Lake Smith has a max of 12hp allowed. If I get the 9.9 and want more down the road... I can simply upgrade the carb to the one from the 15hp motor and boom... I will have a 9.9 marked motor... that makes 15. Apparently the 9.9 and 15 are one and the same except for the carb. I will still take my sweet time searching for a bigger motor if I do that. No rush.
 
Marty Mitchell
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Judson Carroll wrote:This is great info and I really appreciate the comprehensiveness of the post.  I have been considering a jon boat for a while.  I have access to five rivers, the largest being the Great Pee Dee, that has all kinds of ever changing ox bows.  They are a real challenge to fish and hunt because there is a lot of submerged brush.  THe main river can be pretty swift in places, especially after a storm.  SO, I'm trying to balance stability int he river with getting into all the pokey shallow areas where the fishing is best.  I've been using an aluminum canoe, but it is no fun trying to paddle that beast up stream!



I am glad it may have helped in some way!

My biggest suggestion is to nerd out on these on YouTube for a little while to figure out what best suits you. Also, looking up ways to make sure you can stay safe out there.

I am definitely adding in a bilge pump for instance. I don't have rapids to deal with here though. Just cypress knees, oyster bars, logs, and occasional patches of open/shallow water that can start spitting whitecaps pretty quick if the wind picks up enough. So, with most places, I could in theory just pull the boat up onto a bank, pull my 35lb motor and other gear off, flip her over (she is 130 lbs empty), then put everything back together again and be on my way. My kayak was the same weight!

I bet some rear float pods and a jet-drive would be excellent for shooting up a rocky stream.

I am still thinking of adding some float pods to mine actually. Mainly because the rear end won't dig in at all when taking off. I will gain some top-end speed. PLUS, it will sit higher in the water the rest of the time. Add in a manual jack plate ($400)... and my engine will barely be in the water. I have a regular prop engine and will be keeping that... just bringing a spare prop. They are SUPER cheap on this size of motor. A spare prop can be had off of Amazon for $35.
 
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