[GaryBriggs]

A simple 3/4" 4x4 deck with a couple 2x2 supports would not cost 35 bucks and would only weigh 40 lbs. An alum deck would cost more and only save 8-10lbs. I'd go with wood seal it and enjoy the crap out of until you feel you need or are ready to get something different.

I personally feel when people try and save weight by going aluminum the tend to over build, 1/8 diamond plate weighs 1.5bs per square ft, I could save a lot more that 8 lbs

 

[wbeadlescomb]

Some of y'all are giving people advice that's going to get someone hurt or killed. We already lost two guys this year and had a couple of close calls. That 14/36 is gonna have 15 inch sides at the most it's going to be overloaded with just two people standing in it. You want atleast a 14/48 with 20 inch sides.

 

[$FrMacastan$]

you couldnt pay me to fish off of a 1436. my 1st boat was a 1448 and it fished 2 guys like a champ.

 

[skyshark186]

Lol. People here are funny. The guys with big pockets spend days calling around and trying to save 500 bucks on building a 40,000 dollar boat. Then chastise everyone who cant do the same and say they are all gonna die. Dont take that as me not taking the two guys who were tragically lost seriously, but Im not one whos prone to drama that abounds after accidents.

Look. Its all about common sense. If you put 400 pounds on the front of a 400 pound boat your going to have issues. If you put 200 pounds on the front and haul ass into big waves, your going to have issues. No those arent serious numbers, but you
get my point.

If you buy a small boat, put a small troller on it and a battery in the back with a bit of water in a bucket or some ballast, youll be fine. People have done it for years without issue. I have a stealth 1200 duck boat that I have my wife stand on the front of while I paddle and we kill lots of fish with it in small backwaters. I think its maybe 12-13 feet long. And its narrower than 36 inches.

Be careful, be smart, and be safe. Ignore the naysayers and go enjoy life.

 

[wbeadlescomb]

Lol. People here are funny. The guys with big pockets spend days calling around and trying to save 500 bucks on building a 40,000 dollar boat. Then chastise everyone who cant do the same and say they are all gonna die. Dont take that as me not taking the two guys who were tragically lost seriously, but Im not one whos prone to drama that abounds after accidents.

Look. Its all about common sense. If you put 400 pounds on the front of a 400 pound boat your going to have issues. If you put 200 pounds on the front and haul ass into big waves, your going to have issues. No those arent serious numbers, but you
get my point.

If you buy a small boat, put a small troller on it and a battery in the back with a bit of water in a bucket or some ballast, youll be fine. People have done it for years without issue. I have a stealth 1200 duck boat that I have my wife stand on the front of while I paddle and we kill lots of fish with it in small backwaters. I think its maybe 12-13 feet long. And its narrower than 36 inches.

Be careful, be smart, and be safe. Ignore the naysayers and go enjoy life.

This is the kind of guy I'm talking about giving you terrible advice. Most of us don't have big fancy boats I've got a 14/48 and it has gotten scary a time or two. I've seen two guys in a 14/36 and it was so sketchy I was scared to even get close to them.

 

[skyshark186]

This is the kind of guy I'm talking about giving you terrible advice. Most of us don't have big fancy boats I've got a 14/48 and it has gotten scary a time or two. I've seen two guys in a 14/36 and it was so sketchy I was scared to even get close to them.

Obviously every 14 foot boat is built the same, and all of us are 350 pound monsters.

Lol. Call my advice what you want. I have a 14/48 with an elevated deck made out of steel. Im sure its going to instantly nose dive and kill everyone within a 1 mile radius, never mind that I shoot out of it all the time and have yet to have a single issue with it stability or safety wise.

But hey, I guess telling a guy to be careful, be safe, and use common sense is terrible advice. Ill mark that down in my book of things to never tell people, my bad. :laugh:

 

[$FrMacastan$]

This is the kind of guy I'm talking about giving you terrible advice. Most of us don't have big fancy boats I've got a 14/48 and it has gotten scary a time or two. I've seen two guys in a 14/36 and it was so sketchy I was scared to even get close to them.

agreed! i have had a 1448, 1648, 1652, all which i never paid over 500$ for them and they all came with a trailer. deals are out there you just gta look.

 

[fr3db3ar]

I'd love to find a 1648 for $500. Even a fixer upper. I'm still on the fence on this boat as I currently have a 15' fiberglass semi-V (best description) but from the front it's very wobbly. I was hoping that a flat front jon even in 36" would be more stable side to side. Mainly sitting on a stool in the front to drive (foot operated troller) while standing to shoot. I run a 9.5 in the rear, two batteries and two people. That's really most of the weight. I'm guessing 600# total.

Currently the best I can find is a 1448 w/trailer for around $900.

 

[DonArkie]

I'll tell ya, their is some real bad suggestions being put out their. 14-36 with wood deck is a danger or possibilty more. The stability of a 48" beam vs 36" beam is a huge differ, just like 52" vs 48" and so-on so-on. Someone mention wood over aluiminum, that is a total false statement. 1. From wood NO matter what you constructed it out of wet or dry will out weigh a aluminuim deck by far. My 14 -48 jon boat deck lower frame deck & knee rail, lights & troller built of aluiminium & plywood is 84 lbs. Thats everything on the deck. I used thick wall & thin wall aluminuim tubing, weight would be a issue for me because of the boat being a 14-48. fr3db3ar heres something to think about "realisticly" Here's what has been added to my boat, I know, I weigh everything and documented it because I wanted stay within a certain limit of weight. For one you wont use a long shaft outboard or a cranking battery but if you go off what the rest I've done you'll see you have zero to little marjon of weight limit left. Some will suggest I've fished over over weighted boat with no problems, for "me" that aint a good odd to gamble. All it would take is some other boat cruz'n by to cause a wake that would swamp that boat, a sudden wrong move and tip the boat too far to comsume water or too many fish. The ones suggesting go for it, I say re-think that thought. Save your money and go for something more safer & realisticly sound.

115lbs 2004 Merc Classic Long Shaft
84lbs Deck w/troller & lights & knee rail made from alumin & 1/2" marine plyood w/glued rubber matting
118lbs 59lbs ea 2x 31 series deep cells 1 for troller, 1 for lights
46lbs cranking battery
10lbs converter box with 2 55amp converters, fans, all wiring
36lbs fuel in boat
69lbs 2500w inverter generator
35lbs extra's bow, cooler, misc. stuff
509 lbs w/o myself
again my boat weight rating with pods is 1050lbs w/o pods 850lbs.
my weight 252lbs , that is 761lbs I mainly fish by myself I like the quiet time to myself. So I add 200lbs of rough fish to the boat I'm still in my weight limit. My boat sits very well in the water now & no worries of swamping the boat with water.

 

[fr3db3ar]

Thanks Don, did you mount your batteries midship?

 

[Steward]

 

[fr3db3ar]

Is that a 36 Steward?

 

[Steward]

Yep fun lil boat

 

[fr3db3ar]

How many people do you fish off that?

 

[DonArkie]

no, my batteries are mounted under the rear bench, were I removed a 33" section , built a floor and redone the bench tops. I have 2 31 series deep cells & a converter box with 2 powermax converters



Dont get into a rush of having a boat quickly, find the one you want & will be safe. Dont get into a rush building it into a bowfishing rig either. Mine took every bit of 15 months, I thought out everything carefully. Weight limit should be the biggest factor, that falls in the Safety too. Dont slap together anything, I've seen some real potential viking funnels here. This forum is like a buffett, take what you want (realistically) and leave the rest. Safety should and alway be 1st. Their are some real good guys that give the right advice/suggestions, look at their boats electrical, to the construction of decks to the over all. Size does matter (beam) nothing less than a 48" beam should be considered. You'll find the right one, maybe not now but it will come, not just once but more. As the saying goes, "You pay in peanuts you get monkeys" . Cheap isnt always the best what I'm saying, 14-48 should be your minimum size, good plateform for a 1st timer boat, stabile enough to hold 2 people safely, and stabile enought with 2 people & fish on board. Side height should be another factor, boat with low sides isnt a good boat to add weight to. You want a boat with decent side height 20" or better, my boat is unique with 21 1/2" sides. You mention difference between 12" of beam, their is a big difference 12" of more beam will give that boat more draft, more stability "surface area in the water" example, stand in a 14-36 in the center of the floor, take a step to the left and watch how radically the boat shifts to the left, then do the same on a 14-48, big difference. I know this I have 10-36 I use to check my yo-yo's on the river with a homemade weed wacker mud motor. Save your money and wait for a 14-48 or something with a 48"beam or better

My 14-48 has sentimental value mainly, been in the family pretty much all it time expect for a year were the original owner sunk it and sat for almost a year in the river in 10ft water. We salvaged it with the original owners permission, it had a torn transum. Rebuilt the transum, with new metal, added 48" by 24" aluminum skid plate welded and wrapped round upward on the transum set of beavertail pods. Duck hunted in that boat for many, many years. I like jon boats, like the size 14/48.

 

[fr3db3ar]

I see you have a standing station. What did you do to extend your motor handle?

When you're talking side height are you measure vertical from the bottom or up the side metal?

 

[DonArkie]

must be talking about the grab bar? I built it the tiller handle extention 1" from metal tubing with a slot cut into it for the stop button. It claims onto the original Mercury tiller handle. Its 32" long

 

[garpwacker]

View attachment 32999

This one has pretty deep sides for a small boat. As mentioned there is alot of difference in side height on those little boats also. From 15"-20" and makes a huge difference. But a 36" wide is approx. 48" across the top, and a 48" is approx. 60" across the top. Tape off a 4 ft square area and get 2 grown adults to stand inside that area and imagine shooting bows and dealing with fish while staying in that area that would be a 36" wide boat. Now make it a 5 ft square area which would be closer to a 48" wide boat and see what we are talking about.48" would be minimum width in my opinion.

 

[water snake 2]

agreed if your gona use a 36 better do some things.

 

[GaryBriggs]

You guys and you safety paranoia crack me up, I am going to take my 0736 wooden Jon boat out next weekend and blast some fish just to prove a point.

Buy the boat bro, build yourself a platform that has outriggers or float pods built into it, float pods on the back for some extra carry capacity. Fish it for a season and flip it for a profit. After fishing with this you will have a better idea of what size boat you would ultimately want.

Don't put much stock in anything said on this site, 90% of posts on here are nothing more than than a D*ck measuring contest, if you not using what they are then clearly it can't be right.(sarcasm)