Reply With QuoteIf I didn't like it I would sell it. Now is a great time to sale a boat. If the 14' boat is just leaky and doesn't have structural cracking there are products on the market designed to fix and fill in leaks around rivets and pinholes.
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Slabmaster
Boat dilemma..help
I have a 14 ' Lowe Jon boat that I fished withuntil last season.The boat is a 1978 model and sertved me well until last year. Every time I took it on the water I was battling small leaks. I had welding done and used some JB Weld to improve the situation and it didn`t completely solve the issues. I rigged a bilge pump late season and limped through the fall season.
Fast forward to this spring... Not wanting to deal with leaks I went and bought a Tracker 12' 36" wide jon (used). Yesterday was the maidenvoyage for the 12' Jon and it didn`t go well. The boat came with pedistal seats, a pole that fits into the bench. On the water I felt as if the boat was going to tip every time I leaned one way or the other. I weigh 220 and it felt like I had about 4 inches of boat above water by the time you had me on the rear seat and a marine battery at my feet. The other issue was steering the boat. I like to troll and it felt like I was constantly adjusting the boat`s direction. Wind was minimal. This boat just doesn`t handle like my 1442 Jon.
So, I feel lost this morning as to what to do...I like my old 14' jon but it leaks. My new 12' jon made for an awful first trip on the water.
One thought was to try to sell both boats and invest in another 14 , maybe even a new one. The whole thing is frustrating not to mention the 12 is only a month old to me and I put out $900 for it.
What would you do?
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If I didn't like it I would sell it. Now is a great time to sale a boat. If the 14' boat is just leaky and doesn't have structural cracking there are products on the market designed to fix and fill in leaks around rivets and pinholes.
The love for fishing is one of the best gifts you can pass along
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I fixed an old riveted boat years ago by putting a thick layer of fiberglass resin over the entire bottom of boat and up sides to top of waterline.
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Sell both and get a new 14-42. That boat is going to drown you. It’s to small for someone your size plus the added weight.
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Charlie Weaver USN/ENC 1965-1979
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Originally Posted by Cray
“If your too busy to fish, you’re too busy!” Buddy Ebsen
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heavenornot.netflintcreek LIKED above post
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Best advice yet.
The love for fishing is one of the best gifts you can pass along
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Best advice that can be given. Stay safe brother,
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Ascend 133X 13' - MotorGuide Xi3 & Mercury 4
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So much good advice. If a boat is nothing but worry and work, replace it with something that is not. You can't enjoy fishing if all you are doing is working on getting water out and trying to get someplace. My old 14 foot tinny has problems in the wind, which is to be expected. It is light even with me and all the necessities loaded in it. If the 14 foot jon is a comfortable fit then maybe some extra time is worth finding its leaking problem. Sometimes things leak most where you don't expect a leak. Water is a strange substance and follows its on path. If not worth the time and money to repair then its time to move on. The 12 foot is a death trap! I liked the fiberglass coating idea, except for the added weight of the fiberglass, which may be minimal but should be considered. I don't know much at all about the product but if a coating could be applied, how about the stuff truck beds are coated with, again weight and flexibility should be considered. I am sure there are more experienced folk here with that kind of thing. Good luck in finding a good solution and find a safe ride, Fishing is best done above the water not under.
Catch all you can when you can!
An old man in his old boat having fun!
FISHING REPORT: ‹Caught two docks, 3 trees and a stump- threw them back!
Keeper
Use https://itwperformancepolymers.com/products/marinetex/gluvit/ on the inside all over then use a quality boat paint over it.
Then use any of the following on the outside bottom.
Home - Wetlander Slick Bottom for Boats
Slick Coating and Base Products for Boats and More | GatorGlide
DGR Industrial Products, Inc. :: Specialty Coatings :: Low-Friction Bottom Coatings :: Frog Spit, Quart
FASCO 9XN Steel Flex Epoxy Coating Neutral
An inside/outside combination of those products should make any boat with minor leak issues waterproof.
Sometimes with riveted boats you need to re-buck rivets if they are extremely leaky. And it is best to do that before adding the coatings.
Also any major cracks will also need welded or possible JB Weld (some had success with it, I have not really tried it on a boat. Only have filled drill holes in a truck bed and it had been good for 18 years.)
Anthony Linhardt
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This is all good advice. I make a bit of a hobby of old aluminum boats and I have found that very few leaky boats are actually beyond repair. With the price of metal the way it is right now Jon boats are almost priced out of the market. If you boat is otherwise sound, take a couple of days and treat her to a facelift. Leaky rivets can be re-bucked and the bottom can be sealed. 12/36 boats are for teaching young skinny children how to row a boat and that is it! No grown man has ever has a good fishing trip out of a 12/36 boat.
