# First Jon Boat Project!



## schlifawitz (Nov 22, 2010)

Just bought my first jon! It's a 1999 Starcraft 1448. Has some pre-existing mods already, but there is so much I would like to do to it.  Haven't done anything to it yet, just got it out on the lake to see how it sits in the water, and fished a bit too. :wink: Lookin to make it a boat used primarily in electric only bass tournaments. Here's what I got as of now.











It already has the electric motors and 2 batteries. (Cranking, not deep cycle #-o ) It also has the front deck and rear deck. The front deck is just sheet plywood on top of the factory aluminum deck. The rear deck is built around what used to be the back bench. The bench now has a hole cut in it where a 33 gallon livewell was placed. behind where the bench would be is t compartments. One houses the batteries, and the other houses the gas tank for the 5 hp Johnson that came with the boat. (Does not run)  Also in the back compartments are the plumbing for the automatic bilge, and the bilge that dumps and recirculates water into the livewell. On the back of the front deck there is a fuse panel installed which has a timer for the livewell, navigation lights, deck lights, and bilge switches. In the center, instead of center seats it has two metal square boxes, one used to be the livewell. 

I would like to put a floor in the bottom of the entire middle section of the boat, as well as put a deck between the front deck and the middle boxes, and have it a bit lower than the front deck, one so I don't have to mess with the deck lights and the fuse panel, and two so the step up to the front deck isn't so big. :shock: I would like to keep the front and back deck as is, and just re-carpet to match the rest of the boat.

Lookin forward to this one. Never done this before and have no idea where to start. Any advice would be awesome. Lay it on me! thanks everybody!


----------



## Jim (Nov 22, 2010)

:WELCOME:

Thanks for joining! :beer:

Your boat looks good already......... :LOL2:


----------



## schlifawitz (Nov 22, 2010)

Thanks Jim! 

Looks like everyone here has a ton of good ideas, and I need plenty!!!! :LOL2:


----------



## jcb (Nov 22, 2010)

1448s is the best of the 14 footers in flat bottom boat,For a 14 this is the only one I wood has for fishing in the river.I wood take the mittle benchs out so you have nice open area between front deck an back deck.Haveing this that way will makes the boat more useable and more better for getting round in it.Mittle benchs in small boats are just no good,me 1448 has no mittle bench and for good reesin,I fish in rivers for the biggest of fish an the added open area worksout good when the big fish are in there.I wood allso foor it with alimimum and with no carpet as you just pull the plug and hose she out when dirty with dirt blood and other drippings.Get a nice 25 or 30 hp with till steer and you will have as nice of river fishing boat i i has.You need any advice I will be happy to add some ideas for you =D>


----------



## schlifawitz (Nov 22, 2010)

Thanks jcb! :LOL2: 

I had it out on the water with 3 people fishing in it and it was very, very stable, especially considering we were well over the weight limit. :roll:

I would like to take the middle boxes out, however, they are riveted to the outside shell of the boat. I do not want to mess with them because I do not want to risk having a leak. Does anyone know any ways I can remove them properly?? If anyone has any idea's it would be greatly appreciated because they are a major pain. :roll: 

I do strictly bass fishing so I want to carpet the floor so it is more comfortable on long hot tournament days on the water. Also keeps things from sliding and banging around. :wink: 

Its rated for a 25 hp but the local lakes are electric only. I do have one lake that is a 20 hp limit so I'm considering getting a used 20 hp to have around. 8)


----------



## Hooky1420 (Nov 23, 2010)

Welcome! Looks like you got some good ideas going on there. Keep us posted along the way and thanks for sharing!

PS... I was going to call my boat "The Lunker Bunker"... decided on a different name... very cool though!


----------



## jcb (Nov 23, 2010)

all yous need to do is to cut along the flange that is rivited into the hull.Yous not need to undo the rivits but leaves them in there.Once yous cut along the flange yous will needs to then remove the bench pieces and then yous will wants to take the sharpness of the edges with a bastard file.I see a boy here do this to his boat some times ago and it work out good.Added room into the boot is good as i state above.I thinks other peoples will add to yous request asbout this =D>


----------



## schlifawitz (Nov 23, 2010)

Thanks Hooky! :LOL2: and I thought it was an original name...guess not :roll: 

Thanks as well jcb. I think that is what I am going to do, it will allow me to extend a drop deck back farther and give me more room for storage!

Took the boat out today. Didn't catch anything and forgot to put the plug in! =D> First time and I'm sure its not the last! [-X Also learned that the auto bilge works very well! :LOL2: 

Gonna start laying framing soon!


----------



## schlifawitz (Dec 8, 2010)

Finally got to do some work! It's frustrating being two hours away from home at college and having a boat sitting at home waiting to be played with!  

Anyways, I decided to leave the center boxes in, and they will be used for dry storage, and also as support for the deck I will extend from the front. 

Got a floor laid between the back deck and the center boxes. I used 2x4's to create cross braces to support the 1/2" plywood laid over top. This gave enough space underneath the frame for water to still drain throughout the boat, and to also allow for a place to neatly run wiring. After i cut the support braces, I spaced them so they would wedge the floor between the rear bench and the middle boxes so the entire floor could be easily removed, but rigid enough to not slide around. Now all it needs is carpet, which will come after I get the front part of the floor finished. Ran out of time at home.  But Christmas break is a week away and I hope to accomplish a lot during those 3 weeks. =D> 

Braces running horizontal in the back mid section of the boat




Plywood cut to fit the space, and fastened down to cross braces shown above. 





Also picked up a new fish finder on Black Friday. Got the Lowrance x135 originally 399.99 for 129.99. Anyone have any experience with this unit? I heard a lot of good things about it. Picked it up in the Bargin Cave in Cabela's.

Next step is to get the front floor between the boxes and the front deck done. Then move on to the extension of the front deck over the front floor. Doing this to create some under deck storage. can't wait to get working again next week! :mrgreen:


----------



## 89Suburban (Dec 8, 2010)

Lookin good, thanks for sharing. =D>


----------



## PartsMan (Dec 9, 2010)

Normally I would say keep the middle seat so you can row,
but someone already ruined that.


----------



## schlifawitz (Dec 9, 2010)

PartsMan- Actually I thought the same thing at first, however after further investigation, I found that this is how the boat was actually manufactured. Both boxes go straight to the floor of the boat, and are waterproof. The one on the left was originally a bait well, and has a gravity fed hole plugged at the bottom. 

-Hopin' to never need to row. :wink:


----------



## FishingBuds (Dec 9, 2010)

Looks like I need to give ya a welcome  

your Project should be a sweet one 8) having the floor able to come out when needed is a cool thing to have :wink:


----------



## PartsMan (Dec 9, 2010)

schlifawitz said:


> -Hopin' to never need to row. :wink:



"Needing to" is bad.
I do like having a set of oars to get over some moss.
They are so much better than a paddle.


----------



## schlifawitz (Dec 9, 2010)

FishingBuds said:


> having the floor able to come out when needed is a cool thing to have :wink:



I want to be able to pull it out in case I have any wiring issues and so I can add/change electrical things down the road. 

Also to increase drying time on those wet days :evil:


----------



## schlifawitz (Dec 15, 2010)

Home for winter break! First thing I do on my first day off?? Start Buildin!

Started today by putting in braces ahead of the middle boxes. Gonna put a floor over top of them, and it will be used as a bottom for the storage compartment, as there will be a deck above. I tried to lighten the load a bit. Used 2 braced going across, and connected them in the middle. Its sturdy enough to hole me, however the test of time would break it. I think it will hold just fine for things I will be stowing away down there anyways.

Front floor braces





After I got the braces cut and put into place, I cut a piece of half inch ply wood to fit the space. 

Completed floor





After the floor was done, I started boxing in the boxes in the center, and preparing them to be covered by the casting deck. Just cut a piece of 3/4 inch ply to cover the outside.






Finally I removed the rear casting deck, and used the old one as the template for the new one. I want to re do the compartments, so I decided to replace the entire back deck. Haven't cut the compartment doors yet, still trying to engineer in my head what I want. I did cut a gap so the trolling motor will not interfere with the deck. 

Back Deck





Just ordered a 6 gang marine switch panel. Hopefully I get it soon. In the meantime, I'm heading out tonight to try to find some carpet that every hook I drop won't get stuck in. :roll: 

Tight Lines Ice Anglers! And Stay Warm!!!!


----------



## Muleskinner (Dec 16, 2010)

Looking really good! :fishing2:


----------



## schlifawitz (Dec 19, 2010)

Man am I starting to get pumped for spring!!! Got so much done this last week everything is really starting to come together! Got all the decks and floors carpeted and they look great. Lot of work but pretty easy! I cut the carpet to fit, and glued it down, and held it in place with staples, lots of them! I let everything dry for a few days and put it in the boat, and everything looked ten times better!

Totally stripped boat




































Still got to trip up the cabinet doors and carpet them but I want to get the electrical work done first. Switch panel should be here any day and I can get all that done then attach all the decks and floors. Extending the casting deck is after electrical work, and then it comes down to finishing touches. Any ideas???


----------



## Hooky1420 (Dec 28, 2010)

Looking good man! Now if you can only hurry up and get that white stuff off the ground, you'll be all set! Carpet looks sweet!


----------



## schlifawitz (Jan 20, 2011)

FINALLY DONE!! Finished over Christmas break, but its been chaos since I came back to school so haven't had much time for updates. I must say, it looks like a brand new boat.

Laid all the decking innto the correct places, moved the switch panel back and the lights as well, installed a cigarette lighter plug, bluewater led's, TONS of storage. I cant believe how well this project turned out. I had no idea I was capable of doing this. I had a blast doing it and I really learned something about myself. 

NOW LET SPRING GET HERE FAST!!!


----------

