Building a Jon Boat - Things to Consider

Building a boat can be quite addictive. Whether you use a jon boat to go fishing or otherwise, learning how to build a jon boat is the best way to go.

First, you can customize the jon boat in terms of its size and another thing is that it's definitely cheaper and way more fun to build a jon boat.

Jon boats are generally used for fishing and duck hunting. What I liked most about this type of boat is its stability. And if you have experienced using it to go fishing you may agree with me when I say that it is very comfortable using the pedestal seats which also allows greater visibility for fishing.

A jon boat is also easier to launch and manipulate. And if I may say so, one of the easiest boat that you can build yourself.

Build a Jon Boat - Getting Started

Like with any project, building a jon boat require planning. And you have to keep in mind certain consideration. Among which are:

BUDGET

Before anything else, you need to set a certain amount that you are willing to spend to build the boat. This would determine many factors that goes into building the boat. It will determine the size, design and the materials you'll be using to build a jon boat.

Building your own boat is generally cheaper than buying one but you still need to allocate a definite amount and stick to it with the rest of the planning.

MATERIALS

There are generally four types of jon boat in terms of the materials used. These are aluminum, polyethylene, fiberglass and wood.

You have to decide which material you will use to build a jon boat keeping in mind the budget as well as what's suitable for your needs.

Aluminum are generally the sturdiest ofall mtype and is used especially when you use the boat in rocky areas. So this is good for river fishing.

Polyethelyne is also a very good alternative if sturdiness and durability is high on your list of priorities. However, I personally have an issue with using polyethylene as constant dragging of the boat on dry grounds can damage polyethylene boats.

Fiberglass is good for fishing near sandbars. But it is not the cheapest of materials to buy.

Wood is the cheapest of all materials and to build a wooden jon boat would require some woodworking skills. The thing with wooden jon boats is you need to coat the wood well using special paints to add integrity to the structure and to prevent rot.

DESIGN

Most jon boats generally have a flat or near flat hull thus limiting its use to still or calm waters. However, for your purposes, you may customize some of its features including the motors you use, if you plan of adding any. You also need to determine the size of the boat and the number of decks and the capacity of the boat.

The definite dimension and measurement of the boat should be in place before starting the building process itself. And for this you'll be needing a jon boat building plan.

A good building plan should take you through the whole process of it step-by-step. It should have a complete list of materials needed so you can have it prepared beforehand and see if it fits with your budget.

Personally, I found a very nifty catalog of jon boat design plans which I find very helpful in this aspect. You may check it out here:

www.BoatBlueprints.info