I'm new to the board, new to Jon boats, and having a blast with it so far. I recently bought a brand new Tracker Topper 12w to take my kids camping on the Congaree and Edisto rivers in SC, and to fish some smaller lakes and ponds. I found a deal on a 2000 8hp Mercury, and it pushes myself, the kids, and 50lb of gear 17mph. I live in Columbia SC now, but I'm originally from Charleston and am used to much bigger fiberglass boats. This is my first tin boat.
Introductions out of the way, I thought I'd share the modifications I've made so far and ask a few questions. The boat came with the center seat, but it felt like it took up too much room and my kids were constantly climbing over it and almost tipping the boat. It also made it hard to distribute weight- the boat would either go bow way up or bow way down, and I could never seem to find the sweet spot no matter what I tried. I wasn't too keen on slicing up a boat that had only been in the water a total of about an hour, but after looking at this forum, I decided I needed dry(ish) storage and a fishing deck. I work in manufacturing using aluminum, and I'm lucky enough to have all the equipment and materials available to me at no cost. The frame weighs less than the removed seat, and the .090 sheet metal makes the net weight gain about 8lb over factory weight. I'd like to hear feedback if possible.
I do have a few questions, and a concern or two. I understand that I weakened the structure a bit when I removed the seat, and reinforced it somewhat when I added the deck, but when I'm on the river I get... oil canning(?) in the floor. It's not too bad, but it concerns me a little. My daughter likes to sit on a small cooler in the middle of the floor, and when we're going down the river she just bounces there. I didn't take it out enough before cutting it to know if this is normal.
The other question is about the motor. The boat is rated for a 5hp motor. I've seen very similar boats rated for much bigger motors and the only difference I can see is that they have boxes in the rear corners. I'm assuming the boxes brace the transom against the rear seat. If I were to strengthen the transom and add braces to the seat, will this suffice? I understand the coast guard or DNR might have an issue with it, but I can live with it. Thanks for any advice.
Introductions out of the way, I thought I'd share the modifications I've made so far and ask a few questions. The boat came with the center seat, but it felt like it took up too much room and my kids were constantly climbing over it and almost tipping the boat. It also made it hard to distribute weight- the boat would either go bow way up or bow way down, and I could never seem to find the sweet spot no matter what I tried. I wasn't too keen on slicing up a boat that had only been in the water a total of about an hour, but after looking at this forum, I decided I needed dry(ish) storage and a fishing deck. I work in manufacturing using aluminum, and I'm lucky enough to have all the equipment and materials available to me at no cost. The frame weighs less than the removed seat, and the .090 sheet metal makes the net weight gain about 8lb over factory weight. I'd like to hear feedback if possible.
I do have a few questions, and a concern or two. I understand that I weakened the structure a bit when I removed the seat, and reinforced it somewhat when I added the deck, but when I'm on the river I get... oil canning(?) in the floor. It's not too bad, but it concerns me a little. My daughter likes to sit on a small cooler in the middle of the floor, and when we're going down the river she just bounces there. I didn't take it out enough before cutting it to know if this is normal.
The other question is about the motor. The boat is rated for a 5hp motor. I've seen very similar boats rated for much bigger motors and the only difference I can see is that they have boxes in the rear corners. I'm assuming the boxes brace the transom against the rear seat. If I were to strengthen the transom and add braces to the seat, will this suffice? I understand the coast guard or DNR might have an issue with it, but I can live with it. Thanks for any advice.
