16 Foot Starcraft Jon Boat

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kbkid

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
110
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Location
Virginia
I have gotten to the point where I am tired of crawling along river the river banks in Virginia. I came upon this site and have fallen in love with the work being done. I have always enjoyed DIY work, so the concept of decking a jon boat interest me.

I began my search on Craigslist, in hopes of finding a 14-16ft jon boat, preferably 48" wide or more. The cheaper it is the better, but I would rather have quality equipment.

I came upon this jon boat and hoped someone could educate me on the model. The owner gives very little details and I have been in contact with him regarding it. From what I have gathered, the boat is between 48-52" wide, comes with a 25HP electric start Mercury engine, Minn Kota trolling motor and a trailer. The price is about right, but seems to be too low for everything that is included.

This will be my first boat, so what are some things I should look for if I go and take a look at it. The owner is unsure of the year of the boat, and doesn't seem to really know many details regarding it. He has been very helpful though, on the phone and through email so I don't understand.
 
If the $$ is right go take a look at it or you will never know. Its always nice to here the motor run at least start up for a min. so you know it is fixable. Remember, first impressions are lasting, if it looks like junk at first glance, it has prob. been abbused, or sitting a long time unused. ASK about the latter. Also ask why he is getting rid of it. If he is reluctant and won't make eye contact then somthing is prob. wrong. If nothing else talk him down as much as you can. That way if somthing is wrong you have $$ to work with. GOOD LUCK !!!
 
Just so you guys know, I added the link in my original post.

Thanks for the reply dougdad, thats kind of how I was feeling too. I was only hoping someone could give me some tips or things to look for.
 
I'm a newbie too, but the best advice I can give is ask the owner for a long test drive and allow him to come along. Heck, maybe invite a knowledgeable buddy along too. You want to load the boat anyway. If the price sounds reasonable, tell him you will meet his price if it checks out. If he refuses, walk away.

Boat leaks will show up fairly quickly, engine problems may not, especially if only running in a barrel. Take it on the lake. Run the engine fast, slow, idle. It should run well. Make sure it planes, no jumping out of gear even at WOT. Make sure it pumps good water and no signs of overheat.
 
I appreciate the input. I'm unsure whether a test drive will be possible, but it's worth a try.
 
Make sure you can atleast see it run. Ask him about his engine maintenance and winterization practices, regardless of whether or not you know what they should be lol.

Looks like a good price, I'd jump on it.
 
I've just been thinking the price is almost too good to be true. I would think the trailer alone is worth a couple hundred.

I'll definitely be sure to ask him about the winterization and maintenance done.

I think this boat would be the perfect candidate for a deck, especially for the size.
 
Make sure it runs! I made that mistake - Doh! Leaks, well, you can fix those mostly, check the welds for cracks. If it has a floor or transom, test the wood. I bought a boat in the dead of winter - soaking wet transoms are hard as a rock with frozen ice in winter. :x

I think of the motor as the biggest expense. A new engine at 25 hp will run you in the thousands. I had a 40 hp to replace - new was anywhere from 3500 to 5000. Found a steal of a deal for a 50 hp for $500 and haven't looked back. Check that it runs, shifts in gear good. Minor adjustments you can make, but rebuilding a lower unit is something I don't even want to do, and I love engines.

Oh, and a clear title/registration is very important too. In Wisconsin, you NEED the old registration card when you register a new-to-you boat. Check your states requirements, usually they are posted somewhere on the www.

Good luck!

Will
 
Is it possible to really check the engine if I am not in water? I have read that it is not good for the motor to be run while not in water, is this true?
 
The seller should be able to hook it up to his hose or run it in a bucket like he would/should do when flushing the motor. Keep in mind that I would still do common maintinence on the motor, ignition, water pump, Carb rebuild, fuel pump rebuild, lower unit oil, etc. It nice to have that piece of mind.

Good luck
Gary
 
If I purchased the boat, I would definitely go over the common things in order to get it back in shape.
 
Welcome aboard mate :D

The boat should speak for its self, just look for cracks up by the bow, and signs of abuse, bad dings. Every jon I bought I ended up repalcing the wood at the transom so IMHO no big deal.

I'd be worried about the Titling rules in your state first and as for the engine it HAS to run period, the guy should beable to show you the engine running, If he doesn't want to or doesn't know how then its simple, you start offering him at $250 for the hole thing :)

good luck and keep us posted :D
 
I contacted the guy today in order to schedule a time to look at the boat and it turns out he sold it yesterday.

I now turn back to Craigslist in search of a 14-16ft. boat.

BTW... I've found dozens of 14' jon boats and when I ask the owner how wide the boat is, 99% of the time they tell me they think it is 36". Is this the most common size or are they just measuring the wrong portion of the boat? I ask them the width across the bottom of the boat. I've been looking for something a tad wider because from what I've read 48" would be the most stable.
 

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