real world differences in small jons and v hulls

Have the chance to buy a Meyers 14 laker for a good price..I think the beam on them is 56" not sure about the bottom width.

I have a couple of questions for those of you that have had both small flat bottom jon boats and semi v's similar to the laker.

1. Is there really much difference in stability between say a 1436 jon and a small semi v like the Meyers?

2. Is the ride in a chop or river current really that much different?

3. And will the small semi v really noticeably require more motor considering the weights are very similar.

I'm well aware of the stability of wider boats vs smaller. But this is a question for the small boat guys...thanks

Flat bottom boats are better suited for shallow water, rivers, smaller bodies of water and light winds, they bounce over chop and will pound and often spray passengers when planing on chop and big water, winds. V hulls tend to slice through chop smoothly w a comfortable,dry ride on calm or choppy water. Stability increases w width w either boat type.

juggernot said:

Flat bottom boats are better suited for shallow water, rivers, smaller bodies of water and light winds, they bounce over chop and will pound and often spray passengers when planing on chop and big water, winds. V hulls tend to slice through chop smoothly w a comfortable,dry ride on calm or choppy water. Stability increases w width w either boat type.

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I agree. Inshore we get a fair amount of chop even in the creeks and almost everybody uses some variation of a V. The saying here goes,"a flat bottom boat will slap you silly".

juggernot said:

Flat bottom boats are better suited for shallow water, rivers, smaller bodies of water and light winds, they bounce over chop and will pound and often spray passengers when planing on chop and big water, winds. V hulls tend to slice through chop smoothly w a comfortable,dry ride on calm or choppy water. Stability increases w width w either boat type.

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Well said =D>

You did not mention transom height but I would insist on a 20" minimum.

Tim

fishmonger....interesting opinion. Around here I see mostly jon boats rarely see a semi v

I have a G3 1860 modified V, I think it's 5* deadrise and unless I have hundreds of lbs of weight up front it pounds violently due to the chop hitting the bottom of the boat as the curved bow section is out of the water when on plane and higher than the chop. A V bow w more deadrise would knife through the chop w much less pounding, it might bounce a bit but I'm sure it would be a much more comfortable/dry ride.

My 03 SC is lighter than this 1860, gas and batteries are in the stren and even more hull is out of the water w just me aboard @ wot. You can imagine how bumpy the ride is when it's slapping the hull directly underneath yourself.


https://www.g3boats.com/gator_tough_deluxe_1860_sc_cc_-_aluminum_jon_boats

I think i'll go Mon and buy it...For the price cant go wrong. something else to tinker with if nothing else.

juggernot said:

Flat bottom boats are better suited for shallow water, rivers, smaller bodies of water and light winds, they bounce over chop and will pound and often spray passengers when planing on chop and big water, winds. V hulls tend to slice through chop smoothly w a comfortable,dry ride on calm or choppy water. Stability increases w width w either boat type.

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Pretty well sums it up!
I have had both, and prefer the Jon boat on shallow rivers, and the V hull for almost anything else.
IMO, you will be happy with the Laker.

I have that boat (or one close to it)

take a look at my build. I have not had it on the water yet but did use it for 3 years in its original form, it was a fine boat.

perchjerker......nice looking boat, nice mod....how shallow did it run before the mods?

I did some carpentry work for a local farmer couple years ago...did some bartering. Got a little Crestliner 12 sportsman 101..I think like a 1969...very narrow beam. I restored it.

Had it out on the Juniata river today trying out a 80's 2 stroke 4hp mercury I picked up for 250.00.....ran like a champ, fun little boat, caught some nice smallies, one 17".

I was thinking as I was cruising up the river.....anxious to have a new toy to play with. Looking forward to tinkering with the Meyers, hope its still there tomorrow.

Might have to find a 9.9 2 stroke or maybe a 15 to go with it.

Used to be that "jon" boats would ride rough, spray you, and everything else that someone mentioned.

That's not always the case anymore. It is the case with cheap flatbottom boats. Lots of jons nowadays ride almost as good as a bigger fiberglass boat does. I had a 'glass boat at one point and thought it was awesome, and it was. but it was too big for skinny waters we have here, so I sold it and picked up a new war eagle. It rides almost exactly the same. I have yet to find enough chop to get me even remotely sprayed, and some of those water conditions were downright dangerous for most any small craft. Pretty dumb to be out in conditions like that honestly but I was very highly impressed with it's ride and lack of spray. War eagle is not the only boat I've ridden in that rides that well, but the cheaper jons are the ones that fit into the "cheap" category. Waco, AlumaCraft, AlumaWeld, Xpress, etc.

The modified vee jons will ride 10x better than a flat bottom and flat nose. I had a Grumman that had a vee nose and flat bottom and it was middle of the road between a semi-vee and a flat bottom. Little bit of a rougher ride but not nearly as rough as the Waco flat nose 1542 I had. That thing would beat you to death if there was any chop, and it beat itself to death (cracked welds). This is also, IMO, one of the reasons riveted boats begin to leak. That rough ride also takes it's toll on the hull.

20" transom is what I wish I'd have gotten. Mine is 16", occasionally I'll get a little water over the transom. Not often. I got 15" because the I have a "short shaft" motor.