Older lightweight jon boats

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howl

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Howdy! I'm researching options for lighter weight jon boats. I fish a 25hp limit lake and that really limits the weight you can carry. Starting with as light a boat as possible will allow carrying more stuff at speed.

I currently run an older Waco riveted 1756. It'll do 18 to 20mph with just me or me and my five year old. Add another kid and wife and I lose 4mph. Add a generator and sodium light and its 6-8mph because the 25hp won't plane that much weight no matter were I put it. 20mph is alright. 6 is not.

Current nicer jon boats seem to be welded out of heavier gauge. Lighter riveted ones don't get the attention needed to turn out as well built a boat. I need suggestions on what or were to look for a riveted mod-v jon made back when more emphasis was put on quality of those boats.

I want a mod-v with a front deck and floor that goes about 300# before adding motors and batteries, etc. Going smaller than say 1650 isn't an attractive option. Any ideas?
 
The Alumacraft MV1648 is about 300 lbs.

I have the flatbottom version of this boat paired with a 15hp Johnson and with TM, TM battery, 4-5 gal of gas, seats, a floor, tackle and 2 lighter men it will do about 19mph. I'd imagine with even more people and gear, that a 25hp could easily beat that.
 
howl said:
Thanks for the response on light riveted boats. Those Alumacrafts look like they are better quality than what I have seen so far. Did you have a chance to look at any other makes before you went with Alumacraft?

I also looked at the Lowe MV1648. It seemed similar quality but it was also a few hundred more. The Lowe was also less of a mod-v than you would typically imagine. I have read on here from others that the paint on the Lowe is better but that wasn't worth the extra money for me.
 
Getting on plane has less to do with weight than it does the hull shape and design. Lot of times a newer heavier boat will outperform an older and much lighter boat-mainly because the hull is a much better design. Lot of the newer stuff has quite a bit of "lift" built into the hull which is why they'll run 30-35 mph with only 25 hp, if set up properly.
 
Still digging around on this. I see Xpress has a 1650VJ listed at 340#. I will have to get up to Athens to look at one.
 

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