Should I upgrade a 14' V-hull to a 16' Jon boat?

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Jay D

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I have been contemplating a bigger boat. I have a 14' Richline with a 15hp now that is finished and is great for me another person but I want to up it to a 16' flat bottom jon boat with the 15 hp on it to fish 3 people. I will have to rearrange the garage to make it work and I might have to live out there for a while to( :roll: ). The wife said your gonna do what you want anyhow, so she won't be happy with it if I do it. THE QUESTION IS, Is it worth it as far as going to a bigger boat and will the 15 push it good enough to get it up on plane. I am not sure It will work 100% with the garage, wife and space. Just want opinions before I do anything really stupid.
 
I don't think the 15 hp motor would perform all that well on a 16 footer, especially when you figure in 3 guys, gear and any weight added by mods. Regarding garage space, if you have another 2 feet to spare, then the 16 would fit in theory. If so, I would sell the your whole rig and then get what you want, but make sure it fits in the garage. Tell the wife you need a bigger boat for her to relax and sunbathe while you fish. :---)
Just my 2 cents. Good luck.
 
what was the problem with three guys out on the 14'? I have had three out on my 14' starcraft and while it required a little casting and hook set discipline to make sure you didn't whack someone else, there were no problems. at one point we even realized that all three of us were standing simultaneously without issue. i'm a big guy too, 6'4", 220
 
Well the 14v hull might be unstable for him so he wants the flat bottom plus its 2 feet longer. Cant complain with that! I think a 16 jon wouldnt be bad if you can make it fit. I fish in a 16 foot mod v and love it! I also have a 14. They both serve there purpose but if I had to have one or the other for more people its the 16. Ive fished a 14 for years with 3 people and its not bad but casting and hooking takes getting used too. I think the 15hp wouldnt be that bad. Its not going to win any races by a far shot but itll get you where you need to go just dont deck it out or anything to much!

My vote is to move on up if you can fit it and it wont put you in the dog house!
 
I ran a 9.9 merc on my 16 foot flat bottom, and it got on plane with me 250 pounds, my cousin 190, and my brother 130. I also had a 25 horse evinrude on the back, the pull rope broke on me at the ramp so I tossed my 9.9 on it. I would say it ran over 10mph.
 

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