14' or 16'??

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BigTerp

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New here, and love the site. Definitely been bitten by the mod bug!!

I know the obvious answer to this question is bigger is better. But my case may be a bit different. A little background first. Recently moved to a sub-division that has river (Potomac) access, SWEET!!! Between dams 4 and 5 in case anyone is familiar with the area. Sold my Dads old 12' jon boat and trolling motor he gave me right before we moved. It was a rickety mess, but floated and I've even fished out of it with 3 guys on occasion, LOL. So I'm now looking for a decent 14 or 16' boat to mod out similiar to what dixie_boyles did to his 14 footer.
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=12178&start=0
I like the open space in his mod and i think it would work perfect for me as I plan to duck hunt and do a lot of catfishing on the potomac with mine. I hated having to deal with the middle seat on my old 12 footer.

Now, my dilemma is I'm 6'8" 250lbs and would be fishing and hunting most of the time with another person. So even with just a floored boat and no deck, stability is a big concern for me. Especially if I'm going to be night fishing or duck hunting when the water temp. is in the 30's or 40's. So a bigger boat would obviously give me more stability. BUT, the area of the Potomac I'll be running around in can get rather shallow. Also, my sub-divisions "boat ramp" is just a dirt slope, no concrete. I can easily back down to the waters edge and pull out my '07 F-150 without a problem in 4-wheel drive. Add a boat and trailer and I have no idea. So I guess my question is how much of a difference, weight wise, stability wise and ability to traverse shallow waters am I looking at between say 1438 and a 1642.

Sorry for the long post, just trying to give you guys a decent picture of what I'm trying to accomplish. THANKS!!!
 
:WELCOME: to tinboats - I would get the widest boat you could find a minimum of 42 but even wider would be better 48+. As far as length goes 14 again would be my minimum the extra 2' with a 16 is noticeable.

JMHO good luck and post pictures when you start your mod.
 
BigTerp said:
New here, and love the site. Definitely been bitten by the mod bug!!
So I guess my question is how much of a difference, weight wise, stability wise and ability to traverse shallow waters am I looking at between say 1438 and a 1642.

Sorry for the long post, just trying to give you guys a decent picture of what I'm trying to accomplish. THANKS!!!

If I'm thinking right, assuming you are talking about a mod v jon, the wider the better. I think that a 1448 with the same load as 1438 would would draw less water because it is spreading the load over larger area. The same should go for a 1642 vs. 1648. The wider the bottom the more stable the boat will be. I would think you wouldn't have any trouble launching with a 4 WD
 
16 for sure....it will tow the same as the 14 and you will appreciate the extra two feet. The weight depends on what you plan to do to the boat....could be real light if you keep it simple.
 
I agree with all above. With two people you could do a 14', but if you stumble across a 16' you won't regret it. Bottom width is key here for you. I'd take a 1448 over a 1642, even though the overall area is the same (8,064 in2). If your main usage is on the river, I'd also go with the regular flat front and not mod-v (up to you though and everyone has their own opinion on this), this will give you a little more room inside and a tiny (may not be noticable) bit more stability. Check out the link below to my Landau, I have no bench seats and put in a low deck. If you plan on hunting a lot and weight is a concern, it may be worth cecking on how much weight you would save by going with aluminum vs wood, and also the associated cost. Good luck in your search.
 
fool4fish1226 said:
:WELCOME: to tinboats - I would get the widest boat you could find a minimum of 42 but even wider would be better 48+. As far as length goes 14 again would be my minimum the extra 2' with a 16 is noticeable.

JMHO good luck and post pictures when you start your mod.

Thanks for the response. I definitely want to go the biggest I can without impeding my ability to run shallower parts of the river or not be able to pull my boat out of the dirt boat ramp.

gillhunter said:
If I'm thinking right, assuming you are talking about a mod v jon, the wider the better. I think that a 1448 with the same load as 1438 would would draw less water because it is spreading the load over larger area. The same should go for a 1642 vs. 1648. The wider the bottom the more stable the boat will be. I would think you wouldn't have any trouble launching with a 4 WD

Thanks. This is one of my bigger concerns. I don't want to go to big/heavy that I can't get my boat out of my ramp that is only a few hundred yards from my house. There is a nice concrete ramp a few miles away, but the convenience of not having to leave my neighborhood to launch my boat is pretty darn nice.

bigwave said:
16 for sure....it will tow the same as the 14 and you will appreciate the extra two feet. The weight depends on what you plan to do to the boat....could be real light if you keep it simple.

Thanks. I think I'm settling on a 16 footer. Going to try and keep it light but still probably go overboard with the mods. My plans are:
-Small carpeted bow deck with hatches for battery storage and maybe a dry storage area. Won't be fishing from the deck so just needs to be big enough for a few batteries and some gear. Possible radio mount as well.
-Remove middle bench seat and install carpeted deck with one pin mounted seat.
-Carpeted board over rear bench with pin mounted seat (LOW)
-Carpeted deck from rear bench to transom with dry storage.
-Carpeted sides up to the gunwall
-Some interior lighting

I plan to use aluminum angle to support the decks and floor with some foam under the floor. Probably use plywood for the decks/floor. Hopefully all of this won't be adding to much weight!!
 
Ictalurus said:
I agree with all above. With two people you could do a 14', but if you stumble across a 16' you won't regret it. Bottom width is key here for you. I'd take a 1448 over a 1642, even though the overall area is the same (8,064 in2). If your main usage is on the river, I'd also go with the regular flat front and not mod-v (up to you though and everyone has their own opinion on this), this will give you a little more room inside and a tiny (may not be noticable) bit more stability. Check out the link below to my Landau, I have no bench seats and put in a low deck. If you plan on hunting a lot and weight is a concern, it may be worth cecking on how much weight you would save by going with aluminum vs wood, and also the associated cost. Good luck in your search.

Thanks. I'm looking for a flat, not a mod-v. I've been keeping my eye out for a decent used boat, but most are so darn small across the bottom. I was checking out a 14' until I found out it only had a 32" bottom :shock: . I plan to use aluminum angle for deck/floor supports but plywood for the deck/floors. Would aluminum sheet provide a noticable difference over the plywood for weight? I figured the alumnimum angle would be better than 2x4's, but thought the plywood vs. aluminum sheet would be almost negligible.
 
BigTerp said:
plywood vs. aluminum sheet would be almost negligible.

I agree with your thinking on using alum as structure and wood for decks, although others can chime in here. It is hard to find a wide bottom john used, 1436 seem to show up all day. When they do pop up they go fast, I had to duck out of work and rush to beat others there!
 
Ictalurus said:
It is hard to find a wide bottom john used, 1436 seem to show up all day. When they do pop up they go fast, I had to duck out of work and rush to beat others there!

Yeah, I'm finding this out as well.

I love your 1448 build!! Pretty much what I'm looking to do with the open floor plan and front deck for storage.
 
16'. I fish the shenandoah, and wish I had a 16. I am running a 14 grizzly and kick my self for not getting a 16 especially when I have two or three people with ne.
 
lovedr79 said:
16'. I fish the shenandoah, and wish I had a 16. I am running a 14 grizzly and kick my self for not getting a 16 especially when I have two or three people with ne.

Thanks for the advice. I'm thinking a 16' is the only way to go. Big enough to allow some room for a few people and rom to fish, but not to big I can't take out at my dirt boat ramp or get around shallower parts of the river. I'll have to do my best to keep the mods light. I plan to use aluminum when I can to help with this. Also not planning any livewells or other potentially heavier mods.
 

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