ben2go
Well-known member
I am posting this from experiences I have had.I have been boating since I was in my early teens and fishing since I could hold a fishing pole.I used to build pontoons and reupholster many other types of boats.I have roughly 17 years of being on many types of mono hull fishing boats,jon boats.Jon boats float high in the water,that's why there good for shallow water fishing.Because of this they are inherently tippy with weight above the water line.The only way to over come this is to widen the hull or add weight low in the boat to lower the hull in the water.It's to dangerous to weigh down a jon boat to gain stability.
MEASURING A MOD V OR FLAT BOTTOM JON BOAT
Jon boat are measure by length across the TOP and BOTTOM width.People confuse width with beam.Beam is the widest point on a hull.It can be any where on a hull.Back to jon boat measurements.If a boat is stated as being a 1436,it has a length of 14 feet and a bottom width of 36 inches or 3 feet.Some odd ball manufactures measure length and beam.Check the manufactures specs to be sure of the bottom width.
Here are the general guide lines on decking flat bottom jon boats.Usual bottom widths are 32,36,40,42,46 and 48 inches.They do get wider,but we are concerned with the smaller boats.
Under 36 inch bottom is to narrow
36 inch boats are sketchy because of different manufactures.To me they are to tippy to deck at all.Member Russo1o had a low decked boat that was ok for him.
Same rule above goes for 40 inch wide boats.
42 inch bottoms are ok.Be careful with deck height above the bottom,especially on the odd boats that have flat sides.The flare or outward lean of the sides give buoyancy and stability.
46 inch bottoms are good for decking.
48 inch bottoms and wider are perfect for decking.
Mod V decking issues.They are measured the same way as flat bottom jon boats.
I have never seen a mod V under 48 inches across the bottom.I'm sure they are around.Mod Vs are kind of tricky because of the different shapes of the bow from different manufactures.I wouldn't deck any under 48 inches.Mod Vs have a tenancy to become unstable in choppy conditions when they're decked high.Not all but most are.
Semi Vs.These are the boats with a full V in the bow and flaring out to a flat bottom.These are usually measure like jon boats,but manufactures are more prone to use beam width instead of bottom width.These boats are extremely trick to deck,but not impossible.The issue is with the bow.There is less buoyancy in the bow which give less stability in the front.Now here is where things get tricky.Some boats float deeper in the water than others.The deeper the hull is in the water, usually equals some stability.Then you add in the sides of the hull.Flat sides are less stable and sometimes roll over without warning.This has hppened to a couple members of the forum.Flared sides (sides that lean out) are usually more stable than flat sided boats.As I stated,these boats are tricky when considering decks.I have been on quite a few of these boats and never felt stable enough to deck.The one that I did feel good on had a 52 or 56 inch bottom and was decked 6 inches below the gunnel(top rail of the hull).I can not really give specific widths as every manufacture is very different in there hull designs.
Deep Vs...These are usually wide and float deep in the water.They're usually safe to deck.
If you want to know for sure if your boat will be stable when decked, try this at your own risk.Put on your life vest,load your boat,put it in the water,make sure the weight is balanced,then stand on the front bench and walk around on it.If you are having to sway around and use your body to balance,DO NOT DECK YOUR BOAT!
I am no expert on boats.These are my personal opinions and experiences.Others will be different.I posted this so people can share their opinions and experiences to help those that are new to boats or modifying them.If you are in doubt about something seek local professional help.
MEASURING A MOD V OR FLAT BOTTOM JON BOAT
Jon boat are measure by length across the TOP and BOTTOM width.People confuse width with beam.Beam is the widest point on a hull.It can be any where on a hull.Back to jon boat measurements.If a boat is stated as being a 1436,it has a length of 14 feet and a bottom width of 36 inches or 3 feet.Some odd ball manufactures measure length and beam.Check the manufactures specs to be sure of the bottom width.
Here are the general guide lines on decking flat bottom jon boats.Usual bottom widths are 32,36,40,42,46 and 48 inches.They do get wider,but we are concerned with the smaller boats.
Under 36 inch bottom is to narrow
36 inch boats are sketchy because of different manufactures.To me they are to tippy to deck at all.Member Russo1o had a low decked boat that was ok for him.
Same rule above goes for 40 inch wide boats.
42 inch bottoms are ok.Be careful with deck height above the bottom,especially on the odd boats that have flat sides.The flare or outward lean of the sides give buoyancy and stability.
46 inch bottoms are good for decking.
48 inch bottoms and wider are perfect for decking.
Mod V decking issues.They are measured the same way as flat bottom jon boats.
I have never seen a mod V under 48 inches across the bottom.I'm sure they are around.Mod Vs are kind of tricky because of the different shapes of the bow from different manufactures.I wouldn't deck any under 48 inches.Mod Vs have a tenancy to become unstable in choppy conditions when they're decked high.Not all but most are.
Semi Vs.These are the boats with a full V in the bow and flaring out to a flat bottom.These are usually measure like jon boats,but manufactures are more prone to use beam width instead of bottom width.These boats are extremely trick to deck,but not impossible.The issue is with the bow.There is less buoyancy in the bow which give less stability in the front.Now here is where things get tricky.Some boats float deeper in the water than others.The deeper the hull is in the water, usually equals some stability.Then you add in the sides of the hull.Flat sides are less stable and sometimes roll over without warning.This has hppened to a couple members of the forum.Flared sides (sides that lean out) are usually more stable than flat sided boats.As I stated,these boats are tricky when considering decks.I have been on quite a few of these boats and never felt stable enough to deck.The one that I did feel good on had a 52 or 56 inch bottom and was decked 6 inches below the gunnel(top rail of the hull).I can not really give specific widths as every manufacture is very different in there hull designs.
Deep Vs...These are usually wide and float deep in the water.They're usually safe to deck.
If you want to know for sure if your boat will be stable when decked, try this at your own risk.Put on your life vest,load your boat,put it in the water,make sure the weight is balanced,then stand on the front bench and walk around on it.If you are having to sway around and use your body to balance,DO NOT DECK YOUR BOAT!
I am no expert on boats.These are my personal opinions and experiences.Others will be different.I posted this so people can share their opinions and experiences to help those that are new to boats or modifying them.If you are in doubt about something seek local professional help.