Golf cart hardtop on my 15ft Jon?

TinBoats.net

Help Support TinBoats.net:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

NugHunter

Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2013
Messages
15
Reaction score
1
ok well ive been mulling this one over for weeks now...im thinking of modifying a golf cart hardtop to my 15 ft duracraft jon boat...it will cover the back part of the boat..i already figured out how to bolt it to the boat so that isnt really an issue..what im wondering is..will it cause problems when running at 30+mph down he river...would the wind catch it and flip me over? i mean it doenst happen with canvas bimini tops but they "flex" in the wind...this top would have no give at all....

any thoughts ..recommendations observations or advice will be appreciated :)

boat1k.jpg
 
=D> =D> =D> =D> YES!!!!

You should do this!! I don't think you'll flip the boat. We have a couple Sea-Ark cabin boats, the only noticeable difference is the trailering, it's like a big sail, be carefull trailering.
 
Ictalurus said:
=D> =D> =D> =D> YES!!!!

You should do this!! I don't think you'll flip the boat. We have a couple Sea-Ark cabin boats, the only noticeable difference is the trailering, it's like a big sail, be carefull trailering.
wouldnt it be similiar to towing a golf cart on trailer?
i was thinking if it rains and i if put folding windshield and 3 sided golf cart rain cover top it would be similiar to a sea ark ;)


here is pretty much what i want to do..just on a smaler boat :

3609670_0_20110516170806_2_0.jpg
 
Hi NugHunter, The Golf Cart top will generate a couple of issues.
1 It's weight, that high, is going to make your 15' jon very sensitive to rolling.
2 It's weight is going to make the boat ride a little deeper.
3 It's drag is going to slow your boat down when running and increase fuel consumption.
4 It's drag is also going to make it more difficult to hold your position when the wind is up at your fishing spot.
5. Bimini's don't have most of the issues since they can be retracted when running and they are lighter.
You still get pushed around at anchor.
That's my 2C, I'm sure a few others will comment pro and con.
Welcome to Tin Boats.......Jerry :)
 
Jonboat Jerry said:
Hi NugHunter, The Golf Cart top will generate a couple of issues.
1 It's weight, that high, is going to make your 15' jon very sensitive to rolling.
2 It's weight is going to make the boat ride a little deeper.
3 It's drag is going to slow your boat down when running and increase fuel consumption.
4 It's drag is also going to make it more difficult to hold your position when the wind is up at your fishing spot.
5. Bimini's don't have most of the issues since they can be retracted when running and they are lighter.
You still get pushed around at anchor.
That's my 2C, I'm sure a few others will comment pro and con.
Welcome to Tin Boats.......Jerry :)
Jerry thanks for the welcome and the advice.

1...newer golf cart tops are made of plastic and are pretty lightweight and i wouldnt have it too high that it would be out of proportion to the boat...alhough the rolling issue still may come into play.?
2..not sure it would ride any deeper then if added another 30lbs to my 185lb body? 215lb?
3..def thought of the drag effect....although i thought it might only really come into play when the s NOT plaining as the newer tops are somewhat aerodynamic these days..
4...no more drag while in a fixed position fishing than a regular bimini though i would think?
5..i could modify it to fold foward and lay on the bow end of boat if needed?

what do ya think?
 
It sounds like you have things well thought out and this modification certainly fits the mantra
of Tin Boats for being creative. I like your idea of folding it forward with a sturdy latch to keep it
from poping up and I agree with Tim Rich, try it, if it doesn't work, take it off.
Post plenty of pics on your progress will ya? Keep Hacking......Jerry
 
Angle it up just slightly on the leading edge so it acts like a foil wing and makes the boat rise in the water and run even faster!!!!! (you know I'm joking??)......
 
Make sure you have that thing on there good. Going 30 mph on the river isn't going to be near as bad as towing it 60+ mph on the highway and having it come off and kill someone behind you.

Post up some pics when you get it on! Neat idea.
 
Why not use some bimini fittings to mount it with so it will lay down when trailering? I don't think that it will do much more then rattle a lot in a strong wind, but my concern would be if you fish near standing timber. The places I fish would rip that off the first time out. It's a cool idea, would be nice on those hot summer days.
Chris
 
I've seen some older pontoon boats with a fold down hard top. If you could find one to look at it may give you some ideas for your set up. I know my uncle has one that folds down or forward for trailering.
 
I've been thinking about something similar. I wonder if using bimini-type material laced to the frame instead of the plastic top would be an option. I got my thinkin' cap on right now. It'd be cool to see what you come up with. I'll post again once I got something "planned" out. Good luck!
 
I don't know how your hardtop idea is going to work out although I'll be watching, but if you're getting 30 mph out of that boat then I want to know what prop you're running. Because unless I'm mistaken, that's a Mercury 200 on the back of your boat and I can't get near that speed out of mine.
 
JMichael said:
I don't know how your hardtop idea is going to work out although I'll be watching, but if you're getting 30 mph out of that boat then I want to know what prop you're running. Because unless I'm mistaken, that's a Mercury 200 on the back of your boat and I can't get near that speed out of mine.


yep 1977 merc 20hp 200 topping at 36 with 2 people...not even a stainless steel prop :mrgreen:

should have my hands on the top i want soon ;)
 
That is one fast boat, I can see that thing getting airborne with a big wing on top. Be carful and bolt that thing down. Fish On!
 
NugHunter said:
yep 1977 merc 20hp 200 topping at 36 with 2 people...not even a stainless steel prop :mrgreen:

should have my hands on the top i want soon ;)
I've got a 75 model 200. With me solo in my 15/38 and 2 gal of fuel, and nothing else in the boat when it was gutted, I got 28mph. Now that I've got the TM, battery, back deck, 5 gal fuel, front seat, it's down to 23-24. Are you running a 2 or 3 blade prop and what size/pitch is it?
 
36 mph from and old 20hp? You'd be lucky to get that from a modern 40 hp. Nah, I think you might be reading your speedometer in kmh rather than mph.
 
kfa4303 said:
36 mph from and old 20hp? You'd be lucky to get that from a modern 40 hp. Nah, I think you might be reading your speedometer in kmh rather than mph.
gps speedometer app from my iphone....should be back on the water today or tomorrow i will make sure and snap a pic ...really was looking for opinions on the golf cart top idea not the top seep of the boat lol
 
I think the hardtop is a neat idea, somewhere between a T top and bimini. If it were for me, I know Id be ok on my local lakes because wind is not much of an issue, and Im only running a 9.9 on a 14'. If your lakes are really windy, then it would come down to the actual surface area of the top, and its height, plus where on the boat its sitting. For sure when trailering Id be concerned if I couldnt remove or fold it down. Ai know when I trailer with my trailerable cover, it does have to be securely on, so Id imagine a rigid top with a light aluminum boat would be dangerous at highway speed. A boston whaler with a t top weighs too much to be flipped by the wind when secured.
I think you shouid go with it, and figure out a quick discnnect system for trailering first. Just my 2 cents :)
Very cool idea you came up with!
 
Top