1997 Landau 1648 Jon Boat

[meonline06]

GPS had it going 26-27 mph last weekend with about 450 lbs of weight between two people.

 

[Scout27]

The motor is definitely too low if the cavitation plate is 3 - 4 inches below the bottom. That's where the spray is coming from, and you're also loosing some power and speed with the additional drag of the lower unit. Raising the motor up a notch or two may help, but if the angle becomes too great, the prop will not carry the load of the boat well. A jackplate would definitely help. I also assume that you can't easily raise the motor on the transom as you would have empty bolt holes. However, you could plug the old holes with SS bolts and sealant if you do raise the motor and drill new holes.

CMC makes a trimable jackplate that would be sweet on your rig. They run around $400, but sometimes you can find a used one on Craigslist. Some of the benefits would be:

greater leverage for carrying a load
allows you to set the motor at the correct height for the boat
allows you to trim the motor for any load
allows you to trim up the motor for slow shallow water running
allows you to trim up the motor when beaching or loading back on the trailer

Hope this helps.

 

[meonline06]

I wish I had $400 to drop on a jack plate. That would be almost as much as my initial investment. I definitely need to buy one so I am keeping an eye on craigslist for a deal. Even though speed isn't all that important for the type of fishing I do, I would like to see if it makes a difference in the top end.

Thanks for your help Scout!

 

[Scout27]

My pleasure. There's always that "money factor" that gets in the way. I know the pain....

In the meantime, tilting up a notch or two may help.

 

[meonline06]

Ok, so I made it through the holiday and started doing a little work to get my rig ready for paint. I'm still fishing out of it every now and then on the warmer days so I haven't taken it apart yet. I started stripping the old paint from the hull using a paint removing wheel made by 3M that works pretty good. It's an extremely slow and tedious process so after several hours of work I don't have a whole lot to show for my effort. I managed to get the port side of the hull completely stripped with the exception of the registration since I'm still fishing. I also got started on the starboard side. After the next payday I will go ahead and order some Steelflex from fascoepoxies.com and some paint.

Can anyone recommend a good (and affordable) paint to use? Also, other than stripping the paint is there anything special I should do to prep the hull for the steelflex?

 

[Gregory828]

Hey, I am at the same point on my boat as well. (Paint Stripping) have been for a while. I am using KleanStrip KS-3 Premium stripper. It works wonders if the temperature is right. which its not at the moment.... It comes in either a gallon can or a pray can. Just a suggestion. As for surface prep after the paint is removed. I plan on using a pressure washer first. let it air dry. then wipe it all down with denatured alcohol for a final clean. And from what Ive read online here is you don't need to self etch prime before steelflex.

 

[meonline06]

Greg, that's a nice looking boat you have. I guess paint stripping is a pain no matter what way you do it. Are you planning on repainting your boat after it is stripped? I was thinking that if I were not planning on painting and was going to leave it bare aluminum, I would have had to go the chemical route like you. The 3M wheel I'm using scuffs the aluminum some and wouldn't look very good as a result.

 

[Gregory828]

Yeah, I think I'm going to spray a light tan/sand color like the brand new models have. I haven't hit the whole boat with stripper, You can kinda see where I used the orbital sander in some spots too. just depended on what I was in the mood for. stripper is a bigger job with a big mess. Skuffing the metal a little is actually better for adhesion so i might go over the whole inside after im finished to scuff it up a little before the self etch primer.

 

[meonline06]

Here's a quick update. I spent a good part of today cleaning my garage to create some space to start working on the boat again. I had accumulated a lot of trash over the last few months. I also built some shelving to store some of the stuff I have to pull off the boat. Right now I have everything stripped down to the bare hull and framing. I haven't pulled the motor off yet (didn't have the energy); it's a lot of weight for me to move around by myself. I did deadlifts at work yesterday so my quads are killing me. I have to work again tomorrow, but I will try to finish stripping the paint this weekend.

 

[Scout27]

Wow. You're getting serious now! Keep us posted.

 

[meonline06]

Quick update. I got my outboard pulled off the boat and placed on the stand yesterday. I also got the rest of the paint stripped off the sides of the boat. I plan to use aluminum tubing to frame a step to make it easier to climb up on the front deck and I'm also going to frame a bench for my two drive seats. I'm also considering replacing the transom before I flip the boat over and get her painted. Unfortunately I'm going to have to get some welding done if I do that. More updates to come.

 

[meonline06]

Haven't posted in a while. I took a few months off from my build, but I'm back at it now trying to get everything done so I can get back on the water. Since I last posted I have: replaced my trailer jack, replaced the tires, altered the front deck frame for a recessed foot control for my trolling motor, framed a new bench to mount my seats on, painted the steering console (sorry no pictures), and primed the hull for paint.

I still want to:

1-wire all my electronics to a switch panel on the console
2-buy a jack plate for my outboard(I'll probably do this first)
3-buy a new deep cycle battery(old one died)
4-add some pvc pipes to help organize/separate my rods in the rod locker
5-finish painting the hull
6-replace trailer bunks

 

[killereef]

looking nice

 

[meonline06]

I finished painting the boat a few days ago. I decided to go with a simple black paint scheme. I originally planned on putting steelflex on the bottom of the hull and paint on the rest but decided to paint the entire thing. The folks at Fasco Epoxies down in Florida don't make it very easy for non-locals to buy their product. Since they don't take credit cards, I would have had to mail them a check. Too long of a process and I was anxious to get back on the water.

I also went to Bass Pro Shops and picked up a jack plate for my outboard. I had been looking locally on Craigslist for a good deal but no such luck. So I bit the bullet and picked up a brand new CMC model at retail price(almost $300 after tax). A day after I installed it a jack plate with hydrolic tilt/trim showed up on the Hampton Roads CL for $400.....figures. But that's ok, I'm happy with what I have, and it has solved the problem I was having with water splashing into the boat over the transom when on plane due to the cavitation plate being too low.

While I was at BPS I also picked up a switch panel to control my electronics. I like having everything on a switch at the console with easy access, so I'm not sure if the 6 switches that came with the panel are going to be enough. I have them all used up currently, controlling: running lights, anchor light, fish finder, bilge pump, LED strips and 12v outlets. I still want to add a radio/speakers and I'd like to have that on a switch as well. I also swung by Advance Auto and picked up a new Optima Deep Cycle. I've heard good things about them, but still to be determined whether it is actually worth the price tag.

Sorry I don't have pictures of everything and the ones I do have aren't very good quality. My new phone takes horrible photos. I still have plenty more work to do but it's coming along.

 

[meonline06]

I got a little more work done over the last couple days. I finished the side panel on the port side. I think it looks much better now without the ribs showing. I still have to finish the starboard side. I also installed hatch handles to make it easier to open the storage hatches. It gives it a finished look; without handles it's like not having any hardware on your kitchen cabinets. Lastly, I finally finished my aft casting deck. I couldn't install the rear hatch previously because the outboard steering cable was in the way. I no longer have that problem after installing the jack plate. I still need to install pedestal seats for both casting decks, but that will have to wait until i save up some more $$. I also realized the other day that having a fish finder on the console would make finding bait fish a million times easier. On the James River the catfish love shad, but if you can't find 'em it makes fishing very SLOW.

My next project is to get the rod locker finished. I generally take 6-8 rods with me when I go fishing and I'm tired of my rod tips getting tangles together. I've already cut out the panels for it, I just need to install them and carpet. More updates to come...

 

[bigwave]

Looks nice and clean nice job.

 

[meonline06]

Thanks bigwave! Yours is looking pretty nice too.

 

[bguy]

im in "aaahhh" of your build, it looks great. i like the front casting deck all the way back to the front of the steering console. nice and roomy space. =D>

 

[meonline06]

Thanks bguy! The big deck definitely comes in handy when I'm bass fishing. I generally stand all day and it's nice to be able to walk around.

 

[meonline06]

No work on the rod locker today, but I did install a transom saver this afternoon. I forgot I had picked one up last year. It was a little too short for my setup so I used some of the aluminum tubing I had laying around. Sorry no pictures