My first boat

[brookswildlife]

Ive never owned a boat before, and haven't been in one in about 15yrs. The last time I was in a jon boat, we paddled it around Lake Conroe and it leaked so bad that I would have been less wet if I actually swam across the lake.

I am a wildlife photographer and plan to use this to explore bayous and other areas around here. I prefer to keep the boat as bare as possible to avoid having to shoot around obstructions. My plan is to sit on the floor of the boat when taking pics to have the camera as low as I can get it. I would also like to keep the camera close to me at all times, which means storing it on the floor of the boat. I'd like to keep the camera and myself from getting wet, so finding and sealing any leaks (if there are any) is my first priority.

I got this boat from a friend who lost interest in it. It's a 2017 12ft Alumacraft and came with a 1978 Johnson 6hp motor which has a leaky fuel pump. The whole thing has been siting for about 3 years.

I will be adding a mud motor in the future, but will also be getting the Johnson running right as well. The boat and trailer have some questionable things done to it, like rims put on backwards, or unnecessary holes drilled in places on the boat.

I'm going to make it reliable and make it look good again. I'll be asking all of my questions in the appropriate sections.

Thank you for this site. The information here has been helpful.

 

[Crazyboat]

That looks like a long shaft engine. She's going to draw an extra and unwanted extra 5" of water to run. Assuming you get her up on plane, she may be tricky to steer. I may be wrong but that's what it looks like to me.

 

[brookswildlife]

That looks like a long shaft engine. She's going to draw an extra and unwanted extra 5" of water to run. Assuming you get her up on plane, she may be tricky to steer. I may be wrong but that's what it looks like to me.

Thank you for replying. This is all new to me. To make sure I understand correctly, are you saying that because the prop sits so low below the boat, that the boat will try to stand up and be difficult to steer? I think I understand.

 

[Sea Antsy]

Ive never owned a boat before, and haven't been in one in about 15yrs. The last time I was in a jon boat, we paddled it around Lake Conroe and it leaked so bad that I would have been less wet if I actually swam across the lake.

I am a wildlife photographer and plan to use this to explore bayous and other areas around here. I prefer to keep the boat as bare as possible to avoid having to shoot around obstructions. My plan is to sit on the floor of the boat when taking pics to have the camera as low as I can get it. I would also like to keep the camera close to me at all times, which means storing it on the floor of the boat. I'd like to keep the camera and myself from getting wet, so finding and sealing any leaks (if there are any) is my first priority.

I got this boat from a friend who lost interest in it. It's a 2017 12ft Alumacraft and came with a 1978 Johnson 6hp motor which has a leaky fuel pump. The whole thing has been siting for about 3 years.

I will be adding a mud motor in the future, but will also be getting the Johnson running right as well. The boat and trailer have some questionable things done to it, like rims put on backwards, or unnecessary holes drilled in places on the boat.

I'm going to make it reliable and make it look good again. I'll be asking all of my questions in the appropriate sections.

Thank you for this site. The information here has been helpful.

?12ft.. flat bottom... been there .. done that.. think PIZZA PAN... that's about the stability you have..
If you weigh anything more than about 120lbs DISASTER.. WET DISASTER
And yes that motor is a long shaft ... will be a challenge to steer.. but great motor.. cheap fuel pumps..
good luck

 

[OldSailor85]

Best of luck.

A new hobby to support an existing hobby. That's always cool.

They make all kinds of camouflage stuff for guys that hunt ducks out of small boats. May be something to check out after you get your feet wet. No pun intended.

Be safe out there.

 

[Ray Clark]

Welcome to the forum.

I think Crazyboat is right; that motor looks like a long shaft on short transom. A quick review of the Alumacraft catalog from 2016 showed that their jon boat offerings in 12' had 15" transoms. Short shaft motors are about 5" shorter, and the cavitation plate (that flat piece of the lower unit just above the prop) typically rides about even with or just below the bottom of the boat.

It sounds as if you intend to run the boat in shallow areas; that long shaft motor will be very inconvenient. I don't know of any cost-effective ways to shorten the existing motor.

 

[OldSailor85]

Welcome to the forum.

I think Crazyboat is right; that motor looks like a long shaft on short transom. A quick review of the Alumacraft catalog from 2016 showed that their jon boat offerings in 12' had 15" transoms. Short shaft motors are about 5" shorter, and the cavitation plate (that flat piece of the lower unit just above the prop) typically rides about even with or just below the bottom of the boat.

It sounds as if you intend to run the boat in shallow areas; that long shaft motor will be very inconvenient. I don't know of any cost-effective ways to shorten the existing motor.

Find a donor short-shaft with a bad power head and swap the lower unit.

Or, bite the bullet and buy a different motor and sell the long-shaft.

Not too many options.

 

[Markisozarkis]

Don't sweat any of this. Yeah, at some point you should swap out the motor for a short shaft, or surface drive of some sort, but it'll be fine as is. It's not a speed boat. You'll find the trolling motor makes you pretty stealthy. Enjoy.

 

[OldSailor85]

This ^^^

Try it out. Start slow, and be safe.

Half the fun of fishing for me is watching the birds, turtles, beaver, etc.

I'm a terrible photographer...

 

[Crazyboat]

Thank you for replying. This is all new to me. To make sure I understand correctly, are you saying that because the prop sits so low below the boat, that the boat will try to stand up and be difficult to steer? I think I understand.

So as others have clarified, yes your engine is for a 20" transom and will hang an extra 5" deep. If you just tool around, you won't notice a difference except when you're trying to get in the shallows. If you get up on plane your steering will be extra sensitive and will be overly responsive, possibly tossing you out. (worse case)

I agree, if working right and treated well that engine is solid, but I'd want to try and trade for the correct size engine. As mentioned, if you're a bigger soul, that boat might be tricky. They were great fun as kids, but our balance was far better than it is now a day.

Welcome aboard, bounce as many questions as you can, being new there's a ton to learn. If you boat alone, please wear a vest and a lanyard to a kill switch.

 

[Reelark]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[thill]

Don't sweat any of this. Yeah, at some point you should swap out the motor for a short shaft, or surface drive of some sort, but it'll be fine as is. It's not a speed boat. You'll find the trolling motor makes you pretty stealthy. Enjoy.

This is good advice. Fix any leaks, if there are any, make sure the motor runs well, and get some hours on the water in it. The more you run it, the more comfortable and safer you will be.

Don't worry too much about being thrown out of the boat with only 6hp. Just be happy if you can get it up on plane, and no sudden turns. There is a steering tension screw somewhere. Set the steering slightly tight, as this will make it safer to run.

That being said, the trolling motor is going to be your best friend in photography.

If you can, spend $89 and buy a lithium battery to save weight. Here is a 50AH I would recommend: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BHHQTQRT

Or, spend $169 for the 100AH if you plan to use exclusively all day long: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CN8JHGYN/

Lay rubber mat or carpet inside the boat to make it quiet. Tin boats can be noisy at the exact wrong moment.

That little boat will serve you well for now. Keep your eyes open for a bigger, wider boat. They come along on FB marketplace and craigslist from time to time.

Congratulations!

 

[FuzzyGrub]

As others have said, run it, just be careful until you have a handle on how it operates. If the motor is in very good shape and performs for your needs, you can also look into a "mini" jacker, which will bring the motor to correct height, but does push it rearward some.

 

[Boosh]

Solid brand of a boat, hopefully leak free when you put her in the water. Maybe post a trade in Marketplace for a short shaft motor, who knows....there may be someone in your area that's looking.

 

[boatyard]

I'd try it the way it is first, make sure there are no leaks, make sure the motor is firmly clamped onto the transom, make sure the motor pumps water when it runs and doesn't overheat.

I had the came boat years ago with the same motor, with just me in it there was zero chance of it ever getting on plane so motor depth was of little concern.
Those motors are as rock solid as an old two stroke can get, guessing by the decals the motor is in the 1977-79 era.
I have a half dozen or so of them here that I've kept just because I like that particular motor. They are great for low speed site seeing and trolling.

Be aware of the boat's max weight rating and that also includes the motor, chances are you, your camera, a few gallons of gas and the motor will put you at the max weight. I think mine had something like a 420lb max or so.
Those motors are around 60-65 lbs or so.

Chances are good it'll need a new water pump impeller, something that needs to be changed every two years or so. They wear from use and dryrot from age. A $20 impeller and a few basic tools is all it takes to change one.

A 50cal ammo box makes for a great water proof storage box in a boat , they make plastic one's for duck boats that are fairly affordable and most will float as well.

Some of those motors can be converted to short shaft by removing a 5" spacer above the lower unit and either swapping out the driveshaft or swapping the entire lower unit for a short shaft version. Its easier though to just sell it and buy a short shaft motor unless you happen to find the parts for super cheap and can do it yourself.