Old Ouachita 1436? Bad Shape :(

[elwaynum1]

Hi everybody, I'm a new member to this board but have been intrigued with all the modifications done here for the last month or so. The reason I'm posting is because I was given an old Ouachita Jon boat (no idea what year) by my gf's dad. The boat is 14' long and the bottom of the transom measures 36" (I'm not sure whether you're suppose to measure the bottom of the transom or the top of the transom??). I'm afraid though that its in need of a lot of work...

I'm wanting to mount this baby to the transom - just picked it up yesterday for $450.

But, the transom looks like this... (15" deep)

Here's a photo of the whole rig.

I don't even know where to begin...I know the transom needs some work but don't know the best way to do it.

Also, I was thinking about adding a deck to the front and small deck to the back and cutting out the middle bench for more room. What are you all's thoughts? Especially regarding the transom..

 

[Howard]

Welcome! You are in great shape with that tin. I would also take out the middle bench and add decks to front and back. Strip paint first and give her a new paint job. Make sure your trailer is also up to date.

 

[Ranchero50]

1436 with a 20 is probably going to be over powered. Read the guide in the sticky thread under the 'motor' subforum on outboard sizing. Read the thread on when to or not to add decking as well.

On that one I would enjoy it with a 9.9hp engine and keep the 20 until you find a 1448 to mod.

Jamie

 

[elwaynum1]

Thanks, for the replies. Does the middle bench add any structural support? Would I be okay taking it out? Also, would I have to add any material by way of flotation because of taking out that middle bench as it does have foam or something under it?

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

I'm running a 25hp Mariner on my 1436 jon. When I replaced my transom I added a 1"x6"x48" oak board to it.

 

[elwaynum1]

Right now I'm thinking 2 sheets of 3/4 inch treated plywood with some kind of metal bracket. Any ideas on a metal bracket?

 

[Brine]

Welcome aboard elway. Good lookin rig. That 20 is gunna make your boat scream. Is the motor a short shaft? It may run a bit deep on ya.

Anyone know why the knee brace wouldn't be in the middle of the transom? Is that normal on some boats?

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Right now I'm thinking 2 sheets of 3/4 inch treated plywood with some kind of metal bracket. Any ideas on a metal bracket?

Do Not Use Pressure Treated Wood. The Copper in the wood will react with the Aluminum in a bad way.
I used 2 layers of 1/2" exterior grade plywood with a 1"x6"x48" oak board all glued and screwed together. My 25hp motor is a short shaft but it's a longer than most. I ended up putting a T&H Mini Jacker on the transom to get the motor at the correct height.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Welcome aboard elway. Good lookin rig. That 20 is gunna make your boat scream. Is the motor a short shaft? It may run a bit deep on ya.

Anyone know why the knee brace wouldn't be in the middle of the transom? Is that normal on some boats?

The knee brace on my 1971 Wards Sea King is off set to the right side. It makes enough room on the left side for the 6 gallon tank.

 

[elwaynum1]

Welcome aboard elway. Good lookin rig. That 20 is gunna make your boat scream. Is the motor a short shaft? It may run a bit deep on ya.

Anyone know why the knee brace wouldn't be in the middle of the transom? Is that normal on some boats?

Here are the measurements on the motor...

The red line is measured accurately (15"), but the blue line is not as precise (~18"). I am not sure which one I have to align with the bottom of my boat. The transom is 15" deep.

 

[elwaynum1]

Right now I'm thinking 2 sheets of 3/4 inch treated plywood with some kind of metal bracket. Any ideas on a metal bracket?

Do Not Use Pressure Treated Wood. The Copper in the wood will react with the Aluminum in a bad way.
I used 2 layers of 1/2" exterior grade plywood with a 1"x6"x48" oak board all glued and screwed together. My 25hp motor is a short shaft but it's a longer than most. I ended up putting a T&H Mini Jacker on the transom to get the motor at the correct height.

That sounds like a really thick transom...I'm afraid if I did that I'd have to move my knee brace back some, and I'd really like to try and avoid that.. :lol:

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Right now I'm thinking 2 sheets of 3/4 inch treated plywood with some kind of metal bracket. Any ideas on a metal bracket?

Do Not Use Pressure Treated Wood. The Copper in the wood will react with the Aluminum in a bad way.
I used 2 layers of 1/2" exterior grade plywood with a 1"x6"x48" oak board all glued and screwed together. My 25hp motor is a short shaft but it's a longer than most. I ended up putting a T&H Mini Jacker on the transom to get the motor at the correct height.

That sounds like a really thick transom...I'm afraid if I did that I'd have to move my knee brace back some, and I'd really like to try and avoid that.. :lol:

It's only 1.75 thick. I did have to remove a little of the oak board where the knee brace is. I'll post some pic later.

 

[elwaynum1]

Pics would be awesome!

 

[benjineer]

Not a bad looking boat...nice looking engine. Transom board on inside doesn't look that bad. Is it rotten? If you just want to get the motor on and try it, you might add a piece of aluminum plate to the back side where all the dents are. Don't a lot of jonboats have a piece of 3/4 board back there? The old 12' we have has a piece all the way to the bottom of the transom. When you put the motor on there, I think the cavitation plate (plate above the prop) is supposed to be about flush with the bottom of the boat. Yours will be a little deep. It won't kill you unless you fish a lot of shallow water. You'll just have to be more careful. If you have a depth finder, know the distance from the transducer to the bottom of the skeg. From the looks of the clamp marks, someone tried to clamp an engine high. I don't think I would do that, especially with an oversized motor, unless I used a jackplate or something more substantial.

 

[elwaynum1]

Not a bad looking boat...nice looking engine. Transom board on inside doesn't look that bad. Is it rotten? If you just want to get the motor on and try it, you might add a piece of aluminum plate to the back side where all the dents are. Don't a lot of jonboats have a piece of 3/4 board back there? The old 12' we have has a piece all the way to the bottom of the transom. When you put the motor on there, I think the cavitation plate (plate above the prop) is supposed to be about flush with the bottom of the boat. Yours will be a little deep. It won't kill you unless you fish a lot of shallow water. You'll just have to be more careful. If you have a depth finder, know the distance from the transducer to the bottom of the skeg. From the looks of the clamp marks, someone tried to clamp an engine high. I don't think I would do that, especially with an oversized motor, unless I used a jackplate or something more substantial.

The transom boards were rotted pretty bad. I took them out last night - I'll try to post some pics tonight when I get home.

As far as the motor sitting a little deep...should I just disregard? As I am not going to be doing a whole lot of really shallow fishing, or should I get a jack plate? The only thing is, how hard are they to install? And, how much do they cost?

I've been looking at this particular one... - https://www.thmarine.com/product.cfm?PRID=23

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

I have one of the T&H Mini Jack Plates. They are very nice. I got it on new on Ebay $42.00 including shipping.

 

[benjineer]

That would work nicely. $77 at BPS. Installation looks easy. Just bolt through transom. Probably set motor on without plate and see how much height you need. Then install jacker with the top x" above the top of existing transom. I'd use a backing plate or some big washers on the inside of the bare wood if it goes wider than the plate on the inside. Might just scrap the thin plate and use a wider, thicker one on the inside. On the afore mentioned 12' jon (rated for 5hp), we ran everything from a 6hp to a 7.5 longshaft up to a 15. The 15 was downright scary at full throttle, but the older 9.9 four stroke was just too heavy. If your 20 is not too heavy, you can always slow down. For comparison Alumacraft's 1436 is rated for a 15. The 1442 (has some front/rear deck) is rated for a 25. Add/move some weight up front, and the 20 may be just right.

 

[elwaynum1]

I think I might just go without a jack plate for the time being until I can find one at a good price...I'm cheap

 

[elwaynum1]

Here's some of the work I got done tonight...

Cut out the middle bench seat...

And, made cutouts of my new transom with the old as a template....you can see what kind of condition that old transom was - and that's the good piece, the other was horrible!

So, I went ahead and got some outdoor, non-treated 3/4" plywood for the transom. My only concern is when water gets to it it may have the tendency to bow up - so I bought some Rust-Oleum Oil-based protective enamel to give it an extra layer of protection... What are you all's thoughts?

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Pics of my transom