Which craft shall I buy?

vaindioux

Recruit
Joined
May 10, 2020
Messages
1
Hi

I was going to buy a motorized kayak to go fishing until my wife told me she wanted to come along.
Today we looked at Jon Boats and pelicans at local stores. My gut feeling would go for the aluminum Jon Boats. I think aluminum would be more durable than plastic. Academy has a plastic Jon boat too.
The pelicans are attractive to my wife as they come with seats, not benches. But I think we should be able to install seats on the Jon boat, no?
I am thinking a collision of some sort could perforate the plastic boats maybe.

Thanks for your input

Pat and Kris
 
Last edited by a moderator:

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
8,316
You asked for an opinion.

Stick with an aluminum outboard. Don't buy a Jon, buy a V-hull. You should have safety, stability and utility and not have to worry about what might happen if the wind starts to blow or the waves come up.
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,800
14' with a 9.9 , 15, or 25 hp motor.

https://appleton.craigslist.org/boa/d/omro-14-ft-85-starcraft/7120456047.html


00I0I_awplA4fbQVG_600x450.jpg
 

Yegboats

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
523
You asked for an opinion.

Stick with an aluminum outboard. Don't buy a Jon, buy a V-hull. You should have safety, stability and utility and not have to worry about what might happen if the wind starts to blow or the waves come up.

I secondyour opinion
 

Texasmark

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
14,819
My unfounded opinion, except from experience: John boats down here are flat bottom, usually aluminum (tough, light, hard to beat material) but not necessarily, skiffs. Primary usage is on rivers where the water is smooth and made to slide up on river banks and sandbars like in river bends, for loading and unloading camping gear and such. Work boats use this kind of hull sometimes for the same reason but not called Johns.

Johns don't split the water as a V hull would. They ride up over/on it and as such make them obnoxiously noisy, especially if you are tied up to a tree, like when Crappie fishing and on a lake with the wind blowing. Additionally getting to that tree is a butt pounding experience if there is any chop.....wind driven wave action.....or boat wake from one passing by.

V hulls slice through the water and the rougher the water, the faster you run, the more this (and some weight) matter. Roscoe hit what you want, dead-nuts-on.
 
Top