How Do I Make My Jon Boat Hold More Weight?

Ways to Add Buoyancy to a Jon Boat

1. Add flotation pods.
2. Move some of the heavier items to the front.
3. Add PVC tubes.
4. Built-in air cavities for buoyancy.
5. Adding buoyancy using foam.

What does adding foam to a jon boat do?

Adding foam to a Jon boat helps it float in the water when the boat sinks. Thus making recovery of the boat easier. Adding foam to your Jon boat may not make it float better when in use but it could save you a lot of hard work and money should your boat take on water and start to sink.

How much weight can a jon boat handle?

At 16 foot in length a Jon boat can usually hold about 1,000 lbs. An 18 foot Jon boat will hold, on average, about 1,500 lbs. At 20+ feet in length a jon boat is able to hold up to 1,900 lbs of people and equipment.

Does adding foam to a boat help it float?

Does adding foam to a boat help it float? To an extent, adding foam to a boat will help it float but perhaps in a way different than many people assume.

Do float pods make a boat more stable?

Add flotation pods for buoyancy and stability
One way to make your Jon boat more buoyant is to use boat stabilizers on the boat. One of the best stabilizers you can use are flotation pods which you can attach to the stern of your Jon boat. This also has the effect of greatly stabilizing the boat.

Can a Jon boat sink?

Avoid overloading the boat
Overloading your Jon boat will probably not cause it to flip but it will almost definitely cause it to take on water and sink, especially in choppy water. A Jon boat has a very low freeboard and so its lowest part, on the bottom of the boat, sits very close to the waterline.

How much does a 14 foot Jon boat weight?

14-foot aluminum Jon boats have an average dry hull weight of 167 pounds or 76 kg. This average was calculated and based on the following models and manufactures.

How fast can a 12 ft Jon boat go?

12 ft Alumacraft Jon boat w/ 15 hp Evinrude – 27 mph on GPS. That seems wrong to be going that fast in that boat.

Are Jon boats stable?

Even at speed Jon boats are incredibly stable and very comfortable to ride in. That is because the flat bottom, low freeboard hull design allows the boat to get on plane easily and quickly. The only time a Jon boat will porpoise and have stability issues at speed is if it has not been set-up correctly.

Is floatation foam necessary?

Yes, you need the foam IF you want to boat to float as intended when swamped and you must use closed cell foam so it won’t absorb water. Whatever you do, do NOT use consumer spray foam designed for sealing air gaps around the house. Most of these foams are not closed-cell and therefore will absorb water like a sponge.

How do you make a boat float better?

The easiest way to make a vessel float better is by modifying the shape of the hull, and the easiest way to test a hull is to make a miniature version and see how it performs. A hull’s shape can help a boat displace more water and fill the gap made with air, which has a smaller density than water.

What are jon boat float pods?

Flotation pods are available to be added to any 52″, 60″ and 72″ models. Pods help boats get up on plane faster, provide extra flotation and allow for easier access into the boat. Add an additional stainless steel swim ladder for easier access into the boat.

Does adding weight to a jon boat make it more stable?

Adding buoyancy to your Jon boat means enhancing its floating ability in the water, which improves the stability of the boat. Buoyancy helps decrease the effect of the heavy load on the boat.

Can you stand up in a jon boat?

The jon boat flat bottom offers you stability when you stand. You could wrestle your catch as hard as possible and your boat will not tip over, provided the weight in your boat is well distributed. That said, use sound judgment when standing in one of these boats.

How much do flotation pods help?

Reduces how far the transom of the boat sits in the water helping to compensate for the weight of the outboard motor and batteries. Levels the boat by reducing how low the transom sits. Improves performance by helping the boat to plane out faster.

How much buoyancy Do float pods add?

Features and Benefits: Up to 200 LBS of Extra Flotation.

Why do they call a Jon boat a Jon boat?

Allegedly, the boats came to be known as jack boats but as time went on jack became John (John is a common variant to Jack) and people started calling them Ozark john boats. In later decades the name was modified to jon boat and it came to mean all flat bottomed boats.

How shallow can a Jon boat go?

Since a Jon boat won’t submerge much in the water due to its hull design, it can be used in shallow waters where depth will be low (around 3 feet or less).

Can you take a Jon boat into the ocean?

Jon boats can go in the ocean but only under very specific conditions. A mod-v Jon boat is the best choice for ocean use but only in optimal calm weather conditions and never far from shore. The flat bottom and low freeboard make a Jon boat unsuitable for rough ocean water.

How much weight can a 15 ft jon boat hold?

Your 15 foot Jon boat therefore has an approximate weight capacity of 600 lbs.

What is the average weight of a jon boat and trailer?

You can expect an average jon boat weight to be about 500 pounds (227 kg). Most jon boat trailers weigh about 400 pounds (181 kg). The average boat weight with trailer is approximately 900 pounds (408 kg).