Hey guys I'm looking at purchasing a 1236/1248 or a 1436/1448 Jon boat and making a one man sneak boat style blind. I am planning on running a 7hp beaver dam mud motor on it. It will be just me and as many decoys as I can safely carry so I was wondering if you guys thought that was enough hp. I don't plan on running any big water and don't have any long drives to any spots, nor do I have much competition so it doesn't have to be a speedster; 10-12 mph would be ideal. Which boat length would work best as well? Thanks for the help!
I was also looking into the 65" shaft instead of the 85" shaft. Is there a reason I would prefer one over the other?
I have a 1436 as well as a 1748, and one thing I do appreciate about the wider boats is the increased stability. Using a tiller motor isn't as critical, but I think if you are using a mud motor, you may want to look at a 1442 or 1448 as the minimum. The extra width will also sit higher in the water as well. The smaller boats certainly are a little easier to hide.
That is my reasoning for going small is the simplicity of hiding! Anybody got any info on the 65" shaft? I don't like the idea of having to manuver 85 inches of shaft behind me and I've heard it makes them a bear to try and turn sharp.
My layout is a little smaller than a 14' John boat I've ordered a 9HP electric start,with the long tail, longer the shaft the more reach you have,my 6 HP worked great,But I sold it a couple of years ago,btw you want the electric start,the pull start can be almost impossible to start in heavy weeds and thick mud...
I have a 1248 with 13hp predator engine and 65" backwater. Unloaded I can hit 17 mph but the speed drops quick as I start adding decoys, battery, gun, etc. My hull is really heavy (260lbs) so that doesn't help the speeds when loaded. I like the 65" shaft length and would not want to fight the 85" version around trees. As mentioned above I would not go less than 48" wide no matter the length. Every 36" wide boat I've been in feels like it's going to tip if you have to reach over the side to grab a decoy. You could probably get by with the 6hp motor but I believe one bump up to a 8-9 hp predator engine you can get the electric start which is extremely nice. The battery also can be used to power a small light bar for travel in the dark. On a standard 1248 John boat I would caution hanging a 13hp motor off the back. I have a hunt deck and am not concerned with water coming over the back of the transom. Without the hunt deck you would have to be careful when turning or stopping with that much weight. You can see from the pictures how high it sets in the water not moving and how it drops on a tight turn under power.
They pull-start easily if you lift the prop out of the water/mud/weeds. In fact, many factory long tails have a mercury switch that kills the electrical system if someone attempts to start them with the prop in the water.
