One day, I came across an old twelve foot Jon boat that some guy didn’t want anymore. It would be perfect on our little lake, as we do not allow gasoline engines of any kind. The water in our lake is fed by springs and streams and is crystal clear. Over twenty years ago we stocked the lake with largemouth bass, largemouth bass fry, and some types of fish. You can also find blue gills and good-sized perch. Our property overlooks the lake directly, in a small area of pine trees, where we have a picnic table and benches, a small shed for the grandchildren’s water toys, and a nice fire ring for picnics and camping. I made a very small grass area for the children to enter the water and play and a place also for the beach in a row boat.
The Jon boat is an all aluminum shallow boat that is very light and easy to handle in and out of the water by one person. It uses standard five-foot wooden oars and paddle locks. It came to me painted dark green and stayed that way for many years. All we had to do each year was put it in and out of the water every spring and fall. Last winter, some children got on and broke the oars and painted graffiti on the boat. I managed to find the two anchors he had, one of which was hand-built by my father-in-law. It looked like a real naval anchor and it really was a bit too heavy, but his heart was in the right place. I decided it was time to rebuild the boat, so I dragged it to the garage of the house and set off.
First I removed all the remnants of the old ropes tied to the boat and the wooden seats. The wooden seats were very old and had irreparable cracks. Starting with a painter’s knife, I scraped every inch of the boat and removed the exposed caulking at all seams. It takes a long time, but if you wanted the new paint to stick, you had to. After this process was finished, I scrubbed the can to remove any excess oils and other things that could also dirty the paint. Next, I used a Wagner power stripper and ran it all over the exterior of the boat. I also had to hand sand in many of the tight spots where the sander head wouldn’t fit. The energy remover removed all the dead paint and did a good job of providing a smooth finish.
Nest scrubbed with antistatic rags and a good shop vacuum to remove all traces of paint dust. Once all the dust has been removed, you can apply a good coat of primer. Make sure it’s as uniform a coat as possible. If you are using spray cans, buy a spray handle. Your fingers won’t be able to press the button long enough, and as your hands get tired, the layers of paint will become thinner and more uneven. Apply a good coat over the entire boat inside and out. The primer will expose and damage the surface of the metal underneath, as well as any holes in the metal casing that need to be repaired. Runs in the paint or primer will be easy to see and although they will not affect the use of the boat, the final appearance will be affected. Now is the time to sand these defects and re-prime those areas.
Next, check your boat’s frame or hull for holes, severe dents, or seam gaps. Aluminum boats dent and mark very easily when hitting underwater docks, piers, or rocks. You should pay attention to these before applying the final paint. Pinholes can be patched with numerous products, such as Aluma-weld, which is a two-part epoxy that when kneaded between the fingers becomes warm to the touch. Place the material into the holes as neatly and smoothly as possible. Once dry, this material is very difficult to sand, so cleaning it now will save you time and effort later.
Over the years, I have had the unfortunate luck that people using the boat miss the drain plug. This time, using some S-hooks and a chain, I wrapped one S-hook around the new plug stem and hooked the other into a hole I made in a rear support bracket. Outlets are only $ 4 at our local big box sporting goods store, but it’s 15 miles away. It is not very convenient when the ship has a leak. Once the chain is attached, the plug will simply hang on the back of the boat, but it cannot be lost.
I made two new seats out of common No. pine boards. 2 normal. Although it is not the best wood to use around the water, I first picked the pine because it does not have chemical treatments that can harm the fish in our lake. Replacing the seats every five years or so I thought it was worth the little extra effort. I cut and fit the boards, pre-drilled the six mounting holes in each, and then countersunk each screw hole to keep the screw heads below the surface of the wood. I ran a little around the edges with my router to reduce the possibility of splinters. Then my wife put three coats of clear urethane on each seat. They look great and will last a long time. I secured each board with six # stainless steel drywall screws. 8.
I bought forty feet of 3/8 * inch polyethylene rope to secure the anchors. An anchor is a small can filled with cement and the other that I mentioned earlier was made for me by my father-in-law. I broke the rope into two twenty-foot pieces and tied one to each end of the boat and to each anchor. Although the lake is only fifteen feet deep, the extra rope is simply tied in a loop to alleviate slack or it can drift a bit when anchored. Polyethylene rope will last for years if removed in the winter and placed in a dry shed for storage.
Although we live in a fairly quiet and secluded area with little foot traffic in the lake area, we cannot see the lake in summer from the house. During the last thirty years we have only had two cases of vandalism and they were both children. One time they left the boat adrift which resulted in us having to walk to the end of the lake and row the boat back and in the other instance they took a paddle. I never found it either. Either they needed an oar or they thought we would find it, but that was not the case. I bought a light chain and a lock and now we secure the boat for the night. The oars are brought home for safekeeping.
After completing all the paint, seats, etc., I purchased a tube of high-quality silicone sealant and applied a bead to all the exterior panel joints. The silicone dries transparent and of course most of the boat is underwater anyway.
My total expense to rehab this Jon boat was $ 29 for paint, rope, and a silicone tube. I had the screws and the sandpaper so I could add another $ 5 maybe for those. My children hope to see their mother once again paddle in circles on the lake. He was never quite used to rowing with a straight-line pace. It will be my grandchildren who will love fishing from shore on their first trip to the water. Of course, I have safety vests for them and they are ready to go. I also.
Pete
Your friendly building inspector