Advice on Young Son's First Boat/Purchase

fatlazyless · 09-10-2017, 05:41 AM

I have an 11' jon boat, made by Lund, that I bought used for $400, with the flat bottom and square design, and it rows very well. When seated for rowing in the center seat, it is very stable, and can float about, like a fishing bobber, and handle motorboat wakes two to three feet high. It weighs about 70-lbs, all aluminum, has flotation foam under the three seats in case it gets flipped, (it has never flipped, not even once) and rows super-duper with oars 7' long. For best leverage and rowing speed, you want to get the longest wood oars that will fit. I like the pinned oar locks, with the pin going through the wood oar, which seem to make it a lot easier to row because the oar is held in the best rowing position without doing any feathering.

An electric trolling motor can be locked into the straight ahead position, and steering can be done with the oars, by using one oar somewhat like a rudder, and the heavy battery positioned in the center of the boat. An electric trolling motor on the stern totally changes the boat use or operation....as opposed to no motor and two oars. Probably best to start out with just two long oars, and experience the rowing before adding a motor. Rowing is exercise.

Suggest you remove the two swivel seats, remove the two motors and two batteries, remove the gas tank, and just go with two long wood oars, painted white for visibility. Rowing teaches a lot about wind, waves, and boating.

Descant · 09-10-2017, 12:07 PM

Here's a similar package, gas, not electric, in Gilford for $900.
https://nh.craigslist.org/boa/d/12-f...265804179.html

If you google "dinghy for sale NH" you get several options, including several new ones from West Marine at about 1/2 the asking price of your neighbors jon boat. FLL missed this: Walmart has an offering for about $600.

Sounds like the trolling motors and batteries are not needed for the first couple of years, (ever?) just oars. So, are you buying something you don't need? I had five different boats from age 8-16 as my skills improved. Started with 8' dinghy (oars only) and moved up every couple of years.

I couldn't tell from the thread if you have to have a trailer, or the boat can be left at a dock or beach most of the time.

What does your son think of this boat? Maybe he should have some input.
What other bats have you looked at together? I thoroughly enjoyed going places, including boat shows, with my father "just to look at boats".

09-10-2017, 05:41 AM	#1
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,779 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,022 Times in 744 Posts	.... jon boats and rowing I have an 11' jon boat, made by Lund, that I bought used for $400, with the flat bottom and square design, and it rows very well. When seated for rowing in the center seat, it is very stable, and can float about, like a fishing bobber, and handle motorboat wakes two to three feet high. It weighs about 70-lbs, all aluminum, has flotation foam under the three seats in case it gets flipped, (it has never flipped, not even once) and rows super-duper with oars 7' long. For best leverage and rowing speed, you want to get the longest wood oars that will fit. I like the pinned oar locks, with the pin going through the wood oar, which seem to make it a lot easier to row because the oar is held in the best rowing position without doing any feathering. An electric trolling motor can be locked into the straight ahead position, and steering can be done with the oars, by using one oar somewhat like a rudder, and the heavy battery positioned in the center of the boat. An electric trolling motor on the stern totally changes the boat use or operation....as opposed to no motor and two oars. Probably best to start out with just two long oars, and experience the rowing before adding a motor. Rowing is exercise. Suggest you remove the two swivel seats, remove the two motors and two batteries, remove the gas tank, and just go with two long wood oars, painted white for visibility. Rowing teaches a lot about wind, waves, and boating. __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake! Last edited by fatlazyless; 09-10-2017 at 06:57 AM.

09-10-2017, 12:07 PM	#2
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,404 Thanks: 1,360 Thanked 1,633 Times in 1,065 Posts	Here's a similar package, gas, not electric, in Gilford for $900. https://nh.craigslist.org/boa/d/12-f...265804179.html If you google "dinghy for sale NH" you get several options, including several new ones from West Marine at about 1/2 the asking price of your neighbors jon boat. FLL missed this: Walmart has an offering for about $600. Sounds like the trolling motors and batteries are not needed for the first couple of years, (ever?) just oars. So, are you buying something you don't need? I had five different boats from age 8-16 as my skills improved. Started with 8' dinghy (oars only) and moved up every couple of years. I couldn't tell from the thread if you have to have a trailer, or the boat can be left at a dock or beach most of the time. What does your son think of this boat? Maybe he should have some input. What other bats have you looked at together? I thoroughly enjoyed going places, including boat shows, with my father "just to look at boats".