Hello Uncle John,

 

  Here are a few pictures of my recently finished Jon boat. I acquired a vintage 1958 Johnson 18hp outboard motor recently, and just didn't feel right putting it on a new aluminum boat. When I came across your Jon boat plans on the internet, I knew they were just the ticket. I streched the length to 15' with a 44" bottom. I used 3/8" luan mahogany for the bottom and sides and 3/4" BC pine for the transome and bow. I taped all of the seams inside and out and glassed the entire bottom with 4 oz. cloth. I purchased the epoxy and supplies from Raka's and highly reccommend them.

 I added an internal chine log for extra nailing surface and opted for an open rib in the middle to allow for a more open area. I am very pleased with the final results. I have three coats of Zinzer 123 water base primer underneath 3 coats of Sherwin Williams A-100 acrylic gloss house paint. 

 I did my sea-trials on Super-Bowl Sunday. The 58' Johnson pushed her along at 17 mph according to GPS results. I think with a little more tuning it will do a bit better. This was a great winter time project and had a lot of fun building her. We had a bumper crop of pecans from our 6 trees this year and so some of my funds for the boat came from selling pecans. My daughter came up with the name, "The Gone Pecan", I think it fits. 

Thank you again for the plans. I have a 1958 model Johnson 5.5hp motor sitting on a rack. I guess I need to look at your small skiff plans, but I need to spend some time with the wife for a while first.

 

S.C. Sonnier

Kaplan, La.