My boat is rated for a maximum of 25HP, so of course that’s what I wanted to put on it since I’d like the option to just cruise around in it as well as go fishing. New 25HP 4-Strokes are so expensive, so I opted for a used 2-stroke. I found one on Craig’s List that seemed to match what I was looking for: 25HP, long shaft, with remote and electric start.

The motor wasn’t set up so I could test it, so I was going on the word of the seller that it ran fine last fall. The only problem he was aware of was with the starter, which he suspected would need to be replaced. I of course factored this into my offer, and ended up spending $625, which compared to others like it I had seen, seemed reasonable.

I removed the starter and the shaft in it was very loose, so it would appear the bearing were shot. Found a replacement on e-Bay ($79) and bolted it in, perfect fit. When I finally got a battery and was able to test it I became quite frustrated, it wasn’t starting properly. The starter would rotate, but wasn’t popping up. A buddy and I sat around with beers in hand trying to figure out what the problem was until divine inspiration hit me in the face, I didn’t hook up the battery backwards, did I? Yup, doh. After that the starter worked fine.

With the cover off on a stand

So this spring I decided I wanted to get back into fishing, which I did pretty often as a kid. I wanted a boat that would allow me to easily take along a friend or two to do pan and game fishing on inland lakes. Something small enough that I could go out by myself, and fit it in my small garage, and something light enough that I could haul it with a more fuel efficient vehicle than the pickup I have now.

I decided a 14′ aluminum jon boat would meet my needs. I wanted to have casting decks in it, so I got the widest I could find to help with stability, a Lowe 1448T, 48″ wide at the bottom with a 70″ beam. I was hoping to get one used to cut costs a bit, but that’s not a very common boat, so after searching Craig’s List and e-Bay for a month, I bit the bullet and ordered one new from my local fishing/boating store at the end of May.

As luck would have it, the flooding we had in the midwest delayed the shipment of the boat until the beginning of July. Yea, ironic that a boat can’t be delivered due to flooding. In the meantime, I found a motor for it on Craig’s List and a trailer as well.

The motor is a 1989 25hp Mercury long shaft. The boat is rated for 25hp, and I got the tall transom, so this motor should be a perfect match. The motor included the remote shifter/throttle as I plan on having a console in this boat instead of piloting it from the back with a tiller.

The trailer was setup with rollers for a v-hull boat. It’s wider than most trailers meant for smaller boats, 60″ between the fenders, so it would easily hold my boat. Electrical worked, tires were good, and all around it appears to be a good, sturdy trailer.

I’ve been out on the boat a few times now, I’ll start including posts with pictures on what I’ve done to get it to where it is now, and will continue documenting the modifications that I make, as I plan on making this a sort of “Ultimate Bass Boat”. Stay tuned, and feel free to ask questions if you’re interested!