Looks good!

Looking good.

Yah, I've used all treated wood so far. Right now I've just dry fit everything. After I've cut my plywood to fit, I'm going to pull the ply and frame out, epoxy all wood surfaces, carpet, and put it back in. I'm guessing this will prolong the life of the wood by about 3-4 years so maybe it'll last 7-10 years before I have to rip it all out and do it again.

My motor isn't quite in running shape yet. I've got a frayed control cable so I've got to get that replaced before I can mount the control-box. The time line is:
-Finish the seats
-Construct the console
-Order the cables and steering system
-Mount motor, steering, control-box
Then I'll be water ready, even though I won't be near done.

After that, it'll be time to tackle electrical.

Looking great! Gives me some hope of doing this someday.

Well done!

Very nice, i want to do this now

Have you considered putting the trolling battery upfront for weight reasons?

Might be a good idea. I'm planning to use 3/4" ply on the front deck and only 1/2" ply on the back for weight. Also, when I lifted it, I noticed the front cables were holding much more weight than the back. I didnt have the motor on it yet. But that told me the boat is naturally heavy in the front. So I figured I wouldn't need to worry about weight distribution. Any ideas on how to check the weight dist on it short of putting it in the water before I'm ready...?

Ya hang it from the middle until you find a balance point if you want to be exact

The water is probably a better idea. I don't think I want to put that much weight on one set of rafters, cables, and ratcheting tiedowns...

Nice work! Thanks for sharing.

Keep in mind that wood can weigh quite a bit collectively. I had to adjust my people capacity to counter the extra weight I added with new decks in my boat. I'm sure you could do some searching on the web to approximate the weight of your lumber (dry). From there guesstimate how much weight you've added. The guesstimate would also help you figure out what you've possibly done to the center of mass. The motor shouldn't be part of the equation for maintaining the center of mass assuming the boat was designed for that size motor (I realize the motor is not weightless! We are just talking about trying to keep the boats designed center of mass relatively close to its original). Moving a battery to balance the boat is a good idea if necessary. A friend of mine carries his spare 5 gallons of gas in front of the console because he has learned it balances his boat.

Have fun!

Very nice I am working on a similar project, have you been over to www.tinboats.net yet? It's a forum just for jon boats and modifications done to them (with a little fishing thrown in). I spend alot of time over there lots of guys who have put together nice rigs and that I have learned alot from. You should check it out.

looking good Chase
and thanks for the informative project updates you have been giving us... can't wait to see what it will look like when its done....
have you ever done anything like this before?
looks like your on a good path to a sweeeet looking boat.

Thanks for all the encouragement guys. This is my first boat and my first time tackling a project of this size. I've done quite a bit of research about options and looked at many other's projects. One thing there just is not alot of info about is the weight I'm adding. Truth is, I'm just going to guess. The boat is rated for 1000 lbs = gear + motor + people. I don't think I'll exceed that if I only have two people max including me. Its also rated for a 50HP motor so I think the 40HP Merc I've got will push it along nicely. With all the storage I've got planned, it would be rather easy to move a couple batteries if need be. Thats another reason for the time line; I can get it in the water and see how she runs before I start on all the accessories and TM wiring. Good tips guys. Please keep 'em coming.

Great job. I did a similar job on a 14' Jon back in the early '80s and I loved that boat. Still regret selling her. I hauled her around in the bed of a '61 Chevy and hit ponds no one else even knew existed back in the piney woods. If it's not too late you might consider going with a 24v system since your carrying that extra battery anyway. The charge will last 3 times longer than a 12v and have a more powerful troller. Thanks for reviving old memories for me.