Looking at pictures upon pictures of Jon boats, you start to notice that most of the search results consist of a flat boat in varying shades of green. What’s the secret behind this anyway? Why are Jon boats green?
Most Jon boats are green because the color allows them to blend in with their surroundings, acting as a simple camouflage. Therefore, if a person intends to use their boat for hunting, all they’d have to do is turn off the engine.
The silence combined with the muted color of the boat enables hunters to mask their presence and lure in their prey more easily.
Curious to know more about this topic? This article discusses painting a Jon boat in-depth!
What Kind of Paint Can I Use for My Jon Boat?
Because most Jon boats are made of aluminum, although some are fiberglass, you’ll need a specific type of paint that suits this metal.
Here, your best shot is to choose a water-resistant aluminum boat paint to keep corrosion at bay. Remember that this paint needs to be made for use on aluminum to ensure that it adheres to the boat effectively.
Luckily, there are many market options you can pick for this role, including:
Which Shade of Green Should My Jon Boat Be?
Well, there’s no right or wrong answer to this question because Jon boats can be all shades of green. You can go for light green, dead-grass green, sea green, or others. The possibilities are endless here!
But, what determines the tone of green you should be using to paint your Jon boat in?
Turns out, it all depends on the landscape around the area where you’ll be fishing, hunting, or transferring hunters from one point to another. Once you take note of the natural coloring of this place, you can go ahead and order the boat paint that resembles it.
Some experienced hunters might even choose to paint their boats in camouflage patterns that mimic their environment to completely blend in. If you’ll be using the Jon boat for hunting, you should consider this option, too.
Do the Boat Seats Have to Be Painted Green As Well?
Again, this depends on the shade of green you’ll be using. If it’s a pale green, you can apply the paint to the body of the boat as well as the seats. That’s because the light-colored paint won’t absorb too much sunlight, so the seats won’t be too hot to sit on when exposed to the sun.
We can’t say the same for dark green paint, which will definitely make the seats a no-touch zone when the temperatures are high. In this case, you may want to paint the seats white to avoid this problem.
How to Paint a Jon Boat at Home
Painting a Jon boat is one of the easiest DIY projects you can do at home. Just haul the aluminum boat to your garage or workshop and follow these simple steps to give your boat a new coat in almost no time.
Step 1: Prepare Your Boat Before Painting
The first thing you should do is make sure the surface of the boat is 100% clean of anything that could interfere with your painting job. The body of the boat must be dry and dust-free with no grease, wax, or debris on it.
Scrape off any loose paint with a scraper or sander, get rid of the dust with a damp cloth dipped in paint thinner, and use wax and grease remover on the boat. As for the pre-existing coat of paint, it must be sanded using 80-100 grit sandpaper.
When you’re done, just grab a soft-bristled brush and sweep the entire surface of the boat with it to brush off any particles that may have stuck to the boat after sanding.
Step 2: Add Primer to the Aluminum Surface
Whether or not you’ll need to apply primer depends on the type of paint you’ve purchased. Some products, like the Duralux M745-1 Green Camouflage Boat Paint, require this step. So, make sure to apply two layers of primer right after sanding and before adding paint.
Alternatively, you could choose the easy way out and add two coats of Sea Hawk Jon Boat Green Paint without additional layers. This paint is basically a primer slash boat paint, so why not?
Just remember to wipe the bare aluminum surface with some white vinegar before applying primer to strengthen the bond between the paint and the boat.
Step 3: Paint Your Jon Boat
To properly cover your boat in paint, you must follow some guidelines that we’ll include right below:
- Wait until the primer has completely dried out before applying paint
- Use a sprayer or a brush to distribute the paint along the boat surface in horizontal motions
- If you’ll be applying multiple paint coats, make sure each coat is 100% dry before sanding and painting the next one
- Don’t sand the final coat of paint
- Paint the inside of the boat first, then the outside
Now that you know how to paint your Jon boat your preferred shade of green, you can go on your hunting or fishing adventures with renewed confidence!
To Wrap It Up
Why are Jon boats green?
It’s a normal question to ask, especially since, at first, this specific color choice doesn’t seem significant.
However, after reading our article, you now know that Jon boats tend to be green because this color enables them to mimic their surroundings. For duck hunters, anglers, or fishermen, that basic level of camouflage can always tip the scales in their favor.
You learn something new every day, ha?