There are two main objectives I would like to achieve with this Wetlander Boat Bottom Kit;

1. Noticeable difference in drag/friction. Easier to slide over matted, thick grass?
2. Will it completely seal my riveted jon boat, and if so, how long will it last?

Other added benefits that I hope to encounter;

• increase in speed
• easier to launch the boat at the ramp
• less pond scum staying on my boat

So onto the 1436 jon boat test before the Wetlander Coating is applied

Is there a noticeable difference in drag/friction? In other words, is it easier to slide over matted, thick grass?

• To test this, I took the 1436 jon boat off the trailer and put it on a grassy yard.
• I put a scale in between the boat and a piece of a rope.
• I slowly pulled on that rope.

This way, the scale would measure how much force it took to move the boat.

This hull is 135lbs plus a ~50 lb deck. So a total weight of around 185 lbs. No motor, no trolling motor, no person, no battery.

It took about 130~140 lbs of force to pull it and get it moving. Once it started moving, it was closer to ~130 lbs to keep it moving. Video on YouTube

Will it completely seal the jon boat, and if so, how long will it last?

To test this;

• I first moved the trailered boat to a dry place. This happen to be my drive way.
• I filled the boat up with a few inches of water in it.
• After it was done filling, I had a few major leaks that I could mark right away with a pencil.
• I waited 5 – 10 minutes and found a few more leaky rivets.

I did find a cracked rivet so I will have to deal with that first, before I apply the Wetlander coating. All the other leaky rivets leak a little bit, and just aren’t water tight, but they seem to be seated fine and I’m not worried about them failing like that cracked rivet. Video on YouTube

1. Intro & Unboxing – Tells you how this series got started
2. Before Application Testing – This article
3. Application of Wetlander – How to apply Wetlander
4. After Application Testing Testing the boat after applying Wetlander
5. Conclusion – how my experience was with the Wetlander kit

So the 1436 Jon Boat Test before the Wetlander Coating was recorded, and now we are ready to apply the Wetlander Bottom Coating.

Keep in mind that this will stay on the boat and will be part of any upcoming future projects dealing with this jon boat on JTgatoring. I will keep you updated on how it holds up and will give a 6-month and 12-month update.