how do you like your alum boat?

[yourkiddin]

we could compare aluminum to fiberglass all day. but those of you that bought an aluminum boat, would you do it again if you had it to do all over? now im not talking about 12 to 14 footers. im talking about the 8500 to 18000 dollar 18 to 21 footers. i have been looking and they really all seem to be about the same. i really like the xpress, alumacraft and so so with the trackers.

 

[5150abf]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

Absolutely I would buy aluminum again, it never rots it is more forgiving when you do hit something and it is way easier to repair.

 

[amanphoto]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

had an alum 16' boat. It was great for what it was. It was a little ski/fishing boat. Really light and fun. No problems with it. That being said, it wasn't the dries ride on rough days. I think you can get more dynamic hull shapes out of fiberglass.

 

[SCHRECK]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

yes i love my aluminum boats, my first was a 16 ft fiberglass that lowered it self four inches during the course of the boating season, it had some scratches in the jellcoat and drank the water as if there was no tomorrow, then my second was a 22 ft starcraft islander and my girlfriend took it on separation and now i have a 22 ft islander in the water and a 25 ft chieftain in drydock being rebuilt. both are starcraft and i love them. Oh did i mention i LOVE my starcraft so much the new girlfriend is going to leave. Her loss not mine. Peter

 

[LongLine]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

I've got an 18 ft BlueFin. Got rid of the glass a long time ago & haven't looked back. Easy to trailer, no worry about beaching it, rotted stringers or gel coat. Family?s grown up now so all I do is fish Lake Ontario with it. Can handle 2-3 ft?rs solo with no problem.

Tom B.
(LongLine)

 

[Billfo]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

I was pondering the same thing about 6 weeks ago.. In the past I had a 17' Ranger 340V, and a Stratos 18XL ,18'... BOTH fiberglass. I was forever worried abouty fishing in the trees & brush as I was afraid of scratching/gouging the gelcoat. One day I hit something & it gashed a 1/2 deep in my keel.. Later when I seen the unprotected glass showing, I knew right then that would be my last fiberglass boat.. Just got an 18'6" Lund Fisherman Adventure (walk thru windshield).. I was concerned about the noisey ride typically assumed with an alum hull- on cheaper alum makers.. The Lund is just as quiet as my previous fiberglass bassboats and I believe the deep V handles waves better. It is very stable as we walk around ( wife loves it is a bonus).. My first fishing outing, I was on the casting deck running the trolling motor, intentionally rode right into the brush ( sticks, bushes & dead branches about 4 feet above the decking... Heard some screetches as the sticks slid across the alum sides... My wife asked me, why did you do that.. I told her because I could.. & I wanted to get it over with.. and ya know what ?? It didn't bother me a bit !! No more figerglass for me. Now I really can enjoy my boat & use it as it was ment to be used.TO FISH !.

we could compare aluminum to fiberglass all day. but those of you that bought an aluminum boat, would you do it again if you had it to do all over? now im not talking about 12 to 14 footers. im talking about the 8500 to 18000 dollar 18 to 21 footers. i have been looking and they really all seem to be about the same. i really like the xpress, alumacraft and so so with the trackers.

 

[yourkiddin]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

thanks for the info, i really think im gonna take the plunge. right now the banks aren't willing to do longer loans on the older boats but i found an 07 xpress i like.

 

[GeoHawk]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

I just bought my 2nd aluminum boat. I like the lighter weight vs. the fiberglass boats and how it's a little more forgiving if you hit a submerged tree or rocks.

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

One nice thing about the Aluminum boats is you can get an older one and restore it to look as good or better than new in a 10th the time it would take to do the same size Glass boat and alot cheaper as well. There are a pile of us doing Starcraft restorations down in the Restoration forums right now . The other bonus to a resto is you use your monthly payments to do the resto and once done no more payments . Tincans are built well enough to be very restorable my 40 year old Starcraft Hull still looks almost new and with fresh paint on it looks as good as any new boat out there .


Rick

 

[dave11]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

I bought a new 16 ft Alumaweld that I had built with the options I wanted. It was well above your price spread. I fall in love with it every time I take it out. It is a tough and able little boat. I may buy additional (MBS) boats, but I would have no reason to ever sell this one.

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

I bought a new 16 ft Alumaweld that I had built with the options I wanted. It was well above your price spread. I fall in love with it every time I take it out. It is a tough and able little boat. I may buy additional (MBS) boats, but I would have no reason to ever sell this one.

Ditto here. Also bought new (Lund Fisherman) with no regrets after two years, but for a 17 1/2 footer with a walk-through windshield your price point is terribly low, unless you're looking for a project boat.

BTW, just checked Craigslist in our area and found 4 Lund Fisherman advertised. Three of the four were "Want to Buy". -Ken

 

[robert graham]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

I have a 1999 18' Express MV Jon boat and it's pretty much like new, just touch up the paint with the Krylon Camouflage green paint. Boat is all-welded, very tough and resilient, could be repaired or modified easily using welds, light weight compared to fiberglass. If I were buying an Aluminum boat now I would also check SeaArk Boats, which has an extensive product line including work boats, Jon boats, Hydro-formed bass boats, patrol boats, etc. Of course a lot of folks want a boat to be "pretty", but to me "pretty is as pretty does" and I like my big green jon boat. Also the aluminum boat manufacturers have very good "packages" which include boat,motor, trailers at excellent prices compared to buying seperately. Good Luck!

 

[Rotorfixer]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

Ditto here. Also bought new (Lund Fisherman) with no regrets after two years, but for a 17 1/2 footer with a walk-through windshield your price point is terribly low, unless you're looking for a project boat.

BTW, just checked Craigslist in our area and found 4 Lund Fisherman advertised. Three of the four were "Want to Buy". -Ken

08' PlolarKraft Kodiak 178

Absolutely love it, just hate how everyone thinks the $18,000 bayliner with a tower is "OMG that's soooo nice!!" while their in my $60,000 aluminum boat.

Peter.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

Having owned 3 glass boats and 2 alum, I would lean towards the alum. again. For all the reasons already defined plus ecconomy and fuel, both boat and tow vehicle. I have the lund Tyee and would repower and keep running if my motor ever wore out. No leaks and I run it on the great lakes in some tough conditions with no issues. Very easy to load unload, and all the rest.

 

[EsoxRanger]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

I have aluminum and glass. I have purchased my last aluminum boat for anything other than a car topper or a river sled. No matter what the hull design, aluminum just plain rides too hard in big water.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

I have aluminum and glass. I have purchased my last aluminum boat for anything other than a car topper or a river sled. No matter what the hull design, aluminum just plain rides too hard in big water.

I put a full alarm system on an 82 foot aluminium yacht a few years ago. The ride was real smooth but it wasn't very good for trolling.

 

[yourkiddin]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

i have never rode in an aluminum boat. but i do look at those lunds on the net. they do look awesome. i also have seen some sylvans that look nice. but my pockets dont run that deep.

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

I have aluminum and glass. I have purchased my last aluminum boat for anything other than a car topper or a river sled. No matter what the hull design, aluminum just plain rides too hard in big water.

I think the tinnys have come a long way in hull design in the last decade or so. Lund has their IPS2 (Integrated Power Strake) hull with longitudinal I-beam and transverse beams tied together throughout, while Alumacraft has their XB2 double-hull construction.

I had ours out today in windy conditions and she ran smooth and dry and quiet. While fun, it was sad, too. Today was my last day of the season on "Sweetheart." Tomorrow I'm taking her in for winterizing, after which she goes into storage until May 1 next year. Sniff.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

I pretty much swore off of glass boats a few years back. Right now I have four Starcrafts, one Grumman, one Duratech, and one Duranautic, all aluminum.
Their easier to launch and load, burn less fuel since their lighter, and far easier to work on and repair.

 

[NBE]

Re: how do you like your alum boat?

I've had many boats during my time and currently have a 19' 2000 Xpress. It's probably the best I have owned hands down.

I'm not that much of a really true bass fisherman but more of an "all around" fisherman and this boat suits me the best.