SPECTRUM 1906

[1woody1]

I recently bought a 1990, Spectrum 1906, 19ft. boat. Does anyone have any experience with this boat? It seems to be welded aluminum, has pedestal seats, and all the bells and whistles. It also has a like new, 90hp Force ( I know what some think of Force, but I have owned them before with no complaints). What can I expect of this boat which will be mainly used for fishing bigger water. The outfit is in like new condition.<br />Thanks

 

[roscoe]

Re: SPECTRUM 1906

Welcome 1woody1.<br /><br />The short version is: Back in the 80's Brunswick, owner of Mercury Marine, bought up a bunch of boat manufacturers. Blue Fin, USMarine/Bayliner Spectrum, Sea Ray, MonArk, Astro, Starcraft, Fisher, ProCraft. Brunswick put Force engines on most of the Spectrums, Mercurys on most Fishers, Mariners on some. Bottom line is that Brunswick had lots of boats with their engines on them. <br /><br />Supposedly in 1991 the Fisher and Spectrum lines were sold to Tracker Marine. I say supposedly because my '95 Spectrum shows Brunswick as the manufacturer. They do own them now. I believe the welded hull came from the Fisher line.<br /><br /> In 1998, Tracker also acquired Astro, ProCraft, Myacht, Silver King, Kenner and Mako boats.<br /><br />The boat is pretty decent. The original Fisher was all aluminum, no wood in the floor-bulkheads-stringers etc. I'm not sure if they carried that over to any of the Spectrums.<br /><br />I have a 16'+ Avenger SC with a 70 hp Force.<br />It doesn't cut and turn real well due to the very smooth and rounded hull, but it rides very smoothly. I find I feel more comfortable when I power down a bit when turning. My live well is used for dry storage because of its too small size and poor location, plus I like to drop my fish right onto some ice to keep them fresh.<br /><br />Features I like best are the 8.5'+ long rod storage locker and the amount of overall storage, and the open floor space.<br /><br />Worst complaint: The seats are a bit soft, plan to spend the bucks to replace with firmer more supportive seats next spring. <br /><br />My hull is starting to show slight marks where the bulkhead and stringers are welded into the hull from pounding into the waves. No big deal.<br /><br />I love the boat and the galvanized Spectrum trailer. Take care of that Force.<br /><br />Info on Spectrum came from these Brunswick and Tracker web sites :<br /><br /> http://www.esu.edu/~mguesto/Billiards/series_4/series_4.html <br /><br /> http://ww2.basspro.com/mediapresskit.html

 

[1woody1]

Re: SPECTRUM 1906

Thanks for the good information - how come it took so long for other boat manufactures to get on the welded aluminum band wagon? It seems that everyone is welding hulls now. Also, does anyone know what gauge of aluminum was used in the spectrum? I don't know if welded is better - I have had several rivited boats and never had a leak problem.<br />Thanks again.

 

[roscoe]

Re: SPECTRUM 1906

Welded only came into use when the technology improved, and then it was expensive, and used mostly for boats prone to hitting things (boats used on shallow waters/rivers.)<br /><br />From personal observation I think the Spectrum hulls are a little thinner than the Fishers were originally. Mine seems to be a lighter cheaper model, while some I have seen appear to be a step up on the quality ladder. I am always worried about hitting a rock and the damage it might do without the external "ribs" to take the brunt of the impact.<br /><br />I have had a few rivets pop or wear away from rubbing on the trailer bunks or hitting rocks, but a small sheet metal screw plugs the hole until a rivet can be replaced. This was on 2 45+ year old boats I still have.