Opinions sought...on a "new" boat

[snagged in outlet 3]

2 hours ago, kjackson said:

Lund/Crestliner/Alumacraft/Lowe/GIII

Those are pretty heavy boats right?

[kjackson]

It depends upon the model.  The Lund Tyee that Wrench has is a  heavy boat when compared to the Lund Rebel or the SSV 16 (lighter still).  The same can be said for the Crestliner and Alumacraft lines--they both have boats that might be called 'barebones', and that's what I'm thinking I'll end up with. I'm not sure about the Lowe line, but some of the older hulls look smaller and lighter than the current deep-vee hulls. G111 had and may still have a nice light fishing deep-vee hull. 

Having said that, I'd probably buy an older  Lund Pro Angler 14 (had one) or 16 or a 1660 Pro V (had one of those, too, when it was called the Predator) if I could find one without the transom and floor problems some of the older Lunds have.  

 

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 hour ago, kjackson said:

It depends upon the model.  The Lund Tyee that Wrench has is a  heavy boat when compared to the Lund Rebel or the SSV 16 (lighter still).  The same can be said for the Crestliner and Alumacraft lines--they both have boats that might be called 'barebones', and that's what I'm thinking I'll end up with. I'm not sure about the Lowe line, but some of the older hulls look smaller and lighter than the current deep-vee hulls. G111 had and may still have a nice light fishing deep-vee hull. 

Having said that, I'd probably buy an older  Lund Pro Angler 14 (had one) or 16 or a 1660 Pro V (had one of those, too, when it was called the Predator) if I could find one without the transom and floor problems some of the older Lunds have.  

 

I have a 1752 blazer and I push it around on flat ground pretty easily in my garage.   But it’s a flat bottom so it’s missing half the hull😆

[Skeeter Man]

I have the same issues with space and storage.  I own a skeeter 200 and a small driveway.  I can back it in from the street, but my driveway has a s turn in it right before the garage, which is where I store mine, so backing it into the garage is nearly impossible.  There is no way I can move this heavy boat on a tandem axle trailer by my self, since I have had 2 back surgeries.  I ended up purchasing a Park It 360.  They are not cheap, mine was around $1,800 including battery, but they are worth their weight in gold for me.  I can back the boat in off the road and hook up the Park It and let it do the work.  I can usually get the trailer within inches of the garage wall on the first try.  That gives my wife enough room to park her car in there too.  This thing is very powerful, I think I could pull my truck out of a ditch with it.  It will not even feel a 14-16' aluminum boat.  

The only down side is I wish it would move the trailer faster.  There is 2 speeds, but not much difference between the two.  

 

[rps]

I had a Alumacraft 16'6" tiller steer. I wish I never sold it, but the wife thought I should have a steering wheel after my shoulder surgery. How often does that happen? A wife urging her husband to buy a new boat?

The open floor plan and large storage areas were great. After it, the windshield Lund of the same length seemed very cramped. Alumacraft has gone crazy and no longer sells the model I had.

Find a used one or a Crestliner. They will suit your fishing style and garage problems.

[kjackson]

14 hours ago, rps said:

I had a Alumacraft 16'6" tiller steer. I wish I never sold it, but the wife thought I should have a steering wheel after my shoulder surgery. How often does that happen? A wife urging her husband to buy a new boat?

The open floor plan and large storage areas were great. After it, the windshield Lund of the same length seemed very cramped. Alumacraft has gone crazy and no longer sells the model I had.

Find a used one or a Crestliner. They will suit your fishing style and garage problems.

Do you remember the model Alumacraft?  I've seen Bactrollers for sale before and was thinking about the model as a possibility.

My wife wants to me to get a boat with a console--go figure--but not because of a bum shoulder but because I'm "old".  I can see an advantage having the sonar unit up close where I can see it, which means I don't need one of the new wall-mount size sonars. 

As for boats I wish I hadn't sold, the 14' Lund Pro Angler is one. That bugger was very roomy for two people and stable. 

And I think I will end up getting some kind of dolly to help as the skinny little wheel that seems to be standard on most trailers can be a pain to move. I'll try to avoid the powered models unless I really need to go that route, maybe when I'm even "older".

 

[rps]

It was a Navigator 165. The Competitor line was its replacement but seems not to have a tiller steer option.

If the wife wants a console, here is a search result.

https://donsmarine.com/inventory/boats/933

[rps]

8 minutes ago, rps said:

It was a Navigator 165. The Competitor line was its replacement but seems not to have a tiller steer option.

I the wife wants a console, here is a search result.

https://donsmarine.com/inventory/boats/933

If I were in the market, I would drive to see that boat.

[kjackson]

Thanks.  I'll take a look.