Aluminum Utility Boat

Jeff Reardon

Jeff Reardon

Well-known member
Supporter
After several years of looking for the right boat used--and I have not given up!--I'm considering buying a new aluminum boat to hunt and fish from. Tired of dealing with leaky rivets, soft transom, a boat a little smaller than I'd like, and the other compromises I'd have to accept with anything I've been able to find used. I'm approaching 60--this will be a boat to get me to the end of my hunting and fishing days.

Ideally I could power it with a 20 hp 4 stroke Suzuki I already own. Don't care that much how fast I can get across the lake at WOT, but I do want to be able to get on plane and travel comfortably.

I'd like something around 16' with a beam over 60". Tiller steer. V bottom, not a john boat. Don't care about decks, live wells, comfy seats. This is a work boat, used to get me to places where the fish and ducks are.

Bonus points for light weight, no wood in the transom.

There are a ton of makers out there. My original thought was to find a 16' Lowe, to replace the 14' old beater that has served me for 20 years. But it looks like they are no longer in the utility boat market. Lunds are heavy and expensive. Looks like Alumacraft, Smoker Craft, Star Craft, Prince, Crestliner are all options and seem pretty similar.

This will be used for a combination of protected salwater, larger rivers, lakes and ponds.

Thoughts on what to pick and why would be most welcome.
 
Hi Jeff,

Duranautic boats are solid, all welded, utility boats. I have one that is over 50 years old that my late Dad bought brand new in 1974 precisely for the usage you described. It is still my primary hunting and fishing boat. You could power it with the motor you have too since they are not that heavy. I have a 25HP Johnson on mine and it scoots right along.

marathonboat.com

DuraNautic Boats - Marathon Boat Group

Length 16′ Max HP 50 Weight Capacity 1,230 lbs View Model DuraFish Deep-V Fishing Boats All the right features. Angler ready. https://vimeo.com/1111375771?share=copy#t=0 Length 10′ – 14′ HP Range 3 – 15 Weight Capacity 400 – 580 lbs View Models The Duke Jon Boats Built to withstand generations...
marathonboat.com marathonboat.com
 
Mike M. said:
Hi Jeff,

Duranautic boats are solid, all welded, utility boats. I have one that is over 50 years old that my late Dad bought brand new in 1974 precisely for the usage you described. It is still my primary hunting and fishing boat. You could power it with the motor you have too since they are not that heavy. I have a 25HP Johnson on mine and it scoots right along.

marathonboat.com

DuraNautic Boats - Marathon Boat Group

Length 16′ Max HP 50 Weight Capacity 1,230 lbs View Model DuraFish Deep-V Fishing Boats All the right features. Angler ready. https://vimeo.com/1111375771?share=copy#t=0 Length 10′ – 14′ HP Range 3 – 15 Weight Capacity 400 – 580 lbs View Models The Duke Jon Boats Built to withstand generations...
marathonboat.com marathonboat.com
Click to expand...
I've seen a few used. Still kicking myself for one I let get away last summer. Are they still being made?
 
Jeff,

You mentioned Prince...Did you mean Princecraft? I have an 18' utility that I bought in 93. They no longer make it as a utility in the 18'er, but the smaller hulls look almost identical. For it's size, it's amazingly light and has never leaked. It appeared to be of questionable construction when purchased, but has withstood many nasty poundings without a leak of any kind. Including a number of times in Maine, on the coast for eiders off Bailey Island. They advertise two 16' models now, I haven't studied the specs but I would be very comfortable with one of those.
 
Princecraft (Canada) makes a great utility boat as does (or did) crestliner and Lund but I would steer away from anything with bench seats. I let an open concept tiller (pedestal seats) go years ago and still kifcking myself. If $ were no object I would RUN to Ohio and have Steve Hoover build me a 16' Ocean series Duckwater but I don't think your 20hp would do it.
 
I have a mod v 16x50” (at the chines). All welded, no wood in the transom. Might be pushing it to reliably plane that hull with a 20. I have a 40 on it an it will run low 30s WOT and that’s plenty for me but power in reserve if I have a heavy load.

Whatever you settle on, I’d floor over the ribs with a 0.125 aluminum sheet and cover that with something that provides good traction.
 
Jeff Reardon said:
After several years of looking for the right boat used--and I have not given up!--I'm considering buying a new aluminum boat to hunt and fish from. Tired of dealing with leaky rivets, soft transom, a boat a little smaller than I'd like, and the other compromises I'd have to accept with anything I've been able to find used. I'm approaching 60--this will be a boat to get me to the end of my hunting and fishing days.

Ideally I could power it with a 20 hp 4 stroke Suzuki I already own. Don't care that much how fast I can get across the lake at WOT, but I do want to be able to get on plane and travel comfortably.

I'd like something around 16' with a beam over 60". Tiller steer. V bottom, not a john boat. Don't care about decks, live wells, comfy seats. This is a work boat, used to get me to places where the fish and ducks are.

Bonus points for light weight, no wood in the transom.

There are a ton of makers out there. My original thought was to find a 16' Lowe, to replace the 14' old beater that has served me for 20 years. But it looks like they are no longer in the utility boat market. Lunds are heavy and expensive. Looks like Alumacraft, Smoker Craft, Star Craft, Prince, Crestliner are all options and seem pretty similar.

This will be used for a combination of protected salwater, larger rivers, lakes and ponds.

Thoughts on what to pick and why would be most welcome.
Click to expand...
Alweld boats Sea ark both good boats. The Alweld boats have more options to choose from.
 
Jeff Reardon said:
After several years of looking for the right boat used--and I have not given up!--I'm considering buying a new aluminum boat to hunt and fish from. Tired of dealing with leaky rivets, soft transom, a boat a little smaller than I'd like, and the other compromises I'd have to accept with anything I've been able to find used. I'm approaching 60--this will be a boat to get me to the end of my hunting and fishing days.

Ideally I could power it with a 20 hp 4 stroke Suzuki I already own. Don't care that much how fast I can get across the lake at WOT, but I do want to be able to get on plane and travel comfortably.

I'd like something around 16' with a beam over 60". Tiller steer. V bottom, not a john boat. Don't care about decks, live wells, comfy seats. This is a work boat, used to get me to places where the fish and ducks are.

Bonus points for light weight, no wood in the transom.

There are a ton of makers out there. My original thought was to find a 16' Lowe, to replace the 14' old beater that has served me for 20 years. But it looks like they are no longer in the utility boat market. Lunds are heavy and expensive. Looks like Alumacraft, Smoker Craft, Star Craft, Prince, Crestliner are all options and seem pretty similar.

This will be used for a combination of protected salwater, larger rivers, lakes and ponds.

Thoughts on what to pick and why would be most welcome.
Click to expand...
Hi Jeff,
Perhaps Fogg's Boatworks in Yarmouth? Could design what you want and also see if a 20hp is a doable feat to plane a 16' boat with people and gear. Although if the boat doesn't draft much, should be easier to plane. A completely open hull and width of your design would be a nice canvas to work from.

They have this 14'er on FB. https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:0b66e592-ea64-4b67-9b7a-433fd8c5fb79

Their website, https://foggsboatwork.com/

On a side note, I know Mark Rae has a Duckwater Waldo series, 16' I believe. He's a great person and would be honest about pros and cons if you were remotely considering that boat.

Good luck in your search.
 
Jeff,

Duranautics are still being made. They are made in upstate NY. They are still pretty popular around the estuaries in MA. I checked on their site and there are a few dealers in NH and Maine.
 
Call me old fashioned but I still like a lightweight riveted aluminum hull.
My old smokercract is a 1987 hull, with center bench removed by the previous owner. Still solid, no flex, no leaks.
I did replace the wood in the transom but that’s an easy fix.
If I were buying new, I’d get an Alumacraft V Series. Or a Lowe 1648 MV Aura.
 
Carl,
I also have a Smokercraft of that vintage. A 1985 18'6" Alaskan. Still going strong and doesn't leak a drop. I did have to replace the plywood seat surfaces. Not sure why they didn't make them one-piece aluminum. As I've gotten older, the middle seat has gotten higher! I was interested to learn that your middle seat was removed and that it didn't compromise hull rigidity/strength.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3061.jpg
    IMG_3061.jpg
    471.9 KB · Views: 15
Update. I've narrowed my search to one of three choices with a 20" transom for my long shaft motor that are actually available nearby:

(1) Alumacraft V16. Probably my top choice--only 16' wide-beam utility I can find under 300 lbs. Model in stock has a ply wood deck/floor in it that adds 150 pounds dry weight. They'll remove it and not charge me for the floor if I want. My gut tells me to save weight from my use, with will involve frequent dragging on shore and shallow mud tidal mud flats. Any one want to regale me with how much I'll love the flood once I have it?

(2) Crestliner Outreach 16. Lowest choice, and I don't have a price on this yet. It's heavier and a bit wider than the other 2 options.

(3) Princecraft Springbok 16L WT. Haven't seen this yet, but a local dealer is supposed to call me with a price. Like the specs. It's a little heavier than the Alumacraft.

If anyone has experience with these, I'm all ears. Going to run whatever I get with a 20 hp Suzuki 4 stroke I already have, which I think should be fine for my use.

I have to admit that after a lifetime of used boats, I have extreme sticker shock at the cost of a new one. OTOH, I've been looking for a used 16' boat for 2 years now and finding nothing I had any interest in. I'm about to turn 59. A tin boat ought to last longer than I have left to use it, so it's worth paying to get what I want, I think.
 
I’d want a lot more HP for a 1660 vee. I understand being cool with going slow, but I hate wallowing behind the bow wave at full throttle on those days when you have a heavier load. That Zuke is a reasonable engine for a 1648 or smaller jonboat, but I’ve seen a 15 HP motor on a 1460 vee and it was a dog. A mere 5 more HP on a 2’ longer boat sounds like unhappiness wrapped in disappointment to me.

If the vee is non-negotiably necessary, that engine should pair with a 1448-1452 mod-vee.

Nate
 
Jeff Reardon said:
Any one want to regale me with how much I'll love the flood once I have it?
Click to expand...
My only experience with Alumacraft was my Competitor that I just sold. Awesome boat with no leaks. My only complaint, which would apply to all manufacturers, is their use of unsealed plywood. My advice is save money and weight on a floor or put your own in, the way it should be done, without carpet.
RM
 
Well, I have the 20 so I'll see if I can make it work. After the boat, the budget won't fit a new motor until next year anyway. A friend has the same boat with a 25. We've hunted it with three hunters, 2 dogs, and a big load of wet cork decoys and the 25 was plenty of motor. (It was one more dog and one more hunter than made sense for the spot we were hunting, especially since neither the extra hunter nor the extra dog could sit still.) With a four stroke, if I stay with the Suzuki, that extra 5 hp would come with almost an extra 30 pounds, and for a boat I'll use to hunt a lot of tidal mud, less weight on the transom when I do something dumb is always helpful. :) A lot of my use will be spring trolling on the lakes, solo fishing for trout and stripers, and short haul tidal duck hunts, so speed is not a major factor. I got a price on the Princecraft, and my sticker shock meter went into the red. $9500 for a tin boat with no trailer!!!!! None of the the Crestliner dealers have gotten back to me, but none have one in stock so it'll be a long wait and maybe needing to pay extra to get one shipped. Looks like there is an Alumacraft in my future.
 
I won’t have a boat without an aluminum floor. Nowhere for stuff to roll under and no ribs to trip on. They’re a super easy and lightweight DIY over the ribs in a mod vee but might take a little more doing in a true v hull.

I’m a firm believer in eva sheets or low knap outdoor carpet, any color as long as it’s brown. Both wear good, dampen sound, provide traction to muddy waders or boots, spray down easy, and decently hide the mud you missed.
 
Jeff Reardon said:
Well, I have the 20 so I'll see if I can make it work. After the boat, the budget won't fit a new motor until next year anyway. A friend has the same boat with a 25. We've hunted it with three hunters, 2 dogs, and a big load of wet cork decoys and the 25 was plenty of motor. (It was one more dog and one more hunter than made sense for the spot we were hunting, especially since neither the extra hunter nor the extra dog could sit still.) With a four stroke, if I stay with the Suzuki, that extra 5 hp would come with almost an extra 30 pounds, and for a boat I'll use to hunt a lot of tidal mud, less weight on the transom when I do something dumb is always helpful. :) A lot of my use will be spring trolling on the lakes, solo fishing for trout and stripers, and short haul tidal duck hunts, so speed is not a major factor. I got a price on the Princecraft, and my sticker shock meter went into the red. $9500 for a tin boat with no trailer!!!!! None of the the Crestliner dealers have gotten back to me, but none have one in stock so it'll be a long wait and maybe needing to pay extra to get one shipped. Looks like there is an Alumacraft in my future.
Click to expand...
You’re adding 20% to your horsepower but less than 10% to the weight of your empty rig- much less when you add dogs, decoys, batteries, and put butts in the seats.

That said, I’m pretty good at spending other people’s money
 
Michael McCord1 said:
I’m a firm believer in eva sheets or low knap outdoor carpet, any color as long as it’s brown. Both wear good, dampen sound, provide traction to muddy waders or boots, spray down easy, and decently hide the mud you missed.
Click to expand...
Michael,
EVA boat flooring is great stuff but carpet is a nightmare to keep clean and holds moisture next to the wood flooring of most boats, promoting rot. Just my experience, RM.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top