older alumacraft, lund, crestliner v-bottom

Jim Williams and I are on our second Starcraft v-hull. First one was an 18 footer (vintage 1981) we refitted to use as a layout tender. Good boat, served us well, and will be continuing as a tender for another crew of layout gunners.

The second hull is a 21 footer (vintage 1971) that we getting ready for this season's campaign. We'll have a bit of a learning curve with this larger boat but I believe we're going to enjoy the added room.

Tim
 
Tim, sounds like a serviceable tub. In the mid 1970's friends of mine used old wood lapstrake cabin cruisers, cut the cabins off and gutted them. Painteed flat black. Used on lake Michigan.
 
I picked up an 18' Starcraft v-hull for a buddy down in TN. She was in my possession for a week until he picked it up, if he wouldn't have ever picked it up that would have been fine with me. I really enjoyed that boat in the short time I had it. He is 2 years into owning it now and still talks about how happy he is with the purchase.
 
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I was looking at v-hull aluminum hulls when I was boat shopping 3-4 years back. Tough to find down here in the south, but I did find at least 2. Both were early 1980's 18' StarCraft brought south when snowbirds made the permanent migration south. Built like tanks, great hulls. But too heavy and too much draft for my needs.
 
Bob, I think you're asking about bigger boats, but I'll chime in.

I have a 14 foot Lowe V-hull. It's my utility boat. Small enough to launch anywhere I can get the trailer close to the water. If I pull the motor, we can hand carry it a short distance. It's enough boat for any protected water, and for near-shore big water if I pick my days. Goes as fast as I want to on an old 2 stroke 15. Easy to hide under an Army surplus camo net, but the ducks don't seem to mind it so long as it's a couple hundred yards from the blind.

Unlike Carl, extensive shallow water is not an issue for me, so I like the V-hull's ability to take some sea over a flatter hull.

I got it with the motor and trailer for $1300 more than a decade ago. I've since the replaced the trailer and the motor needed serious attention once that cost me $150. All-in-all, a very cost effective rig that's given me many many hours of service.
 
Jeff, I was looking for info on the smaller boats. The kind that you see on every small lake. The 14 16 foot type. They would still need a trailer but you could push them with a smaller motor.
 
Bob

Pat and I used a 14' Nordic with a 5 hp yamaha in Canada a few years back. Was our first attempt at layout gunning.

Was crowded but we made it work.

Very handy little boats.
 
Bob, mine came with the 15 horse, so I didn't think about motor size.

For trolling, or for lakes in Maine restricted to less than 10 hp, I can push it with the little 3.5 hp from my sculler. With that it probably tops out around 6 mph.

With two people and fishing gear, the 15 is just fine, and I could probably get by with a 9.9. With me, my wife and a day trip load of fishing gear, it tops out around 20 mph on a flat day. For three, or two men, a dog and a pile of decoys, a 20 might be a little better. It can be hard to get up on plane with the 15 and a full load, though it's doable with some weight shifting.

If I carried 3 very often, I'd be looking for a 16 with a 25.

The Lund Alaska's are a very common boat here, quite a bit more seaworthy than the Lowe. In 16 with a 20-25, they're a great lake boat; the 18's with a 30-40 are plenty of boat for anything but stormy days or offshore. Some sea-duck guides here use an 18, and many hunt out of the 20's.

Friends of mine co-own an 18 foot Lund with a 4 stroke 40. IMHO it's more motor than the boat needs. It flies with 3 men, a dog and decoys, and has been fine with 4. It handles whitecaps and waves to about 3 feet quite well, although it can be a wet ride for folks in the bow.
 
I ran into a guy that goes to canada every year with a 12 ft boat and a 14 ft boat on a custom trailer. Hangs the outboards on racks for travel. all you are doing is pushing the boat into the bullrushes for cover. He uses the 12 for hunting most of the time and the 14 for fishing and running to distant spots. I dont know if it would work eor me but it sure is simple and they are cheap and plentiful in the north. You could leave a boat there rather than trailer it a thousand miles. Bob
 
Bob, I use to run a 16' Mirrocraft with a 1993 15 evinrude. Great lake, river and bay boat. It was simply an open 4 bench seat type. I put a lot of feathers and fins in that boat and the 15 would push it right along. Good luck in your search.
 
i have one i made a scissor blind for plenty of room for 3 guys to hunt out of my challenge is finding dog ladder havent really attempted yet to make one but the dogs do need a little help getting in. i use a 15hp on it and a 55lb trolling motor pushes it in the fresh water for me. i believe its just shy of 16 foot.
 
1965 Starcraft (if I remember correctly). Ran the inland lakes and Great Lakes of MI, SC where I live now and all the way to SE Louisiana Gulf marsh where I hunt. It was my dad's boat and I passed it on to a buddy, no way I could sell it so it's still in the "family". I couldn't count all the ducks, walleye and perch that took their last ride in this boat.


 
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I had an alumacraft deep-V 16' that I sold after I purchased my TDB. Good boat, a bit too big to camo. and hunt inshore marshes with though. It is still in use at a private duck club up here.
 
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