Going to Lowe dealership, couple of questions

[woppini]

So, I narrowed (hopefully) the brand/type of boat.I feel Im on the right path, so thought I would run it buy you guys.
Aluminum, Outboard, family sport/fish. (I'd like to veer from I/O and fiberglass- personal preference)
Lowe brand- since its the closest retailer with boat type
Have my eye on the FS185, 175hp max rating.
I know this boat is on the smaller size, I need to keep within 18ft for storage. Pleasure and fishing, maybe some tubing
Family of 5, 3 kids- I noted this for weight
My thinking is, getting nearly the max Hp rating of engine.
Light weight, easy to tow
Did I miss anything?

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Going to Lowe dealership, couple of questions

5 people on a 18 foot boat will be very tight, and if your kids are growing, this will only get worse. It will work, just not really any room to move around. Load everyone and your gear up at he boat shop, you will get an idea of just how small, or not, this size boat offers. Intended use (ocean lakes, rivers)would be another very important item.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Going to Lowe dealership, couple of questions

18' is really SMALL for storage. You need to consider the boat/trailer/motor will exceed that. I have seen people get a folding trailer tongue and I have seen people mount the boat on a cradle so they do not deal with a trailer........and even dismount the motor. I have even seen people rebuild their garage to accommodate the boat length. I hate to say this but storage is going to cramp your style with family of 5 (and kids keep growing in size ). Look into alternative storage solutions and talk with the dealer. Paying a few bucks will help the situation.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Going to Lowe dealership, couple of questions

I agree that you won't be happy with that boat. Your wife will complain that it "feels too close to the water" and you'll all complain that it's too small. What's the storage situation that limits you to an eighteen(ish) foot metal boat?

 

[woppini]

Re: Going to Lowe dealership, couple of questions

Thanks for all the responses. I had a feeling that I might be going down a disadvantaged path. I was hoping to put the boat on the side of the driveway, hence the 18ft. But in reality I should be looking at a size of boat that fits my needs first, rather than "what size of boat fits in this spot". The swing away tongue would be a must, but I didnt consider that an outboard can stick out further in back than an I/O. Again, thanks so much for the input

 

[Natesms]

Re: Going to Lowe dealership, couple of questions

We had a 19.6 fish and ski for our family of 5 (fiberglass though). Was it tight at times, absolutely. Was it the perfect hybrid between my Dad's love of fishing and our desires to ski, definitely. If you like fishing and think you will often be headed out on fishing trips, without the entire family, it will probably be a good fit. We dealt with the cramped quarters because my Dad used it for fishing frequently and it was "his" boat that we got to use.

I highly recommend maxing out the motor. Ours was under-powered for as much wake boarding as we did especially if we had a load. Only had a 115 though.

 

[blackhawk180]

Re: Going to Lowe dealership, couple of questions

I'll add my .02 here. I own a what Alumaweld calls an 18' boat but it comes with an "offshore bracket" so the actual length from bow to motor mount is 20'. My buddy has a splash well 20' aluminum boat and I'd say we have the exact same amount of room inside.
That said, mine came with a 115 hp 4 stroke even though it's rated for 150 max. I sorely wish the previous owner had gone with the max. I'm a fisherman, not a speed freak but when I head out in the ocean, I'd love to have that extra power to deal with following seas and just outrunning weather.
It will be crowded with 5 but can work and you will appreciate how easy it tows and launches.

 

[Tman18SS]

Re: Going to Lowe dealership, couple of questions

I have a family of 5. My three girls are 18, 16, and 11 years old so partly to mostly grown. We enjoy an 18' starcraft aluminum openbow with a 115 hp mercury outboard. Plenty of power for pulling a tube and fishing on Lake Ontario and the Niagara River. Plenty of room for us but it really comes down to your intended use and how many go at once. On occasion I'm the only one in the boat and launching and retrieving are a breeze, sometimes all five of us and we have a blast.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Going to Lowe dealership, couple of questions

Soon the young ones are going to want to bring a friend or stay home,,,, 20' at a minimum.

 

[Tman18SS]

Re: Going to Lowe dealership, couple of questions

I guess the point is that there isn't a perfect everything boat. Sounds like the OP is doing his homework and asking here to make sure there isn't something he has overlooked. Smart move on his part. I moved up from a 15' trihull so the 18'ss is far less cramped. Good luck and enjoy the search for the "perfect" for you boat.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Going to Lowe dealership, couple of questions

I was looking at the Lowe boat lineup online. I don't know if they really have a boat that meets your "family" needs.

Anyway it goes, try to stay toward the maximum horsepower rating of the hull and you'll be happier in the long run with whatever brand of boat you purchase. And the 150 hp motors are much stronger than a 115 hp and not that much more in price.