Aluminum V hull suggestions?

[AGENT 37]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

The price of raw aluminum is what is driving the value of all aluminum boats through the roof. They easily retain that value and some even increase in value over time unlike fiberglass boats which depreciate in value (and strength) as they get older.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

Try and look for a "Duratech".These boats were built in the 50s and early 60s with a life long guarantee on the hull.They were good enough for the CIA to use in the Bay of pigs operation as the landing boats.
They are light weight, high sided and a 9.9 pushes them along at a nice clip.
Just remember that the shorter the boat the more you have to balance the weight for them to perform.
I used to have a 1963 17 foot Duratech Orion and it performed really nice.Properly trimmed with a 50 horse Johnny it went over 34mph and with a 9.5 it did better than 10mph.
I sold my boat & trailer for $450 and the buyers called back to inform my how well these boats perform.

 

[CaptAhab]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

I picked up a 18 foot princecraft, trailer, 40hp+4hp kicker for 1600 Canadian, will handle 4 adults with plenty of room for fishing and gear.
Me and me brothers are big guys also and we switched out the 40hp for a 90, to move that weight, now it moves

 

[crackedglass]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

The price of raw aluminum right now is way down, it took a bad dive about 5 months ago. It's lower now than it's been in 10 years.
It also don't explain why glass boats of the same type also shot way up through the roof.

I'd consider a glass boat but would rather have the lighter aluminum boat.
Models that I've seen in use that fit the bill are those similar to an older Mirrocraft Lake Fisherman, which is 16' long with a 60"+ beam and 20" transom, Duranautic Offshore 16, or Starcraft Seafarer 16.

There's actually a few that popped up on CL tonight but they're priced at the same cost as a new hull. The only added point is that they come with a trailer, but I don't put much value on a 16' trailer with 8" wheels. Maybe a few hundred dollars or so. (I bought my 12" wheel trailer for $350 brand new only four years ago). Harbor Freight sells a boat trailer for $250, although their's is not galvanized.

My favorite of all of them is the Duranuatic hull, it's probably the heaviest made of all that I've seen. They're very much like the older Grumman hulls.

All that I've seen have been on super light trailers, with 8" wheels, I run too far to rely on small wheels. I have a trailer and motor ready to go, I just need the hull. Not many used boats are hull only, almost all are with a trailer and/or a motor. I can't see spending money on another motor when I have so many good motors here to choose from. I have two trailers which would be perfect too, both with larger wheels.

What should I expect to pay for a bare hull like this?
From what I'm seeing, most are listed at over $3500 used, and about the same new. For that amount, I'll stick with my current boat situation.
There's no way I'll pay the same amount for a 10 or 20 year old boat when I can buy the same hull new for the same amount or less.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

The price of raw aluminum right now is way down, it took a bad dive about 5 months ago. It's lower now than it's been in 10 years.
It also don't explain why glass boats of the same type also shot way up through the roof.

I'd consider a glass boat but would rather have the lighter aluminum boat.
Models that I've seen in use that fit the bill are those similar to an older Mirrocraft Lake Fisherman, which is 16' long with a 60"+ beam and 20" transom, Duranautic Offshore 16, or Starcraft Seafarer 16.

There's actually a few that popped up on CL tonight but they're priced at the same cost as a new hull. The only added point is that they come with a trailer, but I don't put much value on a 16' trailer with 8" wheels. Maybe a few hundred dollars or so. (I bought my 12" wheel trailer for $350 brand new only four years ago). Harbor Freight sells a boat trailer for $250, although their's is not galvanized.

My favorite of all of them is the Duranuatic hull, it's probably the heaviest made of all that I've seen. They're very much like the older Grumman hulls.

All that I've seen have been on super light trailers, with 8" wheels, I run too far to rely on small wheels. I have a trailer and motor ready to go, I just need the hull. Not many used boats are hull only, almost all are with a trailer and/or a motor. I can't see spending money on another motor when I have so many good motors here to choose from. I have two trailers which would be perfect too, both with larger wheels.

What should I expect to pay for a bare hull like this?
From what I'm seeing, most are listed at over $3500 used, and about the same new. For that amount, I'll stick with my current boat situation.
There's no way I'll pay the same amount for a 10 or 20 year old boat when I can buy the same hull new for the same amount or less.

Why not find a hull with a motor like the one you already have? Dude! Everybody needs twins! LOL

-BWR

 

[crackedglass]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

Why not find a hull with a motor like the one you already have? Dude! Everybody needs twins! LOL

-BWR

That would be nice but the hull I'm after won't handle twin 40 hp motors.
Let alone trying to rig and steer twin tiller motors might be a bit tough.
Most of the 16' boats are all 25 hp max hulls, Smokercraft makes the Alaskan, but only in a 15' and it's only got an 850 weight limit, add a second motor and knock 175lbs off of that.
None of use are small guys, I'm near 300lbs, and am the small guy in the bunch. It would be nice to fish three in the boat.

I also can't see spending the money on a motor when I don't need it, the goal here is to save a few bucks. I know my motor and it's condition, so I intend to use what I have. Besides, I'm partial to the older Johnson and Evinrudes, all that I've seen have had Nissan/Tahatsu/ Mercury motors, with a few Suzuki and Yamaha motors. None have been 4 strokes, so there's no advantage in getting another motor.

 

[crackedglass]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

Another update, after finding a complete, and partially restored Starcraft Super Sport 16 last week, I came across an add on Craigslist for a Grumman 16' V hull, I drove down to see it, about an hour from me, but it turned out to be an older 14' not a 16'. Although it's the 'biggest' 14' I've seen yet. The sides are nearly 28" tall, it's got nearly 5' of floor width but only a 67.5" beam width. The hull is 14' 8" long, but still labeled a 14' boat. It has two benches, and one split center bench with a livewell or storage bin on each side. Its rated at 5 passengers or 975lbs max and 25 hp. It came on a trailer, with an older but working trolling motor, a newer Suzuki 8HP outboard and a runing 6HP Evinrude. It's a tiller steer boat and it looks like new, no floor wear, no floor rot, and perfect paint top and bottom. The transom plywood will need attention but it's usuable as is for now. It's an easy fix either way as the wood slides in from the top and only goes partway down.
Its not what I originally was after but after finding the other 16', which is too much for most ponds and small lakes, this 14' will fill the gap, and best of all it was only $400. Its even got two new tires and wheels and a working Humingbird fish finder. All I need to do now is get it registered. Apparently an out of state vessel is a problem for them to deal with, I had to get a notarized bill of sale, along with the signed and filled out title, two forms of ID, proof of residence, and then I only can get a temp registration card, and my boat numbers. The boat was registered before down in VA and then in MD by the same owner. I've never had to go through all this with an out of state boat before but it's the first out of state boat I've bought and tried to register right away. The last one, I just got the title, then rebuilt it and registered it the following year.

 

[mickjetblue]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

Cracked - Sounds like all your looking around finally paid off!

Have fun with whatever you do with your boat. Good luck crabbin...

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

Are you keeping the super sport?

 

[crackedglass]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

The Super Sport will be my main project now, the 14' is usuable the way it is, so that will get me on the water right away. It does mean I'll have to find a short shaft 25 somewhere, mine is a long shaft now, and the only other motor I have that would fit hp wise is a 30hp but it's also a long shaft. The Suzuki 8hp does ok, but tops out at 18 mph with just me in the boat, add another passenger or another 300lbs or so and that will no doubt drop significantly. I have both an Evinrude 9.5 and an older Johnson 15hp that I converted to long shaft for another boat, I could convert it back to a 15" shaft for this. I'd rather just find a newer 25 for this though.

For now I'll run just the electric motor and the 8hp. The Suzuki 8hp 4 stroke is as heavy as my 25hp 2 stroke Johnson. So far I only water tested it when I bought it. There's a few things I want to change but nothing major, it works as is, and other than a newer fish finder/depth finder and some lights, it's staying as is. I'll have to replace the wood top on the livewell but its nothing but plywood. I may make an aluminum cover instead, or at least find something to top off the benches with that don't rot with age like wood. Grumman used bare 5/8" plywood with what looks like paper on top, sort of like sign board that they use for billboards. I've seen other Grumman boats like this that had padded covers, which were ok but faded fast. The wood probably lasted this long since its out in the open and allowed to dry. The deck is covered in Nautolex, and is also the same type of wood underneath, but the deck is solid, with only two soft corners on the floor panels where the Nautolex is folded around. I'll pull the deck out sooner or later, its just screwed in and only the center section requires any other items to be moved. The livewell and side bench in the center is mounted ontop of the 3rd deck panel, which is perfect. The only reason I'd ever pull them all out is to make them all match if I replace any of them.

I already measured and made the template for the transom, I'll build a new one and pop it in place when I get the chance, for now the original is still decent, it's only rotted on one lower corner where it sits in a bottom channel halfway down the transom.

I have thought about putting in the new transom, then bolting on a riser bracket and running the 25 hp I have. I'm not sure how well it would run if I set the motor back about 4" that way? The hull has a slight V at the back, but is near flat, maybe a 4" deadrise at best at the transom.

I have a few choices to make on the Starcraft SS, first will be what to do with the sides that are visable when its all assembled. The factory had nautolex there, but I'm thinking maybe just spraying the whole inside with bed liner in color and then putting the factory interior back in. I'd spray the sides with white bed liner or epoxy with some texture, that would avoid ever having to deal with Nautolex peeling with time. The last owner had already put in all new Nautolex around the sides, but the corners are already peeling off the aluminum. I've been down that road before and have never found a permanent cure. I was considering having it done by a pro with Rhino liner but was afraid of adding too much weight that way. The do it yourself products don't add nearly as much weight.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

I know what you mean by having to have two boats, I tried my Jupiter once in a lake here that has a 10hp limit, while it's only 16', the 9.9 motor wouldn't get the boat on plane with two guys in it and 6 gallons of fuel. The 3hp trolling motor did almost as good. It also got stuck all over in the shallow areas and I wasn't able to follow the creek upstream any at all like I could in a smaller boat.
It draws just enough water to find all the stumps and sandbars. My 12' V hull can run all over that lake with a 6hp and outright fly with the same 9.9hp

I usually run an older Evinrude 9.5 though on my 12' boat, which is plenty fast. I did hang an older 25 on it once, it was so fast it was scary. It would take off bow up and sink into a hole in the water as it took off. Sitting in the bow with a long tiller extension made it drivable but not safe.
Even my 15hp which is badged as a 9.9 is too much but doable with some restraint. 30+ MPH in a 12' tinny is way too fast.


I had an older 15' Grumman jon boat that had a 35hp on it, it would cruise at about 28 mph, which was only 6 mph faster than it went with a 15hp on it, but it would do 28 fully loaded with three guys, crab traps, weights, fuel, etc.

Grumman made some tough boats, probably some of the best boats I've seen or owned. I've never seen a bad one and they don't seem to corrode like some others do. I have a buddy with a Tracker Modified V Bass type hull and its corroded all over, and I don't think it's ever been in pure saltwater.
Grumman made some pretty big looking 14' boats, even my 15' jon boat was closer to 16 than 15'. The all had good freeboard, Grumman and Duranautic were some of the best boats I've seen when it comes to small open aluminum boats.

Starcraft is my all around favorite when it comes to aluminum boats, they hold up great to all sorts of abuse and never seem to have any real issues. I bought my Jupiter from a guy that swore it leaked 2 gallons per hour, I've never seen it take on so much as a drop. My guess was that his drain plug was bad, or one of the transom mounted transducers weren't sealed up properly. He had 4 or 5 bilge pumps and four batteries, the floor was soaked, and I pretty much removed the seats with a shovel they were so rotted. The first thing I did was to gut the rotted wood out, toss in a piece of plywood to stand on, and went and floated it in the lake, to check for leaks. I had already replaced the drain plug, since it didn't come with one, and I filled all the transom screw holes with 5200 for the time being. I sat there in it for 4 hours fishing and it never leaked so much as a trickle. (I had been warned by so many here that a riveted boat was a leaky nightmare, so far I've only had to fix one rivet in one boat, and that was because it was bent and not seated like the rest, and in a freebie Lowe jon boat.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Re: Aluminum V hull suggestions?

In older 14' aluminums the Mirrocraft Deep V and Starcraft (forget exact model) tend to be common and deeper than most.
That said, I jsut finished shopping and found many of the newer 14's to be a bit shallow for my likeings. Just purchased a Mirrocraft 1615 myself. Small enough for those shallow ponds, deep and robust enough to get me out along the ocean shoreline on those tame AM/PM trips.