Blue Fin Boat Question

[twowild]

Re: Blue Fin Boats

My 1993 Blue Fin Spectrum 1956 is a great boat. It has it's issues but all older boats do. It's the blue/white boat in my profile and my avatar. It is solid and dependable and takes anything I can throw at it.

I always find it amusing when people make blanket statements about certain brands "they're the Bayliner of tin boats and are not at all well made". Not true on either count. Most Bayliners are/were entry level price boats and not always well maintained. Possibly due to the fact that the owners didn't care or know better. Possibly the same with Spectrum, but I would rather buy a well maintained Spectrum than a poorly maintained anything else. Others may try and steer you in some other direction but maybe they have more money or time than I do. I personally prefer to be on the water fishing rather than restoring or fixing.

By the way, my Spectrum has cold formed aluminum stringers that run the length of the boat and are welded in. There is no wood in my boat other than the transom and the floor. It is very tough.

Grant Brown
Vancouver, BC

Any idea how to remove rear side top cushions on 1991 spectrum bluefin fishing boat - has me puzzled no screws on top or side or underneath

 

[airshot]

As with any boat...how it was cared for is the most important consideration, not the name plate !! In my 60 years of owning boats, I have had two glass boats, never again, fragile, rot issues, heavy, but they do ride nice....aluminum boats are light so less hp is needed, much easier to care for and the hull will not shatter on impact if something is hit in the water...yes I have experience there,....the only wood is transom and floor, both easily replaced. Welded hulls can crack unless heavy material has been used. Rivets can leak but are easily fixed. If you have a nice interior and dont want to mess with it, " goop" works quite well, have used it many times and lasts for quite some time and easily redone if needed. Aluminum hulls do ride rougher in chop, being light they tend to bounce more. So.....how much maintenence do you want to do ?? How much do you want to spend on fuel ?? When it comes time to repower, bigger engines cost more. How much risk are you willing to take when it comes to hidden rot ?? Other than my two glass boats all others have been and currently are aluminum hulls. Will never own anything else, my time is precious to me, so I go with what has minimum maintence, easiest on full, no worries about rotten hidden wood. And in case of an accident, ask any insurance adjuster, you are safer in an aluminum boat...