First real boat... help needed

[deezdrama]

Ive lately got tired of having to drive and fish off the banks. I quickly grew a set of sea balls and bought a 15' - wide flatbottom aluminum canoe from 1964. Painted it, added outriggers, fishing seat, and 30# trolling motor. It gets us where we need to go but can be scary at times when people create large wakes, also it takes forever to get anywhere but it did get "my feet wet" into the -fishing from water- game and now I want something thats faster,safer and wont get the point and laughs lol.

I dont know alot about boats but mainly been looking at 2 types, the fiberglass bass boats, and the aluminum flattbottom jon boat style type boats.

Looking to see if I should lean one way or the other reguarding these 2 styles.

I will be buying used and want to stay under 3 grand.

I seen a couple mid 90's astro bass boats that look nice, I think one had an 88 hp motor , also was looking at a nice looking aluminum ranger and lowe boat. Both of them had side by side seats with console steering and a bow and stern fishing seat.

Id like to go resonably quick (still new and scary to me) lol but also be able to seat up to 4-5 people, or maybe a couple adults and a few kids.

I just am not sure what the major differences between these 2 styles are. I like the bass boats since they look sporty but have a feeling the aluminum jon style boats may be cheaper to maintain. Correct me if im wrong.

Any suggestions or comments are appreciated...thanks

 

[airshot]

You have to find what suits your needs within your budget. I can only point out a couple things I have learned over my 50 yrs of boating. I have owned both glass and alum boats over the years. I know own an aluminum boat and will never own another glass boat. While a glass boat can offer nice smooth racy lines and can have a better ride there are some downfalls that I choose not to deal with. A glass boat is much heavier so it needs more HP which means more fuel expense. You also have the rotten wood core problem on older glass boats which can become very, very expensive to repair. Alum boats have only a wood transom to worry about and that is a do it yourself project. And something I learned a number of years back is a glass boat will shatter on impact of something hard in the water where as an aluminum boat will just dent. You will find your insurance is cheaper on alum than on a glass boat. Look at the number of 30 plus year old boats on the water, most are alum, the glass boats have gone to the bone yard or are waiting to go there. For what it sounds like your interests are, I would recommend aluminum hulled boats without any reservation. As stated earlier you have to satisfy your own wants and needs but for me it is alum all the way.

 

[airshot]

You have to find what suits your needs within your budget. I can only point out a couple things I have learned over my 50 yrs of boating. I have owned both glass and alum boats over the years. I know own an aluminum boat and will never own another glass boat. While a glass boat can offer nice smooth racy lines and can have a better ride there are some downfalls that I choose not to deal with. A glass boat is much heavier so it needs more HP which means more fuel expense. You also have the rotten wood core problem on older glass boats which can become very, very expensive to repair. Alum boats have only a wood transom to worry about and that is a do it yourself project. And something I learned a number of years back is a glass boat will shatter on impact of something hard in the water where as an aluminum boat will just dent. You will find your insurance is cheaper on alum than on a glass boat. Look at the number of 30 plus year old boats on the water, most are alum, the glass boats have gone to the bone yard or are waiting to go there. For what it sounds like your interests are, I would recommend aluminum hulled boats without any reservation. As stated earlier you have to satisfy your own wants and needs but for me it is alum all the way.

 

[Pony]

Staying Aluminum will probably open up more options in your price range, and you will have less of a chance of getting a boat that has unseen rot or structure issues. Aluminum boats are lighter and in my opinion easier to deal with.

True bass boats have very little free board, and are usually pretty fast. I personally wouldn't feel as comfortable taking kids out on something that sits that low in the water. A good deep V aluminum boat will handle a good chop as well. I have owned both.....and like the poster above will stay aluminum from now on.

With a 3k budget, you are probably looking at a late 80's to mid 90's 16 to 17ft boat with maybe a 60 or 70hp outboard. Something similar to this, but in nicer condition....http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/boa/4564563145.html. or http://appleton.craigslist.org/boa/4558323628.html

You could seat 4 people in something like that, but it might be tough to fish out of that way. If fishing is the primary function thats what I would look for. IMHO

3k is tough price range.....at least it is here in this neck of the woods....to find something that will seat that many people, but it is possible

 

[Mel Taylor]

Staying Aluminum will probably open up more options in your price range, and you will have less of a chance of getting a boat that has unseen rot or structure issues. Aluminum boats are lighter and in my opinion easier to deal with.

True bass boats have very little free board, and are usually pretty fast. I personally wouldn't feel as comfortable taking kids out on something that sits that low in the water. A good deep V aluminum boat will handle a good chop as well. I have owned both.....and like the poster above will stay aluminum from now on.

With a 3k budget, you are probably looking at a late 80's to mid 90's 16 to 17ft boat with maybe a 60 or 70hp outboard. Something similar to this, but in nicer condition....http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/boa/4564563145.html. or http://appleton.craigslist.org/boa/4558323628.html

You could seat 4 people in something like that, but it might be tough to fish out of that way. If fishing is the primary function thats what I would look for. IMHO

3k is tough price range.....at least it is here in this neck of the woods....to find something that will seat that many people, but it is possible

I totally agree but would add that you might want to regard this as your starter boat, then after you've got some experience under your belt, you can decide whether you want to stick with what you've got or go some other direction.

BTW, I'm a solid aluminum fan myself because the tinnie I've got now fits my needs exactly. I know other people who swear by fiberglass for the same reason.

 

[deezdrama]

Thanks for the quick replies!

It makes sense to stick with aluminum, it holds up for decades and could probablly deal with any DIY fix or work that one would need. With glass boats I feel clueless and they are more expensive.

After just recently restoring a large 1964 aluminum canoe, and adding stabalizers, outriggers, fishing seats, motor, etc.... I feel an aluminum boat would probablly be best for me as it would be similar to my canoe but on a larger scale.

Ive found some pretty nice aluminum rigs locally in the $2000 range with newer wood/carpet, motors that are said to be in tip top shape, they have all the gear included, depth finders, trolling motors, batteries, etc.

It will mainly be used for me and a buddy to fish, but on the rare occasion it would be nice to squeeze another person on, or if I just wanted to take the kids out for a quick ride and a little fishing it would be nice to squeeze me and a few kids onboard.

Looks like im going to stick with aluminum.

Only question I have left- Is a riveted boat a deal breaker? should I be looking for welded only?

Thanks again guys!

 

[deezdrama]

Im a little confused as well about boat tax.

In illinois it states any boat under 16ft is a class 1 and doesnt require tax forms.

If I go 16ft or over I must file a form RUT-75

The website says....

Form RUT-75, Aircraft/Watercraft Use Tax Transaction Return, due no later than 30 days after the date the watercraft is brought into Illinois or the date the watercraft is brought into Illinois, whichever is later, if acquired by gift, transfer, donation, or non-retail purchase. "Watercraft" includes:

• Class 2, Class 3, and Class 4 Watercraft as defined in Section 3-2 of the Boat Registration and Safety Act; and
• personal watercraft as defined in Section 1-2 of the Boat Registration and Safety Act (jet skis, wave runners, etc.)

Again... im new to boating, could someone explain what this is and how much it usually costs? Im wondering if I should stay under 16ft just to keep it simple and registration is only $28 every 3 years if under 16ft

 

[airshot]

Whether you choose welded or rivets is your option. Do not be alarmed with rivets as they are easy to fix. Rivets are most popular but stay with a brand name and you will be good to go. StarCraft, Sylvan, Lund etc will be good choices. Early welded hulls had some issues with cracking, again can be fixed without a great deal of difficulty, in fact any alum hull issue is easier to fix than a glass hull and much less expensive. Bottom line is find a boat that has been well maintained and issues will be minor....the motor however is another issue. Again well maintained is a must but motor issues are generally the most expensive repairs to be made on a boat. Do read the stickies section at the beginning of this forum about buying a boat, a lot of good suggestions of what to look for when buying used. Above all get an in water test, if at all possible find someone with boat knowledge to go along. I have seen times when a local boat mechanic would be willing to go along on his own time and give an opinion for a small donation to his hobby fund. If spending big bucks (5000 and up) get a professional marine survey. Good luck and welcome to the boating world.