Boat advice??

[HappyJack]

I'm looking for some input on my boat hunting endeavours. I currently have a 14' open hull on a trailer with a 9.9 Honda kicker, and have been looking at upgrading to something larger. I'm looking at perhaps a budget of 10 to 20K max, but I have questions as to what I should be looking for, I primarily want to use it for fishing on freshwater and sometimes in big lakes, like Stewart/Francois/Quesnel. I know I want a split windshield and a half top [hard or soft??] but I am looking for advice on:

16 to 21 foot long, do I need longer than 16 for two or three fishermen, would going up from 16 to 18 make the boat safer in heavy water?

Should I be looking for glass, welded aluminum or riveted construction? I could buy an older model glass boat and put a brand new outboard on it and stay in budget....are there dangers in this?

I've been out in an 18 foot Ali craft jet boat, and like the size and the aluminum floor with wash up hose, should I look for a jet or an outboard?? Jets don't hit things, outboards use less fuel???

Tandem wheel trailers or singles? Hard top or soft? What other features are nice in a bigger fishing boat? Electric downriggers? Live wells? wash down hoses, seats?

I could really use some help from experienced boaters......any tips??

[Bugle M In]

Can’t really help you in this category.
But yes, the bigger the boat, the better it can handle waves.
Saltwater fishing, there are days when people in tinnies can fish.
But if it hits 15 knot winds and waves, only us in 35ft or bigger tend to be out there (not worth it usually though as gear gets blown back too hard).
But suddenly the 18-22’s are no where to be seen either.

As for price vs size etc.
my buddy picked up a 25 ft Sea Ray for 3k, but put 10k in to get it running, but he is a very good HD mechanic that works on “everything”!

So, how capable are you at restoring, working on boats is one thing to consider.
As for that price range, thus type of boat and size, I have no clue what options are available for you.

[HappyJack]

I am a decent restorer type, but those older glass boats make me nervous as I've heard of rotted out spars and major glass work being required to ship shape them,so I'm kind of leaning towards playing it safe and staying with an all aluminum boat. I'd rather put time and money onto elec downriggers and other useful add ons.

[Harvest the Land]

Avoid rivets like the plague - welded aluminium would be my choice but I like fibreglass too (some say they offer a smoother ride in choppy water).18-21ft is the ideal size IMO and you'll definitely want a dual axle trailer for the heavier boat. Only get a jet if you're mostly only going to be boating on rivers or shallow water - otherwise definitely get an OB as they perform much better in open water and don't guzzle gas like jets do. I like the hard tops but if you like to bake in the sun and get tanned then you might like to have the option of being able to remove the top. For electronics I like Lowrance or Garmin and electric downriggers are an absolute must. I like your idea of getting a used boat (especially if its welded cause they last forever) and a new motor (you can't go wrong with a Yamaha).

Have fun spending your inheritance Jack

[HappyJack]

Avoid rivets like the plague - welded aluminium would be my choice but I like fibreglass too (some say they offer a smoother ride in choppy water).18-21ft is the ideal size IMO and you'll definitely want a dual axle trailer for the heavier boat. Only get a jet if you're mostly only going to be boating on rivers or shallow water - otherwise definitely get an OB as they perform much better in open water and don't guzzle gas like jets do. I like the hard tops but if you like to bake in the sun and get tanned then you might like to have the option of being able to remove the top. For electronics I like Lowrance or Garmin and electric downriggers are an absolute must. I like your idea of getting a used boat (especially if its welded cause they last forever) and a new motor (you can't go wrong with a Yamaha).

Have fun spending your inheritance Jack

Some of it at least....a hard top would be nice but could also be added on I'd think. I've found a couple of used 18 foot welded boats on the used market in the 20K mark, with OBs, still looking though till I bite.

[hawk-i]

Buy bigger than you think you need, get more power than you think you need and most importantly buy something newer (and more reliable) than you think you can afford :)

[Ferenc]

Have a look at the “ Gregor “ brand made aluminum boats ,my brother has one and runs the Fraser as well as lakes and as said ya can’t go wrong with a Yamaha.

[Ed George]

Inboard jet boats are not hard on fuel. Mine is a 19' hull with a fuel injected GM 5.7 Kodiak Marine running 330 HP through an American Turbine pump and over 20 years of use has averaged 5 gallons of fuel per hour. These pumps run a 9" impellor in a high pressure bowl. Do not go with a 2 stroke outboard jet as they are terrible on fuel. There is a weight advantage to a sport jet but I understand that they are also not fuel friendly. Outboard jets you typically deduct 30% from the power head rating to get the pump rating, 4 stroke outboard jets get the same deduction but are much more fuel efficient.

[hawk-i]

My 200 optimax sport jet gets approximately 5 gallons per hour when on plane at about 30mph

[HappyJack]

Have a look at the “ Gregor “ brand made aluminum boats ,my brother has one and runs the Fraser as well as lakes and as said ya can’t go wrong with a Yamaha.

I'll do that, found a couple in the usa. I wonder how much hassle it is to import a used boat from there?? The prices are definitely lower than here.

[Outbound]

Does anyone know anything about RH boats? Their Pro-V line seems comparatively budget friendly for a basic, open concept welded aluminum boat and they're outboard jet compatible. They come in 16 and 18 foot lengths.

https://rhboats.com/boats/pro-v/

https://recreationalpowersports.com/product/2021-rh-pro-v-16-40-jet/

[Ferenc]

I'll do that, found a couple in the usa. I wonder how much hassle it is to import a used boat from there?? The prices are definitely lower than here.

My brother said no hassles at all , he worked out a fishing trip down in Oregon , purchased the boat,trailer,motor and hooked it up to his truck and brought it home ... he did have to pay some duty and Prov sales tax .... he was gonna dig out the paper work to see what the duty was , all I can say is if I was gonna buy a boat this brand is at the top of the list for me .. and yes some good prices down there .

[cmac]

Also keep in mind useable space on the boat, my father in law bought a legend boat, 17ft I think but the windshield was set way back so it was really cramped in the back of the boat and had a hard time getting on plane. really was only good for 2 people. when he sold it and bought a north river there was way less room in front of the windshield which made the rear way more roomy, it was a 19ft but there was no comparison when it came to room, could easily have 4 people in the boat and a cooler .

[browningboy]

Just buy a welded aluminum if possible, you'll be solid, if you don't plan on going shallow then don't get a jet and to be honest your best scenario if you can is a welded aluminum with an outboard and kicker for lakes as the OP mentioned. I have a jetboat and it's thirsty but then I have a 454 inboard. Don't go fiberglass, at least with aluminum you can take it to the recyclers and cash in worst case.

[hawk-i]

Just buy a welded aluminum if possible, you'll be solid, if you don't plan on going shallow then don't get a jet and to be honest your best scenario if you can is a welded aluminum with an outboard and kicker for lakes as the OP mentioned. I have a jetboat and it's thirsty but then I have a 454 inboard. Don't go fiberglass, at least with aluminum you can take it to the recyclers and cash in worst case.

There's not much that a Circular saw and mig welder can't fix on an Aluminum boat.

[Downwindtracker2]

Fiberglass is not unrebuildable , just very dirty. The floor is usually rotten. It's plywood under the carpet with lenghtwise wooden stringers. Not technically difficult . But grinding and cutting fiberglass is misery defined. I looked into it and decided no. Boats should be almost be free. Motors are the expense . Mercruiser I/O have parts available. The Volvo do as well at greater expense. Volvo generally do a better job of marineizing. Avoid OMC. That is what I found out. My dad had a 18' with a 165hp Merc. I/O . Launching was a two man job. I got the wet end. It was a high sided deep V, it could handle serious water. You don't want a walk through windshield !

Outboards have gotten reliable, but if you are going in chuck, you want new and a kicker.

If your 14' has a broad beam, I would get a Tohatsui 20hp. The 20 and 15 are the same engine, just the 15 is restricted. The more common Mercurys in that size are Tohatsuis, BTW.

[SuperYeti]

Does anyone know anything about RH boats? Their Pro-V line seems comparatively budget friendly for a basic, open concept welded aluminum boat and they're outboard jet compatible. They come in 16 and 18 foot lengths.

https://rhboats.com/boats/pro-v/

https://recreationalpowersports.com/product/2021-rh-pro-v-16-40-jet/

I had a RH 16 SH for about 6 years and kicked the living shit out of it in the chuck, lakes, even on the Fraser a couple times, it was a great boat. I also worked as service manager for a dealer in Langley for a summer, and only ever saw 2 boats that had issues out of the dozens we sold. I ended up putting a older BlackMax 150 on my 16 and it did 52mph lol. I ended up selling it in 2020 to contribute to the down payment on our first home, I sure miss it.

[SuperYeti]

I'll also add, you will suffer from 2 foot-itus. Buy the biggest boat you can afford, and make sure you power it to the max the nameplate allows (unless you're a madman like me). Especially in the chuck or bigger lakes, you will NEVER say I have too much power, you can always throttle back, but if it gets snotty, the ability to either outrun it, or just be able to get up and over big swells, especially the square waves that can form at the mouth of the Fraser is priceless IMO.

[SuperYeti]

Also keep in mind useable space on the boat, my father in law bought a legend boat, 17ft I think but the windshield was set way back so it was really cramped in the back of the boat and had a hard time getting on plane. really was only good for 2 people. when he sold it and bought a north river there was way less room in front of the windshield which made the rear way more roomy, it was a 19ft but there was no comparison when it came to room, could easily have 4 people in the boat and a cooler .

Avoid Legend, their build quality is terrible, they are the pinto of the boat world IMO. RH would be my choice for cheaper boats, or North River jets are nice, Duckworth, Hewescraft, Silver Streak (built in Sooke) are really solid. If you want to see what works and lasts, go take a walk around any of the marina's around Vancouver.

[Outbound]

I had a RH 16 SH for about 6 years and kicked the living shit out of it in the chuck, lakes, even on the Fraser a couple times, it was a great boat. I also worked as service manager for a dealer in Langley for a summer, and only ever saw 2 boats that had issues out of the dozens we sold. I ended up putting a older BlackMax 150 on my 16 and it did 52mph lol. I ended up selling it in 2020 to contribute to the down payment on our first home, I sure miss it.

That's a pretty good endorsement! It's been hard to find reviews on these boats. Thanks for the feedbakc. :)

[hawk-i]

I'll also add, you will suffer from 2 foot-itus. Buy the biggest boat you can afford, and make sure you power it to the max the nameplate allows (unless you're a madman like me). Especially in the chuck or bigger lakes, you will NEVER say I have too much power, you can always throttle back, but if it gets snotty, the ability to either outrun it, or just be able to get up and over big swells, especially the square waves that can form at the mouth of the Fraser is priceless IMO.

Agree 100%, I've never owned a boat where I wished I had "less" power :)

[Bugle M In]

Yup, you can never have too much power, true.
But I have a friend with an 18’ Tracker and a big outboard ( forget the size, but a bit too big), she sits a bit ass heavy.
But still, gotta love the power.

But between my 2 friends boats, an 18’ and a 25’, it’s a huge difference when it gets windy and wavy out.
(goes without say).
One boat, you don’t realize much if anything, and the other you get tossed around and pushed around.
This is where Bigger, truly is better!

[HappyJack]

Fiberglass is not unrebuildable , just very dirty. The floor is usually rotten. It's plywood under the carpet with lenghtwise wooden stringers. Not technically difficult . But grinding and cutting fiberglass is misery defined. I looked into it and decided no. Boats should be almost be free. Motors are the expense . Mercruiser I/O have parts available. The Volvo do as well at greater expense. Volvo generally do a better job of marineizing. Avoid OMC. That is what I found out. My dad had a 18' with a 165hp Merc. I/O . Launching was a two man job. I got the wet end. It was a high sided deep V, it could handle serious water. You don't want a walk through windshield !

Outboards have gotten reliable, but if you are going in chuck, you want new and a kicker.

If your 14' has a broad beam, I would get a Tohatsui 20hp. The 20 and 15 are the same engine, just the 15 is restricted. The more common Mercurys in that size are Tohatsuis, BTW.

No to a walk through?? I kind of liked that feature as we beach and launch from shore most of the time.

[HappyJack]

Also keep in mind useable space on the boat, my father in law bought a legend boat, 17ft I think but the windshield was set way back so it was really cramped in the back of the boat and had a hard time getting on plane. really was only good for 2 people. when he sold it and bought a north river there was way less room in front of the windshield which made the rear way more roomy, it was a 19ft but there was no comparison when it came to room, could easily have 4 people in the boat and a cooler .

I've noticed that when looking at boat pictures, we sure don't want the windshield too far back. Yesterday I was looking one over online and the windshield was almost right at the front, it looked a little odd.

[tyreguy]

With a budget of $10-20k you are not realistic on looking for a welded aluminum jet boat, not even an older one.
You're mixing up lake boats with river boats and simply river boats hull design degree is made to go over the water where a lake boats hull degree is meant to cut through the water. Run a 8degree hull in a bigger wavy lake and you won't have a filling left in your head.
Forward windshield may counter a back heavy design like fuel tanks, motor etc but it does utilize floor space to the max. Too much weight in the back and boat will porpoise.

[Downwindtracker2]

We've had waves coming over on one trip back.