used old "meaning cheap" aluminum 16' to 18' boats

[farmer56]

farmer 56 here again with crazy questions .....  we fish northern mn. with a 16.5' boat ..  our  crew is starting to expand "great" meaning kids wanting the fishing dream... so the question is what older aluminum boats to look for in the used market that are, NUMBER ONE , more stable or  sea worthy ..a 16 or 18' boat with bench seats is all we can afford for a second boat... many brands to pick from ,BUT is one  "60s" to "70s"era boat one to look for ... motor does not matter because we will always fish close to each other.so 1960-1980 aluminum boats cheap... is one more stable if wind comes up..... brands grummun,crestliner, crisscraft lund alumacraft, spelling bad left maybe some out......

[foakes]

Hi Dennis —-

All of the brands you listed are solid boats.

The key, for me at least, would be a safe and well engineered aluminum boat that has a well designed keel, transom, beam, height, splash rail, and a good reputation.

If you get one with a good reputation and one that is well-proven —- you can use it forever —- or always get all of your money back if you decide to sell it down the road.

Three others that are good —- are Valco, West Coaster, and my personal favorite —- Gregor Boats made in Fresno, California since 1964.

Of the (6) boats I have owned —- the first was a 13' 4" Gregor with a 15hp Johnson.

My current boat is a 15' 2" Gregor with a 25hp Johnson.

Gregors are all welded, no rivets below the water line, well proven, safe, and stable.

https://gregorboats.com/quality/

Best, Fred

[jurelometer]

One thing to consider on an older boat is flotation.  Didn't the modern level flotation CG requirements kick in in the late 70s? A boat that won't sink at the stern or want to turn turtle when swamped can be the difference between just getting wet and having things go seriously south.  Aluminum skiffs with ample flotation next to the outboard and inside the benches have a better chance of decent swamped behavior than boats with a bunch of foam shot under a floor. Modern small skiffs (20 feet or under?) will meet the CG requirements for floating level when swamped, but some will turtle more easily than others.

Also was curious if Fred had an opinion on the other Aluminum skiff brands that were popular out west that he did not mention: Klamath and Duroboat.

-J

[farmer56]

all good points guys... Fred thanks for info question is  the 1980's  "H" series Gregor boats...  any thoughts found h-51  bench seats ... 

[foakes]

I am sure they are both good, Dave —-

Klamath I am familiar with, not familiar with Duroboat —-

My 15'+ Gregor is a 1978.  The (3) benches are filled with foam blocks for level flotation if swamped.

I redid the benches —- and when I did, I replaced the old solid foam blocks with new ones from the Gregor plant down in Fresno.

Weight capacity on mine is I think 1,125 lbs. on the CG label.

Paid $2,250 for the boat, electric start motor, trailer, canopy, trolling motor, fish finder, and all accessories —- about 10 years ago.  It is still in that value range (+ or -).

A boat is something that you never stop spending money on.

Tune ups, trailer maintenance, upgraded fish-finders, rod holders, batteries, tires, lights, prop, etc. etc..

The main thing is to make sure it is sea-worthy, safe, and functional if the conditions go south.

Best, Fred

[farmer56]

Fred what model 15' thanks farmer56    dennis

[foakes]

Fred what model 15' thanks farmer56    dennis

I believe it is a U151, Dennis —-

Out of town until late tonight visiting relatives up Norh.

It has a 66" beam and is a deep V.

Carries 4 adult guys plus gear comfortably and safely.

Craiglist is your friend on a lot of bargains. 

But in the end, it boils down to doing your research, figuring out what you want & need —- then patiently checking local as well as neighboring states regularly.

Bargains will pop up from time to time.

The best time to buy one if these is generally between November & February.

A 15 hp will push mine along just fine.

Best, Fred

[Midway Tommy]

Spent most of my adult life fishing MN waters. One of most reliable and minimum maintenance boats used by many resorts from the '50 -'80s is the Alumacraft F series'. The Fs are the basic model and the FDs have a ransom splash pan. The splash pan adds about 20hp to the max motor capacity.They all have aluminum seats and are well riveted so about the only thing that needs repair are an occasional loose rivet and teak/mahogany transom restoration. The older '50s models had sealed air filled seats for flotation. Newer models have foam filled seats.

My Dad bought a 1956 14' FD in 1958. He, me and my son used it regularly up until 2 years ago when he sold it to my daughter and her husband. The transom wood was finally starting to deteriorate so I replaced both the inner(teak) with white oak and the outer mahogany with marine mahogany. The 14' FD is rated for 35hp so, as you can tell, it's a well built vessel! The all aluminum feature (seats) is a huge positive for maintenance. They are fairly easy to find in MN, WI, IA & NE for a reasonable price.

[farmer56]

farmer56 here thanks "Mid" i like that you included  model numbers .. my expieriance was only  with lund... by any  chance  do you know anything about Fred's Gregor brand vs. alumacraft....??..... i like the wider beam on the gregor  who knows BUT it's still fun "dreaming"- "researching"- my boys think a 25 hp motor is mandatory for safety if weather fails... so bench seats- 25 hp plate- 14-15-16-18 foot solid boat..... will look for 14 FD i think

[farmer56]

my main boat is a lund pro-v 1660 tiller 60 hp 4-stroke yamaha

[foakes]

My first boat back in '74 was a 13' 4" Gregor with a 15 HP Johnson & a Little Dude tilt trailer.  Bought it brand new for $1200 from N&N Marine in Fresno.

Felt after using it for 3 years, I needed a fancier boat with swivel seats, larger motor, fiberglass, etc..

Sold the Gregor combo for what I paid for it.

Big mistake...to ever get rid of that first boat.

Best, Fred

[happyhooker]

Small boats are expensive new these days.  Lund sends me "ads" every once in awhile; just got one; a 16 ft. jon boat, no frills & no motor was $1,600 new.  New motor in 7.5 - 10 HP range would likely be over a grand, and I'm still short a trailer, comfortable seats, etc., etc.  A V-type boat would certainly be more.

I understand there are no small marine motors produced in the US anymore.  Anyone know to the contrary?  If buying a used motor, what would be the protocol in dealing with the seller?  Make him/her let you take the boat out?  At least start up the motor, whether on the boat or mounted on a 55 gal. drum?

Frank

[farmer56]

hey "Hap" and "Mid" being from Mn. knowing our lakes would you prefer 14' and wider boat or 16' and longer ... wider meaning 70" or more .... white caps are no fun  for either but sometimes the wind comes up .... motor size comes into play to time wave rolls- breaks .... still windy days caution ..  thanks again for insightful input dennis

[farmer56]

WOW , now i am confused .... Went to iboats for models sizes  specs. never knew there was sooo many .. so back to look at models in paper do homework and then decide

[farmer56]

foakes when you or where you fish do you get white caps or just rolling waves