Looking at new boats.

[fish_fishburn]

I have been looking at new boats and some are good but most are lacking in design when it comes to layout and standard equipment/ options. Some of the things I would like to see is a parts list of all the plumbing and wiring, with diagrams. This would make it so much easier than trying to explain what you need to the dealer when you have to replace something.

 

Insulated livewells and coolers. There not that good if the lids are not insulated as well. Conduit running from front to back with some kind of pull through system for running new wiring. We pay alot for a new boat and some of the wiring jobs I have seen is pretty sad with wires running all over the place with cheapo connectors. Installed to last a couple years then things will start to fail and cause you grief.I havent seen one tinny yet with retractable rod straps on the deck. I dont want to stow my rods in the tubes when I'm just running to another spot. You get my drift.Oh yeah, water proof storage would be a great idea havent seen that yet on any tinnies so far. Lets hear your likes /dislikes.

[ecmilley]

customizing a boat is half the fun of ownership.

[lew]

Windshield wipers on full windshield boats.

[grt1]

one thing I would like on my boat is a drainage hole at the back of the floor (my boat has carpet and when it rains the water puddles where the back splash meets the floor) . It really makes it difficults to wash the boat down when the water puddles there and takes forever to seep into the bilge area.

[Fish Farmer]

You would be surprised want they cover up with carpet and plywood, Some of the workman ship I've seen on Princecraft and Lund Boats under the floors is unbelievable for what you pay for. And we as customers are their Guinea Pigs.

[DRIFTER_016]

one thing I would like on my boat is a drainage hole at the back of the floor (my boat has carpet and when it rains the water puddles where the back splash meets the floor) . It really makes it difficults to wash the boat down when the water puddles there and takes forever to seep into the bilge area.

 

My '91 Fisher has raised casting decks fore and aft which leaves a sunken mid ship section.

They were smart enough to put a drain at the back edge for just such reasons.

The fore deck has storage that can get wet if there is a lot of water in the bilge but the rear deck has dry storage.

At the rear of the back deck is a large partialy open cover that lads to battery storage and the bilge.

It is quite well designed.

 

It's certainly not the perfect boat boat it is well thought out.

It could use a conuit from from front to back for wiring and they should have had insulated livewell lids.

But it does have something you don't see on many boats and that's all alluminum floors which is great as they are lighter and don't rot like wood does.

[Angler management]

My biggest concern is maintenance... Needed to replace carpet in my aluminum legend this year, and had to take the interior apart completely to do so, literally down to the shell... Still in the process of putting the boat back together. They made it as if the carpet wasnt meant to be replaced ever! If you use the boat as much as i do, the carpet cant last more then 3 seasons... So every couple years u gotta rebuild the whole boat... Crazy! But i am amazed with the craftmanship of the boat. Puts Lund to shame!

[Gman]

A lot of what your are looking for is already in a Ranger.

 

Check out this link to Ranger Boats TV, you get an inside and behind the scenes look at the attention to detail and craftmanship that goes in to these boats and you'll hear a lot of talk about pultrusion which is a Ranger patented product, another thing to consider is also the trailer.

 

General Link (below) there are 16 videos all together ranging from the timeless classic Fiberglass Vs. Aluminum argument, hull deck lamination, floatation, finishing/rigging and the RangerTrail trailers.

 

http://www.rangerboats.com/rbtv/index.cfm?rid=6

 

I recently attended the Ranger Advatange plant tour at the end of November and it was very very impressive.

Here's another vid which I'm sure you'd be interested in and many will enjoy of the plant tour I found on YouTube which is very well done -

 

As any fyi and as a future new boat owner, did you know Ranger Boats can go back and build you a brand new seat for a boat someone purchased as far back as 1968 and match the same stitching, colours and patterns - THAT is impressive and very few if any can do that today.

 

Hope this helps and have fun!

Edited April 11, 2013 by Gman

[Angler management]

A lot of what your are looking for is already in a Ranger.

 

Check out this link to Ranger Boats TV, you get an inside and behind the scenes look at the attention to detail and craftmanship that goes in to these boats and you'll hear a lot of talk about pultrusion which is a Ranger patented product, another thing to consider is also the trailer.

 

General Link (below) there are 16 videos all together ranging from the timeless classic Fiberglass Vs. Aluminum argument, hull deck lamination, floatation, finishing/rigging and the RangerTrail trailers.

 

http://www.rangerboats.com/rbtv/index.cfm?rid=6

 

I recently attended the Ranger Advatange plant tour at the end of November and it was very very impressive.

Here's another vid which I'm sure you'd be interested in and many will enjoy of the plant tour I found on YouTube which is very well done -

 

As any fyi and as a future new boat owner, did you know Ranger Boats can go back and build you a brand new seat for a boat someone purchased as far back as 1968 and match the same stitching, colours and patterns - THAT is impressive and very few if any can do that today.

 

Hope this helps and have fun!

 

Too bad a Ranger is $50k and up for a decent model... Im sure its already on the top of every fishermans wish list, but unfortunately out of majorities price range.

[BillM]

My biggest concern is maintenance... Needed to replace carpet in my aluminum legend this year, and had to take the interior apart completely to do so, literally down to the shell... Still in the process of putting the boat back together. They made it as if the carpet wasnt meant to be replaced ever! If you use the boat as much as i do, the carpet cant last more then 3 seasons... So every couple years u gotta rebuild the whole boat... Crazy! But i am amazed with the craftmanship of the boat. Puts Lund to shame!

 

Put a carpet, over your carpet. My oldman and I cut out some custom carpets when we got our Lund. All the blood/slime/mess gets on those instead of the original. Gets held down with velcro and is easily removed when we want to clean them. It also has rubber backing so no moisture gets through it.. We had a Legend before our Lund as well, great boat, we beat that thing to death and had zero issues with it.

[danbouck]

Windshield wipers on full windshield boats.

X2

[BillM]

Dan, Rain-X on the windshield works pretty good (Although I'd love wipers on ours as well)

[Angler management]

 

Put a carpet, over your carpet. My oldman and I cut out some custom carpets when we got our Lund. All the blood/slime/mess gets on those instead of the original. Gets held down with velcro and is easily removed when we want to clean them. It also has rubber backing so no moisture gets through it.. We had a Legend before our Lund as well, great boat, we beat that thing to death and had zero issues with it.

 

Going with vinyl this time around... Great idea though, never even crossed my mind!

[Old Ironmaker]

Windshield wipers x3. I have yet to find a boat were the top of the windshield is higher than my head and I'm not 6' tall. Those little windshields on side counsels are a complete joke. I guess they keep your hands dry.

[Angler management]

Windshield wipers x3. I have yet to find a boat were the top of the windshield is higher than my head and I'm not 6' tall. Those little windshields on side counsels are a complete joke. I guess they keep your hands dry.

 

Side console windshields make a massive difference compared to no windshield. Mine got ripped off and what a difference it made... Obviously it doesnt compare to full windshield for protection of wind and splash, but its much lower profile and doesnt get in the way of fishing like a full.

[Moosebunk]

customizing a boat is half the fun of ownership.

 

 

Exactly!!!

 

 

Put a carpet, over your carpet.

 

 

Have a mat now but been thinking of doing the same Bill. Good idea. More coverage.

 

Considering a sheet of ply cut to fit the front floor and some outdoor carpet glued down over that. There's alot of times the front compartments and well aren't overly used or used at all. Could help take the weight and wear methinks.

 

 

When my buddy Pat was fishing off the back of my boat he noticed a little bit of give over one of the back battery compartment doors when stepping there. It wasn't much but it was enough to consider protecting. So, cut a piece of ply and put a front downward lip on it to keep wind from getting under and lifting it. Outdoor mat, staple gun and problem solved. Fits snug. 3 1/2 extra inches of width to stand on back there now too. Anyone with buddies continually fishing from the back of the boat could consider this cheap option.

 

Edited April 12, 2013 by Moosebunk