looking for new boat

[pyro]

hi all just need help trying to pick out a new boat. been look at lund, legend, tracker, prince craft, too many to chose from. any recommendations. any good or bad boats. I have heard about hull cracking.

on jan 2014 we r going to Toronto boat show to pick out a new boat just need a little help thanks pyro aka mike

[Roy]

Which style/size are you looking at?

[kickingfrog]

Lots to think about. Good to start now and narrow your search a little before the winter boat show.

 

 

Things that most of us work through:

 

 

In no particular order (and subject to additions).

 

Budget

Type of fishing you plan to do and the type and size of water

Number of people that you plan to have in the boat most of the time

Size of tow vehicle (if applicable)

New or used

Project boat or ready to get wet

 

 

And yes, the always heated debate issues (Some of which are partially dependent on the above considerations):

 

Tiller, side console or full windshield

Welded or riveted

Fibreglass or Aluminum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[coolwater]

hi all just need help trying to pick out a new boat. been look at lund, legend, tracker, prince craft, too many to chose from. any recommendations. any good or bad boats. I have heard about hull cracking.

on jan 2014 we r going to Toronto boat show to pick out a new boat just need a little help thanks pyro aka mike

Sylvan makes some good products as well, Pro Fisherman is my fav.

kickingfrog makes some good points, always consider your priorities.

 

I've had two boats, both based on price, turned out to be junk. Just my opinion.

[RickOnt]

Yes!!

 

Budget is usually the #1 determining factor!!

 

After that Ya can go Nuts!!

[mattp33]

I think legend has a lot to offer for the money but i saw some hydro-formed stuff, looks awesome and rides like a glass in big water. I think tracker makes or made it. For some reason I can't see anything on their web site. Do they not make it anymore?

[Richie Razor]

Just be prepared to spend, spend, spend!!!! All boats new or used are money pits. Unless you are goin to be using your boat for commercial fishing, you will never justify the money put in lol. But hey they're fun and from the advertising it seems like chicks in bikinis are attracted to them like moths to a light. You can't lose!

[vance]

B.O.A.T acronym for break out another thousand. Just make sure that what ever you buy will fit into where you will park it for the winter.I shopped with a tape measure to make sure it would fit in the garage..

 

vance

[krixxer]

how much of your money are we spending?

[sneak_e_pete]

I am on my 4th boat. I have owned 12-18ft, used and brand spanking new. IMO...used is the way to go. I literally felt like crying the first time my new boat got its first dock rub, slimed, muddy etc. I spent more time cleaning it than fishing with it. Aluminums are tough...if the motor is decent, you can get a great used package that will last forever, retain value better and be a LOT less maintenance. Feel free to PM with any questions.

[fishindevil]

we need to know this ?? as well as tiller or console !!!!!!

how much of your money are we spending?

[davew3]

Take a look at StarCraft. Well made, deep V style. Depending on what size you buy, easy to trailer around and handles deep water well.

 

Edited August 20, 2013 by davew3

[John Bacon]

I would avoid Tracker boats. I have heard too many stories about cracked hulls. They are often nicknamed "Cracker" boats.

 

Sylvan was mentioned; I believe that Sylvan, Smokercraft, and Legend hulls are made in the same factory. Legend adds their own trip.

 

I currently own a Princecraft Holiday SC DLX (side console). It is a little short on internal storage, but it does handle the rough water quite well for a 16 footer. The boat is also available in double console and tiller models.

[hutch4113]

Budget Budget Budget. And FYI it will probably start creeping up. As an example, I bought my first boat last year. My Budget started at 15K - and before I knew it, was up to 20K.

 

I don't regret what I bought (Smoker Craft Pro Mag 182) - love the boat and love how it handles. I also had some things that I needed to have in a boat - biggest one being stability. My wife was hurt in an accident a few years ago, that has many lingering effects. Needed something that would be stable, etc.

 

I pretty much started by narrowing down the models I wanted - Full Windshield/walkthrough. And the brands - Legend, Smokercraft, Princecraft, Sylvan. (Lund of course - but they were always above my price point).

 

It was funny how it changed though. I started looking at 15/16 foot boats, and they all were about what I wanted to spend. Actually had a line on a nice Princecraft, but could not get the owner to get the boat out so I could look at it (don't really think he wanted to sell). Then I was pointed to a Marina by a friend, who advised on the boat I did buy.

 

I saw it beside another boat, that was in the 15/16ft range - and realized that I did not want a 15/16ft boat - I wanted a 18ft - with a 8 foot beam. Hence the budget increase.

 

Be prepared for that to happen.

 

But as stated above, I don't regret it at all. I have been out in Simcoe twice now, where the weather went from calm, to 4/5 foot waves in the blink of an eye - boy was I glad I had the extra size/width. So I guess the other question to ask is where are you going to fish? If Big water - buy a big boat.

 

[Oryx]

I would avoid Tracker boats. I have heard too many stories about cracked hulls. They are often nicknamed "Cracker" boats.

Has Tracker not fixed the issue? I believe, around 2005/6 they bought Fisher boats for their welding technology.

[Old Ironmaker]

I shopped 4 years ago for mine. I hadn't had 1 since divorcing more than 20 years before.

 

My list for deciding what to buy,

 

* budget, no sence looking at 45K boats if I only have 15 to spend, other than to see what you get for 45K, you might be surprised how little.

 

* purpose, hard to take the family out for a day boating on a 14' aluminum if it's important for the whole family to share. If you are fishing slop and back bays, a 20' deep V might not be what you need.

 

Towabilty* if you have the family mini van and not a 4x4 a heavier glass or aluminum deep V is useless when you can't get it out of a steep ramp.

If the closest ramp that will handle your boat is 20 miles from the cottage and is 18 bucks per launch you might think about something you can launch from a neighbours locally.

 

* Annual cost

 

Buying the boat is least expensive part of ownership. Without any breakdowns I can tell you that between dockage , a slip for 2 years, fuel for tow vehicle which really goes up on my truck when pulling a 19 footer, fuel for the boat, gas treatment, batteries, 2 stroke oil, $72.00 a gallon approx. Electronic upgrades, rod holders, downriggers, it will happen. Basic annual maintenance, plugs, wires, fogging agent, and, and, and. I spend about $4000.00 a season using the boat once a week from May 1st to October 1st. Use the boat more then more than 4 grand. That's $200.00 per week, or per day for 5 months. I am being conservative here, it's really closer to 300 a week without repairs and using it more than once a week.

 

I purchased used because I could get the same boat for 30% of what they wanted for the same boat new. It was very difficult to find mine. Great condition and all the bells and whistles.

 

I guess what I'm saying here is the expense of boat ownership goes far beyond plopping down cash at a dealer. It's cost afterward per every dollar of original purchase price is the highest per dollar for a vehicle other than an airplane or race car.

 

Edit, and if you think you're buddies are going to chip in for gas you are nuts. Maybe at the beginning. They will think because you own new boat your rich. Splitting on gas sure isn't splitting on cost. If you make it clear this is what it will cost you will find many are too busy to fish anylonger. As they say, been there done that.

Edited August 20, 2013 by Old Ironmaker

[John Bacon]

Has Tracker not fixed the issue? I believe, around 2005/6 they bought Fisher boats for their welding technology.

 

That is possible, but I would still be reluctant to chance it. I did a quick web search on Fisher boats and they seem to have a bad reputation too. I would stick to riveted hulls.

[fishnsled]

I would avoid Tracker boats. I have heard too many stories about cracked hulls. They are often nicknamed "Cracker" boats.

x2

 

That is possible, but I would still be reluctant to chance it. I did a quick web search on Fisher boats and they seem to have a bad reputation too. I would stick to riveted hulls.

 

I would not chance them either after what my buddy went through.

 

Now I personally would not avoid a welded hull as I have a Crestliner. Now I've heard stories about them having problems as well but after having mine for 12 seasons, I have no complaints about the hull leaking. I've had the front livewell pump crack in the first year I had it (do to a hose that was putting to much strain on the pump) and put water in the boat (fixed under warranty and still working today) and the rear livewell that had the switch bumped while out of the water and melted the pump a bit and opened up the top seal allowing water to come in. Replaced the pump myself and all was good again.

 

There's a lot of good info here and most of it will come down to your budget.

[JoshS]

Some pretty good used deals out there especially south of the border if you're into saving money! That's what I'd do. Just make sure you do a diligent inspection, get the engine checked out, make sure there's no rot/mold, carpets good etc. You'll get a lot more for your money and have more for all the accessories you're gonna want!

 

Sylvan/starcraft/smokercraft are made in the same factory I believe, not legends. I think Sylvan stopped making fishing boats however

 

Crestliner, Princecraft and of course Lunds all are up there in the top and have some really nice new models. It all comes down to budget and your needs.

 

But if budget is any issue, there is way more value in a used package!

[davew3]

Another item to think about is what type of trailer do you want. Bunks or rollers or a combination. How high off the ground does the trailer have the boat?

I have an e-z load where I do not need much water to load and unload.

 

Regards

[BillM]

Buy used, so much more bang for the buck, especially from the US.

[Old Ironmaker]

I would be very careful buying a boat farther south than Ohio. Just as I wouldn't buy a snowmobile from north country where they have snow and use it almost daily, on the other end a boat from the southern climes may have more than 20 times more the use that a normal family boat might have been used here in our relatively short Ontario summers.<br /><br />Never buy a boat from Florida unless you know the boat and owner personally, yea there are many what appear to be deals there but I know people in Florida that actually take their boats to work everyday on the inter coastal waterways. Coupled with the use in brackish and saltwater it is something to stay away from. There is a dealer here in Norfolk that gets many of his boats at southern auctions, cheap. Cleans them up, does some interior repairs and sells them at our Ontario prices. I almost bought one before I made him show me where it came from. He was reluctant to do so, when he did I found it was from Ft. Myers where there is only brackish water and saltwater. He said it didn't matter, I say it does, no deal.<br /><br />I would also, stay away from Legend boats. They sure look like all the others but just aren't. One of those Miata's or any Pontiac convertibles look like sportscars, they aren't.<br /><br />Lund, Starcraft, Crestliner, Princecraft. For quality aluminum choose one, you can't go wrong and will have confidence in them 15 miles out on Lake Erie in 2 meter waves if you get caught one day, and you will if you frequent big water.<br /><br />I've heard the stories of new Legends talking on water after a bout with big waves on Erie.<br /><br />One thing I would want is an auto bilge on anything other than a small tin can. A bilge on anything with a covered floor minimum.<br /><br />If you can afford it, I'd buy a smaller boat with a 4 stroke than a bigger boat with a 2 stroke in the future if I was shopping today.<br /><br />You will get 2 footitis, we all get it, fight it off, there isn't any prescription for it. You are probably already afflicted with this awful disease.

[Angler management]

I would be very careful buying a boat farther south than Ohio. Just as I wouldn't buy a snowmobile from north country where they have snow and use it almost daily, on the other end a boat from the southern climes may have more than 20 times more the use that a normal family boat might have been used here in our relatively short Ontario summers.<br /><br />Never buy a boat from Florida unless you know the boat and owner personally, yea there are many what appear to be deals there but I know people in Florida that actually take their boats to work everyday on the inter coastal waterways. Coupled with the use in brackish and saltwater it is something to stay away from. There is a dealer here in Norfolk that gets many of his boats at southern auctions, cheap. Cleans them up, does some interior repairs and sells them at our Ontario prices. I almost bought one before I made him show me where it came from. He was reluctant to do so, when he did I found it was from Ft. Myers where there is only brackish water and saltwater. He said it didn't matter, I say it does, no deal.<br /><br />I would also, stay away from Legend boats. They sure look like all the others but just aren't. One of those Miata's or any Pontiac convertibles look like sportscars, they aren't.<br /><br />Lund, Starcraft, Crestliner, Princecraft. For quality aluminum choose one, you can't go wrong and will have confidence in them 15 miles out on Lake Erie in 2 meter waves if you get caught one day, and you will if you frequent big water.<br /><br />I've heard the stories of new Legends talking on water after a bout with big waves on Erie.<br /><br />One thing I would want is an auto bilge on anything other than a small tin can. A bilge on anything with a covered floor minimum.<br /><br />If you can afford it, I'd buy a smaller boat with a 4 stroke than a bigger boat with a 2 stroke in the future if I was shopping today.<br /><br />You will get 2 footitis, we all get it, fight it off, there isn't any prescription for it. You are probably already afflicted with this awful disease.

Absolutely love my Legend... 2001 and i have never had an issue. No clie how their welded new models are but the trim work quality in mine is still flawless and have never had a drop of water leak into the boat. Also the layout and storage i still have not come across any other aluminum that i liked better. They all seem much cheaper built, and craftsmanship is unmatched. A month or so ago, we launched our boat at the same time as a couple of fishing show hosts did, brand new Lund predator with massive merc and all the toys... We both also pulled out of water at the same time after about 8hrs, and watched him pull the plug. He was in shock when he saw about a hundred gallons of water bursting out. When we pulled out our plug and didnt have a drop come out, he laughed and said " guess they just dont make them like they used to eh?" On the drive home we followed his trail of water for about 5km. Lol

[craigdritchie]

Take a look at StarCraft. Well made, deep V style. Depending on what size you buy, easy to trailer around and handles deep water well.

 

Absolutely agree. Starcraft makes a great boat that is well known for its ability to handle rough water.

 

 

Sylvan/starcraft/smokercraft are made in the same factory I believe, not legends. I think Sylvan stopped making fishing boats however

 

Sylvan, Starcraft, SmokerCraft and at least some Legend models are all built in the same factory in New Paris, Indiana. I've taken the tour of the production lines, and seen all four brands in various stages of production.

 

Although these different brands are all built at the same factory, it's important to note that manufacturing techniques are quite different for each. Starcraft boats, for example, use an internal framework that is partially assembled before it is installed into the empty hull, where SmokerCrafts have the framing constructed inside the hull from the start. There are different advantages to each method, and the result is that each brand rides a bit differently in the water. You can click here to read an article I wrote for Boatguide magazine in 2012 that shows exactly how they're made.

 

Josh is correct ... Sylvan no longer sells aluminum fishing boats. Their pontoons are very popular - to the point they seriously can't build them fast enough and simply needed more manufacturing space, so the fishing boats (which were a small part of Sylvan's business) got the boot.

Edited August 20, 2013 by Craig_Ritchie

[Angler management]

My Legend actually has a stamp that says smokercraft. And the serial number starts with SMK.