Ocean aluminium boat advice

[saintsix]

Looking at buying a new boat primarily for the ocean but a few lakes aswell. My budget is around $60k. Considering 18-22ft and a 1/2, 3/4 and full hard top. I've taken a look at hewescraft sea runner, thunderjet Hawk XL and chinook and kingfisher 2025. I'm looking to see if anyone has any personal experience with these boats. What size Motor/ options did you go with. Where you bought it from and asking price vs what you actually paid. If you don't feel comfortable with price on here you could PM me instead.

[saskpikeman]

I have spent a lot of time in a searunner. They will take big water but are quite tippy at rest, a 20 ft searunner should have a 150 at least on the back. Been in one w. A 115. Not enough power IMO.

[saintsix]

thanks for the input, was it a hard top model that you found tippy?

[mike780]

i dont have a 2025 king fisher but i do have a 1825 king fisher, i really like this boat. I am very impressed with the boat and how it was built.
i bot it used from gibbons motor toys and i loaded it up with gps,vhf radio,wash down station, down riggers, rod holders ect.ect.
i have a 90hp with a 4hp kicker, 90 hp with SS prop i get 40mph out of the boat full of fuel. handles very well and very stable while fishing.
if your interested in hearing what i paid PM me.

i looked at a hewes craft and i wasn't impressed with the quality of the boats finish and the dealer for them in the edmonton area didn't impress me. Another big thing that i didnt like about hewes craft is they didnt come with a travel cover. Salesman told me they have to get them custom made $$$$.

Cheers, Mike

[saskpikeman]

Nope. Soft top. The 2015 searunners are going to have a reverse chine I heard which wil help with the tippyness probably. The TJ chinook offshore I imagine is more stable at rest. The weldcraft maverick DV looks like another option, it has 102" beam so will maybe ride rougher in big water but be more stable. I have looked at thunderjets a couple times. Build quality is a big step up from hewescraft IMO.

[saintsix]

I did see the a 2015 190 sea runner and it had the reverse chime but they only had one and in a soft top and it came with a 115, but I agree id want at least a 150hp. I did like the kingfisher I saw last April in a boat show, but it was at the top of my price range and didn't have a kicker, so that's why i'm curious to how much they would budge on there asking price.

[EZM]

For Lakes and Oceans you want a Kingfisher ..... compare hull degrees and pick the model you like ...... the deeper the vee the better it will handle the waves ....... If you go into many of the Larger inland lakes ( Kootenay, Arrow, etc...) there are many Kingfishers out there.

[fish gunner]

Originally Posted by EZM

For Lakes and Oceans you want a Kingfisher ..... compare hull degrees and pick the model you like ...... the deeper the vee the better it will handle the waves ....... If you go into many of the Larger inland lakes ( Kootenay, Arrow, etc...) there are many Kingfishers out there.

Where are the king fishers on kootaney lake I know of one . Unless lots showed up in the last year. Didnt even see one last year. Most folks run bigger bayliner sea rays or trophies. With quite a few fly bridge boats . Not one guide im aware of runs kingfisher.
In no way am I knocking kingfisher they make a splendid big water boat.

[CBintheNorth]

I own a welded aluminum boat and know the pros so don't take this the wrong way, but, If you're going to be doing mostly salt water I would seriously consider a glass boat.
Salt is hard on tinners.
Just my 2¢.

[Positrac]

Originally Posted by CBintheNorth

I own a welded aluminum boat and know the pros so don't take this the wrong way, but, If you're going to be doing mostly salt water I would seriously consider a glass boat.
Salt is hard on tinners.
Just my 2¢.

Almost every crew boat on the coast is a welded aluminum.

Electrolosys can be a factor with aluminum boats in the salt water but if the boat is being brought out regularily a quick look at all the zincs will show if there is any problem.

Painted Lunds on the other hand have no place being anywhere near the coast. I've seem many that the paint still looked like new but the aluminum had all kinds of electrolosys behind it. By the time the paint started to bubble, the hull was done.

[Robmcleod82]

Im running an 1825 kingfisher with a 115 and a 9.9. Been really happy with it so far. The 2025 with the half roof was what I really wanted but it was a bit more than I wanted to spend. If I remember correctly alberta marine wanted 53000 for the 2025, thinking you could probably have a kicker installed and still be pretty close to asking price. Getting near the end of the season and all.

[CBintheNorth]

Originally Posted by Positrac

Almost every crew boat on the coast is a welded aluminum.

Electrolosys can be a factor with aluminum boats in the salt water but if the boat is being brought out regularily a quick look at all the zincs will show if there is any problem.

Painted Lunds on the other hand have no place being anywhere near the coast. I've seem many that the paint still looked like new but the aluminum had all kinds of electrolosys behind it. By the time the paint started to bubble, the hull was done.

You are very right. The biggest problems come from mooring around derelict boats and zincs that never get checked or insufficient zincs.
But, electrolysis isn't as big of a problem on a glass boat. Plus the extra weight is nice in rough waters.

[Chewbacca]

I bought a twenty foot Hewescraft Searunner this spring. I got a 9.9 kicker and down riggers installed at the time of the rig up. All in it was around 58 grand with the fish finder and radio installed. It has a 150 mercury for power. The fit and finish could be better in some places but all in all I am happy with the boat. The dealer that rigged it up not so much but that is another story. The boat is tippy at rest but it is something that I have gotten used to. I took it to the ocean this spring and it does very well in big water, the tippy issue had no bearing on the way boat performed in the swells, and like I say it is something that I got used to. One feature that should be noted is that if for some reason the boat fills with water it won't sink. It will sit submerged at water level and that's it, so you will always have a platform to stay with until help arrives. It came with a soft top and no travel cover, a minus mark for that. It has the extended transom which I wanted,it gives you the true twenty feet of inside room and the back is as high as the sides so no danger of a wave washing in the cut out for the transom. I was looking for a fishing boat when I happened on it at the boat show in Edmonton and I have no regrets on my purchase.

[saintsix]

Thanks for your input, how do you like the 150? plenty of power? Could you tow a tube, I don't do it often maybe like once a year so its not really a deciding factor. anything you regret not getting for options?

[ctd]

You could look at the Grady Whites. Real nice boats, good for the ocean and not bad for larger lakes.

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by saintsix

Thanks for your input, how do you like the 150? plenty of power? Could you tow a tube, I don't do it often maybe like once a year so its not really a deciding factor. anything you regret not getting for options?

I like the 150. It gets great fuel economy, but like anything else it slurps it up good at high rpm. at 3800 it is using about 6.5 gallons an hr. I have the working prop on it,17 pitch I believe.Top speed is 40 mph on the chuck, full of fuel. Haven't opened it up on fresh yet. I am sure that it would pull a tube without any problem. As far as options it came with two live wells, the one in the back is huge. It also came with a wash down hose and nozzle and the lid for the live well is a fish cleaning station. It came with hydraulic seats instead of springs as well as a soft top that encloses the whole seating area right to the floor which is about three quarters away down the boat. It had everything that I wanted, so no regrets as of yet.
The only thing that I wished that would have came with it was a travel tarp.But hey can't have everything I guess.

[Duramaximos]

I've run a 20' TJ Luxor for a few years now. Never had it on the coast, but wouldn't hesitate to use it there.

Handles rough waters on Kootenay Lake with confidence.
Lots of great boats mentioned here and I'm not in a position to suggest one is better than another. I will say the fit and finish of the TJ's is excellent and they seem indestructible in my opinion.

I will echo others and suggest a minimum 150 hp for a 20' boat especially once fully equipped.
If finances permitted I would have gone with 175 hp. I think that would be the ideal power-performance-value proposition for a 20' off shore power plant.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by fish gunner

Where are the king fishers on kootaney lake I know of one . Unless lots showed up in the last year. Didnt even see one last year. Most folks run bigger bayliner sea rays or trophies. With quite a few fly bridge boats . Not one guide im aware of runs kingfisher.
In no way am I knocking kingfisher they make a splendid big water boat.

The boats you mention are all Glass - the thread is about Aluminmum and yes, there are way more Glass boats on Kootenay.

Kelly in Balfour runs a White Kingfisher ( maybe 24ft ) and the neighbour has a Harborcraft 20fter ( HarberCrafts are Kingfishers ). I've seen at least two others in the arm more than a few times - one of them another much larger white one, often moored on the Haltrop side, and a smaller (black or dark blue) maybe 22fter that comes out of somewhere further into the arm.

I have also seen quite a few around the lake .... but ... admittedly .... at a rate far less than Glass boats ...... but the thread is about tinners. Based on my observation, Kingfishers (HarberCrafts) seem to be the most common of the tinners out there ( larger tinners I mean).

[Sea Hawk]

For the money you are looking to spend you can get some very good boats south of the border. I bought my North River down there and found to be great on the salt as well as on the lakes back in Alberta. There are many more tin boat builders down there so you have more selection. North River,Boulton,Hewes and Duckworth just to name a few.I know in my case that I never would have found the boat I have for near the same money up here. In the end it will be your money on the line so buy what most impresses you. good luck shopping.

[tomcat519]

I just purchased a kingfisher 2225 and want to learn how to handle it in big water. I'd like to fish in lakes like Minnewonka and Waterton but I do not know much about them. If you know these lakes and would like a fishing buddy (with a boat) I like to get together - or accept any advice you'd like to share

Thanks

[32-40win]

After reading this thread, I'm a inclined to suggest e-mailing some of the Fraser river and Vcr Island fishing lodges and asking them what they are using, and how they stood up or are standing up. They put them thru the wringer fairly well, seeing as they make their living with them.

[tomcat519]

a little too late for advice as I now own the boat, I just need to better understand the safety of using it. General common sense will go a long way but once I head west to the salt water I think it will be a whole new world of tides, currents, etc. Its all part of the master plan though - fish more, work less ;-)

[Sea Hawk]

Congrats on the Kingfisher. I know what you mean about learning to pilot your boat on big water.It is a pretty steep learning curve but it is so rewarding to do it yourself. I fished lakes for a long time but taking my own boat out on the ocean was a huge change.

[kc_okotoks]

minnewonka is beautiful lake but be carefull. I have seen it go from glassy smooth
to howling wind and 3 ft swells in a heartbeat .

[Sea Hawk]

I would think that Kingfisher should not even feel a 3 foot swell but trying to trailer the boat in that would be a different story.

[Kingfisher]

Originally Posted by fish gunner

Where are the king fishers on kootaney lake I know of one . Unless lots showed up in the last year. Didnt even see one last year. Most folks run bigger bayliner sea rays or trophies. With quite a few fly bridge boats . Not one guide im aware of runs kingfisher.
In no way am I knocking kingfisher they make a splendid big water boat.

Jones Boys in Ainsworth sells Kingfishers right on Kootenay Lake. The weekend I picked my new one up there were at least 6 at any given time out in front of Woodburry Resort and Marina trolling in the dolly derby. Probably more. I went in to Woodburry for fuel and noticed at least another half dozen or more. So could have been more at any given time. The half dozen I know for sure were docked and left each morning from Jones Boys.

They certainly do take a wave good. I was pleasantly surprised with mine.

As for trailering it. Mine is an 1825 with 115 and 9.9 Yamaha's total weight loaded is 1500lbs. So really not bad for towing. It certainly is a lot better than my dad's old 18 1/2 foot Campion deep V that I used to tow around. Being fiberglass it was heavy. It did cut through the waves nicely. I am not sure how much it weighed exactly, but I can tell you it was a lot heavier than the aluminum boat in the same length. Besides with aluminum it is lighter so you need less motor to give you the same speed.

[Boatbuilder]

Here's my 24' aluminum boat. Used on west side of Vancouver. I spend 2 years building this boat. Handles the big water extremely well.
Jim

[Robmcleod82]

Originally Posted by Boatbuilder

Here's my 24' aluminum boat. Used on west side of Vancouver. I spend 2 years building this boat. Handles the big water extremely well.
Jim

That thing looks Awesome man! Nice work! Think we need more pics and details on that baby!!

[stob]

I prefer kingfisher, but in the Yukon and Alaska, Hewescraft has a very large footprint

[fish99]

Originally Posted by Kingfisher

Jones Boys in Ainsworth sells Kingfishers right on Kootenay Lake. The weekend I picked my new one up there were at least 6 at any given time out in front of Woodburry Resort and Marina trolling in the dolly derby. Probably more. I went in to Woodburry for fuel and noticed at least another half dozen or more. So could have been more at any given time. The half dozen I know for sure were docked and left each morning from Jones Boys.

They certainly do take a wave good. I was pleasantly surprised with mine.

As for trailering it. Mine is an 1825 with 115 and 9.9 Yamaha's total weight loaded is 1500lbs. So really not bad for towing. It certainly is a lot better than my dad's old 18 1/2 foot Campion deep V that I used to tow around. Being fiberglass it was heavy. It did cut through the waves nicely. I am not sure how much it weighed exactly, but I can tell you it was a lot heavier than the aluminum boat in the same length. Besides with aluminum it is lighter so you need less motor to give you the same speed.

congrates on the new boat , seen you looking at them during the sportsmen show , I am still deciding on what to buy , looks like the old boats for now.,i do like the yammy engines. good luck this summer.