Opinion on Aluminum Boat

[sundown]

This is like throwing a junebug in the chicken coop........Probably gonna git a reaction ! One thing this group is not short on is boat opinions !

I've been thinking about trading boats for a couple months now. Stopped in Perry and looked at aluminum boats at Big Bend and Jacks.. Liked the Sea Ark and Xpress.
This afternoon stopped in Perry Ga at Sports Center and priced a Triton 1860 CC..Nice boat..Only thing, I never fished saltwater out of an aluminum boat.. Was wondering what advice some in this sage group could give me in regard to this style of boat.. How dry are they? how smooth? ect..What size trolling mtr you need ? How do they fish the flats and inshore waters?
Also I will be going from a two stroke merc with carbs to either an optimax or e-tec. Any advice on either would be appreciated.. The triton is 18' long and 86" beam..An option is the 20' with a 96" beam...both got 24" sides...Has anyone on here had any experience with these boats ? Found the dealers nowadays are ready to move boats~
Any advice appreciated. Also,Very nice V-19 Carolina Skiff W/90 Merc for sale . 2004 model !

[birddog]

Typically the bigger the drier. I have the HD20CCT Xpress and its a pretty dry boat. you have to get in some serious waves and wind to get wet. the boat floats in 7" - 8" of water. It still amazes me a boat that big will get that shallow.

Be prepared for a crappy ride if you switch to a flat bottom alum. However, the 20' rides better than the 18' and the 22' rides better than the 20'. I wish now I had gotten the 22'.

As far as fishing out of an alum. boat, they can be noisy and that can be a drawback, but I've done pretty well out of mine.

I use a 80lb. Minn Kota on my boat and its plenty powerful.

I don't know anything about the motors you mentioned. I have a 115 Yamaha 4 stroke and love it. Gas mileage is great and it has plenty of power.

If you consider buying an Xpress be sure to call Kyle Odum @ Bainbridge Marine ( 229-246-9547) tell him Robbie sent you.

[Jumptrout51]

The SeaArk 20 footer is a great boat. Floats in about 4-5 inches of water. Very dry unless it is rough seas. Rides really good.
Buy it anywhere and tell'em JT51 sent ya'.

[birddog]

4-5 my ass. Is that with or w/o you and Butch.

[Jumptrout51]

4-5 my ass. Is that with or w/o you and Butch.

PPPpppFFFfffTTTttt!!!

[Barhopr]

Floats in about 4-5 inches of water.

Don't you mean that it usually has 4-5" of water in the bottom of the boat

[Pinocchio]

This is like throwing a junebug in the chicken coop........Probably gonna git a reaction ! One thing this group is not short on is boat opinions !
. . .

You got that right! I'd say the problem is usually that there's mostly a cult of "Bigger is better!" Bigger boat, bigger motor(s), drier, faster hole shot, faster speed, etc. Few want to limit their type of fishing to a single specialized boat that's well suited to a specific type of fishing which compromises it for other types! And then there's the weather -- often a boat is chosen for the worse weather when they pay little attention to weather reports! Like, "It's nice to have a Queen Mary class boat when a Cat. 5 Hurricane hits!" There's a dood on here who has ~17' Triton CC and a 50hp Suzuki 4-stroke and he catches fish, out da @$$, but he specializes in skinny water. Maybe he'll come on and give you some good advice.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

I HAVE A 18 ' STARCRAFT ANNODIZED ALUM. MADE IN 1985, HAVE A 85 H.P. EVINRUDE ON IT AND IT IS A GREAT FISHIN BOAT, DEEP V WITH STRAKE BOTTOM AND SIDES, VERY DRY UNLESS SEAS ARE 3-4 AND WE HIT IT ON THE QUARTER, THEN IT IS WET AS ARE ALL OTHER BOATS OF ANY MATERIAL. IT HAS A WIDER STRAKE LINE JUST ABOVE THE WATER LINE WHICH THROWS THE SPRAY OUT AND AWAY FROM THE BOAT. PLENTY OF ROOM IN THE BOW SEAT AREA AS WELL AS IN THE COCKPIT. THE 85 PUSHES HER ALONG AT 44 MPH AT 3/4 THROTTLE. VERY STABLE BOAT AND WE DO NOT HAVE THE SLAP NOISE NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH TIN BOATS WHILE DRIFTING ACROSS THE FLATS. NOTE TO REMEMBER, ALWAYS, ALWAYS BACK ANY ALUM. BOAT INTO FRESH WATER AND RUN IT A FEW MIN. AFTER BEING IN SALTWATER, THIS CUTS DOWN ON TRAILER REPAIRS AS WELL AS ELECTROLYSIS ATTACKING THE ALUM. MY BOAT IS PAINTED BOTH ON THE SIDES, AND INTERIOR, HAS POLY BOTTOM PAINT WHICH I REDUE ABOUT EVERY 5-6 YEARS. CAUGHT MANY TROUT AND REDS IN THIS BOAT AND HOPE TO CONTINUE DOING SO FOR ANOTHER 10 YRS IF I LIVE THAT LONG.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA

[grim reeler]

Most relevant info has been posted already. I just have one theing to add - the flip side of being light and floating in nothing is that on a windy day, the alum boat will get blown around twice as bad.

[Pinocchio]

Most relevant info has been posted already. I just have one theing to add - the flip side of being light and floating in nothing is that on a windy day, the alum boat will get blown around twice as bad.

'At 'tares, true! Makes takin' on weight an' fillin' da boat wit' fish, fast, a real challenge! Wad'nt dat da principle behind them, Led Zeppelins?

[fish on!!]

I love my aluminum crestliner I bought from jack's. 17 ft CC with a 50 merc is plenty power and cheap to run. I only wish it was a little wider. When its rough forget it and go bass fishin. Best thing about having aluminum is the durability. If I bump an oyster bar, I dont have to worry about my gelcoat.

[Redbelly]

Most relevant info has been posted already. I just have one theing to add - the flip side of being light and floating in nothing is that on a windy day, the alum boat will get blown around twice as bad.

Which is remedied with drift sock/5 galon buckets. I am a believer of aluminum in this area for shallow water fishing. Also a fan of tunnel hulls with jackplates.

MHO

[sundown]

Ran down to Bainbridge this morning and looked at the XPress boats..Impressive to say the least....They just didn't have a 20' in stock which is kinda the way I'm leaning...If they had, I may have traded while I was there. I still got some questions though. Need to ride in one although the dealer told me we could take one he had rigged out and try it..Guess he meant to the river. I'm still gonna do some comparing between Xpress and Triton..Both look like fine boats.

[birddog]

SD, There are things I like about the triton and the xpress. If you could jam them together you'd have a hell of a boat.

[sundown]

According to the specs, The Triton is a little wider in the beam and about and inch deeper on the 20' which is of little consequence..Also the XP is factory equipped with a Yamaha which I have no experience with. About 70% of what I see on the flats are Yamahas though.Both have their own trailers but the Xpress has a nicely build aluminum trailer wheras the Triton has a painted steel that would be a problem for me..That being said, BD when you gonna let me ride in yours ? I do want to ride in one fore I comit...