Suggestions for a boat?

Destroyer

Destroyer

God
So, I got this 1994 Johnson 30HP engine. Long shaft, electric start, beautiful condition. Not a tiller. Has remote throttle pedestal, cables, and electric cable from the engine to the pedestal. Came off an underpowered 24' pontoon boat. Never seen salt water. Has sat in a shed for almost 10 years. Put the muffs on her and she started on the third flywheel revolution. Cost = $75.00 No, really, got it on CL for $75 bucks.

Now, the real question... what kind of boat should she sit on? I'm thinking a 13' Whaler or something like that or an Aluminum boat like a 15' Smokercraft would also work. Needs to have console steering. Any suggestions?
 
I was in a similar "boat" destroyer. Had the boat for short money but the motor was showing and acting it's age. Repowered this NE skiff and still in it for short money. It's a 16' Stur-Dee Amesbury Skiff made in RI. It has a flat bottom for getting into the skinny water. Now with the four stroke, I can run it all day on 3 gallons of gas. I use in the salt and fresh and have an absolute ball in it. I recently started on the shabby looking wood work. I already had the cooler seat, so I removed the wood bench at the helm. Now I have some storage and more comfort.
It sure is a hoot.



 
13 Whaler would be nice, but you could buy another V20 for less money than a ragged out, motorless 13 Whaler. 30 hp isn't enough for a 14 McKee. If you're up for it, look thru Glen L's website and pick out something you like. Be a good winter project. The Ben Garvy's look easy enough, or look at the Simmons Sea Skiff if you are up for teh challenge

a couple of sites for you
http://www.simmonsseaskiff.com/
http://www.bateau.com/index.php
http://www.glen-l.com/
http://www.woodenboat.com/power-outboard-boats
 
I thank everyone for their suggestions. Spare, those are some great links, thank you for them. CB, that's a hella nice ride. If I was into wood boats I might be tempted to do something like that. The first boat I ever owned was a 17' Grady-White. Don't remember the year, probably around the 1960's, but she was a wooden Lapstrake hull with a 90 hp Evinrude engine.. Really a beautiful boat, but after the third year of owning her I swore that I would never again own a wooden boat. Just too darn much upkeep, and truthfully, I'm more of a "I want to use it not constantly fix it" kind of guy.

I mentioned the Whaler because my primary use for the boat would be in the Hackensack River fishing for Stripers. Possibly in Greenwood lake or Lake Hopatcong. And "maybe" some winter White Perch fishing in the Jake's Branch of the Tom's River. All relatively calm bodies of water.

Hell, I may just sell the engine and pocket a nice profit, but not really leaning that way right now. I'm certain I can get between $750 - $1000 for it. So my search continues. I'd really like an Aluminum boat like a Smokercraft because of it's lightness compared with FG, but if I can find a good boat on CL or eBay for the right price who knows....


Oops, almost forgot.....

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Not bad for $75.00... not bad at all...
 
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The only wood on my skiff is the trim. It's all fiberglass with foam floatation throughout. Just as unsinkable as a Whaler. Total weight with the motor is 1200lbs
 
Lotta good choices out there my friend, but for use in rivers especially I would stick with aluminum and preferably a welded hull. Some good deals out there on them and that would be a perfect motor for them. Especially those in the 14' range
 
My buddy who got the free 14 McKee went out the other day for the first time in it using his 20hp Suzuki tiller, said he got 20 mph gps with he and his son in the boat...they are a good 500#s.
 
chumbucket said:
The only wood on my skiff is the trim. It's all fiberglass with foam floatation throughout. Just as unsinkable as a Whaler. Total weight with the motor is 1200lbs
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Dang, with all that wood showing, I just presumed the hull was wood also. In that case, yes, she's about what I'm looking for, although I might want to go for a tri-hull type bow, just for the added space.... I found a nice skiff hull in NY for $500 that has kinda peaked my interest. Has a side console like I'm looking for.. might make the owner an offer.......
 
willy said:
Lotta good choices out there my friend, but for use in rivers especially I would stick with aluminum and preferably a welded hull. Some good deals out there on them and that would be a perfect motor for them. Especially those in the 14' range
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Yep, that's what I was thinking also. A 14-15' Alum boat in the Hackensack would be just about perfect. Just gotta find one... probably at the end of the season what I'm looking for will show up... meantime I'll keep looking
 
randlemanboater said:
My buddy who got the free 14 McKee went out the other day for the first time in it using his 20hp Suzuki tiller, said he got 20 mph gps with he and his son in the boat...they are a good 500#s.
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Last year I missed out on a 13' Whaler. Woman"s son lost interest in it after some thieves ripped the engine (and half of the transom) off it. It sat in her yard for almost 10 years. I got the electric winch off it and she offered me the boat and rusted trailer it was sitting on for free.. I didn't need another project, but now I'm thinking that hindsight really is 20-20. <sigh>
 
Destroyer said:
Yep, that's what I was thinking also. A 14-15' Alum boat in the Hackensack would be just about perfect. Just gotta find one... probably at the end of the season what I'm looking for will show up... meantime I'll keep looking
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I got a 14' Alumnacraft I sell ya. You just gotta come get her and enjoy the sweet island life for a few days. Might wanna make it in October though, we almost on fire here right now.....
 
Having the same engine, I would say stick with a 14-15 aluminum skiff. My 81 35HP JOHNSON is the same engine as a later 30HP, and it is about at teh limit of my 16 foot wide body TRACKER. I top out at 23-24 MPH with just me or 3 people on board with my new 4 blade prop. My old 3 blade prop fell WAY off when I added people, but topped out at the same speed with the 4 as I did with my 3 with just me. And speaking from experience, avoid the TRACKER/GRIZZLY welded hulls. Every one I have seen has broken welds, and mine is no exception to that. I'm having to fix welds about every 3rd or 4th trip out in it. Years back I had this same engine on a 14 foot SUNDANCE SKIFF, and it felt rather underpowered IMHO. But I replaced it with a 25HP SUZUKI 2 stroke, and it was powered just right. These engines work best on LIGHT hulls because they make quite a bit of top end power, but not much down low.
 
THEFERMANATOR said:
Having the same engine, I would say stick with a 14-15 aluminum skiff. My 81 35HP JOHNSON is the same engine as a later 30HP, and it is about at teh limit of my 16 foot wide body TRACKER. I top out at 23-24 MPH with just me or 3 people on board with my new 4 blade prop. My old 3 blade prop fell WAY off when I added people, but topped out at the same speed with the 4 as I did with my 3 with just me. And speaking from experience, avoid the TRACKER/GRIZZLY welded hulls. Every one I have seen has broken welds, and mine is no exception to that. I'm having to fix welds about every 3rd or 4th trip out in it. Years back I had this same engine on a 14 foot SUNDANCE SKIFF, and it felt rather underpowered IMHO. But I replaced it with a 25HP SUZUKI 2 stroke, and it was powered just right. These engines work best on LIGHT hulls because they make quite a bit of top end power, but not much down low.
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Good to know Ferm... thanks :beer:
 
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