Older fiberglass boat or aluminum boat?

[Socal Bassman]

Alright guys, wife gave the ok to spend a little more for a boat. I'm down to two choices: The first is an early 80's bass boat with a recently serviced outboard.The second is a '82 aluminum boat with a 40hp motor that needs a tuneup. Price difference between the two is about $1000. Going to check them both out this weekend. Any thoughts on these two boats? Pro's and cons? Thanks in advance.

[NoHo ART]

i haven't owned more then 1 boat so far... so my input maybe wrong but here is my :My Two Cents: the up side of an aluminum boat is you can beach it almost anywhere with less chance of damaging your boat, but almost all aluminum boats leak... mine takes on about 1 gal of water every 2-3 hours witch is not to bad .... as long as you have a little bilge pump it takes literally
10 seconds to get the water out and continue fishing.

[GeordyBass]

An aluminum boat may leak some water,but it may have a bilge,right?But,they are strong as hell and won't crack if you crash into rocks(slowly).....A fiberglass boat is more fragile so you don't really want to fish jetties or beach it that much....but,it is quiter and sometimes more stable ride....I'd still get the bassboat... :-)...

[pwynn]

what do you mean all aluminum boats leak??? mine doesnt but i did have a stracraft which did but it was riveted the crestliner is welder..........i would get the boat that needs less repair

[GeordyBass]

what do you mean all aluminum boats leak??? mine doesnt but i did have a stracraft which did but it was riveted the crestliner is welder..........i would get the boat that needs less repair

we were talking about the boats he chose not "all" boats...i've only had 1 riveted boat that didn't leak...lol...my 16' Lowe leaks about 1 gallon every 2 hours or so....

[Socal Bassman]

Funny of you to mention Starcraft, because I think that's the make of the aluminum boat I'm interested in. Kinda leaning towards the bass boat though, but not by much. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

[Captain Boracho]

i have owned both. My advice is go with the aluminum if you dont plan on having alot of company with you. I sold my aluminum and have regretted doing so ever since. They are low maintenance and always cost less to fix. You can customize it to have all the perks of a nice bassboat minus the deckspace, if your still not sure send bruce watson a pm and he will steer you the right way on which boat to choose. HE took a bare klamath and turned it into a warrior, ive seen that guy make runs on that little bad boy in the salt that bigger boat owners were scared to do! Bass boats are fun but i found out the hardway u cant beat a little tin warrior. Take that extra grand and rebuild the decks if it has some, get some new seats, re-carpet it, buy a fishfinder, and add all the little things u want to make it fit your style!

[Ronira]

I say get the one that has enough room for your old pal Ron! :LOL: Good luck with with it dawg. :Cool:

[Socal Bassman]

I say get the one that has enough room for your old pal Ron! :LOL: Good luck with with it dawg. :Cool:

Since you put it that way, I better go with the bass boat. Between the amount of gear you or Bassguy bring along and all my junk, I wouldn't want to have to say: "we're gonna need a bigger boat." :LOL:

[pwynn]

[QUOTE=GeordyBass;304163]we were talking about the boats he chose not "all" boats...i've only had 1 riveted boat that didn't leak...lol...my 16' Lowe leaks about 1 gallon every 2 hours or so....[/QUOT
silicone all the seams that is what i did on my old starcraft it helped....

[Ronira]

Since you put it that way, I better go with the bass boat. Between the amount of gear you or Bassguy bring along and all my junk, I wouldn't want to have to say: "we're gonna need a bigger boat." :LOL:
That's what I'm talking about bro! :Big Grin: :Big Grin: :Big Grin:

[lizzay]

I don't have 2 boats but I use my dad's sometimes and it's a fiberglass, I have an alluminum riveted. The fiberglass is a lot quieter but I love the alluminum, I've beached it many times, bumped it against docks and sometimes accidentally a bit too hard, still no problem. The mishaps I've had with the alluminum, put that on the fiberglass boat and I would have lots of fixings and a pissed off father. Hope this helps.

[lurk 182]

get a klamath or a gregor fourteen footer with a fifteen on it. you might have to keep your eyes out for a little while, but there's a lot of them out there. i'd take anything less than 20 years old. put some water in it with a hose when you go to look at it, leaks will start dripping. mine's a 96 and it doesn't leak more than maybe a big gulp in a whole day.

[GeordyBass]

I've beached it many times, bumped it against docks and sometimes accidentally a bit too hard, still no problem. The mishaps I've had with the alluminum, put that on the fiberglass boat and I would have lots of fixings and a pissed off father. Hope this helps.
Same here...:Twisted::ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:

My dad would have been pissed off too.:Shocked:

[bassguy]

SoCal...

All I can say is I bring 5 rods and a good selection of baits. Look how Ron has his Toon loaded, not sure if there will be enough spaces for your gear if we're along.

If you plan on keeping the boat long term, and having experience fishing from both types of boats, fiberglass will give you the better ride and more stability for you and the kids.

One question, is storage space or rod locker size an issue with either?

Glad to see your looking at boats, much better option than a yak.

[Socal Bassman]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Leaks I can deal with, a little silicone and a bilge pump I should be good, right? An aluminum does sound more appealing because it is low maintenance and it could take a beating. I don't think I'll be beaching any boat though. Anybody know what it would cost for a tune up on a 40hp Merc? If I do go with the aluminum, the motor needs a tuneup and maybe some carpet.

Bassguy, without seeing either boat yet, I wouldn't know about storage and rod locker size on both. The aluminum is only 15', so I'm figuring there isn't much for storage there. Could be wrong though. The bass boat is 17'10" I believe. The main thing that concerns me about the bass boat is the "true" condition of the boat. Fiberglass boats made in that time were made with wood stringers and transoms.

If the fiberglass boat checks out, I'll probably go with it. For the seller's asking price, if it lasts a few years then it's all good. If not, then it's aluminum that I'll be looking at.

[Rob D]

What year bass boat is it and brand.Whats the engine brand/hp

[Socal Bassman]

What year bass boat is it and brand.Whats the engine brand/hp

LOL, I got caught up asking a bunch of newbie boater questions that I forgot to ask brand. Well, just called the seller a few minutes ago. It's 1982 Ranger with a 150 Merc.

[Rob D]

I dont think there is even that much wood in the old rangers. My dad had a 1980 235v. We sold it 5 years ago for 3200. It was still in great shape and the motor"115 johnson"ran like new. If it was taken care of shouldn't have many problems with the boat. Just check engine,power trim,etc... Also check bilge pump and also see if it has original metal livewell control valves,they rot out and will gush in water. See if owner will take you out to test it. Motors can run great on a hose and run like crap when you put a load on it in the water.
good luck,
Rob D.

[lurk 182]

LOL, I got caught up asking a bunch of newbie boater questions that I forgot to ask brand. Well, just called the seller a few minutes ago. It's 1982 Ranger with a 150 Merc.

with that setup, the only thing i'd be worried about is the motor. i doubt that boat has ever seen saltwater and it will have pretty good storage just make sure the rod lockers aren't too short. back then a seven foot rod was long for bass fishing.

[hook1fred]

do a complete look over the boat, pay special attention to the transom and bilge area for cracking, gel coat cracks are ok just cosmetic. crawl under the boat to inspect for deep gouges and cracks. Have the motor looked at by a marine mechanic before buying the boat or at the very least meet the guy at the lake and go for a test drive ( arrive early so you can see him first start the motor ) Don't forget to look closely at the trailer ( tires, trailer surge brakes, WELDS, electrical ) I've purchases 4 boats can never be to careful

[GeordyBass]

I've purchases 4 boats can never be to careful
me and yamafish lost count after our 10th ones...:ROFL:

[jerryG]

I've fished both aluminum and glass boats and they both have pros and cons. I would say for your first boat (starter boat) aluminum is the way to go. Their light weight makes them very easy to tow and launch. They do not require a large engine or high thrust trolling motor to move them, very low maintenance and easy to work on. You will be able to spend more time fishing and less time fixing. Ultimately the best boat is one that is already fully dialed in with all the bells and whistles and basicaly turn key. With the down economy people are hurting for money. If you have some time to look around there are some great deals to be had. Good luck.

JerryG

[jctuckmar]

Just read your post...i have a 17' Fisher bass boat for sale. I think it is a late 80's or early 90's with 40 hp Mercury outboard. Just like most aluminum boats it does leak a little. Has a bilger pump that takes care of it quickly. Minn Kota trolling motor, 2 swivel chairs, live well ot bait tank, big anchor, rod holders, fish finder, life preservers, bow and stern lights, trailer, etc. asking $2,500.00 or best offer.
Just bought another boat, so i need this one out of the yard.
drop me an email to jctuckmar@yahoo.com if you are interested.
Joe