Suggestions for a 15' boat

[lakershaker]

Hello all,
I am looking for a small outboard boat in the 14'-16' range to use as a fishing/utility & shuttle boat at the island. It would spend the summer at the island as opposed to on a mainland slip. I would love a Boston Whaler, but looking around it seems the extra price you pay for a whaler may not be worth it, and have never seen a used one that wasn't ancient.

I went to the Hartford boat show this weekend, and saw a Campion 16' that looked interesting, but I have never heard of them before. Any one out there have experience with them, or other suggestions? Also saw a Key West, and HydraSport, but at 18' that is probably too big for what I am looking for.

As always, thanks in advance for any help and advice!

[SteveA]

I Know, I Know, I Know... Toons aren't cool

But..Very easy to maintain
Last forever
Great still fishing platform
Low Maint.
Great to haul stuff.. we took 3 sets of mattresses and box springs to
Mink last year... In one trip!
Plenty nice used ones on the market around the lake.

Good Luck

[Formula260SS]

I have to agree with Steve, if your use is utility you can't beat a toon. we have a 24' with everything stripped out and it has been used to build two cottages and every other job you can think of. Need tree work ? no problem, meet the guy at the dock and throw all his stuff right in. Need to get 90 75lb wall blocks to the island ? No problem, 4-5 guys, 4 trips done ! You couldn't get me to part with ours. We have a few "owners", there are three of us on the island who share it's use but right now I'm the main user.

[fatlazyless]

Trying to do this for probably the least money and still getting a reliable and sturdy boat, maybe a used 14' Alumacraft side console with a 15-20-25hp outboard. Plenty similar brands like Mirrocraft, Sylvan, Princecraft etc. For winterization, remove the outboard, and flip the boat upside down, no trailer needed.

For even less money and also less comfort and safety, a tiller handle outboard as opposed to a side steer console.

What's in craigslist?


I knew of a retired 70 something guy who used a 14' Alumacraft with a 15hp Evinrude tiller-handle as a work boat. He did summer-time, masonry retaining wall jobs on Bear-Jolly-Mark-Mink-Pine Islands and hauled rocks-sand-cement-tools-dog in this boat set-up.

[Bear Islander]

I have to agree, the aluminum boats are a classic. Low price, almost indestructible, no maintenance and they gain character with age. If the engine quits, use the oars.

[ApS]

If you're on Rattlesnake Island, an aluminum boat can be pulled up on shore—a big plus. Like the Whaler, they're also unsinkable.

Charities often have them donated for their yard sales, so in addition to being no-maintenance, indestructible, unsinkable and inexpensive, that purchase can benefit the community as well.

My neighbor's 14-foot Feather Craft got loose from their dock during 1991's Hurricane Bob and banged against a rocky shore for hours. It's still in leak-free use, makes the eight-mile trip to Wolfeboro on occasion, and presents itself pretty well after fifty years!

Found at the very bottom of the used-boat price range, aluminum boats built in the 40's tend towards odd styling affectations—strong, but comparatively heavy among aluminum boats.

[islandAl]

My 14 foot aluminum does that duty you speak of. First in and does all the trips untill the first "big" boat goes in from storage and last out after the others go back into storage. Been doing this since 1958 and only replaced the wooden seats twice. Two people can "pull" it out and I can slide it in alone. Great serviceable boat.

[hazelnut]

APS, Aluminum boat, unsinkable??? Not true.

I have some experience in this area as I have paid the price dearly for making the mistake of not buying a whaler.

A few years back I was pondering the same decision that you are now faced with lakershaker. I have been boating on the lake for most of my life now. I now have a house on Cow Island. My wife and I were in need of a second boat and a 13-16 footer seemed like the way to go. In all my years on the lake I had never sunk a boat so I thought what's the big deal about a whaler? So I went and found a knockoff whaler type boat. HUGE MISTAKE. There is a reason Whalers are more expensive trust me. The "whaler knockoff" found its way to the bottom of the lake on more than one occasion. I'll spare you the details. I ditched it for a 14 foot aluminum. Now aluminum boats are great don't get me wrong. But, unsinkable, NOT. They are a bathtub. If unused for more than a week at a time You need to either A: Pull it up on dry land or B: have a good electric pump installed and pray for the battery to hold and no leaves to clog it up. We chose A: we winched the boat up on land every Sunday before heading home for the week. It worked well for a few years. Finally two years ago I got smart and stopped being a cheapskate and splurged for the Whaler. I found a used 13 footer on Craigslist. It has been a DREAM! The boat can not and will not sink. The reason being is a Whaler unlike most boats is solid foam filled. Technically there is no bilge for water to collect. I call it the life preserver with a motor on it. I feel so much safer with my children in it. I know it can take on the waves and any water just drains right out the self bailers.
The only other route I would consider is the small pontoon boat route as suggested by other posters. You are much less likely to sink a pontoon boat.

[Kamper]

FWIW- I have an '83 Starcraft 15' rivetted hull,no leaks. People on another forum I use have reported similiar luck but folks with newer S/c hulls have leaks. Sorry, my boat is not for sale (yet, lol).

I think the pontoon suggestion has a lot of merit for hauling trash and trinkets. If you dont find one to your liking, a tin side console or split console might be useful. Remove one console and the bench seats. Install a cheap fishing pedestal for the driver and you're ready to go.

Some models have floation chambers under a small seat in front of the console. You could replace that bouyancy along the hull with styrofoam or extruded plastic foam coverred by a sheet of aluminum or fiber-glass.

Dont go too small on the motor. I have a 40hp on mine and it struggles at a full load. I'd suggest at least a 30hp on for your purposes.

Good luck!

[bilproject]

After my first year of hauling to Bear Island (boy did I do some hauling) I just purchased a used 16' Grumman with a 28Hp Johnson. Picked it up for little money and I'm spending the winter refubishing it. the inside of the 5 rows of bench seats are foam filled. The toon is better for hauling but hard to fish from and takes up a lot of room at the public dock (that's probably my biggest beef with them). I decided the 14 was to small as I borrowed one to do some of my hauling. Pay attention to the weight capacity of the 14's as the vary greatly from around 500# to 1000# go to the Lowe web site and look at the Sea Nymph utilites.. There's a big increase in capacity going to a 16'. The 16' will also handle that rough day better with a load onboard. My plan is to leave the aluminum boat out at the island year round.

[lakershaker]

Thanks for all the helpful comments. I hadn't given much thought to an aluminum, but I will have to look around at them now.

[Grady223]

I would suggest you look at a Triumph 150CC.

http://www.boats.com/new-boats/trium...&srh_next=true

I have a 170CC (17') for our extra boat on the Island. It is great because you can not damage it - it is made of Roplene (low-density polyethylene) so if you - or an inexperienced relative or one of the kids - bang into the dock, you bounce off. If you have ever seen their ad, the drop it from a helicopter at about 30 feet and it bounces off the tarmac.

Fit and finish isn't great but for a second boat it hits the mark. And, what's best is there are inexpensive.

I have a 4 strke 60hp Merc on mine and I fill the tank twice a year. My wife loves it for running to town and back.

No waxing just some soap and water and a hose.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by hazelnut

APS, Aluminum boat, unsinkable??? Not true....Finally two years ago I got smart and stopped being a cheapskate and splurged for the Whaler...It has been a DREAM! The boat can not and will not sink..."

We've all been influenced by the Whaler that was cut in half—And that half was being rowed!

Here's a different shot.



However, that particular saw appears to be a prop.

For pulling up on a dock or on shore, the Whaler is a relatively heavy choice; however, its flotation is at least shielded from red squirrels!

"Unsinkable"? All one can ask for is that one's boat doesn't go to the bottom.

Put too much engine or too much weight on it, and most anything will sink.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by SteveA

I Know, I Know, I Know... Toons aren't cool

Wait a sec, who says toons aren't cool? I beg to differ... 225hp, 48mph and tons of storage. love it!

I love my current toon and all of my previous toons. Even my old 20' with 50hp that we piled 10 adults, 2 kids, 1 baby, 4 dogs, 1 cat, and a weeks worth of luggage and trash on. So we were a bit overloaded... The best part was the "Viking" and his ukelele leading the way.

You can't beat the versatility.

[hazelnut]

This here is why you buy a whaler. It really is unsinkable. No bull.

Yup just cut em in half and go



That ain't no illusion or prop. That is quite real. Foam core filled. Like I said you get what you pay for. I learned the hard way, fishing a non foam core boat off the bottom of the lake.... Twice. As for aluminum if you plan on leaving it at the dock, DON'T! It'll be on the bottom of the lake with any substantial rain. I wouldn't trust an auto bilge on a little boat like that either. If you plan on pulling it up on shore, you should have no problems.

[John A. Birdsall]

I can recall a starcraft alum. boat in Alton that while it did not sink to the bottom, the rivits leaked like a sive and I seen it being towed to the Lockwoods full of water.

But while they have shows with the Whaler cut in half and being unsinkable, I think they should have filmed the Boston Whalers we used in Vietnam. 16' with 85 HP Johnsons and they would throw grenades and drive over them. We had a person who did nothing but fiberglass repairs on these boats, and it was daily. The boats never sank, but big hunks of the bottom seemed to disappear, and the styraphom would go too. Them packing curlies that we use today to ship stuff would be stuffed into the bottom, not for floating, but for silencing, oh did they make noise when no styrophom was in there.

[Bear Islander]

Yes, a Boston Whaler is unsinkable. Just like every other boat under 20 feet. No Bull.

Coast Guard Regulations require that a boat under 20' remain afloat. Some types of boats, like the ones we are talking about, are also required to stay level and support some internal weight.

When you are buying a boat 20' or more you should check to see if it will float when swamped. One of questions we all forget to ask.

[hazelnut]

A 14 foot aluminum boat is most certainly NOT unsinkable. I've recovered 2 that were underwater. If you call a boat that is "floating" under the surface of the water unsinkable then you and I have very diferent opinions on what unsinkable means.

Example: Late fall 38 degree water you take the aluminum boat I'll use the Whaler thank you kindly. The Whaler stays DRY!!!! Any water is self bailed out the rear scuppers.

That's no bull.

[Bear Islander]

Aluminum boats have flotation under the seats. They will not sink. Sink means go to the bottom. If a boat is floating, then it has not sunk.

It is very difficult, almost impossible, to get anything to stay suspended below the surface of the water. If you wait a little it will go to the bottom or the surface.

If you had an aluminum boat that would sink below the surface but not go to the bottom, you should have sold it to the Navy.

I checked Websters. Sink = "go to the bottom". You should look up swamped, that is the word you are looking for.

[hazelnut]

Bear Islander if you have an axe to grind with me fine.

Here what do you call this Bear Islander:



I call this all individuals on board dead within minutes in late October.

With a Whaler this will not happen. If you think those little foam pieces under the seat of an aluminum boat will keep it afloat you are naive. I guess I am lying about sinking a 14 foot aluminum boat. Oh yeah and the 15 foot fiberglass boat that was on the bottom of the lake. Oh yeah and my buddies 11 foot aluminum boat with just the nose sticking out similar to the picture. Go read all the little articles you want and cite coast guard regs till you are blue in the face. I will go with personal experience. I hope you are done grinding your axe. We are here to share information not spread misiformation due to issues with each others stance on an issue. Thanks

[Skip]

Originally Posted by Bear Islander

...I checked Websters. Sink = "go to the bottom". You should look up swamped, that is the word you are looking for...

Phew...it must be a boring day for some, including me!

Anyway, the quote you provide from Websters is correct, if you selectively lift that one portion and ignore the rest of the definition.

For example, from the same reference source for the word "sink" :

...2 a (1): to fall or drop to a lower place or level...

Now, if you check another reference source, such as Dictionary.com you get the following definition for the word "sink" :

...1. to displace part of the volume of a supporting substance or object and become totally or partially submerged or enveloped; fall or descend into or below the surface or to the bottom...

So a boat that has "sunk" can be full of water but still at or near the surface or it could be between the surface or have fallen to the bottom.

Ah, the beauty of the english language.....

[fatlazyless]

If you had a nice boat like a 13' Whaler, would you want to load it all up with rocks, gravel, sand, cement, tools, the dog, and a six of Sam Adams?...probably not. But with a 1971, 14', aluminum, vee hull, powered by a 1985 Evinrude 15hp tiller-handle...this is definately doable. I have seen it done a number of times going from the Cattle Landing town dock and on out to 'the land of the rising sun....East Bear Island!

Not too practical in a small whaler with glossy white fiberglass and teak wood seats.

...different strokes for different folks!

Plus, you can buy some olf vee hull aluminum for very short money over at M&M Marine Salvage, across from the Meredith Transfer Station. You can buy old fiberglass boats there for short money too. And if you buy this week, it will come totally loaded with icy snow.....no extra charge! Maybe they even have a Whaler back there, somewhere?

Supposedly, it can cost $300. to dispose of an 18' fiberglass hull at a transfer station, or at a landfill. And so I've been told that local marinas use M&M to unload their oldie-moldies. It's an interesting place, maybe five acres of old boats, and a heated building full of outdrives & motors.

[Cal]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

If you had a nice boat like a 13' Whaler, would you want to load it all up with rocks, gravel, sand, cement, tools, the dog, and a six of Sam Adams?...probably not.

Not too practical in a small whaler with glossy white fiberglass and teak wood seats.

...different strokes for different folks!

:

That's what those blue plastic tarps are for...just cover it up first. When your done just remove the tarp and presto , a clean whaler

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by codeman671

Wait a sec, who says toons aren't cool? I beg to differ... 225hp, 48mph and tons of storage. love it!

I love my current toon and all of my previous toons. Even my old 20' with 50hp that we piled 10 adults, 2 kids, 1 baby, 4 dogs, 1 cat, and a weeks worth of luggage and trash on. So we were a bit overloaded... The best part was the "Viking" and his ukelele leading the way.

You can't beat the versatility.

I stand corrected... I should have said.. Some people think Toons aren't cool. Then when they need me to haul mattresses to Mink Is.. or stand watch on the swim course during the ironman race at 7 am and help haul of the markers out of the lake . Even they think it's cool.

Toons are a great relaxing way to enjoy the lake at sunset.. and taking friends and relatives on a sightseeing tour of Govenors Island..

So.. I stand corrected! TOONS ARE COOL..

PS.. I have no dog in the Alum/Whaler fight... but really think it would be hard to sink, sank, sunk a toon. However it's defined.

[partsman]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Plus, you can buy some olfvee hull aluminum for very short money over at M&M Marine Salvage, across from the Meredith Transfer Station. You can buy old fiberglass boats there for short money too. And if you buy this week, it will come totally loaded with icy snow.....no extra charge! Maybe they even have a Whaler back there, somewhere?

Supposedly, it can cost $300. to dispose of an 18' fiberglass hull at a transfer station, or at a landfill. And so I've been told that local marinas use M&M to unload their oldie-moldies. It's an interesting place, maybe five acres of old boats, and a heated building full of outdrives & motors.

Thanks for the nice plug about M&M Marine Salvage! Come see us anytime for your boating needs.

[hazelnut]

Originally Posted by SteveA

I stand corrected... I should have said.. Some people think Toons aren't cool. Then when they need me to haul mattresses to Mink Is.. or stand watch on the swim course during the ironman race at 7 am and help haul of the markers out of the lake . Even they think it's cool.

Toons are a great relaxing way to enjoy the lake at sunset.. and taking friends and relatives on a sightseeing tour of Govenors Island..

So.. I stand corrected! TOONS ARE COOL..

PS.. I have no dog in the Alum/Whaler fight... but really think it would be hard to sink, sank, sunk a toon. However it's defined.

By the way... TOONS ARE COOL!!!! Anyone who says they are not isn't cool!

First off... Toons are so awesome for hauling stuff and are so durable for scary crazy conditions. We all know how great a utility boat they are.
Second off... Toons are F.U.N. FUN!!!!! Seriously anyone who says Toons are not a fun boat has not been on one during "Happy Hour." Never mind what a great time toons can be just crusin the lake. Toons are not in the Mini-Van class they are truly in the utility van SUV class of boats. It's like taking the huge deck off your house and throwing a motor on it.... Who wouldn't love it?????

[John A. Birdsall]

I wish someone told me about boats under 20' not being able to sink...I have a 16'6" Sea Sprite, guess what, it sinks, has sunk to the bottom twice, Also had a 11' wooden boat that sank just on a few occasions as others with this forum will testify to.

[jrc]

Originally Posted by hazelnut

By the way... TOONS ARE COOL!!!! Anyone who says they are not isn't cool!....

They stop being cool when they try dock near you at the town dock. I was at the Alton dock when one tried to get into the space next to me. It was scary, too many sharp edges. Luckly everything buffed out.

[hazelnut]

Toons, Whalers, Boats in general become a lot less cool when an inexperienced captain bears down on a public dock with his or her first mate using the bow line to lasso the dock post. Kind of crazy that they rent those battering rams to inexperienced boaters. At least Thurstons is kind enough to advertise the fact that it is a rental with that big yellow decal.

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by jrc

They stop being cool when they try dock near you at the town dock. I was at the Alton dock when one tried to get into the space next to me. It was scary, too many sharp edges. Luckly everything buffed out.

LOL.... it wasn't me... I haven't been to Alton Town Docks... (whew)..

With a little wind.. toons can be a challenge to dock..

[s_c]

I think Lund makes a pretty nice boat. They offer a lifetime warranty and they have just the right kind of boat your looking for.