Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska quality skiffs, 16 foot or so

Nothing says longer HAS to be wider... A neighbor welded two skiffs together a few years ago to end up with a 24' boat with a 6' beam.

Length to width ratio is critical to determine how fast a boat can go in displacement mode. As example a friend added 6' to his salmon seiner without doing much else. He extended his prop shaft to put the prop back at the stern, but the motor and reduction gear remained the same. He got nearly three knots more speed at top end. So he replaced the prop and picked up another knot while lowering his RPMs significantly. It makes a huge difference in the fuel burned.

Not knowing exactly where you're going to be on POW, but knowing a little about Northern Lynn you'll want bigger than a 16ft. 16 ft skiffs like a Lund or even larger models will be great for protected areas. If you're in the Thorne Bay or Coffman Cove areas you can find a bit of that. If you're planning on spending time in open areas like, Lynn Canal, Clarence Strait, or Sumner Strait. You'll want something a bit more stable.

Yes, a sixteen footer has a way of seeming like an inner-tube if you happen to get caught in weather or if you're on the outside.

When it comes to the salt I'd like more than a 16 under me . I 'd also like some cover if running one regularly in the SE . something like this
http://www.pacificboats.com or possibly a 21 foot reliance by north wind marine
and buy a grey motor not a black one. JMHO

I would love a Pacific with a Yamaha on it. Very nice boat in my opinion.

There is a dealer in Juneau that sells Stabis (the only tin boat I considered). I bought an Arima 17' Deep V powered by a 90hp. My personal minimum. I see a few used (Stabicraft) around SE... mighty fine boat, SELF BAILING, but not really beachable.
Run in shallow, plan your shoretime with the tides. In SE plan on living in neoprene waders, waist hi will be just fine. Buy lots of rope.

My bro and I used to have a 16' Lund Mr.Pike edition. 50 horse merc....leaked a little water....had fun. That was just on Fort Peck and the Missouri River though. And more than once we pulled up to the ramp at the lake and said [bleep] that, way too rough.

20-22' fiberglass boats with +250 horse can handle alot more 'conditions'.

I've never been on the ocean steering a boat, I would pay attention to what the locals recommended!

Now, what kind of a thing is that to say?

I worked in Iraq with a guy who lived on the Kenai. He had just bought a 28ft with a brace of 225's IIRC. I thought that was a lot of boat but I guess not

I have been thru South Pass when it has been stacked up pretty big in a 18' lund. I was younger then so it was pretty fun. I doubt too many would consider it fun. But my point is that a Lund can and will handle some rough conditions if you know what you are doing.

I agree it isn't the best designed or built. It is what it is, an inexpensive utility boat.

I run a 20' Koffler Baybee with twin Honda,s and love it. Most 16' skiffs do not have adequate stern seawell. A 16' rigid hull inflatable are quite seaworthy but spendy.

What I like about my 20' Koffler is how it runs shallow and can usually step out on most beaches and it handles the rough well. If you do not buy new and take your time looking around South Central, and buy late fall surprisingly affordable.

That looks like a really nice boat.

Cruising speed?

Twin Hondas 45 HP each lightly loaded 22 to 24 MPH 4800 RPM
under 4.5 GPH (36 gallon tank} with both engines. Full 8' Beam at gunnels. Ran in my buddies twin to mine for years. It was pretty rough when I got it but engines were sound, all new electrical, top,hoses,decks and lots of TLC and $ made it right. SE and Kodiak guys would rail me over covering all that deck space, but I like being warm and dry.

Twin Hondas 45 HP each lightly loaded 22 to 24 MPH 4800 RPM
under 4.5 GPH (36 gallon tank} with both engines. Full 8' Beam at gunnels. Ran in my buddies twin to mine for years. It was pretty rough when I got it but engines were sound, all new electrical, top,hoses,decks and lots of TLC and $ made it right. SE and Kodiak guys would rail me over covering all that deck space, but I like being warm and dry.

I really liked my 18'Crestliner. It was very well made!!

OlBlue was with me when we hit a series of standing waves, easily 10', and a hundred yards or so of them. We were in a 36' Uniflite and it felt none too big at the time... We were in very "protected" water just outside Dry Spruce Bay on the NW corner of Kodiak...

Thinking a 16' Lund would have made that down right sporty...

Some of the stories my nephew told about running their lunds out of tununak made my butt pucker .

That reminds me of the light, 17 foot welded river-boat I had at the time I bought my Workskiff. Got stranded for nearly a week half-way through a sixty mile run on coastal water. Should have carried Valium on account of the sphincter that couldn't relax after that.

I remember that ride, I seem to have a vivid memory of the "toilet bowl" too. --- Mel