Hey Guys,

I’m in the market for an aluminum boat that can handle some serious HP. Looking for something in the 16-17 range that can take like a 50-75hp outboard.

Here is the kicker...I don’t want anything fancy...carpet coolers live well any of that stuff. Just a simple console and a couple places to set a pedestal seat or even make cooler seats.

It seems like nobody makes anything like this anymore...any suggestions?

I think Lund used to make a "Alaskan" like that.

Alumacraft Summit

You can go to 50HP on the 16 and 75HP on the 18.

Another vote for an older Lund Alaskan. Heavy, but one tough boat. The older Lunds used virgin aluminum and are tougher than the newer ones that use recycled aluminum. They might be less expensive too. Our camp owner up in Canada buys every old 16’ S-16 that he can find. The Alaskans are even tougher and deeper.

This place will build you what you want:
https://weld-craft.com/JonBoats.htm

I think Lowe, G3, and alumacraft will as well but not as customized as above.

Sweet...thanks guys. Goal is to be able to pull a skier a couple times a year but use it for mainly fishing. I live on a lake but don’t need anything fancy

If not for my daughter and nieces and nephews I’d be happy as pie with Starcraft 14ft and the 2stroke 15

Xpress... but you lost me when you said serious hp followed by 50-75hp lmao.. serious hp is 250 and up!

hewescraft river runner

Here's one not to far from you.

Boat.

Lund for sure. Was just on one. 16 ft tiller. Great fuqcking boat. Has saved our asses once in Rangely Me, trolling salmon and Brooks right after ice out, in terribly high winds we had no business being out in. They ain’t cheap. Even for a no-frills kinda craft. They damn sure work.

Fished a bunch out of an old buddy’s Willy Predator. Plain Jane, open floor, tiller steer, rod storage under the gunnels. Great boat.

Express, blazer, alweld are all welded boats that will easily handle what you are asking in that hp range. Can be had with all the goodies or without. Youngest son is fishing out of a 17’-56” that is rated for 225 hp. It may be an 18’, but pretty sure it is 17.

Serious hp on the local river is anything north of 500hp. 200-250 is a common weekend runner.

Same here Quak. Good fortune to us.

He's talking about on a small aluminum boat, not something like my 20 ft Dynatrak. Sheesh.

Look at SeaArk. They have just bout anything anyone would want in a 16 - 24' Jon.

Almar Lite, Wooldridge, or screw around with the numerous lesser tin boats mentioned previously in this thread...

Reach out to mirage 243. He owns a boat shop that sells and services all kinds of boats. He is also a professional boat racer.

There’s a 2007 Lund Alaskan for sale in OKC with a 60HP and good trailer for $13,900.

JFC. For that price, I'd get a TIG and weld one up myself.

Quak, I am looking for the same thing as you and am having a hard time with the whole thing. I have an Alumacraft V16. Had it 30 yrs now. Great boat but just too small. It is 16'6", 69" wide and 23" deep and 265 lbs . . I can fly with my 25 horse on it , however, it is too light for the water I fish. I fish Lake Winnebago and its choppy. I want to start fishing the U.P. on Little and Big Bay De Noc. and Green Bay. Big water for sure. Green Bay is about 100 miles long. I want an aluminum boat with split bench seats, not all the way across, maybe some storage. I would love my boat to be 12" longer, 6" wider and 6" higher gunwales. I dont want pretty carpet, or a steering wheel. I want a tiller. These boats are just hard to find on a budget. Sure I know all about the Lund Alaskan, but the darn things are $20,000 for s tripped down boat. Used ones are rare as hens teeth. Sure, we look all the time, and there is one in northern Manitoba somewhere, or Ogden Utah, but way too far away. There are however, Lund SSV 18, Alaskan and the Outfitter . A new Lund SSV18 starts at about $9,000 and thats just for the boat stripped down.

At those prices I need one that is wreck and sunk. I could pull up and repair it maybe.

Lots of Mfg's make stripped versions of their welded aluminum boats. Sounds like you need something with a pretty good v in it for your neck of the woods. I'm partial to G3, but that's just me. 50-70 horsepower is not big HP for 16 or 17 foot boats.

I drive a 19.5' fisher with a 150 merc and I don't consider that "serious HP". I've seen 4 250's in operation and that I would say was serious.

I have a lund alaskan 1800 with a 90 HP on it... what do you want to know ?
It’s super stable, runs in fairly shallow water, ... they are only 980 some pounds

*** One thing - new boats have transom weight limits - DO NOT buy a motor so big that you can’t put a kicker on it if you walleye fish

This was exactly the boat I was going to suggest.

Alumaweld Super Vee or Free Drifter would fit the bill if you can find a used one in your budget... the Alaskan and Lund could get a bit crowded with more than a couple people in it with more than a couple people and pulling a skier IMO....

Alweld or weldcraft make empty boats if you want flat or semi-v. I have a 19 foot alweld and it is rated for 165 hp.

My 18ft alumaweld freedrifter has a 115 tiller. This is a pretty light open boat, no steering wheel, no bench seats. Pretty sure the supervee is rated for more HP. I know the local shop has rigged at least one 16ft flat bottom with a 200hp 2 stroke. Don’t know if they do that anymore, but they told me they would setup my freedrifter with a 150 tiller if I wanted.

That’s are pretty flat 6 or 10 degree boats but you can find similar models with more deadrise.

So am I sheesh... go back to your desert shark hunting doofus... Im in the marsh on a small aluminum boat all the time, with serious HP...

Uugghhh

Is that what you call being in your mama's above ground pool on a floatie?

1955 Larson Crestliner built like the Queen Mary.

LMAO!

Says the guy who’s family is one of Alabamas finest!

Sorry, I misspelled Schiett. I'm thinking you miss little things like periods except for your own after every 3 weeks.

You wouldn't know serious horsepower if it slapped you in the face.

Lowe. Pretty basic bare bones.

I ran this by my boat guy buddy and he said to look for a Crestliner Canadian. He had a 60 Yamaha on his from 2003 to 2013 and in his opinion (and this guy knows his boats, fixes them for other guys and lives for fishing) the Canadian is better than a Lund Alasakan and would be even more available. This guy has had a lot of boats, even charter boats and has his captain's licence and says that Canadian was one of the best boats that he has ever owned. FYI.

Buy a pontoon.

Are you looking for new or used? Won't find many boats without a livewell but you can surly take them out. I can't think of any 16' boat that won't take a 50hp motor. That's really not much. Hell, most will take a 90.

But...If I was in your position I'd be looking at a Lund Alaskan.

I bought one last summer similar to what you're describing. 17' aluminum Sea Nymph, Sea Striper model. Its a '91 with a '92 Mariner 90 HP oil injected. Has a center console, open bow with dual live wells and a flip-back drivers seat with storage.

Did you find one yet?

Or brain power.