Hypothetical hull choice

[wingsnhammers]

Alright guys. I've been rolling this idea through my mind for a bit and just can't make a decision. Ever since I got my first boat, I knew that I wanted to keep working up until I got something that I would be happy with for a long time. If my calculations are correct, I may be in a position to purchase a new hull in the not to distant future. I am mainly looking at 2 hulls. A 1448 Weldbilt and a 1648 Alumacraft. I would get either without a center seat and with a Mod V hull.

The Alumacraft has an extra 2 ft to work with. It is a riveted boat. It is closer to a true flatbottom than the Weldbilt.

The Weldbilt doesn't have that extra 2 ft, but is all welded and will retain its value better in my area. I can also get the Weldbilt with a split rear bench, which I really like and has the option of a 48" front deck. It is a true Mod V hull. The Weldbilt also has an all aluminum transom and comes with 3 seat pedestal bases installed.

I am not aware of any local Alumacraft dealers. Backwoods landing (Weldbilts largest dealer) is within an easy drive. They are both in the same price range.

After my current boat, I doubt I will ever go back to a sub 15 horsepower outboard. I've been slowly building up a 25 Johnson and this would likely power either hull just fine. I'm just not sure which hull I would choose. I like to fish and duck hunt. For duck hunting, I would like the peace of mind of the welded boat. However, I would love the room of the 16 footer, especially when it came to fishing with multiple people. We do have a pretty large lake here, so the water can get rough. I'm thinking that I may be leaning toward the Weldbilt, but 2 extra feet of floor sure does sound nice!

So, hypothetically, if you were looking at these two boats and you had criteria that were similar to mine, which would you choose and why?

 

[Ranchero50]

If you have a 25 and plan for this to be a long term hull I'd go with the 1448 and build it light / simple.

 

[Ictalurus]

Save the extra $200 or so and get the 1648 weldbuilt from backwoods.

 

[wingsnhammers]

Ictalurus » Today, 11:07[/url]"]Save the extra $200 or so and get the 1648 weldbuilt from backwoods.

That probably would be the best choice, wouldn't it? :LOL2:

 

[surfman]

I would go with the bigger (longer) boat. it is always better to go long. IMHBHO.

 

[Vagante]

surfman » 08 Nov 2013, 22:19[/url]"]I would go with the bigger (longer) boat. it is always better to go long. IMHBHO.

X2 Like someone told me a while back. I never heard anyone say they wished they had bought a smaller boat.

 

[Country Dave]

Well I cant believe I'm going to say this but it looks like Ranchero 50 and I are in agreement with something....... :LOL2:

Yeh I would take a welded boat over a riveted one everyday of the week and twice on Sunday. It really comes down to what you're going to use it for most. I like welded boats. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Ranchero50]

Oh heck, I figured with the 25 on the back, the 1448 would perform better vs. the 1648. :wink:

 

[turbotodd]

A 1448 usually drafts a little shallower than a 1648 does.

The extra "2 feet" may not be exactly 2 feet....it might only be 1'6" or sometimes even less. Many 16' boats are just a hair over 15'. IMO a 1448 is hard to beat for what I would use it for. Most hunters in this area would kill for a 1448. But most end up with a 1548 or 1550 or 1556 in some cases, though, navigating through flooded timber with a wider (or sometimes a longer) boat can be tricky.

It's always nice to have the longer boat. That being said, I sold my 18 bass boat and went to a 1548 tin boat. I couldn't get the bass boat into nearly as many places as I can the 1548. I'd get hung up in 18" of water with the bass boat. With the aluminum boat, I can safely navigate in about 4" if I tilt the motor up. 12" with the motor down if I'm not on plane. On plane, it's about 8". I ran the White River in Northern Arkansas a while back and in most places I was running, it was 9-10" deep. Wide open. Drug the skeg once or twice but never really hit hard (just rubbed some rock). Would never have done that with a bigger boat.

The rivets are a deal breaker....for me. Until I bought the war eagle boat, I'd never had a welded boat before. My goodness, the difference is absolutely amazing. Now I know why people will pay more for a welded boat. It's not just leaking rivets either...the entire boat is stiffer and more confidence inspiring; and in my case, rides 10x better. Some folks (myself even before I ran a welded boat) don't mind rivets. Personal preference really. Also consider that since it's a lot harder to weld thin aluminum, most welded boats are going to be made of a thicker material, which is heavier, but also much more durable.

If I had to choose between those two, I'd get a weldbuilt. If I had choice of any other brand (ANY) I'd get a War Eagle. You pay more, but you also get more boat.

One thing I didn't like about weldbuilt is that the ribs that run transversely are pretty tall. So if you get a floor put in, the floor is about 4" or so from the hull, which effectively takes some square footage away from the boat's interior. I looked at them, and even if I didn't put a floor in it, those ribs are tall...and from a personal standpoint I'd trip on them. My girlfriend is the same way. I looked at the War Eagles and was impressed with everything but the wiring. The ribs are shorter in height so you don't lose as much real estate with a floor. The sides are tall too. I do fish a larger lake occasionally, and it's wide open where I fish at, so the wind can whip up some swells. Largest I've navigated were about 24-28" from every direction due to boat traffic + wind. It handled it well, but if there were one thing I wish I'd have done, it would've been to get a 21" transom (I have a 16") as if I am at the ramp in conditions like I mentioned, water will run over the short transom. Only had it happen once but it did make me a little nervous for a little bit. I didn't have much choice since I already had a 15" (short shaft) motor to go on it, and I had zero investment in it (actually made $100 on it). On the wiring, it's not that War Eagle's wiring is any worse than any other manufacturer's wiring (they all suck, IMO)...but I'm really picky. Weatherpak connectors on everything, soldered and crimped, shrink tubing on any solder joints, 4 ga trolling motor wiring, etc. Most boat manufacturers (especially waco and others that mass produce them) just crimp on the connectors and don't seal 'em up. War Eagle does too and 99.9999% of them never have a problem. But I didn't want to have to think about it so I built my own harnesses.

Edge boats makes a good one too, however, I've not been impressed with their "fish-ability". They are duck boats and nothing more. The ribs run longitudinal (lengthwise). And the hulls are fast. Beyond that, I see no advantages. Edge is part of Waco, IIRC.

When I bought mine, I looked at Weldbilt, Aluma-weld, Aluma-craft, Waco, Edge, Dura Craft (before War Eagle started building them), Alweld, Tracker, and a bunch of others that I can't think of. And I still ended up with a war eagle, and could not be happier with it.