alumacrafts: 1648 sierra NCS, 1648 and 1448 riveted jons.

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Pweisbrod

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Hello all, first post! My name is Paul, and I've been a-lurk-lurk-lurking for a while.

On to my topic, which would you pick and why? I just got a new (higher paying) job I am going to buy a new duck boat AND new outboard on trade in for my old boat and motor, both are leaky older pieces of poo, and this dealer is actually going to give me a fair (better than craigslist...) price on them. Some of you will say I'm wasting money, but I've never owned a brand new boat, and that's what I'm going to do. That in mind:

questions...

1648 sierra NCS, what do you guys do for passenger seating? Folding chairs? Seems fine for duck hunting buddies, but what are the options for a decent pedestal mounted seat for the wifey? What really makes these so much better than a standard 16 48 in your opinion? Everyone wants to remove the center seat, and I'm sure there are good reasons for it. what are they?

1448 riveted jon nice little boat. not offered in NCS, only the 1442 is. any thoughts on this vs the 1648? Obviously much more boat, but is it really neccesary?

thoughts on having a 15 vs 20 inch transom (and corresponding length motor shaft...) benefits of having a longshaft high transom boat vs shortshaft low transom boat?


Truthfully I am shy from the 16's because I think they'd be harder to hide in the weeds, but a LOT of people seem to love the 16 ft boats for duck hunting, and that extra weight and HP capacity is probably nice to have.


Basically, I'm looking for the wise words of the masters of the tin boats. Any help and advice you have is appreciated.
 
Go for the 1648 with the 20" transom. The bigger boat will be more stable and you wont regret it. Bigger transom = bigger motor and less chance of a wave coming over the transom.

I guess the NCS or center bench is up to you. I personally like the NCS model. It offers much more room for fishing or hunting and the ability to put in a center console if you want too. IMO the livewells that are in the center seats are useless. Not big enough to really use as a live well and not water tight to keep things dry as a storage area. A simple cooler is bigger and better as a live/bait well, and is a better option for storage too. It can be a bench seat when you need it or it can be taken out or moved to wherever it won't get in the way. The center bench is always in the way.

A pedestal mount up front and however many you want in back depending on what your plans are. I have 3 seat mounts in back...1 in the center for driving from the center console alone and 2 to the outside so that my wife and I can sit side by side.

Go with as big a motor as you can get. I think its rated for a 25 but if you put a console you can run more. I would go with nothing less than a 25. A couple year old 25 -30hp 4 stroke or 35-40 2 stroke would be great.
 
I just bought my first jon boat a couple months ago. Its an L1436L. The main reason i stuck with a smaller boat is because I duck hunt too. I know that next season, I may go out by myself, and I think the smaller the boat, the easier it will be to handle by myself. Also, it will be easier to set up and pick up decoys, and manuever around tight spots and shallow water. There is less boat to hide too.
 
If you can afford it, I'd go with the 1648 Sierra NCS. I have a 1448 and only want bigger. The more the merrier.
 
If you're going to be hauling around a bunch of decoys you'll appreciate the big open floor on the ncs model.
 
I've got the 1648 NCS. I like the 8'2" of open floor space in the middle. It gives me lot's of room for activities. (Ha!)
It's easy to deck with a sheet of plywood and the boat has a nice 5' long front casting deck. Definitely get the 20" transom model if you can.

Originally I was going to extend the front deck, but changed my mind later to leave the middle area open. Since I have kids with me from time to time, it's nice to have all that low-lying open floor space, plus it leaves plenty of room for a wife to lay down in a folding lounge chair.

Installing pedestal seats are very straightforward. Just seal, carpet, and screw down some 1/2" or 5/8" plywood onto the top of the bench and then mount your pedestal brackets onto that and screw through the wood into the metal. You need the wood to brace the aluminum so it doesn't flex when you shift your weight in the seat.

From a fishing standpoint, it's nice to have as much room as possible between the front and back fisherman, that way no one gets accidentally hooked. The extra length and width also helps with the stability for people who aren't used to small boats.

And don't feel bad for buying a brand new 1648 NCS. I had to do it because a used Alumacraft 1648 NCS is only a thing of legend. I guess they're just so awesome that people never ever sell them. :LOL2:
 
Thank you for the helpful responses!

I put a downpayment for the dealer to order in a BRAND new 1648 sierra NCS 20" transom today. That boat looks friggin' huge out of the water, let me tell ya! Awesome! cant wait to put it on my trailer!

I have a motor question, but i suppose that I should post it in the motor section. The dealer suggested that as far as brand new motors go, he suggested a 25 horse E-tec. I love everything about the e-tecs, but I wonder if there is a better (or cheaper) way. I would love a brand new motor, due to the fact that they do come with warranty and they're a clean slate, with much less problems (usually anyway). But I'm not totally against a 40 horse tiller from the early 2000's either.

I don't want to spend time working on an outboard, I want to spend time hunting and fishing with it. Some people love working on their stuff, for me it's a tool to duck hunt and fish with, as well as a pleasure vehicle for warm summer days on the river with my wife. I don't want to have to forgo duck hunting on one of my precious few weekends in the fall because my outboard pooped out.

I am not made of money, and the 4000ish dollar pricetag hurts me right in the nardskis, but if you guys think its worth it, I will take that into consideration!


-Paul
 
Butthead said:
I've got the 1648 NCS. I like the 8'2" of open floor space in the middle. It gives me lot's of room for activities. (Ha!)
It's easy to deck with a sheet of plywood and the boat has a nice 5' long front casting deck. Definitely get the 20" transom model if you can.

Originally I was going to extend the front deck, but changed my mind later to leave the middle area open. Since I have kids with me from time to time, it's nice to have all that low-lying open floor space, plus it leaves plenty of room for a wife to lay down in a folding lounge chair.

Installing pedestal seats are very straightforward. Just seal, carpet, and screw down some 1/2" or 5/8" plywood onto the top of the bench and then mount your pedestal brackets onto that and screw through the wood into the metal. You need the wood to brace the aluminum so it doesn't flex when you shift your weight in the seat.

From a fishing standpoint, it's nice to have as much room as possible between the front and back fisherman, that way no one gets accidentally hooked. The extra length and width also helps with the stability for people who aren't used to small boats.

And don't feel bad for buying a brand new 1648 NCS. I had to do it because a used Alumacraft 1648 NCS is only a thing of legend. I guess they're just so awesome that people never ever sell them. :LOL2:

Have you installed a bow mount trolling motor and a pedestal base on your front deck? I would love to see pics if so. I'm afraid I'll be too cramped if I don't extend the front deck but if you have experience with this I'd love some feedback.
 

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