First boat coming in September

This is my first post, and I'll soon be ordering my very first boat. I want to order a boat I'll be happy with for decades to come, and I could sure use some advice

I fish the New river in SW Virginia and the lakes in NW NC, Va, and Eastern Tn. I often times run into shallow rocky conditions and will be buying a Mac's prop saver.

I've decided on the Alumacraft 1756 with the 6" tunnel for a Mercury 40hp tiller steer prop motor.
the boat: all welded with .102" aluminum hull for durability. 21" transom. Big enough for me and both my boys, but small enough when I want to fish by myself.

The Mercury 40 hp tiller;nothing wrong with any of the other motor brands out there, but Mercury has dealers and service techs from coast to coast and border to border. It's just a brand I trust.
I want the tiller steer to keep the boat cockpit completely open(no CC or SC, just open floor) , and because of the responsiveness of a tiller. I think the 40 should be more than enough for a 17' boat, however the hull is rated for a 50. I'm looking at the price difference between the 40 and 50 hp, and it's enough to cover the cost of a very nice trolling motor or depth finder and battery chargers.


Motor question; should I buy the power tilt and trim, or save the money and go with the gas assist lift? My back does bother me from time to time and I'm not getting younger(48 heading towards 80 but no back surgeries in my past).

I'm also leaning towards factory installed sponsons to help float the motor a bit higher while drifting on the river. Opinions from you river guys will help a lot. I do see a practical use, but I can't called it absolutely needed.

I'm probably going with an 80# MinnKota Fortrex W/ Universal Sonar2 teamed up with Hummingbird Helix 7. I would like to have the side imaging technology of the SI model, but I'm not a tourney guy and see no reason to spend that kind of money on un-needed tech. I like it simple, but want some help figuring out the bottom.
What do you guys use for a trolling motor/depth finder combo in heavy current ?
This leads to the battery and charger questions.

I'll be mounting the trolling motor batteries in the bow. It'll be at least a 24V system. Should I factor in a separate battery for the depth finder?
Since the trolling motor and cranking batteries are going to be on opposite ends of the boat, do I need separate on board chargers to service each? This may seem elementary, but I honestly don't know.
Are there any brands of batteries or chargers you highly suggest to buy or stay away from?

There's a lot to this whole power boat thingy.

Wow! Ummm where to start? Congrats!!! Also an alumacraft guy here. I'm getting about 25 mph loaded up in my 16 riveted hull. So a 40 should move a 17 welded hull close to the Same by my best guess. So if that's fast enough for you then stick with the 40. I'll say this on a rough day if I pin in wide open throttle I'm puckering my ******* lol.

Definitely get power t&t or you will be spending the money on an aftermarket one later.

I use a two bank noco genious charger on both my boats. Had them for a year and they work great. If you have batteries in the bow and a cranking battery in the back I would probably do two separate but you could probably extend the leads on a three bank if you used the right gauge wire and do one. But I don't think your saving money one way over the other so why tamper with a new purchase. I use the 2 bank 8 amp and it's plenty enough amps to charger before my next trip. But if your going to drain 24v down to nothing and wanna go back out in a few hours then you'll need more than 8 ampsA


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The 40 MIGHT be a tad underpowered. .102 in a 1756 will be pretty heavy. Add two other people and gear, and you'll probably wish you had the 50. If it were a two stroke, you'd probably be fine. But lack of torque on the 4 stroke might leave you disappointed.

Power trim and tilt is worth its weight in gold. It'll help you get into even shallower water, and help balance heavier loads.

Just for reference, I have a 1752 in .090 with an ETEC 40. It pushes me 32 mph, but my boat is extremely light weight. Add a couple people, and a cooler full of ice and that drops to 25-27 mph.

Float pods will give you positive bouyancy, allowing you into shallower water, and will also make the boat feel like an 1860 stability wise. I know it's hard, but if you spend the money up front for the larger engine, and pods you definitely won't be disappointed. I know everyone has a budget and sometimes you just can't afford to go over...But if you have the means I highly recommend getting the extra bells and whistles.

T&T? Absolutely! So many reasons why the T&T is good, not the least of which it saves your back.

My two cents -- think of power trim/tilt like a TV remote control. Everything works perfectly well without it, but so much better to have it.

Congrats on the new boat.

PS: Coming in September??

LDUBS said:

My two cents -- think of power trim/tilt like a TV remote control. Everything works perfectly well without it, but so much better to have it.

Congrats on the new boat.

PS: Coming in September??

Click to expand...

I started a new job 2 years ago. It takes 3 years to reach top pay. The boat I'm ordering is 20K with the bells and whistles. To finance the boat, my wife will feel better when I reach top pay in September.

Patrick Reif said:

LDUBS said:

My two cents -- think of power trim/tilt like a TV remote control. Everything works perfectly well without it, but so much better to have it.

Congrats on the new boat.

PS: Coming in September??

Click to expand...

I started a new job 2 years ago. It takes 3 years to reach top pay. The boat I'm ordering is 20K with the bells and whistles. To finance the boat, my wife will feel better when I reach top pay in September.

Click to expand...

Ahhh, makes a lot of good sense. Congrats again.

Go with the 50 I have a 2013 rig bought with cash new in 2013!!!!! Wife bought it for my 52 birthday and 32 year wedding anniversary!! I got everything EXCEPT hydraulic jack plate!!!!! It will be more important to you than tiltvand trim that you need also!!! If you buy a tunnel you defeat the cause without a jack plate!!!! Your other option a 90 HP equivalent jet foot mercury!!!!!!!

sharphook said:

Go with the 50

Click to expand...

Be nice if you'd help him cost-wise...

Patrick, I neglected to tell you yesterday while we were slaying BEAST smallies......(red crankbait).

This is from the VDGIF website.:

Beginning July 1, 2016, all PWC operators age 14 and older and all motorboat operators regardless of age need to take a boating safety course.

If you are operating a boat registered in Virginia, you must comply with Virginia’s boating safety education requirement. If you are operating a boat registered in another state, but temporarily using the waters of Virginia for a period of 90 days or less, you must meet the applicable boating safety education requirements of your state.

Not sure how NC works, but it is something you need to look into.

...I'd go with a 150HP jet, but that's just me.


EDIT: Click the polar kraft link below and see the evolution of the tin you've been in.

What will the dealer charge for the TnT already on the motor? Then go and search Ebay or the web for the conversion kit. I have an older 1994 Mercury 60/45 jet that had manual tilt and it was fine for a season (I only weigh 150 lbs so tilting it took both feet on the transom). I found a complete TnT kit on Ebay new for $409 shipped. I think it retailed for over $1000 but add that argument to the dealer and maybe they will cut you a break. But with a prop tunnel setup, you might be better off with a jack plate for shallow areas. How many times a week will you be out in the boat during the season? If it's more than once a week, the TnT will be worth it.

Patrick, my, bare bare bones, weighs 653 lbs. The one you mentioned is at 805 lbs. 25 HP @ 653 should be similar to 40 @805.