"Budd Cochran" wrote in message
...
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Budd Cochran wrote:
OK, folks. I'm thinking of getting my first new boat and I need some
advice.
I'm thinking I need a light, trailerable boat ( my tow vehicle is a 95
Chrysler LeBaron FWD) with about a 1000 pound capacity (I'm physically
handicapped and I figure a somewhat larger craft will be more stable
for
entry and egress but I need it to be pretty light in weight ( because
the
car has only a one ton tow capacity) so I can load and launch it
easily.
My physical limitations are from blood pressure and heart trouble,
diabetes
and Post Polio Syndrome.
So, what styles / lengths / brands should I look at?? I once had a
used
12
foot aluminum Jon boat, but it was a bit narrow and quite tender when
approaching hull capacity. I borrowed my brother's old aluminum 12
foot
Sears rowboat once and lightly loaded it was fun, but it was a bit
heavy
to
cartop (this was before the health probs hit.)
Oh, price is important too. I may go for a used boat / trailer if I
find
a
great deal. VBG
TIA
Budd
A 16' carolina Skiff....wide, stable, not too heavy. But one of your
considerations should be where you are planning to use the boat.,
I like to fish at a nearby irrigation reservoir, Ken's Lake, near my home
in
Moab, Utah. It varies from about 2 to 4 acres and a maximum depth of about
80 ft. My eldest son says it's smaller than the flight deck on his ship (
CVN 75, Harry S. Truman) while he was in the Navy. It's also limited to
sail, manual or electric propulsion.
Budd
Take a look at some of the simpler Lund boats:
www.lundboats.com. They make
an enormous variety of models - everything from very basic to quite
elaborate, and they hold their resale value VERY nicely.
I have a WC-14 which I easily towed with a '92 Taurus (6 cylinder engine).
On the web page, it looks like the old Grumman 3-bench rowboats that resorts
keep around for guests, but it's MUCH more stable and well built. Not a
great boat for lounging, though, if that's what the lady in your life has in
mind. It's in the "Adventure Series" on the web site. I have a 15 hp 4
stroke motor on it and it moves just fine with 3 adults. It's he
http://www.lundboats.com/index.cfm?i...&intModelID=69
I do most of my fishing on the Finger Lakes in upstate NY, and sometimes on
Lake Ontario. The latter can develop some very strange waves, but the Lund
handles them well (and safely). The only problem I've had (which I just
solved) was that if I'm alone in the boat on a day when I need to drive into
high winds, the combined weight of the gas tank, battery and me was enough
to raise to the bow to a point where it would catch the wind in, shall we
say, ways which build character. :-) I thought of moving the battery to the
bow, but it would require some creative carpentry that I haven't had the
time for. So, a bag of sand solved the problem for under ten bucks. I leave
the sand behind when I have passengers.
The boat, motor, tank of gas & trailer come in between 900 and 1000 lbs.
If you have not been religious about having your transmission filter & fluid
changed, now is the time to start. And, it might not be a bad idea to have a
transmission oil cooler installed. It's a mini-radiator just for that
purpose. Most are about the half the size of a loaf of bread. Your regular
mechanic should be able to handle the installation.
Finally, if you want something a little more comfortable, look at the 1660
Rebel Tiller:
http://www.lundboats.com/index.cfm?i...&intModelID=67
I'm not sure about the weight of that boat, though.
-Doug