Finally going to make the plunge and buy an aluminum boat, but i am
confused. Our goal is to buy a boat that will last for many years to
come and also turn heads when on the water. The more i talk to
salesman the more BS i hear. What should i be looking for as far as
the quality of the welds, some look like art and some look like my son
who is 12 tried to weld for the first time. Does the apperance of the
weld matter? We are looking at a 200 Sea Runner Hewes Craft right now,
any comments would help at this point

Thanks

wrote in message
...
Finally going to make the plunge and buy an aluminum boat, but i am
confused. Our goal is to buy a boat that will last for many years to
come and also turn heads when on the water. The more i talk to
salesman the more BS i hear. What should i be looking for as far as
the quality of the welds, some look like art and some look like my son
who is 12 tried to weld for the first time. Does the apperance of the
weld matter? We are looking at a 200 Sea Runner Hewes Craft right now,
any comments would help at this point

Thanks


I own a Lund, and the company makes a big selling point of the fact that
their aluminum hulls are double riveted. Welding is not mentioned anywhere
in their literature, as far as I've noticed. I've been beating the crap out
of the boat since 1999 and it's as tight as the day it was new.

www.lundboats.com

On Jan 11, 8:34*pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

...

Finally going to make the plunge and buy an aluminum boat, but i am
confused. Our goal is to buy a boat that will last for many years to
come and also turn heads when on the water. The more i talk to
salesman the more BS i hear. *What should i be looking for as far as
the quality of the welds, some look like art and some look like my son
who is 12 tried to weld for the first time. Does the apperance of the
weld matter? We are looking at a 200 Sea Runner Hewes Craft right now,
any comments would help at this point

Thanks

I own a Lund, and the company makes a big selling point of the fact that
their aluminum hulls are double riveted. Welding is not mentioned anywhere
in their literature, as far as I've noticed. I've been beating the crap out
of the boat since 1999 and it's as tight as the day it was new.

www.lundboats.com
Thanks for the feedback
I appreciate your coment about rivetted boats but my wife said noway
to riveted boats, he dad had one and it always leaked. Infact you
should have seen the dirty looks she gave one of the salesman when he
was trying to sale us on a riveted boat. What would you look for or
like to see as far as welds?

wrote in message
...
On Jan 11, 8:34 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

...

Finally going to make the plunge and buy an aluminum boat, but i am
confused. Our goal is to buy a boat that will last for many years to
come and also turn heads when on the water. The more i talk to
salesman the more BS i hear. What should i be looking for as far as
the quality of the welds, some look like art and some look like my son
who is 12 tried to weld for the first time. Does the apperance of the
weld matter? We are looking at a 200 Sea Runner Hewes Craft right now,
any comments would help at this point

Thanks

I own a Lund, and the company makes a big selling point of the fact that
their aluminum hulls are double riveted. Welding is not mentioned anywhere
in their literature, as far as I've noticed. I've been beating the crap
out
of the boat since 1999 and it's as tight as the day it was new.

www.lundboats.com
Thanks for the feedback
I appreciate your coment about rivetted boats but my wife said noway
to riveted boats, he dad had one and it always leaked. Infact you
should have seen the dirty looks she gave one of the salesman when he
was trying to sale us on a riveted boat. What would you look for or
like to see as far as welds?

================


I have no idea what to look for with welds. Tell your wife that her dad
bought a ****ty boat, and she should not judge all riveted boats based on
her father's bad judgement and low budget. If she's such a shmexpert, maybe
she should be designing boats.

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
On Jan 11, 8:34 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

...

Finally going to make the plunge and buy an aluminum boat, but i am
confused. Our goal is to buy a boat that will last for many years to
come and also turn heads when on the water. The more i talk to
salesman the more BS i hear. What should i be looking for as far as
the quality of the welds, some look like art and some look like my son
who is 12 tried to weld for the first time. Does the apperance of the
weld matter? We are looking at a 200 Sea Runner Hewes Craft right now,
any comments would help at this point

Thanks

I own a Lund, and the company makes a big selling point of the fact that
their aluminum hulls are double riveted. Welding is not mentioned
anywhere
in their literature, as far as I've noticed. I've been beating the crap
out
of the boat since 1999 and it's as tight as the day it was new.

www.lundboats.com
Thanks for the feedback
I appreciate your coment about rivetted boats but my wife said noway
to riveted boats, he dad had one and it always leaked. Infact you
should have seen the dirty looks she gave one of the salesman when he
was trying to sale us on a riveted boat. What would you look for or
like to see as far as welds?

================


I have no idea what to look for with welds. Tell your wife that her dad
bought a ****ty boat, and she should not judge all riveted boats based on
her father's bad judgement and low budget. If she's such a shmexpert,
maybe she should be designing boats.


You can buy a much better welded aluminum boat than a Riveted Fisher for
about the same money or less.

Go to http://www.boatingsportsman.com/ and register for the forums or just
browse the forums. Was Riverjetboat magazine up till this month. The welds
should look good on the upper end boats. Hewes makes a good boat. Not the
best, but will last and give you good service. Joe, your boat is not in the
same league with the boats he is looking at. These are a minimum 3/16
(0.190) thick aluminum. The newer boats should have great looking welds as
the equipment is so much better than when they built mine in 1991. Only
leak I had was a corrosion leak 2 years ago. The crap blocked the drain
hole from the anchor locker and there was probably a piece of copper wire in
there from the trolling motor connection. Depends if you want a jet drive
or a prop boat. Boulton makes really nice boats of both designs. Bruce
Wasson of Rogue makes great jet drives. Precision weld and HCM Hells Canyon
Marine make super top quality custom boats, but you are looking at $80-100K.
North River makes a very good cookie cutter boat in both jet and prop.

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
Finally going to make the plunge and buy an aluminum boat, but i am
confused. Our goal is to buy a boat that will last for many years to
come and also turn heads when on the water. The more i talk to
salesman the more BS i hear. What should i be looking for as far as
the quality of the welds, some look like art and some look like my son
who is 12 tried to weld for the first time. Does the apperance of the
weld matter? We are looking at a 200 Sea Runner Hewes Craft right now,
any comments would help at this point

Thanks


I own a Lund, and the company makes a big selling point of the fact that
their aluminum hulls are double riveted. Welding is not mentioned anywhere
in their literature, as far as I've noticed. I've been beating the crap
out of the boat since 1999 and it's as tight as the day it was new.

www.lundboats.com


Same with Princecraft. hulls rivited...same as high stress airplane
bodies.
scroll down to... 'proven fastening methods'
http://www.princecraft.com/Content/e...ing_boats.aspx

On Jan 11, 9:19*pm, "Calif Bill" wrote:
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message

...





wrote in message
...
On Jan 11, 8:34 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

....

Finally going to make the plunge and buy an aluminum boat, but i am
confused. Our goal is to buy a boat that will last for many years to
come and also turn heads when on the water. The more i talk to
salesman the more BS i hear. What should i be looking for as far as
the quality of the welds, some look like art and some look like my son
who is 12 tried to weld for the first time. Does the apperance of the
weld matter? We are looking at a 200 Sea Runner Hewes Craft right now,
any comments would help at this point

Thanks

I own a Lund, and the company makes a big selling point of the fact that
their aluminum hulls are double riveted. Welding is not mentioned
anywhere
in their literature, as far as I've noticed. I've been beating the crap
out
of the boat since 1999 and it's as tight as the day it was new.

www.lundboats.com
Thanks for the feedback
I appreciate your coment about rivetted boats but my wife said noway
to riveted boats, he dad had one and it always leaked. Infact you
should have seen the dirty looks she gave one of the salesman when he
was trying to sale us on a riveted boat. What would you look for or
like to see as far as welds?

================

I have no idea what to look for with welds. Tell your wife that her dad
bought a ****ty boat, and she should not judge all riveted boats based on
her father's bad judgement and low budget. If she's such a shmexpert,
maybe she should be designing boats.

You can buy a much better welded aluminum boat than a Riveted Fisher for
about the same money or less.

Go tohttp://www.boatingsportsman.com/and register for the forums or just
browse the forums. *Was Riverjetboat magazine up till this month. *The welds
should look good on the upper end boats. *Hewes makes a good boat. *Not the
best, but will last and give you good service. *Joe, your boat is not in the
same league with the boats he is looking at. *These are a minimum 3/16
(0.190) thick aluminum. *The newer boats should have great looking welds as
the equipment is so much better than when they built mine in 1991. *Only
leak I had was a corrosion leak 2 years ago. *The crap blocked the drain
hole from the anchor locker and there was probably a piece of copper wire in
there from the trolling motor connection. * Depends if you want a jet drive
or a prop boat. *Boulton makes really nice boats of both designs. *Bruce
Wasson of Rogue makes great jet drives. *Precision weld and HCM Hells Canyon
Marine make super top quality custom boats, but you are looking at $80-100K.
North River makes a very good cookie cutter boat in both jet and prop.- Hide quoted text

- Show quoted text -

Thanks
Bolton and Hewes are the ones i like so far they both brag of long
lasting quality
we also looked at both brands of what they call the kuddy cabins

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

Joe, your boat is not in the same league with the boats he is looking at.

How so?

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...

Joe, your boat is not in the same league with the boats he is looking
at.

How so?


Thickness of aluminum. Bracing. General construction. I have owned
riveted boats. Valco. The rivets will loosen over time. The aluminum will
flex. The Northwest boats were designed to run white water rivers with
rocks. Jet drives required. But since then people found out how good they
were and wanted propeller drives for efficiency or what ever. So the same
construction methods for the boat are used in the propeller boats. My boat
is 3/16 thick bottom. Welded I-beam reinforcements inside the bottom.
Depending on the manufacturer some are using boxed stringers. All aluminum.
Lund makes a great boat, they just do not have the strength of the Northwest
boats. The NW boats also weigh more. My 21' Chevy engine boat with the 67
gallon tank full scales about 3300#. I have higher sides than a lot of the
pure river sleds, so probably 300# more or less extra.

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
On Jan 11, 8:34 pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
wrote in message

...

Finally going to make the plunge and buy an aluminum boat, but i am
confused. Our goal is to buy a boat that will last for many years to
come and also turn heads when on the water. The more i talk to
salesman the more BS i hear. What should i be looking for as far as
the quality of the welds, some look like art and some look like my son
who is 12 tried to weld for the first time. Does the apperance of the
weld matter? We are looking at a 200 Sea Runner Hewes Craft right now,
any comments would help at this point

Thanks

I own a Lund, and the company makes a big selling point of the fact that
their aluminum hulls are double riveted. Welding is not mentioned
anywhere
in their literature, as far as I've noticed. I've been beating the crap
out
of the boat since 1999 and it's as tight as the day it was new.

www.lundboats.com
Thanks for the feedback
I appreciate your coment about rivetted boats but my wife said noway
to riveted boats, he dad had one and it always leaked. Infact you
should have seen the dirty looks she gave one of the salesman when he
was trying to sale us on a riveted boat. What would you look for or
like to see as far as welds?

================


I have no idea what to look for with welds. Tell your wife that her dad
bought a ****ty boat, and she should not judge all riveted boats based on
her father's bad judgement and low budget. If she's such a shmexpert,
maybe she should be designing boats.


The OP should research why the skin on aluminum airplanes are riveted rather
than welded.
Hint: It has something to do with preventing the wings from snapping off.

Eisboch