Good luck on your boat hunt. I say take your time and go new if you can. Oh, I will second bushbear on the Wooldridge. Their shop is down by Boeing field and Vence would be happy to take you on a tour and show you what's what. If you decide on Alumaweld, go to Three Rivers.

Don't forget that after buying a new boat you will have to buy another $1500 to $2500 in accessories (Sonar/GPS, Downriggers, Rod Holders, fenders, lines, etc., etc).

Get_Speyed,

You sound like you're now in a great place to be shopping. I thought you were going to buy a while back (seemed like you were rushing, to me), now you've been around the block a few times, are getting to know the prices, and boats, and are in a great position to buy when the right deal surfaces. There are so many boats sold (again new and used) locally that you'll be rewarded if you take your time.

Good job, man!

I bought a Northriver two years ago and love it. Both for Salt and for the rivers. 115 Yammie you can't go wrong. I don't know how the sevice dept is because I have had no issues with the boat or motor. I guess that could tell you something about the product. When I compared the
alumaweld with the NR, NR had better storage, thicker alum. built stronger and was a lot cheeper.

My 2 cents good luck

Thanks Rob. I will deffinately look at them. I have not up to this point and am encouraged by your post.

Wow. I was very impressed with what I had to read about Northriver. I was also excited to see that they apparently have a shop here in Marysville. I will head their right after work. Thanks again RB.

I bought a 19' Raider in 04 which is very similar to a Hewes. My boat will take rough water like no other boat I have ever been in. Big Columbia River swells? No problem.

I know of a person that used to work in the welded boat biz and he told me that although Alumawelds are nice they are the "economy" boat in the business. He said they tend to skip on additional strengthening features in the walls, floor, etc. Take this for what it's worth because I don't know for certain that this is true. Look at the aluminum specs for each boat too, you will note that the aluminum is thinner on some boats than it is on others. Finally, walk along the side of the boat starting at the back and and hit it with your fist as you move toward the bow.......you will notice that some boats are flat solid the entire length and others wobble all over the place on the sides with most of the support in the front.

One other thing, I have noticed is that heavier aluminum boats with inboards seem to handle wind better.......they sit lower in the water and their additional weight causes them to move less from left to right while trolling and loading. Lighter boats like mine, hewes, etc., seem to be more affected by wind which can make trolling more work. Of course lighter boats are easier to trailer so it's a trade-off.

Good luck.

Raider is another fine choice and close to me. The way things are going, I will have to hold off for the boat show. There are a lot more options out there than I anticipated. This is good.

As a Hewes SeaRunner owner, I can tell you my next boat will have an offshore bracket.

While lots of others have made the very good point about after-sale service, remember the dealer of a new boat will actually do the rigging and outfitting - installing and adjusting motors and so on. The best boat at a killer price with poor rigging will just give you headaches....

I have the off-shore bracket on my Wooldridge. I think it is a worthwhile investment. It makes a difference in handling and takes some getting used to, but it also provides a nice platform outside the gunwale to measure/unhook/work a fish before bringing it into the cooler.

I run a 25' Alumaweld formula Vee, twin Yamaha f150 plus t8 trolling motor on a offshore bracket. I have used this boat for 2 years as a charter boat, and can say it has been performing well. One thing I would do differently is have a closed bow. I have taken some waves over the bow that sent a river of water flowing through the cabin.

Matt