I really serious: Want ideas, on size, what options you'd have built on...... and size of motor, 2 stroke???? 4 stroke?????? How wide, on bottom????

As many of you know...I have have a 15' 6" custom built River Wild boat...has a 2 stroke 60/40 Mercury and 8 hp Yamaha.....does great with myself or one other but sits low in the water and comming "out of the hole" not close to many other boats I see....

Fish.....Chehalis, Satsop, and Wynoochee

Not a guide so don't need 20' ..... like open and tiller handle....

Going to Portland tomorrow..."Sportsmens Show"....help me out.....

For what you do I think the 17ft Thor Mike makes is what would be the shizzz. Those River Wilds are very nice boats, I bet if you were to talk with them they would build you whatever you need. Motor 90/65 2 stroke on a Thor 17

yeah, thats definetly the way i'd go for where you fish.

What Phil & deerlick said.17' Thor built local,4 degree bottom with a 90/60 merc jet two stroke.My 18' LT alumaweld 6 degree bottom has worked out just fine for all those systems you have listed,it's just a little heavier then the Thor.I have the 115/80 jet yami 4 stroke which is nice when runnin out @ John's river and the halis.Good luck,
SZ

Unless you've already been pricing new boats out lately, get ready for a shock!

If RB boats is at the show, stop by and pick his brain on different dgree hulls/boat widths/accessories, etc.

Stop by WIllie Boats at the Portland show. 2nd to none for a sled. Been runnin' the crap ot of mine and it's going on 18 years and still "simply the best".

They make 17-18 footers so you should find exactly what you want. Plain hull with a wide bottom and not much gingerbread will keep the price down a bit.

Talk to Jim Biddle and tell him I sent ya and you are poor like me and want a deal. Also, if you run into Gary Early at the Willie booth tell him HI for me. I am sure they will deal with you. If interested I'll call them and tell them you are on the way and get the eraser out and lower the price.

fp

Willie predator 17 with tunnel Yamaha 115/80 merc 4 stroke merc kicker 8 0r 9.9 lee lock anchor gunell lights tractor light for the floor wash down think storage allways nice. Kinda wish we had head lights ? forward batteries .fish box think storage. Have fun.

You might as well add Koffler to the mix. They built me an 18' open sled three years ago and I was very pleased with the boat and they are great people to work with.

thanks for all the comments so far........

Heading down tomorrow, Sportsmen Show.......will talk to all of them....Tried to call ThorBuilt but got no answer......I'm doing this now so I have time to make a "good decision" ,have boat made, etc. before 9/16...

Large Edward.....I know, prices are all "scary".......but I saw fee's allow to be charged for my wife, at Fred Hutchinson and other places, that I could have bought half the town of Aberdeen new custom made boats....

Keep comments comming.........

You've got a great boat, Bill! Just need to re-power the main.

That and check to see how much floatation is waterlogged if you're concerned about how low she sits in the water.

Good idea.
Here's one you might think about. Light, powerful and clean running.

http://www.evinrude.com/en-US/Engines/ETEC_INLINES/ETEC_90_INLINE[/url]

Have you ever made your pump "hot"? It helps and might
save you from buying a new boat. I have the means to fix it.

fp

DrifterWa - I have a custom-built 16.5'x66" Koffler with a 65 Merc jet. Great boats made by a great family business, Joe is super to work with. I had the original floorboards replaced by Koffler with sandblasted diamondplate and I really like the change. A bonus was the removal of about 250 pounds of waterlogged flotation from under the old floor. Boat goes like hell now and is a great 3-man boat for boondogging or fishing off anchor. However, I was dreaming about a 4-man boat and looked hard at the Puy show at both an 18'x72" and 20'x72" Koffler, the Willie sled that was owned by one of their reps at the show, the unfinished R&B, and the new 20' Hawgquest Wooldridge. I know what I'm getting with a Koffler, but was really disappointed with the Willie. The R&B boat was too raw. The build quality of the pimped out Wooldridge really impressed me. I've always thought Wooldridges were butt hole looking but I came away with a different impression. It better be nice for $58K. If you wanted the Kofflers with a 150 Optimax, but swapped out the marginal trailers they sat on for a Koffler-built trailer (which I would recommend), you're looking at mid-30s for the 18' and close to 40K for the 20'. Have fun and good luck.

eyefish, fp, cobbler cruiser, and others

1. no water logged floatation in my boat.....it was never put in.

2. not sure transom would take a 90/65...quite a bit of weight over the 60/40.

3. Have looked into the 4 blades stainless for the 60/40.....don't make one....I was told.

4. Etech.....someone, from Olympia, was suppose to get back to me with prices.....but haven't.

5. I did call Mike at Thor built...we talked............

This time tomorrow.......I'll know a lot more........even talked with Woolridge today.....not sure they "want to build" what I'd like!!!!

I was not talking about 4 blade.

fp

Um, Black Bart had a custom >16 Willie for sale last fall. He used to wobble the riffle above the greenbank. Perhaps a short, wide, pre'owned boat might suite your needs?

I wonder if your motor is doggy for some reason Bill?

You know my motor is the same as yours, only 1 year older (has a 45 on the cowling not a 40). Our boat is simple, but I fished 4 people (including Elkman, and he's like 6'5") all over the Satsop a couple weeks ago and it wasn't that bad...

Without a doubt. Koffler and Thor Builts are the best river boats made for the Cow/Lewis/Columbia types....

Keith

i`d talk to wooldridge about having an 18 alaskan XL made, you can get a less pimped out model for a decent price