I notice the weight of the 17' Woolridge is 1300 pounds pretty much exactly same as my 18' Seahawk, 1350.

The two boats you are considering, at just over 1000 pounds, over in the strait or in the sound pounding back against a 20 mph headwind, pretty long trip. Bad enuff in my Seahawk. Not sure a riveted boat in particular works very well in the kind of nasty chop you will run into, eventually.

Ar some point you will want to go to CQ or PA for salmon or butts, and you will see some nasty chop. Also get something with a real splashboard. I have a tall splashboard on my Seahawk, and I have had big waves from a following sea splash to the top of it.

The other thing about alum, there is so much more interior room for the boat size. The gunnels and transom are thin, not thick like a glass boat, thus much more interior room. I've had three glass boats, (a Fibreform in the 70's, a Glas Ply and a Bayliner in the 80's and 90's), I'll never go back to a glass boat. But why go with a riveted alum boat? I dont see the reason since they perfected welded alum.

There are trade-offs on anything you are looking for/at. I have the 20' Sport Offshore with the bracket. Wooldridge worked with me on some options (50 gal fuel tank, next thickness larger for the hull bottom, mounted electronics, DRs, changed out a seat, etc). We really like our vessel - it is a stable platform and easy on gas (Yamahas 115 with 8 HT kicker).

The year after we bought it, they came out with the Super Sport Offshore. Major differences are a 40/18 deadrise vs 30/16 and a little wider. It would ride smoother in the chop but it would probably take a 150....like I said - trade-offs. If I had to start over, I'd go with Super Sport....

The 20' with bracket gives you a good sized back deck and the extra length helps with the general wave frequency we have in the Strait. If I had to choose between 18' and 20', I'd go with the 20'.


http://www.wooldridgeboats.com/ecom_img/original-14857-741-ss-offshore-std-features-lores.pdf

I'll never argue against Wooldridge and if I was in the market for a new boat that's exactly where I would start!

I'd go with a 20' and an offshore mount too but unfortunately an 18' with a transom mount and a swing away tongue is about as big as I can get in my garage. Nowhere else to put it. The 18' has been a good compromise for me, but I dont think I would go any smaller. I see guys storing their boats outside but there has been a rash of motor thefts going on around Seattle. The meth crowd will steal anything.

For those looking, the 17' Sport Offshore with bracket might fit in about the same space as an 18' transom with a swing away tongue. Worth looking at...call Wooldridge and discuss with them...

I own a 1998 19' jetcraft Yukon aluminum boat. You want a tall front window and a canvass top with a three panel front windshield. With the three panel front wind shield and a recessed bow you can anchor on the columbia river with the standard hog line anchor set-up. Do not buy the lund. Alumaweld makes the stryker in any lenghth you want. Poulon makes their skiff in any lenghth you want . they all make boats in any lenghth you want. I would get no less than a 19' because with 19' you can take 4 people under that it is too small. Do not get pedestal seats get seats on boxes for the extra storage. All of these manufactures will work with you.
I would go to the portland boat show in January just across the river at the expo center. They show a lot of boats like this. I would also think of going to medford oregon and talking to several of the builders at their factories. it would be worth it. You dont need a local dealer I didnt. If you buy in oregon like i did you dont pay sales tax on the outboard, canvass top, seats and anything else they can put on a seperate sales slip. I had a rigid cavass top put on my boat 2 years ago in Medford and saved the sales tax. Personally I would probably get a 20' skiff from Poulon with a 90 horse Suzuki without the offshore bracket. Last year they were $25,000. I fish sekiu a lot and I like the biggest aluminum boat that stiil works on a single axle trailer. Any questions 360- 373 5960

I've owned a Stryker sport jet for 5 yrs & looking at the hull specs they look very similar to the Talon. The Stryker rides very nice on the sound & I assume the Talon should too. The hull thickness specs on the Talon look much heavier than the Lund which should also give a more solid ride. Having a windshield & top out on the sound is very nice with either boat not only for rain but more so for windy days when the wind blows the spray from the boat back over the top of you. On my 3rd alumaweld & have been very happy with them & also with excellent service @ 3Rivers marine. My money's on Alumaweld. Good luck in your search.

I have an acquaintance who was coming back from Blue Dot (42miles form Neah Bay) in his 22ft Wooldridge, they were hit with a rogue wave and the boat went down inside a minute. The were 12 miles offshore in water so rough they were unable to hang onto their coolers, did mange to get the PFD's on but were swimming for their lives. A buddy boat who was following picked them up, and Dave is alive to tell the tale. They lost all their gear, though.

If you're going offshore, open bow has some serious downside! I see in your OP that it will be used in Puget Sound----unless you're talking the Strait, either of the 2 boats you mention will be adequate. Having a bimimi or canvas top will mean you'll be much more comfortable from October to May, Bushbear makes some great points on safety and comfort. I've been in the shipping lanes north of Freshwater Bay in a 14ft Livingston, but I was young and foolish!

I think this is a funny question. I grew up fishing thin aluminum hull riveted Lund boats of various lengths. I've been out here and have moved up to welded hull thicker aluminum boats.

I would not go back to riveted thin hull boats.

-S

As I recall, USCG rules don't require upright and level floatation in boats 20' or longer. Rogue waves are not a good thing....buddy boats are a good thing when off-shore. Life jackets should always be on...glad they all survived.

As has been mentioned a good canvas canopy and a windshield will make fishing Puget Sound, the Strait, or the ocean much more comfortable. The open Lund as shown would be way down a boat list for me.

One thing I consistently notice in threads that request information or opinions on buying a small boat is that they invariably result in many posts recommending larger boats and spending two to four, if not more, times as much money. I take the original post at face value and assume the poster actually wants a small boat, not a large boat, and plans to use it where a small boat is adequate to the task. Boat two-foot-itis remains alive and well on internet forums.

Sg

I find it funny as well Salmo. I would recommend actually going the 2 feet shorter route and looking for a moocher style boat. It's what I fish out of the most with my friends and it's nice for launching in shallow areas, sips on fuel, provides a larger fishing space, fits nicely in a garage, and is a heck of a lot cheaper.

But.....it depends on where he plans on spending most of his time.

From his original post, I'd go with the 18' Talon over the Lund. A windshield and canvas plus the larger fuel tank will make his time on the water much more enjoyable. That said, I'll still suggest he take a long look at the 17' Wooldridge Sport Offshore as a viable alternative.

A possible explanation for the prevelence of the Lunds in the AK and Canadian bush may well be the weight factor especially if they are flying the boats into the camps......

Bushbear,

Weight is a major reason, along with durability, for so many Lunds in the bush. The boats aren't usually flown in, but fuel is expensive, and it's really expensive when you have to fly it in, or make separate boat trips to stock fuel caches. Lighter boats with fuel efficient engines are an important attribute.

I was surprised to see 90% of the gillnet fleet on the Kanektok is 16 and 18' Lunds with 40 and 60 hp outboards. Fuel is barged in and expensive.

If weight and $$ aren't a factor, then by all means, upsize. My office mate and I fish out of boats about the same number of days per year. He drives a $55,000 ocean worthy Sea Hawk. I can't rationalize that to myself, so I drive my Lund.

Sg

i gotta wonder, how many people have ever actually worn out a riveted aluminum boat. i know they aren't quite as durable as welded boats, but you don't see many with much more structural damage from wear and tear other than a few loose rivets, most of the time.

my river jet boat is riveted, and weighs about 300lbs before the motor and gear. you won't hear me complaining about the cost of a day trip!

I have a 16 foot Lund Alaskan the I use to fish Puget Sound, Willapa Bay, and a variety of lakes for kokanee and bass. I fly fish out it for salmon, sea-run cutthroat and ling cod (all in Puget Sound) mooch, jig and troll for salmon. Also crab and clam out of it.

It is equiped with downriggers, 80# riptide bow mount electric. I pull it with a Ford Ranger and get 14.5 mpg and between 6 and 7 mpg for the Yamaha 40 horse.

Have had it 7 years now and launched more than 450 times. It does not leak a drop. Love the boat and it does everything that I want. Of course after much thought and investigation about what fisheries interest me and what was available I'm not surprised.

As always when ever buying a boat you are looking about making a number of compromises.

BTW -
I previous boat was a 14 foot Hewes Craft that was also a riveted hull. After 20 years of hard use on both fresh and salt water it did not leak a drop!

Curt

We all have our favorites.....

Lund does make good boats. I just don't think of them as a PNW hull. I went back to the Lund link. I hadn't looked at the 3 configurations for the Alaskan. The DC has the windshield. If you can get canvas, that would be nice.

My first boat was a 14' Smokercraft Alaskan with tiller steering. Worked fine for our family uses in CO. Some of the rivets started to loosen before I sold it, but we got a lot of hours of enjoyment out of it.

Boeing jet aircraft are riveted "hulls." Think about that the next time you're cruising at 36,000'.

Some riveted hulls do leak. Lunds are least likely to be on that list, which is not to say it never happens. I haven't seen it personally tho.

Had a welded Alumweld Sea Dory. Aluminum welds cracked all along the chine. Basically had to have them re-welded, stem to stern.

Choosing a boat is inevitably a series of compromises, even if fuel and money are unlimited. A windshield and canvas can be really nice in foul weather, which is common on PS. However, the OP mentioned fly fishing for salmon and sea run cutthroat among his primary uses. Fly casting is not all that compatible with windshields and canvas tops. Even when removed, the fastening points remain as nuisance line catchers. It seems like it's hard for responders to make recommendations with the OP's intended uses foremost in mind.

Sg

Agreed. Trade-offs on anything being looked at.

Peter

How is the search going....???