How many aluminum boats have you owned?

[n2ratfishin]

I started out with a Fisher Marine and 25 tiller steer. I had a small Lund Deep V for a short while, took it on trade. I fished a Lowe with a 40HP main engine and 6HP side kick for years. The side kick was for HP limited lakes. I lived in VA and fished Briery Creek when they first opened it. Of course three years ago I swapped from glass back to the RT188. So far the RT is the only aluminum boat that hasn't leaked. All the others were riveted boats.

I'm WAY more familiar with glass since I've had a litany of them since 1982. We had others not listed when I was growing up.

[Mechanic Bob]

7
Canoe
12' Vee
14' Vee
10' Jon
16' Semi Vee 161 FM Sea Nymph Most versatile boat I ever owned. 50 HP Johnson Tiller. Fished from Great Lakes, Ocean, Lake, Rivers, Ponds, ...
G3 1966 DLX
RT 198P

Hands down the best was the Sea Nymph.

[Chautauquanuy]

I have had one. It was my first boat, a 1980 Terry (think of a bass tracker boat). I initially had a 9.9 hp on it, then I put a 40 HP on it. I kept that boat until 2001. I sold the 40 and kept the 9.9 on it. I had 2 boats from 1986 until 2001. I had glass Procrafts at the time.

That Terry tin, was my beater. I would fish alone a lot out of that boat. I would also fish the Yough River Lake in the fall when that lake would be drawn down 40-60' to winter pool. I would not risk launching a glass boat with the lake drawn down so much.

I actually started to fish Chautauqua out of that Terry starting in 1983. But I quickly found out that it was too tough to handle that boat in wind.

[PolarKraft195]

1983 Bass Tracker II (bought new)
IMG_1835.jpg

1992 Alumacraft Phantom V170 (bought new)picture shows it docked up on St Lawrence River (1994) MAN did we smash the smallies that trip! 3 of us, and caught over 700 smallies in 5 days!!!
IMG_0028.jpg

1998 Grumman 1752B/Johnson 9.9 hp (for limited hp lakes)
IMG_1679.jpg

1998 Grumman 16 V
no picture
2003 Xpress H51/Mercury 25hp (for limited hp lakes)completely renovated (winter project)
xpress striped down.png
xpress at dock.jpg

2012 Alumacraft Competitor 175CS (bought new)
IMG_1135.jpg

2017 Polarkraft TX195 Pro (bought new)
pk at dock 4.jpg
pk at dock 2.jpg

along with a few others, that I bought, fixed up, and sold for small profit.

My favorite tin, by far, is my current boat, 2017 Polarkraft TX195 Pro!
Had my share of glass bassboats also.

[Great Scott]

EIGHT. LDS

[King_Fish]

3

- 17' SmokerCraft Semi-V w/ 18 HP Tohatsu 2S for our limited HP Lakes (still have). Riveted, great boat, no leaks.
- Tracker PT175 w/ Merc 60 HP EFI 2S. Great boat for 9 years, never 1 problem and was like new when I trader her.
- Ranger RT198p

[ChooChooSnakeMan]

Only 1, the 2011 Lowe 17HP Stinger- 90 Merc Opti that I still have. I purchased it in early 2013 and it had 32 hours on the engine. I love my tin boat and use it more than the FX21 because the Lowe can fit in my garage all loaded and ready to go. If I had to cut down to one boat it would be a hard deccision! I think a lot of people disrespect tin boats because they don't understand the inherent differences between an aluminum hull and a fiberglass one. For what it is and what it is designed to do I think tin boats are a great value with a lot of utility. I can't run 70+ mph, or cruise as fast as the big glass boat but my Lowe will give me an honest 30 - 33 mph cruise with a 42 top end and it get great fuel economy. It is light and easy to tow and at 17' long very maneuverable for river and / or dock fishing. The decks have good fishing space and if you plan properly there is enough storage for a fun day on the water. I've fished 3 pretty big guys out of it and while not ideal it actually worked pretty good!

[Judson1]

One. My current boat. Been a good one.

[repdept]

6 Tin Boats. I have never owned a Glass Boat.

[texoma]

If it was aluminum and floated. Probably sold it new or used.

My favorite 2004 Lund ProV 2025 LE with 250. The boat was a beast.

[mattfish11]

Never owned a glass boat...

Owned 4 aluminum boats:
12ft canoe - awesome for some small stream drifting..
14ft jon boat that really got me addicted to bass fishing
17ft tracker 175 - a whole other level of bass fishing (livewell for tournaments, room for a co-angler, etc)
18ft Ranger RT188 (Current boat) - love it.... everything i need and more.

[King_Fish]

...18ft Ranger RT188 (Current boat) - love it.... everything i need and more.

Hey Matt, did you ever get that crack fixed and did Ranger help you out on it?

Either I don't recall reading your update or I never read it... OA factor I guess...

[mattfish11]

Hey Matt, did you ever get that crack fixed and did Ranger help you out on it?

Either I don't recall reading your update or I never read it... OA factor I guess...

I was pleasantly surprised... Ranger paid the full amount to weld it back together with a reinforcement plate... And sent me pain/clear coat. Very happy.

[croix-man]

I don't have a pic of the first one. It was just a basic 14' jon boat project. Here are the other three for a total of 4 tins and I've had 2 glass boats in the middle somewhere.
Sea Ark.png
02 Lowe 180w.jpg
Update 22.jpg

[pabasshawk]

14' jon, 18' Lowe, Crestliner fishhawk and Ranger 198P.

[Lou22]

2. 165 Pro-Team Tracker for 20 yrs, and my current boat. Vexus Avx 1880.

[xekester]

None. The current one and only owns me.

[Ben Danbleume]

10 foot Jon, 14 foot Jon, 14 foot Mirrocraft V, big ass 16 foot v, 17 foot Tracker Pro V. another 14 ft Mirrocraft, do Pontoons count?

[Panama]

PolarKraft, Fisher Marine, Gruman, Ranger, Ranger, and Ranger. So... six. Have two aluminum boats right now, the Ranger Cherokee and the Ranger RT.

With the improvements they have made in design, construction and layout, I doubt I will ever own another glass boat. They don't get fiberglass blisters. Yes, there have been some aluminum welds crack, but they warranty that. They don't warranty fiberglass against blisters except for maybe a year.

[King_Fish]

PolarKraft, Fisher Marine, Gruman, Ranger, Ranger, and Ranger...

Mongo Like Ranger...



(Joking...)