Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

General boating discussion
dirtrich
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:27 pm
14

Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#1

Post by dirtrich »

Hi guys! I was asking questions over on another site and I think I got drafted by a Welder, so here I am. I'm lookin' to trade up from my old faithful Whaler, because my family has out grown it. O.K., the truth is, I'm just getting too old to take that much of a beating every time I go out. And did I mention WET? And COLD? Sheesh, I actually used to like that, but now when I look back on it I don't know why. Sigh. Moving right along, I'm shopping! I've read about Cats, and they interested me. I heard about ACB's, and they interested me. I've not been on either, so I've been soliciting opinions/comparisons. Not too many people are talking about their acb's, or maybe those owners just don't get on websites much. Anyhow, at this point, after researching the acb and reading the testimonials on their website, I've about convinced myself that that's it. Then I found out about Stabicraft but they were in another country. THEN I discovered they opened a shop up the street from acb. Sooo, there you have it. I've got some money burning a hole in my pocket, and I don't know what the heck I want, but I want to go hunt albacore in it right away. So now, the pepsi challenge is between the acb and the stabi. Can anyone weigh in on this? Oh, I'm looking for trailerable, 26-28 ft., with some sort of cabin/pilot house affair, and under 100k. (the further under, the better!). ACB has a 2004 26' for 99k, and stabicraft has a 28' (2005?) for 98k up in alaska. I like the look of the acb better, but I like the layout of the stabi better. Any one seen these boats up close? Ridden in them? How's my first post? Thanks for listening guys, looking forward to hearing your opinions.
Dave
User avatar
welder
Site Admin
Posts: 4667
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:51 pm
16
Location: Whitesboro, Texas
Contact:

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#2

Post by welder »

Dirtrich, there are guys here with the boats you want and I'm sure rides will be offered .
It is a little slow this weekend as most are busy .

Oh Yeah great 1st post and WELCOME to AAB. :highfive:
Lester,
PacificV2325, Honda BF225
2386
S L Dave
Donator #1 '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13
Posts: 1077
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:43 pm
16
Location: LA/Western NY

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#3

Post by S L Dave »

I am guessing the ACB would have a stronger resale due to their loyal following...anyone think the same?
"Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right."
Image
User avatar
21ftcc
Donator '09
Posts: 854
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:19 pm
15

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#4

Post by 21ftcc »

Welcome aboard
Image
Bob Davis
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:56 am
16
Location: Lockeford Ca.
Contact:

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#5

Post by Bob Davis »

I love my ACB. I saw them online about 4 years ago and what I saw there was enough to get me up to Bellingham for a test ride. We were lucky since on that day Puget Sound was pretty rough so we got to put a 26' through a good test. I was very impressed by the ride and how safe the boats are. Mine is a 23' Waverunner, with the Armstrong Bracket, it measures about 29' from the back of the motors to the front of the anchor pulpit. But the true hull is 23. They don't make anything smaller than the 25 now I believe. My hull is the same one they built those 60 boats for the Marine Corp. on. The boats handle the rough well, are a dream to drive in the following sea and drift with the stern to the sea.It tows great, I take it to Pyramid Lake in Nevada several times each year and the tow over Donner is a piece of cake. I hit a wash rock awhile back in the dark up at Pyramid. If I had been in a glass boat I would have been in trouble I think. The way is was I broke of a skag, tweaked my props and knocked off the transducer. I have been busy with vacations and work so I haven't got it up to the shop yet. I want them to pull of the bottom units and check the gears. I heard that when you hit a prop. hard it can crystilize the gears and although they might now fail right away they could down the road. Anyone know if this is true?
When we had a salmon season we would berth the boat in Sausalito for easy access to the Marin Coast,Farallons and SF Bay.
I'd be happy to let you know when I get it back from the shop and you could come fishing with us for a day. It would either be halibut in the bay or rockies out at the islands. You are in Santa Cruz right?
Bob
2006 23' Aluminum Chambered Boat Waverunner,twin Suzuki 140s,T8 kicker,Raymarine e120. Favorite places, off the Golden Gate,Tahoe,Pyramid Lake Nevada.
peterbo3
Contributor
Posts: 486
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:59 am
16
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#6

Post by peterbo3 »

G'Day Rich,
Welcome. I will be brief. No input on the ACB as I am not local. The Stabi is a different matter. They are a great sea boat, well built & designed to handle the rough stuff. Used by many Government agencies (Customs, Immigration, etc) down this way. Ugly. Absolutely. I have been on a few & they ride well. But it is a case of function over form. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :deadhorse: :deadhorse:
Regards,

Pete in Brisbane
Image
dirtrich
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:27 pm
14

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#7

Post by dirtrich »

Good morning Bob and Pete,
Getting the job done has always been a thing of beauty to me! That being said, I have to admit that the first time I saw a photo of an ACB it made my heart throb. I really like the way those things look. Not so much with the Stabi, but then again, I've always been more interested in performance than looks. The safety factor of both those vessels is a big draw for me (as well as the speed!), and a softer ride is also highly desirable. Having read the testimonials on the ACB site makes me want to ask the obvious question.... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Going 28 knots through nine foot confused seas while your wife has her feet up on the dash calmly painting her toehttp://www.aluminumalloyboats.com/posting.php? ... f=4&t=1792#
:shock:nails? Now, I realize that as fisherman we have a rather bad rep. for stretching the truth a bit, but holy-moly !posting.php?mode=reply&f=4&t=1792#
:shock:posting.php?mode=reply&f=4&t=1792#
:shock:posting.php?mode=reply&f=4&t=1792# O.K., I think I just had an emoticon accident. I've never used them before and think I need to read up on how to do it. Any how, Back to Bob, yes I do live in Santa Cruz and thank you I'd love to go out on your boat. Sorry to hear about your wash rock incident, hope that turns out o.k. for you. We're going up to Elko in a couple of weeks to visit the inlaws, cousins etc. and we might just go check out pyramid lake as I've always wanted to yet never seem to find the time.
Dave
User avatar
welder
Site Admin
Posts: 4667
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:51 pm
16
Location: Whitesboro, Texas
Contact:

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#8

Post by welder »

Dave everybodies SEA STATE is a little different, here in the Gulf of Mexico 3 to4'swill kick your backside and ruin your day but when I lived in So Cal 6 to 8 swells were nothing due to the spacing.

Our slop here in the gulf is about 2 to 4 sec apart and coming from 2 diff directions , it can make life fun :shocked:
Lester,
PacificV2325, Honda BF225
2386
dirtrich
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:27 pm
14

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#9

Post by dirtrich »

Ouch! That makes my back hurt just thinking about it. I'll admit I'm getting a bit impatient with my quest for a new (to me) vessel. I'm strongly motivated by my desire to take my children fishing, and I feel helpless as I watch the days roll by and I'm no closer than I was when I started. My boys go back to school in FIVE WEEKS! Where did the summer go? We haven't even gone on vacation yet. I'm encouraged by Bob's generous offer to take me out on his 23' acb, and as they say, "the proof is in the pudding" or "putting" in this case! But all this talk about theory and other peoples experiences is just driving me nuts. I just can't seem to get where I want to go fast enough. Sigh. So many boats, so little time.
Dave
User avatar
welder
Site Admin
Posts: 4667
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:51 pm
16
Location: Whitesboro, Texas
Contact:

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#10

Post by welder »

Dave, just give Kenny a call at Tradewind Inflatables & Marine There a sponsor here . He has a Pacific 23 Super top [ Head in the console ] it's a 08 model , NEW and needs to be rigged to the new owners specs and gone .

The Honda BF225 on the transom will look sweeeeeet Kenny 949-631-7334 They are down in Orange county .
Lester,
PacificV2325, Honda BF225
2386
Illgotoo
Donator '12
Posts: 291
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:51 am
16
Location: Petersham, MA

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#11

Post by Illgotoo »

Regarding the pepsi taste test: ACB vs Stabi, I think they are similar in a lot of ways. ACB may have a stiffer hull due to extra stringers and bulkheads belowdecks. This is good and makes the boat somewhat heavier and more able to cut through waves rather than ride on top. ACBs are pricey, partly IMHO because their manufacturing capacity is mainly occupied by orders for the military.

Stabis have been making these kind of boats longer than ACB. They are great boats. I imagine the cost of shipping from NZ is included in the price.

From what I can piece together, before ACB was formed, Stabi-crafts were build in Bellingham, WA (where ACB is now based) under a license from the parent company. They stopped building Stabi's, improved the hull, obtained a US patent, and started a new company building boats under the ACB brand.

One can see the influence of the Stabi design in an early ACB from the pictures below.

Here is a 1999 Stabi.

Image

And here is a 2000 ACB

Image
It's not getting what you want. It's wanting what you got. -Sheryl Crow



15' Stabi-craft
Image
17' Safeboat
Image
18' Eaglecraft
16' Eaglecraft
Bob Davis
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:56 am
16
Location: Lockeford Ca.
Contact:

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#12

Post by Bob Davis »

This link has a bunch of photos of Jerry's 23' ACB center being built. The first few photos that show the construction of the hull with the 9 pressure tested airchambers, 4 on each side and one on the bow, are interesting because that is what makes ACBs and I believe Stabi's unique. Bob

http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.p ... hlight=acb
2006 23' Aluminum Chambered Boat Waverunner,twin Suzuki 140s,T8 kicker,Raymarine e120. Favorite places, off the Golden Gate,Tahoe,Pyramid Lake Nevada.
Illgotoo
Donator '12
Posts: 291
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:51 am
16
Location: Petersham, MA

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#13

Post by Illgotoo »

Hi Bob:

Nice set of build photos. I too visited and got the factory tour with Marty Smith. (Rumor has it
he may be with Stabi-craft now. Not sure though.)

I tried to get myself into an ACB. Came close on more than one occasion. Twice I bid on 26' DVR's
at an online auction, but got beat in the end. Once by the Elephant Boys and another time by a
retired cop who mortaged his house to get the boat. (at least that's what the custodian told me)
I guess they each wanted their boats more than me.

I consider ACBs really well-built boats and extremely sea-worthy. They are too much money for me
to buy new though. And yes, I have gotten by their looks.
It's not getting what you want. It's wanting what you got. -Sheryl Crow



15' Stabi-craft
Image
17' Safeboat
Image
18' Eaglecraft
16' Eaglecraft
dirtrich
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:27 pm
14

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#14

Post by dirtrich »

O.K., I'm back. Long week. Lester, those Pacifics look like fine vessels. I need to cough up some time to talk to the rep. about their specifics. Do they have scuppers? Illgotoo, thanks for the background. It's kind of like a Bruce Lee/Mike Tyson comparison. Well, not really but that's the best analogy I could come up with.(I'd go with Bruce Lee every time!) Which brings us to Bob's link.....WOW! It's hard to look at those photo's and that shop and not want to go spend a little "quality time" with my wife :wink: !! I did finally re-establish contact (via e-mail) with the acb rep. regarding the used 26' sport fisherman they have on their website and got a little more info. on it....It has no in-deck fish hold, though one could be installed(for a price), is not plumbed for a live-well, though one could be installed...and of course there's no "rocket launcher" but I assume they'd be happy to weld one on. He said it has an aluminum fuel cell, with access to valves and sending units under sealed armstrong hatches. More questions :oops: What's the life-span of an aluminum tank (will they hold up with the corrosive fuels we have now?) What exactly is an armstrong hatch and how well do they really seal? Do they require maintenance? Anyhow, I have to admit I'm a bit surprised that for a "sport fisherman" it doesn't seem to be outfitted for fishing. I didn't even see rodholders in the photos. He said the fuel economy is about 2 mpg @ 30 knots, with a 52 mph top speed. You know, our local harbor is full of boats but none of the brands discussed seem to live there. All the discussions in the world will only take you so far, kind of like on-line dating (I'm guessing). Oh yeah one more question I meant to ask. It has twin 2004 evinrude 200 engines but they are not the e-tec. What's the concensus on those engines?
dirtrich
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:27 pm
14

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#15

Post by dirtrich »

Illgotoo wrote:Hi Bob:

Nice set of build photos. I too visited and got the factory tour with Marty Smith. (Rumor has it
he may be with Stabi-craft now. Not sure though.)

I tried to get myself into an ACB. Came close on more than one occasion. Twice I bid on 26' DVR's
at an online auction, but got beat in the end. Once by the Elephant Boys and another time by a
retired cop who mortaged his house to get the boat. (at least that's what the custodian told me)
I guess they each wanted their boats more than me.

I consider ACBs really well-built boats and extremely sea-worthy. They are too much money for me
to buy new though. And yes, I have gotten by their looks.
What auction site?
Bob Davis
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:56 am
16
Location: Lockeford Ca.
Contact:

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#16

Post by Bob Davis »

I also heard that Marty Smith, the recreational boat salesman we worked with at ACB is over at Stabi. If he is I wish him well, nice guy and no pressure at all. I feel comfortable with the aluminum gas tank mostly since most of ACB's clients are military and they have some tough specs. The tanks are installed with a air gap around them so no worries about creavice corrosion. The boats are pretty much custom, you should see their options list, even has machine gun mounts listed. Different clients depending on where they are might or might not want a live well, everyone wants their rod holders in a different place etc. Armstrong products are top of the line, the deck hatches do not leak and are are mantainence free. Their outboard models also use a Armstrong Bracket to hang the motors on. I have three motors and each has its own tap and fuel line into the tank and its is accessible via one of the deck hatches. Here is a link to Armstrong, have a great weekend. Bob

http://www.armstrongnautical.com/brackets.htm
2006 23' Aluminum Chambered Boat Waverunner,twin Suzuki 140s,T8 kicker,Raymarine e120. Favorite places, off the Golden Gate,Tahoe,Pyramid Lake Nevada.
ruggit
Posts: 107
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:13 pm
16
Location: Coeur d Alene, Idaho

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#17

Post by ruggit »

Illgotoo wrote:Hi Bob:

Nice set of build photos. I too visited and got the factory tour with Marty Smith. (Rumor has it
he may be with Stabi-craft now. Not sure though.)

I tried to get myself into an ACB. Came close on more than one occasion. Twice I bid on 26' DVR's
at an online auction, but got beat in the end. Once by the Elephant Boys and another time by a
retired cop who mortaged his house to get the boat. (at least that's what the custodian told me)
I guess they each wanted their boats more than me.

I consider ACBs really well-built boats and extremely sea-worthy. They are too much money for me
to buy new though. And yes, I have gotten by their looks.



The Elephant Boys I know is a dealership in Spokane, Wa with some sort of connection to the ACB company. Might have been a good deal on the boat, or might have been some other reason for them to bid.
Armstrong 29 with Yamaha F350
Illgotoo
Donator '12
Posts: 291
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:51 am
16
Location: Petersham, MA

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#18

Post by Illgotoo »

GSA auctions. Sometimes they show up on ebay as well.
It's not getting what you want. It's wanting what you got. -Sheryl Crow



15' Stabi-craft
Image
17' Safeboat
Image
18' Eaglecraft
16' Eaglecraft
dirtrich
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:27 pm
14

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#19

Post by dirtrich »

I guess I really have no excuse for not doing a search for "armstrong" myself, don't know why I didn't.Looks like they build a good product.....now I know why I see everyones engines hanging so far off the back, the specs are impressive. I guess I should give Marty Smith a call this week and see what he has to say/offer. You know, the 26' dvr layout looks really good to me. I consider anything forward of the wheel to be wasted space, and I'm not a "sleep on the boat" kind of guy. That boat solves some dilemnas for me, namely: It has a cabin, the doors allow for fresh air (big plus for me), lot's more fishing room up front that's easily accessible. It has the aerodynamics of a sheet of plywood though. I wonder what that does for the fuel economy.
User avatar
welder
Site Admin
Posts: 4667
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:51 pm
16
Location: Whitesboro, Texas
Contact:

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#20

Post by welder »

Dirt, yes the pacifics are self bailing [ Scuppers ] and foam filled . My 23 has 7800 lbs of positive flotation under the deck . The 115 gallon fuel tank is NOT foamed in . The deck is seal welded to the hull.

You can order these boats in just about any configuration you want.

I know your looking at ACB and Stabi , those are some GREAT boats . I just wanted to show you what else is out there.

Go here and look around , http://www.pacificboats.com
Lester,
PacificV2325, Honda BF225
2386
Bob Davis
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:56 am
16
Location: Lockeford Ca.
Contact:

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#21

Post by Bob Davis »

If you talk to Marty tell him Bob Davis says hi and he is a great guy even if he did go over the the competition. ACB really likes Armstrong products, mine also came with a Armstrong ladder that hangs off the bow or the bracket on the stern. We use the front ladder a lot when beaching up at Pyramid. The bow on those boats is pretty high.
2006 23' Aluminum Chambered Boat Waverunner,twin Suzuki 140s,T8 kicker,Raymarine e120. Favorite places, off the Golden Gate,Tahoe,Pyramid Lake Nevada.
keith
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 10:49 pm
15
Location: Northern CA.

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#22

Post by keith »

My son and I went to Homer last summer for some Halibut fishing on a charter boat. While we were out someone with an ACB that new our captain came along and chatted with him for a few minutes. The thing that I noticed about his boat was that every thing that banged against his hull made a huge amount of noise that could be heard from quite a distance. Does ACB ever fill the outer chambers and below deck area with foam? I don't imagine they could do the chambers if they are going to pressure test them. Seem like they would be great boats if you don't mind the noise issue.
samsnap
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:25 am
14
Location: Brisbane Australia

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#23

Post by samsnap »

I don't have any tech specs to throw at you - only observations from frequently riding in a stabi & watching it in action several times to offer you. I dekky on Charter Boats in Brisbane Australia & we have a mate who frequently follows us out & tags along with a Stabi. We are in a 36Ft Cat & I have seen him take some pretty rough weather with ease. I have been in it a few times and can say it rides extremely well & is a dry & capable boat in any conditions. Most of our Government departments use them & have no problems with them. Good luck with your research. Sammy
DwayneJ
Posts: 64
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:30 pm
14

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#24

Post by DwayneJ »

Enough lurking...

After considerable research, my family met up with Marty in May and we placed an order for a Stabicraft 829. Boat should be in the water in August...

Wabasto heating and hot water, Twin 150 Honda's, shower/head, dinette/bed, cooker, and large vberth. Built for fishing, scuba diving, and weekends away with the family... and the color "Hell Red" of course.

http://www.stabicraft.com
Boat 4_2.jpg
Boat 4_2.jpg (44.34 KiB) Viewed 28297 times
UNI_1675.jpg
UNI_1675.jpg (59.53 KiB) Viewed 28297 times
This is Tom Nelson's new Stabicraft 829 "Big Red":
IMG_4018.jpg
IMG_4018.jpg (48.89 KiB) Viewed 28290 times
User avatar
welder
Site Admin
Posts: 4667
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:51 pm
16
Location: Whitesboro, Texas
Contact:

Re: Hey, anyone seen an aluminum boat around here?

#25

Post by welder »

WELCOME to AAB and AWESOME choice of a new ride :highfive:

More pictures if you have them would be cool.
Lester,
PacificV2325, Honda BF225
2386
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic