Intro

[GrandAmbitions]

Hi everyone,

just joined in hopes of learning more about boat buying and/or building options.

In a perfect world I’d buy the “perfect” boat as soon as possible, which likely won’t be before next year or even later if things don’t work out.

I haven’t found the “perfect” boat in NON ALLOY, certainly not in a price range I’m willing to pay. So looking at alternatives, which I’ve perused before but not for a serious purchase.

I live on the right coast in Virginia and have quick access to rivers and the Chesapeake Bay, including the start of the ICW. I’d like a “reasonable” all around boat that will split time between fishing and family cruising. Destinations could range from primarily in the rivers and bay, but occasionally going off shore for those fun fishing excursions and ideally a dream trip down the ICW to Florida to play in the Keys or head to the Bahamas. 

Obviously “perfect” and “reasonable” are subjective. I don’t care too much about style, but prefer durability and low(er) maintenance over alternatives. Also prefer blue water capabilities over shallow access.

In short, I know there is no perfect boat but need to find the right fit for me, my family and the budget, which won’t be finalized until next year.

Glad to see a dedicated space for info, hope to learn a lot here about the options.

Thanks!
Ben

[kmorin]

Grand',
Welcome to the AAB.com Forum, my remarks are about the 'perfect' multi-water body boat idea. I think you'd end up with three or four different boats for the several water bodies you've described?

Like the 'perfect' anything.... the item simply loses that label if the use is too widely construed.  The 'perfect' tool, vehicle or musical instrument is usually confined to a very narrow application in order to get the 'perfect' status. 

For example, if the goal is to cut wood across a board that is narrower than 10", and the cut is 45-90 degrees... an electrically powered miter saw is about perfect for that job.  And, if your intent is to drive 1/4 mile over and over at the highest speed possible, on a dedicated track, then; the fuely dragster is just about perfect there.  Likewise, if you want to play a piano concerto - the piano is considered perfect for the job.

However, in each case, if the tool, vehicle or instrument is used for just slightly different jobs (?) say the piano is asked to play an electric rock-n-roll bass line ? well the notes can be played but might not be very desireable in a rock concert?   What if the dragster is used to run to the store for groceries, or worse, if you try to thickness plane a plank of wood in a miter saw: well the perfect title sort of goes out the window.

Not sure you'll find any boat, made of anything, that that will be 'perfect' in all the different waters you've described?  Maybe you're using the term 'perfect' to mean "best fit for all these different waters, at a price point I want to afford" ?  While I'm using the term 'perfect' to mean the best hull for each different kind of water (?) 

The hull that does the most to make a river trip enjoyable and safe (perfect?) as well as most affordable; is a flat bottom jon boat, basically a bateau or scow shape of some form. Mainly because the river has few if any waves and so the low sides, flat bottom and other features lend appropriate function in the boat to that body of water.

The inland bay boat, which might have to face a sea state with some fetch, therefore some swell or chop, would usually have a little more deadrise than a jon boat. The bay run-about usually has deeper topsides and maybe even a cuddy over the forward 1/3 of the hull?  Finally, an offshore boat would serve best with a full V bottom, much higher sides than a river boat or even and inland bay run-about and I prefer to see sealed decks and reserve flotation as well, at a minimum.  Each hull form best suited to the conditions of the waters it faces.

So, while there may be (?) a hull form or design of a welded aluminum boat that will offer you the preferred performance in all these different conditions.... I'm not sure there is a 'perfect' boat, in any material, that answers your description and stated goals for your future purchase??

Good luck with your search for your boat.  I hope you'll keep posting to allow others who are interested in learning more about your solution to this age old question to follow your research results, your decision tree and hopefully your final solution and purchase of the boat you decide will offer you the perfect solution ?   I think perfection, for that many different water bodies is a goal too far?  But I'd like to follow your quest to find the boat you decide does what you'd like to see.

(again) Welcome to the Forum, I hope you'll help us follow your thought process as you select a boat?  IF you decide to build on your own (?) I'd surely try to help with review of your design, proposed building methods in the design and advise on welding.  I've built a few welded aluminum boats from 2' to 40' and I'm willing to reflect on the countless mistakes I've made to help you consider avoiding those errors if you build for yourself.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK

 
 

[kmorin]

Grand',
Just looking at adjacent posts, and back a few months- an offshore capable, family boat, in welded aluminum, has to be considered an 150,000$ item and that is the lower end of the market!! SO, that gives me the idea that three boats would be more efficient than one?? 

A Jon boat, riverboat or flat bottomed scow for rivers where there’s almost no waves, seems like it could be much less expensive? I think those boats would range from used riveted models to a new welded from aluminum sheet & plate model but remain so far below the 150k range that it seems like the most appealing hull form and market niche for river use? This gets your family on the water soonest as the financial involvement is lowest of all three small boat market groups. 

Next, a riveted or production inland bay boat seems to range in the 20-40k $ range with modest power? Even if that boat was double that cost it still remains well below the 150 mark (!) So the riveted or used welded plate inland skiff may be well below what some of the USED welded plate offshore boats are bringing. 

IF the inland waters’ fetch (shore-to-shore distance where wind can bring up a swell, waves or a chop) is more than a few miles, then a heavier and longer riveted hull is more appealing so that the seakeeping (ability to ride waves and chop safely w/o shipping water or wind spray) is greater than a shorter (16-18’er is shorter & 20-24’er is longer in this description) hull. Especially critical in an open skiff w/o cuddy or any weather helm to shelter from wind and spray. 

Given the cost basis of what we see posted here (!!) building your own offshore boat does seem to have some fairly attractive aspects if you have some carpentry skills that could be (easily) converted to metal working and if you acquire a welding system to ‘glue’ the aluminum together? To do that, build a reliable offshore plate boat, is no small undertaking however, the nearly 200k$ price tag is surely enough incentive to look carefully at that project.

I’d estimate you can build for lower than 50cents on the dollar for the final floating boat? You can’t buy a new engine for less than list, or any of the electronics or most of the rest of the needed hardware. But you can discount the labor, if you can afford the man hours to invest(?) and that is a significant part of a welded aluminum boat’s cost in today’s market. Also, there may be a course of action by building one or more flat bottomed river boats- welded of course. Selling them to help finance your next class hull and then moving onward to your larger and more able offshore saltwater fishing boat?

I realize this would imply a multi-year commitment of all the spare time in anyone’s life, but with a 200k $ price tag now.... not sure where that will be in a few years? It may be worth working through the materials and labor to build a Jon boat, then an open 20- or 22’er for the inland bays and finally (having developed skills and tooling along with building algorithm knowledge) go for the bigger boat build. 

There are a number of welded aluminum designs and cut plate packages available in most sizes and shapes. You could avoid learning the skills to layout and cut your own hull by purchasing a cut package from a known designer. I see several ‘cut kits’ being assembled online and one (or two ?) on the AAB.com forum.

The cost to have the design pre-cut is non-trivial but saves an entire area of learning that many new builders prefer to avoid. The best part of that path of construction is you can begin building when the metal arrives, the down side is you’re not informed of the lofting, layout and curve forming that is involved so you’re jumping over those fundamentals; but paying for the service to be done by others. 

Hope you’ll share your thinking on selecting a boat or series of boats to serve your needs in the waters you’ve described?

We have rivers, inland bays and open ocean boats here in the Cook Inlet, in Alaska, and its common to see a family move from one class up to the next as on their water experience and family resources improve.  Its also common to see a group of friends team up to build a series of welded boats, knowing they'll be able to rely on someone's welding skills and another's carpentry to help get the boats done. 

A couple of younger friends are building a (Piper) Super Cub to get in the air, one's a welder the other an experience mechanic- ganging up on a project is a great way to pool labor and build things one man might not have all the skills to accomplish.

We'd enjoy hearing from you about how you attain your marine aspirations??

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK