Alumaweld questions

[Ken Drifter]

After a long 2.5 years of being boatless, I'm getting ready to purchase a new Alumaweld. . I will
Probably go with a Stryker 17ft or possibly the 19ft. Just haven't decided yet on giving up that much garage space. Is two feet that big a deal ?
I have chosen Alumaweld for several reasons. Price, quality, Stevens Marine is right next door to where I work. (easier to drop off for maintenace etc.)
Going with a 90 mercury outboard. Rather than a jet. Due to the ability to fish several types of waters. Plus more overall room.
My questions are for guys who already have one. What upgrades do you suggest ? Are you happy with the boat ? What have you done to prevent corrosion ? Service n warranty issues ? How far out have you been ?
Overall satisfaction with Alumaweld ? Any suggestions, comments...Cool pics to get me all worked up ?
Thanks in advance.
Ken

[ICHTHYDEMON]

I had the SuperVee LS which is basically the Stryker without the windshield. Mine was 17' and I had it for 3 years. I had no issues with the boat at all. If I would have done it over I would have went with the 19' The 17' was fine,but we outgrew it quickly. Fishing 3 guys and their gear got crowded. Adding the windshield will cut down on room inside the boat,I'd get the 19' windshield boat for sure.

I went with the unpainted sides and with constant saltwater use I had zero corrosion problems. I made sure to wash her down well after salt use.


If you get the 17' IMO the 90 will be too much,I think something about 75 would be better. The 90 would be a good match for the 19'

[snit]

Another Alumaweld fan here. I'm on my second Intruder. Get the 19' if you can swing it!!! I haven't had any problems with either of my Alumawelds (knocking on wood). They have zincs on the hulls, so you shouldn't have corrosion issues. My last boat had half paint, but my new one is just bare aluminum with some graphics. I scratch paint anyway, so I really didn't want it. Here's a pic of the boat.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/Astoria_Alumaweld.jpg

[backlash]

My first was a 19' Formula Vee inboard, 2nd was a 21' Super Vee, 3rd is a 21' Formula Vee and since I couldn't figure out what I really wanted I added a 18' Flat Bottom to the fleet. The first 3 I bought new from Stevens, the latest is a used boat. I can't say enough good things about Alumaweld boats and Stevens without sounding like I'm on the payroll. There is a difference and I wouldn't think about buying another brand of aluminum boat. Go with the 19', there is no substitute for overall length, the beam is probably a little wider as well.

[Bob Barthlow]

Go with the 19'...cheaper now, than a year or two down the road.

Alumaweld boats are built for a lifetime, I took delivery of my new 21' Super Vee on Feb 28th 1993, and I still love this boat.... http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/1162Boat_Outside_Bigger.jpg...this picture is when I repainted and repowered it in 2003....13+ years old, looks great and going strong!
I've had great luck with Alumaweld boats and Stevens Marine, even if I don't buy a new boat every 2-3 years. :grin:
Besure to Shark Hide all unpainted Aluminum, and it will keep looking new.
If your go with the 19'...I would opt for a 115-150 Merc.

You don't want to be under powered, with the 90 you will have to run near WOT, with a load...burning more fuel, and premature wear on the engine. :cheers:

When I was young and dumb, I had this boat 10 mile west of the CR bouy, on a calm day, now I stay in the river.

[Tacklebuster]

That is a nice looking ride, I love seeing that pic.

[Gr8waves]

I have purchased 3 different boats from Stevens, two of them being Alumawelds. There is a reason they have gotten repeat business - a good balance of price, quality and service.

Go with the 19'.

[Clamman]

I was in the same delima as you about 5 years ago and opted for the 19' stryker. Though it is not as "pretty" as the next level of Alumaweld boats I have never regretted the choice. Sacrifice the garage space for the size. You will be able to carry more gear, fish more comfortably and be able to stay out in a little worse conditions. I have fished b-10 for years in this boat and even been out in the ocean off the CR buoy a few times. It has proven to be very "fishy".

As far as engine, go as big as your wallet will let you. At the time of my purchase, I could only afford the 75hp. While that pushes the boat just fine; four guys, full tanks, and tons of gear to GPS speed of 35mph, I would have felt more comfortable with a 90 or 115. :shrug: Regardless it still seems to sip the gas at a rate less than I expected.

Hope this helps. PM me if you want more information.

Clam

[retaliate]

Why not go with the Sportsman?, the Strykers lack a Gunnel, which realy help for support when fighting a fish.

[bigredapes]

My suggestion -- hurry up and decide on boat model and length, get it on order to secure your position in the factory, and then worry about the rest of the small options later. From what I'm seeing there's a huge backorder through Alumaweld right now. My delivery time doubled between putting $$ down and final order time because there was some mixup around length of boat. Unfortunately I got the bad end of that deal all around. Still waiting for delivery.

I'd go for as large a boat as you can store and tow.

[danger]

:idea: Better yet...buy a used one. I see 3-5 year old AW vee hull prop boats for sale all over the place. You'll save a ton of money, and there is no waiting for delivery.

Buy used or get used.

Danger

[#1 Okie]

You cant go wrong with Alumaweld. Trust me here, buy the biggest boat with the biggest motor it can handle that will work for your budget. If you don't you'll be looking at another before you know it.

[skunkpatrol]

Go with the 19-footer and the 115 or bigger motor. I bought recently it came down to two: the boat you're considering, and a Hewescraft. I found a great used Sea Runner and went that direction, but would just as easily bought a Stryker.

New is a lot more fun, used is a lot better value.

[timinthegorge]

Definitely go 19'... and I believe 115hp is the max unless they've changed it. My 19' Stryker is an '03.

I'm running the 90 2-stroke saltwater Merc, and the Bigfoot 9.9 4-stroke kicker. Never had a problem with boat or motors...... When I buy a bigger boat, it'll likely be an Intruder, like Snits. :wave: :wave: :wave:

I was thinking a 17 footer when I went shopping for my "next" boat almost 4 years ago. I'm glad I got my 2 footitis out of the way early. :cheers:

[Warndude]

Buy my Dads boat, $7999 for a 18' Alumaweld flat bottom sled. All you have to do is save your lunch money for a few months.