16' Starcraft vs. 15.5' Smokercraft Pro Yukon

[MikeMc]

Gentlemen,

I've been fishing a 1993 Smokercraft Pro Yukon for a few years now. It's 58" at the (well rounded) chine with shallow freeboard (as little as 8"). My wife and I have found it not to be very stable and she has fallen twice getting out of it onto the dock. It's been a good learning boat for us but I don't have the confidence in the safety of the boat in anything but bathtub waters. I get nervous when the water skiers/jet skiers come out as we both feel like a cork in a washing machine and their wakes come quite close to laping over the side.

I have an opportunity to purchase a 1989 16' Starcraft w/o motor for $1,200. It has a livewell, trailer, decent seats, walk-thru windshield, and a canvas top. I was thinking I might take the good 40hp Merc off the yukon and put it on the Starcraft and end up with a nice stable boat for my wife and I to fish from. The boat appears to have more freeboard as well from the pictures. It's in Grants Pass and I'm in Silverton so I'm trying to be really sure before I drive down there.


Is there someone familiar with these boats enough to give me an idea of their stability? Would I be moving in the right direction? Is this a reasonable price to ask? How hard is it to swap the motor over? Sorry for the questions, but I don't want to make a mistake!

Here's some pic's of the Starcraft:









Thanks!

Mike

[honker1]

I had a '72 16' Starcraft and now I have a '86 18' Starcraft. The Starcraft boats are light weight, which makes them easier to trailer, but in rough water they will bounce around like a cork. If the wave is large, you better be grabbing something to stablize yourself. My wife likes to read while we fish and if a wakeboarder goes bye, she can get knocked almost out of her seat.
The freeboard of the boat hasn't been a issue. No waves come over the sides, but I have taken a few over the bow on the Columbia in very rough conditions. Mostly my own fault for not reading the waves correctly.
On my 16' Starcraft I had a 50hp motor and wished I had a 85hp. A 40hp is a little small, but may work in mild water and your not in a hurry.

[Tinman]

40 hp sounds a little weak for this boat.

[MikeMc]

Thanks, guys! You confirm what others have been telling me about my 40hp motor. I guess I'll keep looking.

[byebyeducky]

I have a 16' sylvan which is basically the same boat with a 70hp evinrude. it does fine, but sometimes I wish it was a 90. A 40 would get you there, but probably take a while to get planing.

[Lead Bouncer]

Even with a prop forty is too weak. you have a lot of forward weight. But two strokes are hard to find and four strokes weigh more.