Boat Shopping... Seahawk - Asaltor - Alexis

[StinkyH]

Been doing some poking around - whittled my list a little. Was gonna go with Alumaweld but it sounds like I'll get more bang for my buck and quality going with Wille Boats, Thunder Jet or North River...

Here's the three boats I am pondering...

19' North River Seahawk

20' Thunder Jet Alexis

18.5' or 20' Willie Boats Asaltor

Working on getting some pricing for each.

Anyone have any pros or cons on these specific models?

Plan on hitting the Columbia primarily so something that slices the waves would be best vs slapping down on them all day.

I've browsed the archives but I am looking for input on the specific models and didn't find much.

Here's the list of goods I've put together from browsing the archives and from memory:

1 Anchor
1 Anchor Chain (6')
1 Anchor Rope(300 ft x 3/8" braided)
1 Anchor Roller
1 mooring line
1 Anchor Bouy
1 Pole Hook
1 Extinguisher
1 Flare Gun
2 Fenders
4 Pole Holder
1 Fish Finder
1 GPS
1 Radio
1 Pole Rack
1 Extra rod/reel setup
4 Life Jackets
1 Throwable Cushion
1 Oar
1 Bait Cutting board
1 scrub brush
1 spot light
1 scale
2 sea anchors
1 binoculars
1 flashlight
~ trim tabs?
1 net
1 fish pacifier
1 tide book
1 area map
1 sunscreen
1 Trailer Spare wheel

Total for this stuff is roughly $1650.

Any input is greatly appreciated. :grin:

StinkyH

[Killertraylor]

1 vote for the Seahawk. I've had my 22' for 2 years now and I'll never let her go - can't say a single bad thing about it. Great CR boat and ocean boat too.

Have fun shopping - that's a heck of a list!

[Flatfish]

From the it is more expensive the second time files.

If you plan on ocean trips, get a GPS that is mounted somewhere near the depthfinder. Or just get the GPS/ depthfinder combo from Lowrance.

3 fenders keep more scratches off than 2.

Mark and the dog.

[adfluvial angler]

I too am closing in on the purchase of a new alum. deep v .... have you checked out the '04 Duckworth Pacific Navigator (reverse chines, 19'5" or 21'5")? Like Thunderjet, these are built in Clarkston, WA.

http://www.duckworthboats.com/hprintnavspec.htm

It is a new design for this year and on paper it appears similar to the Seahawk. I haven't demo'ed either model yet.

[illbfish]

Having had Alumaweld, Willie & North River, I think the top choice would be the NR Seahawk. I bought a 20' Mariner & wished I had done my homework better.

[WaterDog]

Add at least 2 more feet to the hull.

Might look at the Boulton Sea skiff.

[ 01-14-2004, 08:01 AM: Message edited by: WaterDog ]

[Up-4-Air]

I bought a 20' NR Seahawk not long ago. Traded a 19' Jetctaft in on the new boat. The model Jetcraft that I had wasn't safe on the Columbia when the wind was blowing very hard. The Seahawk solved that problem. I'm very happy with the Seahawk. A couple features you might consider if you go with the Seahawk are:

1. Raise the splash well 6" to match the height of the sides. No point letting a big wave splash over the back on the boat if your in really rough water.
2. Lower and shorten the canvas. A high canvas just adds sail area. Shortened canvas allows more room in the back for the fisherman and the guy with the net.
3. Add throttle control for the 8 hp up at the normal steering position. You can troll out of the weather that way.
4. Put the fish box in the floor forward of the fuel tank. Don't move the tank forward of the fish box. It puts to much weight forward.

I added other features too but I considered these important features as part of building the boat. :smile:

[ 01-18-2004, 07:02 PM: Message edited by: ****** ]

[grumman16]

I bought a used 20' Asaltor this fall and love it. I've had it out on the Columbia on a couple of nasty days and it handled like a champ. If I was buying new I would be looking at either an Asaltor or a Boulton Sea skiff. Make sure you get a full height splash well or better yet an offshore bracket and full height transmon.

Seahawks look nice too, just haven't been on the water in one so can't give a strong recommendation.

Good luck!

[Flatfish]

Hey White Bear,

Mercury aint a sponsor.

Mark and the dog.

[ 01-18-2004, 07:02 PM: Message edited by: ****** ]

[Up-4-Air]

Dipnet, the Jetcraft I refered to was a 19' "Fastwater". It's designed to run up and down rivers like the Sandy, Clackamas, and Rogue but isn't designed to run in strong wind driven waves. It had low sides, a V6 inboard engine, and a two stage Kodiak pump. The bow didn't have much bouyance because it swept back under the boat very quickly. Once I had to hitch hike back to Cascade Locks from the Wind River to get my trailor because I couldn't get back in my boat. The west wind was blowing fairly hard and the waves were high enough to fill the bow of the boat one after the another. Even after I had drilled a second drain hole in the bow I couldn't get the water out fast enough to bring the bow up. Had to back the boat into a more sheltered area to get out of that situation. Had similar but less severe experiences with wind waves on the Columbia on a number of occasions. The wake from the pilot boat out of Hammond would do the same thing. That only envolved a few steep swells though. Clearly, I was using the boat in an environment it wasn't designed for. One boat just won't do everything. My new North River "Seahawk" is designed for rough water. I'm totally pleased with it. :smile:

[Dipnet]

Thanks for the info Up-4-Air!! :smile:

Dipnet :grin:

[ 01-15-2004, 10:17 AM: Message edited by: Dipnet ]