Looking at buying a new boat. Just want everyone’s input on the better boat. LUND, ALUMACRAFT, CRESTLINER. I’m looking at the deep V style boats. Walk through windshield.I will be just buying the boat. Already have a trailer and motor.
What size/brand motor?
IMO, Starcraft makes one of the most underated boats out there. I would not rule them out without at least checking them out firsthand if I were you.
T
Not much to go by, how about what year size motor do you have and what size trailer?
Sorry guys should have been more specific. I will be moving my 90 horse Johnson to the new boat. Currently I own a 170 Trophy. Would like to stick with this style. Timmy, I checked out the StarCraft on line. Thanks for the info. Im currently restoring a 1969 StarCraft Starchief, great old boat.
I would look at what all three have in the size you want, check out the layout and put them in order of what looks best to you. I would then go look at them all and see if there are any that you absolutely don’t like. Cross them off the list. Once you have your group of ones you would be happy with, find the best dealer you can. The dealer makes a huge difference in satisfaction. If you have a dealer that doesn’t want to talk to you after the sale, no matter how good the hull, you won’t enjoy it like you should. If everything is fairly equal across the hulls, make your decision based on the dealer. At least that is my advice.
Marbleyes on this site recently got a Lowe Fishing Machine Pro 165 WT, with a 90 on it. Very nice rig that maxes out at 90hp. With the 90 Merc 4 stroke and two of us larger than average guys and tournament load, he gets around 43 gps.
It’s roughly the same length/width as my 03 Alumacraft Navigator 165CS, but deeper with a walkthrough. His cuts waves much better, and the walk through keeps it much drier.
A lot of the 16.5′ – 18′ boats are getting really wide in the back now, which causes a lot of drag, and you will lose some speed/hole shot, but pick up some room. Personally in that size range, I think the wider boats like the newer navigators and crestliners smack down on the water harder than the boats with 84-88″ beams.
If you go to the 17.5′ models, a 115 is pretty much a must. I know a couple guys with 175 Navigators with 115’s, who barely crack 40 mph, and wish they had more.
Lund for fit and finish and resale. Alumacraft for value. Crestliner if you wanna get wet!!
I have been running a 2001 1750 fishawk for 12 years and never ever had a problem with it. 90 horse ELPTO
Quote:
Lund for fit and finish and resale. Alumacraft for value. Crestliner if you wanna get wet!!
They don’t call them wetliners for nothing I guess 
If you’re going aluminum I’d go with a Lund hands down 
The resale on my lund was great 
If you can afford a nice glass boat, step into a Ranger 618 
You won’t regret it
Rant alert…
Will you sell a used Lund boat for more then the comparable Crestliner/Alumacraft used boat? YES
Does that mean the resale VALUE is better/higher? NO
WHY? You paid more for the Lund in the first place, that’s why the resale PRICE will be higher… not the resale VALUE. The ratio of resale price compared to original price will be the same across most brands and is much more dependent on condition of the boat and the motor attached to it than it is on the brand name printed on the side of the boat.
Just a common misconception and pet peeve of mine, had to point it out. Rant over…
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