First Boat: Explorers vs. Alaskans

I have boated my whole life but never had anything but 14 foot Lunds. With 2 kids and a dog we are looking for a nice used fishing boat with lots of room representing good VALUE. I would like some feedback on pre-2004 17″ (1675) Lund Explorers, 18 Alaskans and other boats you all like. I like the beam on Explorers but with little kids does the platform up front pose a safety risk being elevated. Might they fall out and without bench seats is it harder with little kids? The 18’Alaskan is narrower but without the platform deeper up front and longer not too mention fewer features. For fishing I would like some feedback from those with first hand experience with both. Also what are the advantages of Tillers vs. consoles.

Thanks

I prefer a tiller, I have a 1675 explorer with a 75 Honda, it really is alot of boat. I can fish 3 adults better than my buddy who has a 17 Mr. Pike. With the tiller you can also remove a seat and throw in a play pen! I would honestly say the explorer models are the bomb, great boat at at great price. Depending on your price look at the 1700 with the newer gunnel wall. I believe there is a 1675 for sale on this site at a good price, also rapid sport marine has one on there web site for around the 9K mark.

If you like the Explorers then my son has been using a boat from Smittys Marine in Lake City, Mn this year [March till now] that your family would love. Its the same style as the new bigger Explorers. Its a console boat with a kicker motor too. Its 17′ 6” length with a 93” beam. This boat has tons of storage and room. You may trade in your old boat too as the dealer owns it. Alot of extras at a great reduced price. Either Ken [dealership owner] or Ron salesman] at 651-345-3990 for info and/or make offer or you can call my son at 507-990-1650 cell # and they can give you more info on the boat if interested. Below is a link to the classified ad on this site. Ad was put in a few months ago to generate interest but seems people like to buy then instead of waiting. He will be done using the boat after this weekend.

Thanks, Bill

2005 Alumacraft Navigator 175 CS

Sounds like a nice boat, but if newer likely out my budget. I want to keep the whole package well under $10K, thus the reason the used 18 Alaskan has appeal. I also want vinyl floors which are found on Alaskans and only some Explorers.

My opinion is buy the boat that YOU like.
Yes, you have little kids, but how long will they be little? Your wife may go out fishing a few times with you but because of the hassel factor getting the kids ready she won’t go very often. It mostly will be you and maybe one of the kids.
This may be the last boat you buy for 10 years, so plan ahead. A boat that handles teenagers will be of more value to you than a boat designed for little kids. If the kid factor is huge in your wifes mind then look towards a pontoon boat.

No matter what you decide be sure to get enough motor for the boat! Nothing worst than a boat load of people with bad weather coming and no power. Many, many, people are trying to sell rigs that are under powered. (it’s the favorite trick of the dealerships to be the low priced guy)Another thing, just about anybody selling a boat will have extra life jackets, anchors ect. laying around. They all cost money, get them to throw some stuff in on the deal.

My advice, wait until the new credit card minimum payments kick in after the 1st of the year. Look to buy from a private party, there will be plenty of boats available at your price.

Good luck and enjoy the shopping process, buying a boat is fun!

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No matter what you decide be sure to get enough motor for the boat!

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I’d say a minimum of 80% of its capacity.

This will be my first boat. I like both the Alaskan and the Explorer tillers. They both have pros and cons, pick your medicine.

Thanks for the feedback, however, I would really like to hear from owners of Explorers and or Alaskans and their experiences and what advantages (aside from price) there are for tillers vs. side counsels.

I have a 2003 Lund 1675 Explorer tiller with a 70hp 4 stroke. You are welcome to go fishing with me to see how you like it (I fish all year).

You really need to decide if you want a tiller or console. Then decide if you like a longer narrow boat as compared to a wider shorter boat like the Explorer (which rocks less when fishing in waves). The IPS hull of the Explorer is nice as the boat just pops up on plane, even when loaded.

I am a biased tiller man and like the extra space and comfort of boating and fishing from the back of the boat. I spend much more time fishing than going from place to place, so it works well for my style of fishing. Most others prefer consoles and faster speeds than me. You may prefer a tiller just so you can better keep an eye on the kids.

Neither of these boats is going to be very smooth in rough water so expect to slow down when there are larger waves. Vinyl is nice for cleaning but is more slippery than carpet, and it easily shows hooks marks/old screw holes/dents/etc. Look at a few older boats with vinyl floors before making that decision.

I love the 4-stroke and will never go back to an older style 2-stroke motor. Although you may find that a 2-stroke on a used boat should make it less expensive.

About 3 months after I got my boat I put this webpage up http://walleyesearchers.com/comfortsboat.htm
It may answer some of your concerns about likes and dislikes.

These are both very good value boats that you are looking at.

Dave Gulczinski

Dave many thanks for you insight. This is just the kind of info I am looking for. How long have you had your Explorer? Aside from the new railings of the 2004 and newer Explorers, are there any other significant differences/changes? In other words, does the newer boat warrant the extra price tag?

Good points on the carpet vs. vinyl. Never would have thought of those things to consider. I also liked your view point on tiller vs. console. For the 1675 would you say that a 70hp is about right or would 50 or 60 work given the boat itself w/o gear is about 1000lbs?

I love my 2003 1675 Explorer with a 60 hp 4-stroke Yamaha tiller. My buddy with a 17′ Alumacraft loves my boat too. I night fish with my gas motor so I gave up the extra HP and 1200 lbs that I would have gotten with the 70 HP. I bought another prop and got better holeshot and top speed so I am loving it. Plenty of room for kids and dog or 3 adults. I got the best boat combination for the money.

Happy Thanksgiving boatmeister; check my Explorer out. 1675 with a 50 Yam 4stk tiller. Goes 33mph on Gps. Has wave Wackers, vinyl floor, transom mount Vector 3X. It is olive drab however and that might not work for you. Entire package is like new and I love the vinyl floors. I will NEVER fish with crawlers over carpet again. Also, I think this is the smoothest aluminum boat I’ve ever ridden in…due to the IPS hull. Let me know if you want photos e-mailed to you.
$9500…does that sound like a reasonable price everybody?

I would go with the biggest motor that the boat is rated for you will be much happier with its preformance.

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For the 1675 would you say that a 70hp is about right or would 50 or 60 work given the boat itself w/o gear is about 1000lbs?

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Boatmeister,

I got my boat in the summer of 2002 so I have about 3.5 seasons with it. When I first got the boat it just flew (about 40mph) over the water with just me and an almost empty tank of gas.

Then I started adding things like 3 heavy batteries for the electric trolling motor, gas in the tank, anchor, live well full of water, fishing friends with all their gear, etc. Smaller motors can really get bogged down with an extra 700-900 lbs of weight. When you fish by yourself, a smaller motor will get you up on plane and work just fine, but when adding a lot of extra weight, then a larger motor is really nice to have.

Some motors are lighter than others for the same HP and that is great. But make sure they have the same number of cylinders, a motor with 4 cylinders usually runs smoother than a motor with 3 cylinders (which is important for a tiller). Also make sure the lighter motor’s lower unit is just as strong as the heavier motor (when river fishing, floating wood is frequently hit while running from spot to spot).

Dave Gulczinski

ttt

I just skimmed through the above posts but the Alaskans are built more for river fishing. If you mainly fish lakes, go with the Explorer. The Alaskan tiller is a wet ride in waves. I refuse to ride in my buddies 18 footer on Mille lacs unless its calm. I wouldnt worry about the deck on the Explorer, I use to have a 1650 and had many kids in my boat.