Alumacraft navigator 165 Sport

Ok. so I am thinking about picking up an alumacraft Nav sport 165 with a 70 yamaha 2 stroke on it. Here is my question. Will the 7 be enough power for that boat? I see most dealers are putting a 90 on those rigs so I am worried about being under powered. dealers are saying a 90 on that rig will push it about 36 -39 mph depending on prop. I don’t want a race boat but be enough to push that boat well with 2 guys and gear.

thanks for any advise!

GO with the bigger motor. I see way to many underpowered boat these days as the owners and dealers try to keep the costs down. You will see better gas mileage with the bigger engine as the motor does not have to run as hard to keep it on plane.

Ron

Go with the 90 HP. Better performance, better resale later.

My fishing partner has that exact same set up and if it’s within your means go with a 90hp. His will run around 28-33mph with 2 guys and gear but definitly does not have a great hole shot. The 70hp is fine but for the performance and just to have the more power when needed it’s nice to have

Go for the 90 my man!!!!!!!!

That is sort of what I was thinking too. I am in a boat now that is under powered and hate it. You only save 500 or more if you go down to the 70. I am also debating between the Dominator and Navigator. I like the wide sides on the Dom but not a huge fan of the layout.

Any one have any pros or cons between the 2 boats. I am really torn between the 2.

thanks again for all the advice.

Go with the Navigator

We sell many more Dominators than Navigators. But we mostly sell to fisherman. The Dominators also have the fold down jump seats in the back for extra seating. The large central rod locker is also great.

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The large central rod locker is also great.

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I went with a navigator because I liked that it DIDN’T have the center rod locker. I have about 20 rods in my boat at all times, and could probably put another 5 or 10 in it. An open locker without tubes will hold a lot more rods IMO. Just make sure you use rod socks on them. Some people really like the center locker though. Personal preference. I really like my navigator though. I think you would be happy with either boat.

any thoughts on the smokercraft brand name? I found a used one that fits my needs very well but am worried about the quality and re-sale ability.

just because Smokercraft isn’t popular here, doesn’t mean they are not as popular some place else! They are a solid boat, you will get more for your buck, same thing on the resale, the person buying from you should also get more bang for the buck.

I have the Nav Sport 165 with a 90 4 stroke Yammy. It’s excellent. Do not get the 70, go with the 90.

Dave

I have the Nav 165 and chose it over the Dom 165 because the rest of the Dom’s storage is not lockable and the center rod lockers did not store my trolling rigs. The jump seats are a great feature if there are more than 2 fishermen in the boat. I looked at how I would use it and what gear I would store in it and made the decision. Spend the money and buy the 90hp–you won’t be sorry. The Alumacraft will give you better resale than the Smokercraft and pride of ownership.

I have the Alumacraft Navigator 165 Sport with a Suzuki 80 Hp 4-stroke motor. With gear and two people aboard, it will run 38 mph. I also consider the “hole shot” capability as well above average. Although I have never tried it, I am sure this boat would easliy pull a skier with two passengers aboard. It is a fantastic boat and that Suzuki motor is unbelieveably smooth and quiet. One of the great advantages of this motor is how frugal it is on gas. The boat holds 20 gallons and I find I can fish all day and use less than 4gallons! Love this boat!

I hate to throw a bucket of cold water on the bigger = better answers, but you aren’t going to get 20% more speed by going from 70 to 90 in HP. You’re going to get a couple of MPH.

You will get an increase in hole shot from the increased HP and torque. How much? Depends on prop and boat configuration, but this is only a 165, so it’s hardly going to be slow out of the hole even with the 70. Going up to a 90 is NOT going to feel like you just went from a Ford to a Ferrari.

You’re talking a two stroke here. Is this new or used? What year? EFI or not?

Grouse

Hey, guys, this is a 5 year-cold topic. let the old ones die.