Best Riding 18-19 Ft Welded Aluminum Boat?

[donnie d]

I have a 20' ThunderJet Luxor (Falcon in Canada). All aluminum boats ride pretty rough for a few reasons. Primarily, it is because they are light. Secondarily, it's because not a lot of manufactures have the technology required to do compound curves in aluminum. This is easily done on molded boats, but requires expensive (and very large) hydroforming presses for aluminum. This limits the design of aluminum boats a fair bit. there has been TONS of writing and debate (some even intelligent ;-)) on this focum about glass vs aluminum boats and there are tradeoffs to both. But the biggest complaint about aluminum boats it that they ride rough. Nobody ever complains about their efficiency (you can run a smaller HP motor on a lighter boat and get the same performance), their durability (you can run them up on a beach without cringing), or the fact that you can tow a 20' boat with a small truck. Most complaints are about the ride.

So what can you do to ANY aluminum boat to improve the ride? I've had some success with a couple of things. Suspension seats are the biggest help. If you have pedestal seats, the Smooth Moves suspension modules are damn near a no brainer. I both them two years ago. The install took me an hour. The difference was astounding. There are other options too, but if I were buying an aluminum boat today, I'd just add the cost of the Smooth Moves modules to the equation. The second thing I have done is fill the boat with gas. A full load of fuel in my boat weighs about 290 pounds and is low in the boat. that helps a fair bit. Of course, you have to drag that around with you all day and it might not be practical for short trip boating. But if you're going on a trip, that can be workable. Lastly, when you're bucking chop, play with your trim. There will be a spot on your hull that bucks the waves best. Just tune it in.

I can't really complain about my boat's handling specs, I really like the way it drives and rides and it's perfect for what me and my family likes to do. But if I were to do anything else to improve the ride, it would be to invest in a set of trim tabs. I think those will help quite a lot. If I was buying a brand new boat, I'd definitely spec it with suspension seats (or upgrade the pedestal seats to Smooth Moves right away) and I would probably get tabs installed, especially with the advent of Lenco electric tabs. This approach might let you focus more on the boat features that will allow you to do the things you want to do, and worry less about how it rides in chop because there are strategies you can employ to improve the ride of any hull.

Great comments. Run the KF up on the beach, and yep, no butt pucker, cringing or wincing. Agree on the trim too. The one issue with weight I’ve noticed is being blown off track with winds. Quick hands off wheel in wind and you get moved. I’ll handle that though. Nice and light easy to tow, beach, efficient (insanely efficient for a boat) and lots of dance floor space. Keeping it rammed full of fuel definitely helps. Overall very happy.

 

[ATPNW]

I owned the 20016 18' Hews craft with extended transom. No smooth moves suspension seats. Was fine at Haida gwai but got my butt literally handed to me in Uclelett. Couldn't sell it fast enough. No tin for me anymore.

Cant tell from your picture, what are the specs of the BW you went to?

 

[Tommygun]

I owned the 20016 18' Hews craft with extended transom. No smooth moves suspension seats. Was fine at Haida gwai but got my butt literally handed to me in Uclelett. Couldn't sell it fast enough. No tin for me anymore.

Your welcome. Mine was the 18' pro V extended transom... they are great boats well made no doubt. But they moved the cab forward for more fish ability at the back. It made for very comfortable fishing with room to spare. But put you right ON TOP of the waves. I literally injured my back. l needed something that i could use for lake and ocean and the tin was my choice.

Cant tell from your picture, what are the specs of the BW you went to?

Its an 18' outrage with 200 etec G2

 

[Fisherman Rob]

At the risk of going off-topic... are you guys really running your $50,000+ tin boats onto the beach?? I know what your saying, but I wonder in practice if this is truly a pro versus glass? I can run my glass DE onto the beach if it's sand or light gravel, but I have a keel guard, and I paid less than $10K for it!

 

[Saveth]

My friends got a 20' thunderjet Chinook and have only beached it once. The problem was, once beached, the bow is so high up, you need a ladder to get back in. What we do now is anchor the bow, back in and also anchor or tie the stern.

 

[kevind]

My friends got a 20' thunderjet Chinook and have only beached it once. The problem was, once beached, the bow is so high up, you need a ladder to get back in. What we do now is anchor the bow, back in and also anchor or tie the stern.

The chinook looks like it would cut through the chop really nice but have never been on one. They look like a sweet ocean boat

 

[Saveth]

They suffer from the same problems all tin boats have to deal with. Trim tabs do help quite a bit but if you want something that rides a lot nicer, you have to get a heavier boat.

 

[Aces]

They suffer from the same problems all tin boats have to deal with. Trim tabs do help quite a bit but if you want something that rides a lot nicer, you have to get a heavier boat.

Heavier like a glass boat?

 

[Saveth]

Or a bigger aluminium.

 

[Christl Waters]

I have to give a shout out to my 20 foot Boulton Sea Skiff. Great riding and fishing boat.

 

[ILHG]

I have to give a shout out to my 20 foot Boulton Sea Skiff. Great riding and fishing boat.

Great looking boat! Where did you get your tower?

 

[Christl Waters]

Great looking boat! Where did you get your tower?

Barewest.com

 

[JAC]

I have owned a lot of welded aluminum like 10
Of them, the Stabi Craft had a dry and smooth ride best of the boats I have owned, 2nd would be the silver streak. It’s not only the deadrise it’s also the design of hull and the bottom width. A lot of boats are putting huge bottoms in boats makes them larger inside and stable when at rest. If the bottom is to large for the length of the hull it will beat you up in a chop.

 

[aMonster]

Just out of curiosity, what does it cost to run a modern outboard on a 19-21' tincan for a days fishing? Let's peg todays crazy price at $1.50 a liter and say you are six hrs on the water, two running and four trolling... moderate sea conditions... how much?

 

[Christl Waters]

Depending on tides, water, etc. My Suzuki DF 140 burns about 15 liters an hour at WOT. My 9.9 Yamaha runs all day on about the same. So I am looking at about $60.00 for your scenario. I have a 115 liter tank and once I am out in Bamfield, I fill up about every third day, which includes trips to Cree and 4 to 10 miles of shore.

 

[Franko Manini]

At the risk of going off-topic... are you guys really running your $50,000+ tin boats onto the beach?? I know what your saying, but I wonder in practice if this is truly a pro versus glass? I can run my glass DE onto the beach if it's sand or light gravel, but I have a keel guard, and I paid less than $10K for it!

Same idea Rob, beach in the boat on sand or gravel, even big round stones. I wouldn’t do it onto a rocky shore of course, that’s a bit extreme. But if I had a glass boat I’d be worried about my gel coat all the time.

 

[Franko Manini]

My friends got a 20' thunderjet Chinook and have only beached it once. The problem was, once beached, the bow is so high up, you need a ladder to get back in. What we do now is anchor the bow, back in and also anchor or tie the stern.

Those Chinooks (or Luxor Offshore in the US) are much bigger boats than the Falcon/Luxor. They have very tall sides and newer models have an upswept bow. I can see that being an issue.

My kids were struggling getting in over the bow when they were little so I tied a loop in a short line and ties that to either the roller on the bow anchor perch or one of the rails. Gives them a leg up and I didn’t have to run over and help them every time they needed back on the boat.

 

[ILHG]

At the risk of going off-topic... are you guys really running your $50,000+ tin boats onto the beach?? I know what your saying, but I wonder in practice if this is truly a pro versus glass? I can run my glass DE onto the beach if it's sand or light gravel, but I have a keel guard, and I paid less than $10K for it!

All the time!

 

[Cuba Libre]

Those Chinooks (or Luxor Offshore in the US) are much bigger boats than the Falcon/Luxor. They have very tall sides and newer models have an upswept bow. I can see that being an issue.

My kids were struggling getting in over the bow when they were little so I tied a loop in a short line and ties that to either the roller on the bow anchor perch or one of the rails. Gives them a leg up and I didn’t have to run over and help them every time they needed back on the boat.

Much better idea is to do like I and others do with open bow boats . Buy a 2 step aluminum step ladder and keep it in the open bow of your boat. But tie a lanyard on it so you can retrieve it easily when you have climbed back into the boat.

 

[bpsuls]

For suspension seats on the cheap you can do what i did. I have a Hewes Ocean Pro which is a bit bigger than what the OP is looking for but i bought a couple of suspension tractor seats from Princess Auto, for 99$ a piece (https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/universal-suspension-seat-black/A-p8671224e). I rigged my existing Hewes seats on them and ditched the hard foam seats they came with. For 225$ all in for two seats, they are amazing! I've had them for 3 years now and they are pretty awesome. I couldn't justify 1000+$ for two smooth moves seats though I'm sure they are amazing.
Only thing is they are heavy and are steel, but 3 years in, no signs of rust on either unit as they are kept in the closed cabin all the time.
Worth a try at that price point.
And trim tabs make a massive difference BTW to smooth down offensive chop. I think they are a must on tins of this size or any boat for that matter. I have the Lectrotab ones with the electronic controller. Your fuel efficiency tanks when you push em down to smooth the ride but your visits to the chiropractor are markedly reduced.