140 Zuk, unbeatable for wt/hp ratio. I love mine. My 21' hard top weighs 3400lbs on the water with 40 gal fuel and all the gear and tops out at 39 mph. A good formula is total weight on the water divided by 30 = hp needed to go 25 mph at 3/4 throttle. I know all this cause I just went through what you are doing. Hope this helps. Lyle
New Silver Streak
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Sentinel
Active Member
You guys touting the importance of a self bailing deck are not considering the design constraints of doing it in a 18' hull. I have not been in a boat under 23' that had one that wasn't a compromise. IE Water coming in when 2 or three guys on deck and water/ blood/gurry not wanting to drain out properly. I will say this if you do attempt it on this hull make sure you can inserts plugs in the drains from the inside of the boat like we do in a buddy's 22' Seasport.
tulameentrapper
Member
I'm all for the self bailing deck as well. I've got an 18' Eaglecraft CC and love that I can just throw buckets of water on my deck to get rid of blood and any crud that gets on the deck. Have yet to get my feet wet when 2 people are standing in the same corner. Go for the 150hp as well. I wish I had more power on mine. But I get crazy good fuel economy.
Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
I have made due without self bailing decks. I always have 2 bilge pumps operational and no blood on deck rules bla bla bla. I get buy but self bailing decks hitting a whole new level in cost of the build and the one thing I love about my vinyl covered wood floors is they are warm and quiet. I would like them in my next boat if I needed one. While it may seem impossible to keep the bilge clean I have recently discovered that you can use septic tank treatment to clean the bilge and most of these product are environmentally responsible. I wish I had self bailing decks but it was just so much more boat than I could afford at the time. My point is I get by and my bilge is clean these days. Self bailing isn't just an option you chose in a boat. Its a design that requires more floatation than a "normal boat". It really is just plain luxury with a cost$$$.
As mentioned earlier don't get a boat with a motor well, that fish box in the transom in the best!!
As mentioned earlier don't get a boat with a motor well, that fish box in the transom in the best!!
gulfislander
Member
I have a 2006 silver streak runabout with te self bailing deck and love it! Yes when a couple of guys are standing in the back corner you can get wet feet ocasionally. I have plugs that i slide into the drains when the sel bailing deck isnt important to me. Great peace of mind if your ever mooring your boat! And being able to wash your decks straight into the ocean is amazing! The walk through windshield is a must in my opinion. And go with the 150 hp 100%! If youve got any questions feel free to pm me.
I see lots of divided opinions on the self bailing deck. One thing I should mention is that the 18' Silver Streak is actually 20' overall with the swallow tail. It is a big boat for an 18', so the self bailing deck doesn't seem like such an over the top feature. I rarely go out with more than 3 people, usually just 2 so there won't be that much added weight in the back. I do like the idea of the plugs just in case. The only drawback I see besides the cost is that I will lose 5" of freeboard.
I have always had trouble with bilge pumps in the past. They seem to be prone to problems. It would be nice to not have to rely on one. Plus I agree that no matter how good you think you cleaned the boat, the bilge water always manages to rot, and stink it up.
I have always had trouble with bilge pumps in the past. They seem to be prone to problems. It would be nice to not have to rely on one. Plus I agree that no matter how good you think you cleaned the boat, the bilge water always manages to rot, and stink it up.
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
The benefits of the self bailing deck far outweigh the loss of free board. I know this seems to be an issue with some folks. Have them put on some rear cockpit rails on top of the gunnels about 5 or 6 inches tall to counter it.
scott craven
Well-Known Member
I think it depends on how much big water you plan on attacking.
if you're an offshore guy who frequents the banks where you can run into ugly stuff
the self bailing hulls are great.
If you're more of an inshore boater, not such a necessity.
a good shot of bleach in the bilge cleans it up pretty quick.
just my .25c
if you're an offshore guy who frequents the banks where you can run into ugly stuff
the self bailing hulls are great.
If you're more of an inshore boater, not such a necessity.
a good shot of bleach in the bilge cleans it up pretty quick.
just my .25c
winter chrome
Member
Had a 26' SS built, was not pleased working with SS. for the money spent, customer service was sub par. Making customer requrested modifications did not seem to be in their interest.
I know there will be others on here to defend SS, but I personally would never deal with Andy again. Plenty of other great boat builders out there that offer a very good product at a much lower cost.
Because I don't want to be a advocated or a form of advertisement for SS, I tried to scape the logos off the side of the boat, but unfortunately they weld a big logo on the side of the cabin.
my $0.02
I know there will be others on here to defend SS, but I personally would never deal with Andy again. Plenty of other great boat builders out there that offer a very good product at a much lower cost.
Because I don't want to be a advocated or a form of advertisement for SS, I tried to scape the logos off the side of the boat, but unfortunately they weld a big logo on the side of the cabin.
my $0.02
Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
My experience with SS was good. They were responsive and helpful with my many questions and modifications. I would buy from them again. They make a well built, tough boat.
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gulfislander
Member
Save your self some money by going with no paint. Except for anti slip on the deck
Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
x 2 on this, non-essential paint of aluminum is a waste of time, just comes of, looks bad, harder/expensive to re-paint.
Thanks, yes I agree with you guys here. I've had the same negative experiences with painted aluminum. I prefer to use Sharkhide or a similar protectant.
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
Aluminum will naturally oxidize and provide itself with a protective coating. Although it is not as pretty as putting some clear coat on a new boat, it is superior for corrosion resistance. JMO but the clear coats are just like paint.
My gal has never had paint, clear coat, or other coating put on her and she is 12 years old now. Zero pitting, zero corrosion, and most importantly....very low maintenance
.I know I'm kind of hijacking my own thread here, but has anyone heard any good or bad things about North Craft, out past Sooke?
I thought I should check it out before going ahead with Silver Streak, and they seem to offer pretty good pricing, and a true "custom" build. Unfortunately it seems they are almost unknown, and google turns up nothing. I haven't even seen one of their boats other than in photos.
I thought I should check it out before going ahead with Silver Streak, and they seem to offer pretty good pricing, and a true "custom" build. Unfortunately it seems they are almost unknown, and google turns up nothing. I haven't even seen one of their boats other than in photos.
Sentinel
Active Member
Do you mean Northwest Aluminum Craft? They appear to be solidly built with good designs and functionality. Several guides run them and while I have never actually rode in one I have friends who have and were impressed. I will say from examining them up close the appearance of the welds is not as good as the Silverstreak and overall they appear more utilitarian.
No, North Craft is owned by a welder who used to work at Northwest though. And I believe their boats are similar.
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