Alweld aluminum boats

**H2OPERF** · 09-23-2018, 08:53 AM

Anyone have an alweld ? I'm Ready to buy a 15/16ft flat bottom boat and these look nice.. It's going to see salt water so i don't want a riveted boat. Any input is appreciated. Thanks, Dave

**Ted Stryker** · 09-23-2018, 09:23 AM

They’re real decent boats, somewhere in the middle between a tracker jon and the custom builds. If by saying saltwater, you mean rough water then it won’t have an exceptionally long life. Welds flex and crack unless a boat is really heavy welded plate with minimal flex. The fisherman that use aluminum on the Great Lakes often use quality riveted boats like Lund

**Capt.Insane-o** · 09-23-2018, 09:48 AM

My next tin boat will be welded. I've been looking at the Alwelds too. I'll never do another riveted boat

**Ted Stryker** · 09-23-2018, 12:24 PM

Depends on the usage, they’re all gonna eventually have trouble with continuous heavy chop. If stumps, shallow water and debris are the concerns, and you’re going to beat on it then at least give a curiosity search of Gator Tail, Gator Trax, Prodigy, ProDrive, etc. Not cheap but they’re built pretty hardcore in comparison to a traditional aluminum boat. Thick material, 5052 grade or higher. They’d run over the top of a regular stamped boat and not be late for supper

**H2OPERF** · 09-23-2018, 04:07 PM

I'm going with the flat bottom so no real rough water for it and no stumps hopefully. The 1544 is .080, a little thicker than most 15s, .100 is an option but Not many alweld dealers down this way , actually only one in tampa so I kinda gotta take what I can find. I also want the center seat which most dealers don't seem to stock. I built up a Rare 79 15in tiller pull start omc from several motors and a bunch of ebay NOS parts, just gotta get a boat..

**Ted Stryker** · 09-23-2018, 08:24 PM

It’ll be a nice boat. I think the .100” option begins with a 48” bottom, or at least a handful of manufacturers are that way

**nitro_rat** · 09-23-2018, 08:32 PM

I had a 15x48 alweld v bottom. It was beat to s*** by the po with one of those air cooled, long tailed, stump jumpin "mud motas" on it before I got it. It still worked pretty good andI sold it for what I paid for it after having it a few years. No complaints, I'd own another...

**H2OPERF** · 09-23-2018, 08:57 PM

Awesome to hear, Looked it up 48 and wider is .100, maybe I will go bigger to get a .100 boat, going to have have plenty of power on the back so a little extra weight wont matter. Their web site sucks no phone number or email... guess its all old-timers working there lol, says contact dealers, well dealers usually don't want to do crap except sell u what they have in stock. If not for the fact of seeing one on the lake and being impressed with the size of the stiffeners and beefy welds and no wood transom I may have passed them over for lack of support.

**whipper** · 09-23-2018, 09:06 PM

Ali-craft custom boats were I live builds super tough all heavy welded boats in any vee to flat bottom flats boats all open center consoles what ever all custom to your liking and any power jet OB Mudmota what ever you want from 13 to 22+.ft Steve Ford the owner is a super easy dude to work with also. 100,s of them in my town of Prince George BC. Most of the guys i know with them take them out on the ocean salmon and Halibut fishing off the west coast every year and jump over logs or what every you want with them and they just keep going!! haha And your dollar goes a long way in Canada.

:]

**H2OPERF** · 09-24-2018, 08:03 AM

Yea searching the web found some cool looking boats made up that way.. but none have dealers down this way so shipping is the problem. I don't really need a stump jumper ,just using it for shrimping and crabbing so i don't mess up the wifes ride lol. Usually pretty nice out down here or it stays on the trailer...

**CUDA** · 09-24-2018, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by whipper

Ali-craft custom boats were I live builds super tough all heavy welded boats in any vee to flat bottom flats boats all open center consoles what ever all custom to your liking and any power jet OB Mudmota what ever you want from 13 to 22+.ft Steve Ford the owner is a super easy dude to work with also. 100,s of them in my town of Prince George BC. Most of the guys i know with them take them out on the ocean salmon and Halibut fishing off the west coast every year and jump over logs or what every you want with them and they just keep going!! haha And your dollar goes a long way in Canada.

:]

So what are all the costs of bringing a boat from Canada to the US ?

**Ted Stryker** · 09-24-2018, 08:44 AM

H20PERF, the construction of the boat your inquiring about should work fine for years of shrimping, getting dirty and whatnot. How much weight will you be dragging over the side, too much for one set of hands? We’ve ran catfish nets from boats just like that and buoyancy wise you can’t really get two men in one spot around the gunnel with any net pulling going on, especially if there’s any chop to speak of. A second guy in the boat has to act as a counterweight while the other guy is leaned over the side and lifting. I’m just thinking out loud, I’m sure you’re hip to the displacement you need

**H2OPERF** · 09-24-2018, 10:24 AM

Funny actually thought about that and is the reason why i'm going with a flat nose flat bottom,the crab traps are weighted with concrete and i'm not skinny any more either so i will pull them up off the front with a small rig i'm making up kinda like the way dump truck trash nets pull over the load.. leaning towards the 1648 after thinking about it and as u said they are .100 thick. They have a 1552 going to look at that one too but sounds really wide almost like an air boat.. Thanks for the inputs guys.

**whipper** · 09-28-2018, 01:29 AM

Originally Posted by CUDA

So what are all the costs of bringing a boat from Canada to the US ?

Cuda not much. #1 is your dollar is worth $1.34 ish hear. I dont there is duty from Canada to states just states to Canada? i could be wrong about that but remember that being a sore spot i think with me? haha i had my Allison Shipped from SC, leesville to Blaine Washington sum years ago now and that was 1500 bucks. I crossed over the boarder and drove her back home. That was about it. When i registered her I paid duty and taxes for were I live. If ya find the right deal its well worth the hassle. Get it to the border then ya just get Frank to take her home for ya.