alumacraft boats

[carp master]

im looking for a new boat im looking at either the navigator 165cs or the classic 165 cs what are your opinions of themand wich one should i get?

[thehawk]

I had a 2002 navigator 165CS with the steering council. loved that boat. had plenty of storage and plenty of pep. make sure you put a 75 hp motor on it and you will love it. there is a ton of space in them cuz they only have the windsheild on the drivers side so the other is wide open. I bought mine cuz it was 3K cheaper than a lund with the same features. I also liked it because I could tube with my kids or hit mille lacs with the same boat. I got rid of it only because wife got pregnat with baby #6, so it (a bill) had to go. no biggie, got something different now. good luck to you, go alumacraft all day!!

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

I have a Classic 165CS with a 50hp Yamaha 2 stroke. Love the boat, but sometimes wish I had a bigger motor. 75hp would be perfect, or maybe a 60hp min.

165 Navigator would be bigger, which would require even more power. It should handle bigger waters somewhat better then the classic.

If I were buying again, I would go for a Navigator 175. Perfect boat IMO.

[Northlander]

I agreea 17' Navigator would be a good all purpose boat. Small enough for small lakes but enough boat to get you on big lakes on most days. Put a 115 horse on it and a bow mount in the 65# thrust range and you should be good to go.

[SkunkedAgain]

Nahhh, 18 foot Dominator....just kidding. We're all blowing smoke here. Carp Master, if you really want some advice then you'll need to tell us what you plan to use the boat for, where you plan to boat, etc... Otherwise we're all just a bunch of boat salesmen here, telling you to go with a bigger boat with a bigger motor and a bigger boat payment.

[snoozebutton]

Love the boat, but sometimes wish I had a bigger motor. 75hp would be perfect, or maybe a 60hp min.

I learned that lesson long ago. I had 2 boats in the past that weren't maxed out on HP and I wasn't real happy with either. The last time I went boat shopping, I wouldn't even consider one unless it was maxed out.

[BoxMN]

We;ve had 3 alumacraft boats, and still have two of them, one a '82 Classic 16 (built much different back then).

If the Navigator has the 2xb hull, it is a no brainer, get it if you want better ride. You will need more hp though... and either way, get the max if you can. I am not familar with the model specs anymore, but can tell you that our tp175 with the 2xb hull is night and day different from our other two, one of which was old semi-V hull (Classic, the kidney buster!) and the Competitor 16CS, true v hull but single bottom.

Good luck, Alumacraft's are good boats. I am fan of Black motors but all are good these days.

[caseymcq]

The Navigator is a longer and wider boat. It may handle rough water a little better. More room is always good. It is rated for a 90 hp. IMO, it is good to max out the hp on the boat. You can always ease back on the throtle if you want to conserve fuel but if you go with a smaller motor you can't give it any more than full throttle. A lot (if not most) of the 75's and 90's are the same motor so you wouldn't be saving any weight going with the smaller HP.

I have a Navigator 175 tiller and I love it a ton of room. Two live wells, decent storage. If you go with a wheel boat you could max it out at 150hp but a 140 Suzuki would also be a great motor on that boat. I am guessing that boat would probably go pretty fast with a 140 to 150 hp motor.

Talking about new boats and motors... now you have me surfin' all over looking at boats and outboards.

[bassNspear]

nothing worse then not having enough horse power. Might looks like a bit more money now, but if you get it out there, and its not what you like, and then want to go bigger, gonna cost alot more later then just doing it right away

[CRFan1]

I just bought a classic 165 CS but upgraded to a 60HP Merc 4 stroke so it should be pretty good (I hope, lol). I haven't had it on the water yet....I just sit in it in the garage and make motor noises and it sounds really fast

[whitebassman]

I too am looking at the Navigator 175CS with 115hp Yamaha. Nice boat. Must be why you can't find a slightly used one, 2004 and up anywhere! Might have to spring for a '09 instead and save $1-2k.

[muskymaniac4ever]

thinking about purchasing a navigator 175 tiller, 75max h.p , how does this thing handle in waves? crosswinds? like will it keep ya dry? plan on fishing a couple tournaments this year so i want it to be able to handle the big water what is your opinions on this boat doing all of the above? thanks

[gregg52]

if you are concerned bout staying dry you should be lookin

glass boats

as in the DRY ONE !!!!!!! Yar Craft check em out

specially if you are looking at a tiller look at the back

of Yar Craft they are built for backtrolling put a 90 e-tec on it

your set to go for long time might be alittle more $$$ up front

but you get what you pay

[caseymcq]

I have a 2005 Alumacraft Navigator 175 Tiller. I love it. The boat has a pretty dry ride. When you get into good sized rollers you get sprayed. It is wide. Plenty of room. We mainly walleye and muskie fish out of the boat and the room is a huge bonus. With muskies it is nice to be able to move around to boat while fighting a fish. I took it to Canada 2006 and I really liked having the 40 gallon gas tank. I have a 75 hp Yamaha 4-stroke that is EFI and it is an awesome motor. It starts like a champ and really sips the fuel. It has live wells front and back with a bait well up front. There is rod storage on both sides of the boat that will take up to 7 ft. rods. Storage up front for gear.

[Supercrew]

Alumacraft Dominator Tiller...... One great boat.....I have had two (Don't ask)

[SpecialK]

I was looking at the Classic CS 165 as well. From what I have read here am I to believe that it wouldn't be a good idea to take that boat up to Mille Lacs and other big water?

I want to be able to fish the St. Croix and other smaller metro lakes (Spring, Prior) during the week and then take it up to Mille Lacs for a few weekends during the summer. It will mostly be just me in the boat but expect to have one other with me at times and maybe 2 more.

I will be fishing for everything from panfish to walleyes / northern. Tiller for the extra room or side console for easier driving?

I was pretty set on the Classic but now am wondering if I shouldn't bite the bullet and go for the Navigator in a 17' variant.

As always I appreciate the input.

EDIT: I will be pulling this boat with a mini van so that has to factor into the equation as well.

[marine_man]

You can fish mille lacs with a 16', but you will need to keep close tabs on the weather conditions so you don't get caught off guard.

Given your tow vehicle and your primary fishing waters I think I'd stick with a 16' boat... which should cover your needs most of the time.

marine_man

[Supercrew]

Open your wallet, and get what you feel fits your use best. Mille Lacs is a great lake and demands respect, above average equipment and at times guts. Never sell yourself short, swing the best deal and biggest rig you can afford. In the long run you will never second guess your decision, and keep in mind your boats are for a longer time than your tow trucks. I love my Alumacraft Dominator tiller, 60 HP Suzi, and most of my fishing is done alone but when others are along it meets the challenge. Good luck on your purchase........

[NCLaker]

If I had the $$ it would be a Navigator Sport 175. Ton of room in that boat, and I love that they have rod lockers that fit 8' rods (muskie gear). I like the full windshield, your passengers will thank you on those cold and/or rainy days. You rarely hear people complain of having too much room in the boat.

If you really want to save money and tow a lighter boat, it is tought to beat the setup/value of the classic 165cs IMO.

[kdawg]

To each their own, but I would never buy another boat without a full windshield. Not only will your passengers thank you, but any time you get on big water, it will keep you much drier/warmer as well. A lot of my fishing is done when it's colder out and on bigger water (mainly Winnie), so it's not uncommon to put on 4-6 miles just to get to a certain spot. I don't know how much extra it costs to put a full windshield on a boat, but IMO, it's the best fishing money ever spent in the history of fishing. I like to spend many hours per day on the water, and it's very hard to do when you're freezing. I know there are many here who would never buy a boat with a full shield, but I am definately not one of them. FYI, I fished Mille lacs quite a few times with my 16' Crestliner 6 years ago and did just fine, but, I had a 90 horse on it though. I firmly believe in buying the biggest motor a boat can handle. I've yet to speak with a fisherman who's regretted it. Good luck.