Exceptional Boat Dealers?

[Hemlock]

I'm in the market for a new Lund Alaskan. I just wanted to throw the question out there for any recommended, excellent service/deals type of dealers. I'm in NW MN and the boat will be on LOW for its life, but will travel if it's worth it. I'm also interested in putting a 115/130 Suzuki on it, so if there's useful info out there on Suzzy dealers, I'll take that too. (Not ruling out Yamaha though

Thanks!

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Hemlock
"Throw'm back"

[IFallsRon]

Check out Fred's Marine Center in Ranier on Rainy Lake. He's got a Web page. Fred is the brother of noted Rainy guide F.R. Woody.

[fiskyknut]

D&E in Roseau probably sells them as cheap as anywhere due to proximity to Steinbach Mb. They have quite a few on hand last time I drove thru there, including 2 in back that appear to be the changed 2004 models. FYI....2004's are rated to 125 vs. 120 on model years prior.

[Hemlock]

Thanks guys. Say Fisky, what have they changed to allow for the 5 extra ponies? Do you know what kind of outboards D&E specialize in?

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Hemlock
"Throw'm back"

[fiskyknut]

I'm not sure as to HP rating changes, this I noticed in the 2003 vs. 2004 catalogs. I checked out the 2 they have in back and the only thing I could tell that was different is the consoles in the walk-thru models are a bit taller and fancier. Have you rode in one of these boats before? D&E sells Yamaha and Mercury outboards.

[Hemlock]

Yes, I've got a friend with the 2003 20' and I love it. He's got a 115 Suzzy on it and I think that's what I want. Where can I get a catolog on this boat? They aren't even on Lund's Webpage...

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Hemlock
"Throw'm back"

[uffdapete]

I'd second Fred's Marine. My bro in I. Falls bought a 115 Suzi 3 years ago from Fred and the only maintenance has been to change oil and he's out 5x a week from May-Sept. I can email you his contact info if you'd like.

[fiskyknut]

I picked a catalog up at D&E a few weeks back. The new ones also have that different gunnel on them, maybe this is the reason the HP rating went up a bit, made them a bit stiffer maybe, they seem to flex in rough water imho. Great boat to fish out of, but they leave me with a rather unconfident feeling on rough water, compared to aluminum boats with a steeper deadrise in simular conditions. You're way up there where you have a bit more protected water than my usual haunts though. Has your friends boat had any rivet problems? Check Lund's HSOforum, they may have a catalog request section there.

[Hemlock]

uffdapete,

Go ahead and shoot me the info you have. THanks.

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Hemlock
"Throw'm back"

[uffdapete]

Hemlock - please send an email to [email protected]. Little bro might not want me to make his email address "public".

[Hemlock]

Anyone else? Otherwise I'll let it rest. D&E has quoted me the best deal out of 3 I've enquired...not including the one in I Falls.

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Hemlock
"Throw'm back"

[fiskyknut]

Hemlock,
I figured they'd quote you a decent price, they move quite a few of those. So tell me....What motor, trailer, boat style and extras? What was their quote?

Fisky

[JZ]

Hemlock do not be scard off by the short gunnells! I am just as confident in big water with a short sided boat as I am with a high sided boat. When you are moving uors sides could be 6 inches and you would be fine. There is no advantage to the higher sides accept for falling out when you are drunk is harder and staying dry in the wind. Other than that i Can't thing of any reason to have high sides

[Northlander]

Can someone give me a phone # or e-mail adress for D&E? Thanks. [email protected]

[Kingfisher]

Hemlock, Corner Sports, Inc. out of Blackduck used to be a competitive Lund boat dealer, I believe they have an office in Bemidji also. Good luck.

[fiskyknut]

Northlander, I sent you an e-mail with their phone number.

JZ, I have to disagree with most of your post. First of all a Gunnel is not a measurement from waterline to top edge of hull, it is the feature on the upper edge of the side of the boats hull. These can vary in width, strength, and what not. An example.... Pro-V's have a wide flat gunnel. Explorers and Alaskans have a narrow one, which basically a formed extrusion that's riveted to the top edge of hull. Gunwale construction and design contributes to a boats stiffness over it's length.

Freeboard is your measurement from waterline to gunnel. More freeboard usually equates to a deeper, heavier boat in general. I would'nt be caught dead on any lake with a mere 6 inches of freeboard as you would be swamped in any kind of weather rather quickly, and if another boater sends you a wake down you'll go! Interior depth from floors to gunnel is what will keep folks from falling out. Bow depth, and depth amidship depth are your measurements from keel to to the bows height, and from the keel at the middle of the boat to the gunnel in the middle of the boat respectivly. I can think of quite a few reasons why a deeper boat with greater freeboard works alot better on big water. There are also some tradeoffs with a higher sided boat too, but I can't think of any when it comes to handling in rough water. More so than anything I think degree of deadrise and overall hull design factors influence most any aluminum boats roughwater abilties.

fiskyknut

[Hemlock]

Well, this discussion is interesting, I like.

D&E quoted me on a 2004 20' Alaskan with 115 Yammaha, full canvas/convertible top, galvanized Shorelandr trailer, Digi gauges (tach, trim??) and a "$500" Lund/Rapala tackle package for $17,900

Their phone # is: 218-463-1074

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Hemlock
"Throw'm back"

[fiskyknut]

Hemlock,
Well that sounds like a decent price to me. I know of a couple that went out of there a tad bit cheaper but they were'nt on a shorelander galvanized trailer either, a good choice btw. D&E probably runs the best prices of anywhere in this country on any of the Canadian built Lunds just because they are way closer to Genmars Steinbach Mb. plant than any other Lund dealer. Did'nt you at one time tell me you are a dually like me? You may want to check and see about getting one directly out of Canada too?

Fisky

[Hemlock]

Actually I'm still a Canadian citizen, but permanent resident down here. I married a MinnesOtan. Citizenship, as you probably know has to wait at least three years from date of marriage, we are approaching 1 year. You are from Wanaksa, eh? I went to UMC with two boys from Wanaska. Derek and Casey Anderson.

Anyways, I emailed the Steinbach chamber of commerce and they stated to me that there are no Lund dealers there, the best would be to look in WPG!? I was a little surprised. Do you know any dealers in MB/NWONT that can get one of these boats? I don't see Alaskan's anywhere on the lake other than the angle. I find that wierd.

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Hemlock
"Throw'm back"

[JZ]

Fisky a good boatsman can tackle any type of water even with a small boat! Back to the gun wale! you right it is the top of the side of the boat. The word gun Gunwale[Gun + wale. So named because the upper guns were pointed from it.] The upper edge of a vessel's or boat's side; the uppermost wale of a ship (not including the bulwarks or that piece of timber or now a days alumu which reaches on either side from the quarter-deck to the forecastle, being the uppermost bend, which finishes the upper works of the hull.
A Water ski has very short sides an the ski stays above water. The whole thing is an experenced boater will have no problem in big water and those sides do nothing. when have you seen a boat get swamped from a wave over the side? Never! they get swamped over the transom and from what I know the transom don't vary much between boat sizes. From a 12' to a 20'er yes but not that much for Outboards.

[klbowe]

Last few years I had a 19ft Stratos which sat very low in the water. The wife and kids really did not like sitting that low and feared we would swamp , I to was abit uncomfortable being so low. But then I do not like riding in low cars . So I sold it.

After fishing some rough water on Upper Red Lake in this boat .I noticed that the bass boat stayed on top just as easy as the high sided boats.

Buy what you feel comfortable in , if you stay out and fish in the white caps or fish the Great Lakes buy a big deep boat if that is what you need .

[fiskyknut]

JZ, I'm in agreement as to the expierience of the boat operator, this was not mentioned at all prior but you may as well now eh? Your waterski anology is odd as boats and waterskis are complete different animals. I have'nt seen to many folks out there waterskiing in 3-4 foot waves either! Thanks for the Websters reinforcement of my definition of a gunnel vs. freeboard, and yes I know the correct spelling. As for you saying.... "when have you seen a boat get swamped from a wave over the side? Never!", you certainly don't know what I've seen in my day, and yes I have seen boats take water over their beams on more than one occasion, to the point of being fully swamped, partially swamped, and to where its probably nothing more than just a nuisance. I have also seen boats spear waves and take mass amounts of water over their bows to the point of complete swamping. I have also seen boats swamped over their bow without spearing a wave and while going slow. Swamping over the transom? Yes I've seen this too. Majority of these incidents were operator error, or were on account of the foolishness of these folks being out in conditions that their small and low freeboarded boats are not suited to in the first place. Many of these incidents most likely would not have happened if the boat in question was of a more suitable size and design capable of safe operation in the rather nasty conditions they were out in. I never said freeboard or depth of the vessel alone is what makes a boat seaworthy in rough water. I have also felt safer in some smaller boats with lesser freeboard than I have in other larger boats with greater depth on quite a few trips onto nasty water. My 'unconfident' statement made earlier was in reference to transom deadrise in rough water and not to freeboard and gunnels anyways. Peace and out.

Hemlock, can't steer you to any dealers in Canada. Probably worth checking around though.

Fisky

[uffdapete]

Hemlock - put a post on the Rainy Lake forum and little bro (Fishmeister) can answer any questions about his Suzuki and also he might give you a recommendation for a dealer in Ontario he's dealt with. He doesn't check this thread too much, but checks the Rainy thread regularly.

[Hemlock]

I'm back from a weekend up north and we almost had this whole boat thing figured out. I found a 1900 Sylvan in Nestor Falls Year:2000 with a 2002 Evinrude 90 hp FICHT (188 hrs). Nice boat, unbeleivable price, but slightly underpowered, wouldn't you think? (Max HP is 175) They were asking $14,000 CDN. This boat is almost identicle in design to the Alumacraft Trophy 190.

Uffda, thanks for the info, I'll post over there.

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Hemlock
"Throw'm back"