My fishing partner is looking to buy his first sled. His two choices right now are the Alumaweld Stryker and Thunder Jet Envoy. Both are 19' and are powered with the Sportjet.
He figures either of these would be a good multi purpose boat (hunting and fishing). The boat won't be used to side drift.
Does anyone have experience with either of these boats and how do you rate the Sportjet compared to the other engine options?
Thanks in advance for any response.
Dave

Two more questions. Are the sportsmans show prices the best of the year and what kind of room do these manufacturers have that you can dicker with prices?

Thanks again.

I agree with Aunty, Three Rivers is a great, the only, place to do business with for boats. You will not be sorry. It is along road to get warranty work done in Idaho.

I have to agree about Alumaweld...I have really enjoyed my 19ft Stryker with the Sportjet. One of my buddies has a Duckworth and the other has a Thunderjet. They are both happy with theirs. If you want a river/salt/lake boat, they are the best all around type to get.

It really comes down to what is the best deal you can get. I saw some really excellent deals on a Thunderjet at the show. It was 19ft and fully equipped with everything but the kicker for around 19,000. Little things like stern rails for mounting pole holders and downriggers can be a consideration. I like the seating to be two captains chairs in the front and two bench seats with storage underneath and facing each other..So..to answer your question, it pays to look around and really consider what the best set up would be for the type of fishing you enjoy. I will say that buying that boat was one of the best things I ever spent money on. you're buddy won't regret buying either, in my opinion. FYI- I fish rivers and Seiku and it handled the big water just fine. My buddy took his 18ft Thunderjet across the bar and went out into the ocean (on a good day) and it handled it fine.

I think both are good boats. Personally, I'd prefer the Thunderjet if given those two choices. The engines are obviously the same, so it comes down to the hull and other components. I like the design/features of the Thunderjet hull more.

Sportjets are good for lighter boats and have a very good power to weight ratio. They are a two stroke so they inject oil They aren't as fuel efficient or as powerful as a V-8. They are very similar to an outboard except you have no way to trim the boat. Outboards have more fishable room and the four-stroke outboards are probably near the top in cost for power.

Mercury makes a stomp grate for sportjets. I think that would be a worthwhile investment no matter which boat your friend buys. It's possible that you'll get a lemon boat with a bad hull, but I think the chance is slim. The power for either boat is the same and is common. Most of the local dealers should be able to take care of any mechanical issue.

If comparing boat to boat. Then take a look at design and construction. Alumaweld uses full length box girders, 100% full length welds no skip welds. Extrusion construction, which is VERY expensive and very strong. A lot more man hours goes into welding an Alumaweld hull versus the competition. All Alumaweld parts are preformed and put together "stress free" . So the boat has no tension on the welds. All our bottoms are one piece. Again this costs more but is very strong and makes for a true and very consistent product.

Also as was pointed out take into consideration where the dealer is and how do you get warranty work? Alumaweld allows their dealer network to handle your warranty issues. I do not believe thunderjet does? Not saying you are going to have problems, but boats are machines and things do happen...

Also Alumaweld does offer some great "Boat Show" incentives.. Jan 1 - March 15th If purchased in that time frame saves you some $.

If you have any questions please feel free to email or stop bye the store if you have some time and we will go into more detail.

Bryan
3 Rivers

Thanks for all the replies. The Thunderjet he saw at the show had many more options and was priced quite a bit lower than the Stryker. The Thunder Jet weighs a couple hundred more pounds and I'm wondering if that is an issue.
There are some reasons why neither of us have wanted to spend even a penny at 3 Rivers but maybe it's time to leave that in the past.
I'm trying to gather as much info as I can before he sits down with a salesman from either company so any info is greatly appreciated.
Again, thanks for all the responses.

Sport jet.. the outboard thats "inside" your boat.. what a concept. Add a really poorly designed pump, then make it a two stroke so it will guzzel some gas and presto... You have a piece of junk.

Don't forget to go talk to Wooldridge boats in seattle, look at the sport 2000, which is the comparable boat in price only but is a much better built boat. As for your question if you had to choose between the Envoy and the Stryker if you really look at the two boats side by side I feel they don't compare you will get much more boat out of the Thunderjet. So do really look at the boats closely and ask alot of questions then make your decision. I looked over all the boats at the show and found that the Thunderjet was the best buy their. IMHOP

Here ya go Click on that --> Wooldridge

Sportjet=Junk??????

2 things: 1st, ditto on the Wooldridge comments. Best-built boat IMHO.

2nd: If you're already sold on a TJ or AW with SportJet and the TJ weighs hundreds of pounds more, buy the Alumaweld. That 6 cylinder engine will bog down a lot quicker if the hull itself already weighs more.

Just my $.02

I think if Alumaweld and Three Rivers can make AuntyM happy the case is closed.

"All our bottoms are one piece."

Is that possible? I thought you couldn't get aluminum sheets any wider than 72".

Just curious...

All the new boats are nice, It's all in what catches your eye and customer service. 3 river's has alot of happy customers and that says alot, Plus they are local. and when your buying a NEW boat that's a big deal, They all have to go back for some stupid little thing or add on's..

The Thunderjet is heavier, because it is built much better. Once again do a side by side comparison.You do the math.For an all around boat the Styker comes in last in my book I would also be looking at the Willie Predater. I also would shy away from the Sportjet in any boat you do decide on. Ask the dealers if they own or would own a SJ most not all but most would not.

How's the resale value on the Stryker these days. nough said

Personal experience tells me to steer you towards ANYTHING but a Thunderjet. If you can get them to own up to a problem, good luck ever getting it fixed.
Hope this helps!!

You say that your "friend" has only two choices right now

I also say to consider where you will get the boat serviced. My buddy has a Thunderjet, it's a really nice boat but he has taken it over to Idaho to the dealer probably 5 times in the 5 years he's had it. It's a 19 footer ib jet windshield boat, We took it up to Tahsis this summer, one day we were in 12'+ seas. Not real fun but the boat handled it fine.

From what I've seen you get more bang for your buck with north river. My next boat will be a north river. Right now I have a 19ft stryker sportjet. Overall its a good boat, but I find myself longing for more power and more room.

I did have to take it in to get fixed and ended up with a new motor. Now it seems slower than before. Actally according to the gps is it slower. I can't get over 40mph.

I would tell your friend to check out NR.

Just curious:

With a very finite area of sledable local river water and sleds selling like hot cakes, is there a point where saturation is reached?

Or do most people that buy sleds end up leaving them in the garage 99.9% of the time?

SlabQ,

I bought my sled this year, and I was amazed at how often I was the only boat fishing! I'd say that there is plenty of room, if you stay away from the very high traffic areas such as the cowlitz and wynoochee.

SA

Winterrun,It was all in good fun and I in no way am endorsing North River However I would recommend hanging a 4 stroke Yamaha off the a$$end.Heck any 4 stroke's worth it for the noise factor alone

No offense was taken with the comments LZ. My buddy has put a $20,000 limit on his purchase and the TJ and Stryker at show prices fall within that range. If it was me I'd look for something a couple years old with a 4 stroke outboard on it but that's me. He's dead set on a NEW boat.
What are the major issues with buying a 2 year old boat. I've owned a number of boats and know that the power plant is #1 on the list. As far as sleds are concerned, what would you look for to determine if you're buying something that has been taken care of.

I think the biggest problem with a 2 year old is that most warranties are not transferrable. So, if there is a problem, you are just out money. I think the chance is slim, but there is still a chance.

I doubt that you are going to find 2 year old boats of that size/configuration for much less than 20K.

I bought a Northriver 19ft mariner last September with a 90hp main and a 8hp kicker Yami 4 strokes with full canvas the deciding factor for me was beam width 95" I live in Westport no service depts near me So I went with the "best boat your money could buy". Boat price alittle over what your friend wants to spend but with out the kicker and few extras it could work E-mail me if you have any questions.

Why would someone put a sport jet with a POS pump on it when they could get at least a 5.0 ford with a Hamilton 212 for a couple thousand more dollars.... price it out.....

Don't get ripped off..... sport jets are crap

OK BRS, you made your point!!!!

Its nice to hear the confidence all of you have in 3rivers. That means alot to this potential new boat buyer. I talked with them briefly at the show and still debating weather to buy a new or used Super Vee.

AuntyM, what kind of performance do you get out of your boat. I'd rather hear it from an owner instead of a salesperson. Thanks

North Rivers are the CHIT!!! Or you could get a super vee and become a guide wanna be side drifter - fish flosser! J/K

Aunty POS= piece of shi*