To buy Alumaweld or Wooldridge Sled?

Just looking for some good information on which sled to buy. Anybody know anything about either Alumaweld's Super Vee Lt or Wooldridge's Alakan? I'm looking at the sixteen footer with a 90 horse Merc motor on the Alumaweld or the sixteen foot Wooldridge with a sixty Merc. Any comments from anyone about the Wooldridge tunnel, does it corner as well as they claim? Any information, aside from people who hate sleds, would be appreciated greatly!

Personally, I'm not to excited with the woolridge product. I do like the alumaweld and have fished out of a 18' super vee Lt with a 115 merc. With three people it did ok but it was a bit underpowered. You may experience that with the 16 foot boat if you plan to fish 3 or more people. If you don't mind I will make two other reccomendations. A 16 foot, 6 foot wide koffler with a 115 yamaha or the same with a thor built. These two boats will run shallower and track much better than the alumaweld and woolridge.
Just my .02 cents worth. P.S. Just don't cut corners and underpower your boat.
Keith

I agree, take the time to look at the Thorbuilt boats in Toledo, custom stuff and great guys. They build what you want and what others don't offer. I think they are doing 17-18 footers right now. :p

Doug's Boats in Woodinville has some great deals on Custom Welds. A lot of boat for the money.

If your getting a 16' sled I wouldn't go with any thing less than a 90h.p.=60h.p. jet.
I would lean towards a 115h.p.=90h.p. jet if it's legal,meeting coast gaurd standards.Like
it was mentioned above don't go cheap on the power source or you'll be sorry.While your at it,get a four stroke kicker for it.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

I have the Xtra plus in the 16,9 FT and I love it. It corners great. I have the 115 Yamaha and it a little under powered. I would not go with the Alaskan if you plan to use it on any big water.

Go for H.P.!!! Get the biggest motor that you can afford. I haven't ran a Wooldridge, but I think that there's alot better boat out there than a Alumaweld (sorry guys, no offense). Boat room is a must, and alot of the Wool's are narrow boats. I like wide boats = more fishing room. I currently have a 18' FishRite w/ a 105 pump (150H.P.). It is fine but I would love another 2'. Willie Boats are awesome, as well as the other ones mentioned above. Remember, these boat shops will deal. Also, you'll probably get "2-footitis", so get the biggest boat that you think you will need. Good luck, and post your results.

fishbreath, I have a 16' woolridge. It's powered by a 115hp. Screams when I am alone but with 3 guys I need all those pony's. I disagree totally with takedown's comment about big water. The big bow on the alaskan makes it fish much bigger. I fish every year at bouy 10 (and the gourge). That water is big and with a south wind and an out tide can be trouble. My boat fishes really well, considering its not big. Dont' get me wrong, I try not to be stupid out there, but every once in a while a guy gets caught. If you give it enough throttle to keep that bow up, it drives like a twenty footer. That's what i like about it,a small boat one guy can fish easily but it can bring you back. The windshield is nice on bigger water, as is the canopy. It is narrow, thus less room. A guy really needs 4 or 5 boats and no wife! But that's life? Ride in as many as you can. Then go for it, in a couple years you can sell when you have a better idea if you want. Good luck

I own an Alumaweld 18' Super Vee Pro with a 150 HP pump. Power wise it's perfect! The only problem is it's 5'6" wide. Thus, it needs more water to float in which isn't the best combination for free drifting. I agree in taking a look at Thor Built Boats. From what I've seen it will be the next boat I purchase! Also take a look at getting a 6 degree bottom with a 10 degree in the bow. That would make a free drifting dream. I you have any other questions give me an e-mail. Good Luck!

P.S.- Stay away from the Wooldridge!!!! If you buy an Alumaweld don't buy a boat under 20 feet!!

i have a wooldridge and love it, you have got to remember you can order them with wide bottoms if thats what you want, they will build you a boat any way you want it, i personaly wouldnt own an alumaweld with box girder construction it`s junk, sorry..

anyone know if thor boats has a webpage
thanks

I had a small wooldridge for the past ten years and would buy another. It corners on a dime.

i,m in the process of buying a new sled also.i rode in a lot of sleds and you really need width and lots of power on a sled.get all the motor the boat will hold.the best sled i've seen so far is the motion marine guide model(outback)but the price is divorce like.most boat shops will let you drive them if you intend to buy so take your 2 biggest fishing buddys with ya and see if it will work with ya.all sleds run real good with 1 or 2 people in it.i've talked quite a bit with scott and bryan at 3 rivers marine in woodinville,these guys fish a lot and know how to set up a boat.good luck.scott

i wouldnt own a sportjet, they are a joke.

<~~~~~just laughing..... If you want sumpin done right.....just DO IT yourself....

P.S. Snag's custom sleds coming to a river near you......

fb, I owned a Wooldridge Alaskan 15'11" with a 55 jet, ran it in very skinny water, turned on a dime, if you are in to back-trolling it will get into those nooks and crannies easy as it is as maneuverable with the trolling motor as it is with the big motor. It does hammer pretty hard on chop, is tight on room for more than 2 people because it is narrow, though I fished 3 rods quite often in mine. Don't know how it tracks as I mostly backtroll plugs and bait divers. Mine was an 1988, I don't know if they have changed much, I sold mine to get a little more room and my wife wanted higher sides (to feel safer)as she fishes with me a lot. Hope this helps.

Good luck

Doubletake

Thor-Built does not have a website, but they are at 360-864-8900,Mike or Dean....exit 59 WA. Mine is a 21' with a 7' wide bottom 6 degree bottom, open sled, lotsa lotsa room. 200 EFI Merc w/pump.

Hey everybody, thanks for all the info! I have committed myself to ordering a 16 ft Alumaweld Super Vee LT with a 90 horse tiller Merc, 50# electric Minn Kota trolling motor, extending step deck with diamond plate add on, seat box adjusters, wide trays with carpet, washdown pump assembly, tray/gunnel rubber, oar and anchor setup. It will be built at the end of July with delivery around the first week of August. I'm pumped!! Now I need to sell my current sled. Know anyone that wants to buy a 14 ft Almar with a fifty horse Mariner all set up to fish? I'm thinking in the fifty five hundred range.

Thanks again for all the posts!

i`d step up to a 115, you may be unhappy with the 90.

fishbreath,

i run a 1998 alumaweld 16 foot supervee lite center console with a 115 mercury jet at work. this is the worse boat i have ever ran. it is a dog getting out of the hole and cavitates horribly in sharp turns. we have lowered the motor and put on the bolt on side tabs with no effect. the motor is mounted as low as we could get it, so it seem that there is some type of water disruption in the hull that is causing cavitation. i personally own a 1998 17 foot alumaweld stryker with a 115 marineer. my boat has none of the problems noted above. just wanted to let you know.

I URGE YOU TO NOT GET THE 90 H.P. MOTOR! MY UNCLE JUST BOUGHT THE SAME BOAT YOU HAVE. BY THE TIME HE ADDED A KICKER AND JUST ONE EXTRA GUY THE BOAT WAS WAY UNDER POWERED. CHANGE YOUR MIND GET THE 115!!!!!! HIS IS A TILLER POWERED 90. NOT ENOUGH POWER! THE BOAT OTHERWISE IS GREAT AND I LIKE YOUR CHOICE BUT, GO BACK AND GET THE OTHER MOTOR, YOU WON'T BE SORRY IT WILL ONLY MAKE YOU HAPPY! ALL THE OTHER GUYS ARE RIGHT, GET AS MUCH POWER AS YOU CAN! THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IS BE IN A SHORT RUN AND YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THE HOLE QUICK AND NOT HAVE THE POWER TO DO IT. JUST THOUGHT I'D ADD A LITTLE INSIGHT, HOPE THIS ISN'T TOO LATE!

Chumsalmon,

Ok, now you got me worried. In fact I had a dream last night that I was in the boat and it was slow to plane! Gosh, maybe I need to get a life! Can you tell me what motor he got? I'm looking at a Merc which has a displacement of 1386 verses the Yamaha's 90 at 1140. I'm putting quite a few bucks into this thing and the last thing I need or want is to come up short handed. Half of the time I fish by myself and the other I fish with only one other guy. I'm sure if I fish with three guys in the boat I'm not going to be happy with the horse power but I don't like playing guide so that should seldom happen. Curious to hear back from you or anyone else with info!

he has a merc. too! this boat is the exact same one your getting. I've fished in with the two person and three person version. two guys it's o.k., i still think it's underpowered and it REALLY dosen't get up on a plane fast enough, with three guys i thought it was actually kind of pathetic. He likes the motor and i'll admit i like it too, but even he admits he wishes he'd bought a bigger motor, (that takes a lot he never admits anything) hey, were are you buying your boat from? He bought his in oregon, i think it was somewhere near portland, can't remember the name though.

Hey Chumsalmon,

I'm getting the boat from Three Rivers Marina in Woodinville. You've kind of got me nervous now, not sure what to do. I can change my order as the boat won't be built till about July 26th and I don't take delivery till the end of the first week of August. Sure would like to talk with you a bit more!!! Any chance you can email me directly and give me your phone number? I'm going to call 3 rivers today and find out if they would even put the bigger motor on. It's only rated for a 90 so I don't know if they are comfortable putting the bigger jet on.

hey,
fishbreath, sent you an email, send a reply or give me a call. I'll tell you what i can.

The regulations(Coast Guard??) state that you can't put a motor over 90hp on boats under 18 ft.. Lots of them running around out there, but I'd be willing to bet it wasn't done at the factory.

On another note...you will find that the same 90hp motor will push an 18 foot boat better than a 16 foot boat. The downside of the boat wieghing an extra 150 lbs. is less than the upside of having 12 square feet more planing surface on the bottom of the boat. It is easier to get the boat on plain, and push it across the water when the weight of the boat is dispersed that much more. Keep the motor, buy a little bigger boat. If you don't believe me, go drive one if you can find one rigged the same...Good luck in your purchase....

I don't know the rules that well, but is that 90 h.p. rated at the pump or at the power head. you lose a 1/3 of the power on a pump. so your really looking at somewhere around 60 h.p. at the prop. makes me think that is why you see bigger motors than what you say is allowed.

hey, fishbreath, i see that your homeport is bellingham? You live in bellingham? I ask because i live in bellingham too. Have you fished the nooksack lately?

get an 18 footer with the 115 and be happy, also get the power pump with a 4 blade impellar, i owned a 16 foot duckworth with a 90 yamaha, i guarentee you wont be happy, at the very least get an 18 with the 90 and the powerpump jet unit. or just go ride in one like you ordered with a kicker and all the gear in it and see for yourself

Another strong recommendation,
Depending on what you want to spend, 18' Koffler or thor built with a 150 Yamaha minimum, one of my good buddies had koffler build a 18ft flat bottom and put a 200 yamaha on it, holy sh** hold on!! That thing just screamed, too much power for the flat bottom if you came into corners too hot, you'd be lucky to make them. So he traded that boat back in and put the same motor on a 20ft x 6.5ft wide koffler, now in my eyes that's the ultimate machine! I fish out of a 18ft Koffler with a 6 degree V with a 150 merc. It does very well with three people and good with 4. Room becomes the issue with 4 people though.
Keith

OK so you may have decided what HP motor you want, now do you want the new Stainless Steel impeller!!! Another adder!! But worth it!

Just a question for you guys. Is there any particular reason why you guys are so die hard OUTBOARDERS... Whay not go inbaord?

Fishbreath,

I wouldn't lose sleep over your choice. The guys are right. You can't get enough horsepower when it comes to a jet. My last boat was a Alumaweld 17' SuperVee pro with a 115 Merc. It was plenty of power for 2, but found lacking with 3 in the boat.Should've had a 150.

Your choice however, is a 16' lite. About 400 lb.s lighter and a flatter vee entry into the water than the Pro. The 90 Merc should perform well. My partner has this same setup and it seems very adequate for 2...OK for 3. It planes quicker than my 115 on the pro.

The key here is weight to power ratio. With a smaller boat, the 90 Merc is max power for that engine block series. If you go 115, you jump to the next block size (i.e)more weight on the transom of a smaller sled. The result is poorer performance all around. Slower hole shot and unbalanced cornering. With your built-in fuel tank forward and a 90 on back, you have a well balanced set up. Consider this, when selecting a trolling motor, also. The new 4 strokes are sweet. But an 8hp 2 stroke weighs 78 lb.s, while a 9.9 4-stroke weighs 128 lb.s

The stainless impeller is a good investment.

Have Fun!!

Hog

[ 06-30-2001: Message edited by: HOGBREATH ]