16' Multi-Species, deep V, river/bay worthy, lots of power... suggestions?

I'm scaling down from Grady-White and looking for the best of both worlds. Problem is I need a flat deck no front step up. So that includes utility boats. 60-75Hp tiller, 80" or wider beam, handle a 3' chop. This is what I'm coming up with:

-Smoker Craft 160 Freedom TL
-Lund 1600 Alaskan
-Starcraft Freedom 160 TL
-Polar Craft Outlander 165 T
All these are aluminum, and it needs to be 16' and less than 17'. I don't thing there is anything made like this in fiberglass. I prefer normal color no camo or tan, flat deck all the way up. No bench seats if possible. They all push mercury engine packages. I prefer a Tohatsu MFS 75 or Suzuki DF 70 both available in tiller. I'm no a fan of any of the seats and would like to order without. Do I have all that's available? Anything else to consider?

For that - to me - you need deadrise and there's very FEW tins that will give that to you. The old mid-90s vintage Starcraft 16 Fisherman I had gave me 16-degrees of deadrise which is about the max you'll get in boats that size, less it also had a small raised deck at the bow that you'd prefer not to have. However, she'd turn screws for > 40MPH with a 60hp 2-stroke OMC on the stern. I don't see many tins offering deadrise, or it's only at the stern, which is not a real indicator of V performance, as a good V carries all the way down the hull.

And it handled chop very well ... less personally I don't think any boat less a larger 23' or > FRP Regulator-like CC with at least 24-degree deadrise and ~3-ton displacement really handles any chop well, LOL :lol: !

For your use, I'd look into Triumph Boats made out of Roplene, not lighter tin boats. The Triumph (used to be the Logic brand) hulls are corrosion-free and practically indestructible! There's a few on my river and they move right out, and are totally impervious to the corrosive effects of saltwater (might not be of concern to you) and although the deadrise is only 13-degrees at the stern, it's variable along the hull, so that with the displacement weight carries it really well.

And ... it has almost a totally flat floor in CC or dual console layouts, as they too have short raised bow sections. https://www.triumphboats.com/170-cc.html

Ok, a 3' chop is optimistic. How about 1'-2' without beating you to death...

tucker99 said:

Ok, a 3' chop is optimistic. How about 1'-2' without beating you to death...

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I believe you will find hulls like that 160SC Fisherman Starcraft, hulls w/ flat floors & side steering console but also has raised bow deck area to have more ‘V’ at the stern, plus will carry it more forward, if not all the way to the bow. Avoid any hull where the 1/3rd to 1/2 forward from stern is flat to fairly flat.

Again, I was super impressed w/ the handling & performance of that 16’ Starcraft w/ the 60hp OB & Turning Point 4-blade prop. She’d carry 2 to 5 people with only losing 100 RPMs or so, where I’d be just about up to the rev limiter if alone @ full throttle ... but who runs @ WOT all the time any way? But that is WHERE you should run her to pitch the prop right!

Speed & trim makes a HUGE difference in chop, as well keeping the bow up and the angle of attack, so sometimes one would have to ‘tack’ to & fro to minimize from being pounded to death. My bro has a 16’ Alaskan, NICE layout, but has less V than my old StC hull. Keep in mind, with you steering by the tiller in the stern, you’ll feel the waves/impact less than if you were steering from a console more forward.

I’m afraid I’m not up on other hulls to help you more ...

FYI, my brother hasn’t measured it, but says his Lund Alaskan almost flattens out by the time the deadrise hits the stern. He does use it in the salt for seaducking and loves the layout.

I don't know where you're located but any chance of having one fabricated to your specs from a local aluminum welder? Getting a small boat with a deadrise for 3' chop isn't going to happen IMO, I had an 18' Sea Hunt, best I always ran with my 16 degree deadrise was trimmed down and let the 55 degree bow entry cut the chop. 3' chop is nasty stuff, even worse on a light boat.

How about a pontoon boat, but even one of them at 16' is small and the tubes aren't that big, I'm lost other then custom.

I got friends in low places and one mentioned this brand, http://www.rossiterboats.com/model/rossiter-14/

They make a 14' boat with a 24 degree deadrise, WOW! Doesn't meet other specs you laid out but it's a deep V.

Crazyboat said:

I got friends in low places and one mentioned this brand, http://www.rossiterboats.com/model/rossiter-14/

They make a 14' boat with a 24 degree deadrise, WOW! Doesn't meet other specs you laid out but it's a deep V.

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They look beautiful ... but I bet expen$ive to boot!
.....

Never heard of a Rossiter, so looked at the site. That 14' looks very nice, but is "Very" heavy for its' size.

Looked at the 17' and it makes my mouth water, even tho' it's very heavy, too. For a boat like that and the use I'd put it to, weight isn't a big factor as long as you have sufficient power to push it. I'm a firm believer in freeboard rather than length for seaworthiness and that one looks wonderful. I do realize that bigger is better in rough offshore work, but if needing a compromise, a shorter boat with high freeboard would be far preferable to me than a longer boat with low freeboard. I also firmly believe in full transom/motor wells for safety in following seas, or even when chopping the throttle.