2009 Alumacraft V16

[Tin Man]

Hello--
As I continue to contemplate my next boat, I can appreciate the simplicity of small and light alum boats.....efficiency, maintenance, launch/retrieve, towing, etc.

I found a 2009 Alumacraft V16 with 2009 Honda 9.9 (long shaft, electric start, power trim), and a 2009 Shorelander black painted trailer. No floorboards. According to the archived Alumacraft brochure for 2009, the V16 has a 20" transom. Everything is in very clean condition.

A few questions about this boat....

1. Is it very tender? I am a big guy at 275# and I usually take 2 others along with me ...sometimes my two sons (300#) OR dad and a friend (425#). is this too much weight (capacity plate states 5 persons or 1020# OR 1380# for persons, motor, gear)?

2. Did this model come with optional wheel steering? Is it worth converting or is tiller preferred?

3. did this model have optional floorboards? Are they preferred? What about added weight and or changing balance and ride of boat.... Do they create a safety issue with balance, ride, etc.?

4. Any comments or knowledge about this model that you can share?

Thanks

 

[Tin Man]

Found second boat of the same model, only newer, 2017, and a larger motor. This one is $2K more than the 2009.

Now to decide......

 

[Steve H.]

The 9.9 is way to small for a 16' with three guys. I'm doubtful you could get on plane with the 25 hp. But if you're just put-putting around and don't need to be on plane, the 25 should move the boat okay.

 

[MrGiggles]

Ditto on skipping the 9.9 unless you need to fish restricted lakes. Looks like 25hp is the max and that is what I would want on it.

 

[Tin Man]

Thanks! This is the type of input I was looking for. Now, If I can just decide on which boat....Other boats or this one with the 25hp!

 

[Macintosh]

Think you already decided on the one with the 25, but some feedback from experience with heavy loads in that exact boat and a very similar one is that 9.9 is woefully underpowered even for 1 larger person in that boat. 25hp will be plenty to plane off with just you and gear, it will definitely plane but may be noticeably slower and less responsive with 2 big dudes, and with 3 you will be plowing. My brothers 16' lund laker (similar size but a tiny bit heavier than that boat) with a early 2000's honda 25hp (not a particularly torqe-y 25hp) managed to get my brother (250lb), me (200lb), my wife (less than me! , a weeks worth of luxury camping gear (3 big tents, a popup canopy, 3 large coolers full of food and beve, a folding table, large camp stove, etc, etc), plus hunting gear and the worlds smallest legal deer, across several miles of open water on a very big and somewhat angry lake this past fall, but it wasnt fast or pretty and we were really plowing water. 30-40hp probably overkill with just 1 person but will handle over-loading that boat a lot better (my 1995 V-16 is rated for 40hp). Most of the time 25hp is plenty for me in a boat like that.