Boat for the most use.

[starmac]

I'm in the fairbanks area a lot and planning on a complete move here in the next year or so.
My question what type of boat would I get the most use out of for fishing hunting and generally just getting out a few days at a time.
I am leaning towards a long jon and godevil but the freighter canoe and motor may be in there too for gas consumption.
I'm looking more for gas consumption than speed but would like it to be able to handle a load too.

[jklingel]

tough call

common question, but no answer w/out more parameters. want to float w/ it? ocean, too? fly out? how many people? shallow or deep water? etc. there's a huge array of options, as i am sure you are aware. canoes are great for "smaller" loads, unless you go to a big freighter. flat bottoms come in all sizes. rubber is great for all-around; very versatile for smaller loads. from what parameters you listed, i'd suggest a canoe. if you want a GREAT river boat, check the "for sale" section soon. i just happen to know a guy who is going to sell his 20' river boat....

[starmac]

It would not be for ocean use at all mainly rivers 150 mile radius of fairbanks even the yukon some. It would need to be able to haul enough gear for 2 people for a week at a time.
Maybe take down to kenai once a year.

[akshrop]

Gear for 2 for a week might be putting you into a 16-18 foot jon with a big enough jet to move it. If hunting is in your future, you got to have a big enough boat for meat as well as gear. You will max out load capacity very quickly on a week trip with meat. Unless you do turns, that means a bigger boat than a canoe. I suggest hitting the boat shops in fbk and getting an idea of what is out there. Then you can start looking at used if you are a good mechanic. Lots of options exist. Weigh out the gear that you would use for a week, add in meat weight, water, fuel, passengers, ect..., pack it all up and see how much floor space it takes. That will give you a good ballpark on what you will need. Thing is with a boat, we always want more space and more engine. Have fun, it is great to be shopping for a new boat.

[starmac]

I don't think a jet on a jon is what I am after there was some members awhile back that were running godevils and some other similar motors that claimed they just sipped the fuel one even built a diesel one. I don't know if it was ever perfected or how much fuel it used. I've seen where some guys really liked the grumman and scott freighters and use them for moose hunting.

It seems the older I get I'm not as interested with speed as economy.

[akriverrat]

id go with a freighter and motor for getting back into the skinnier sloughs. does a canoe work with the new surface drives that are out? that would be one slick unit if you could get a weedless air cooled motor on the back of a canoe.

[starmac]

I'm not sure I've seen a post where the longtailed ones wouldn't work with a canoe but havn't seen much on these in a long time. They apparently are not very popular must be a reason can't belive I'm the only one wanting economy and simplicity over speed.

[Akgramps]

I'm not sure I've seen a post where the longtailed ones wouldn't work with a canoe but havn't seen much on these in a long time. They apparently are not very popular must be a reason can't belive I'm the only one wanting economy and simplicity over speed.

We (hunting partner and I) are just getting ready to order a couple of these for a square stern canoe, http://www.scavengerbackwater.com/index2.html

I have a older 17 Grumman and he bought a Pelican 16'? plastic SQ. stern from Freds over the winter, it was under 600 bucks and looks reasonably tuff.
We have been told the surface drives will work on a canoe, guess we are going to find out..!

[akriverrat]

looking at the surface drives they are mounted pretty high up on the transom. i imagine it would make a canoe pretty tippy. even a freighter. oh well something is bound to come along sometime on a weedless motor for a canoe besides paddles :eek:.

[akriverrat]

We (hunting partner and I) are just getting ready to order a couple of these for a square stern canoe, http://www.scavengerbackwater.com/index2.html

I have a older 17 Grumman and he bought a Pelican 16'? plastic SQ. stern from Freds over the winter, it was under 600 bucks and looks reasonably tuff.
We have been told the surface drives will work on a canoe, guess we are going to find out..!

cool i hope it works out. you will have to give us a report when the water softens up

[starmac]

Do you know of anybody that has used a longtail on a canoe.
I remember a thread that said they didn't work on a canoe because you didn't have the room to turn them.
What size are you ordering. Keep us posted on them. Good luck.

[akriverrat]

ive heard the same thing about the long extended shafts on canoes. i was thinking that the surface drives moght work ( and they might ) but like i said they look high on the transom for a canoe. maybe this little unit will work. that would be cool. dosent take much HP to get a canoe going.

[7mmultramag]

scott frieghter with a scavenger=good

i run a scott with as you call it a surface drive but it is called a scavenger. i don't believe that it has affected my boats stability. these 4-stroke lawnmower engines are easy on the gas and the canoe can handle 2 moose, camp ,2 people and have cargo to spare. these scotts are good boats but if you buy one just go with a bottom protectant like the Durabak or rhino hide sort of stuff as discussed in the canoe forum. the scavengers can turn all the way to all but parallel with the stern.

[Hoyt]

I watch a guy run a sq stern every year up the river I moose hunt. He has one of those go devils. I've seen him load that canoe full of gear (and I mean full),and away he goes. I'll tell you what though...........that is about the scariest thing I get to witness every year. I've never had to fish him out yet, but I know one of these times I will. I never understood why people want to skimp on stuff like that up here. There is a place and time for running equipment like that, and hauling out that much gear (at least the guy I see) in a set up like that is just nuts. For the price of those motors and canoes, you can find a nice flat bottom boat set up for not much more. get a nice flattie, and a decent outboard. Hell you can set one up with a prop and jack ass lift and have a safer set up then what you're looking at IMO.

[alaskapiranha]

Inflatable

The inflatable can be the most flexable, I ended up with a 18' that I had a removable windshield for with a top. Rated for 3200 pounds with a 65hp motor. I used it with a 25 Honda which got 80 miles on 6 gallons of gas. (flat water) Floated the Kenai, the Big Sue, lots of lakes, and took it 55 miles out of Whittier and to Flat Island out of Homer. Had done at least class 3 once, and most important 10 foot seas, (didn't mean too)
It's what I explored ever bay with in 40 miles of Whittier in.
So want one boat that fits all, inflatable.
Some folks will hate then, but when they sink there boat the USCG will come save ya in one!